Sailing Team Ties Navy in Regatta

When every other skipper thought the 30-knot Chesapeake Bay Wind to much for spinnakers, Crimson helmsman John Marshall called for his parachute and, despite near disaster, skippered the varsity and a 40-ft. yawl to a stries tie for first with Navy in one of the most amazing last legs in the history of the McMillan Cup regatta.

Although both the Crimson and Navy had accumulated 28 points at the end of the three-race vacation series at Annapolis, the race committee gave the silver to the Midshipmen. They had a second place, a fifth, and a first to Harvard's fourth place and two seconds.

At the start of the crucial last race, the Crimson was first (18), with Navy and the Coast Guard tied one point behind. More than a minute late at the start, the varsity barreled over the line on a port tack, catching but falling to cover the Navy boat.

Marshall held course too long and went over into the mouth of the Severn River, where wind and tides combined in a delaying action that gave the Midshipmen a strong lead.

With two boats ahead now and the only possibility left of tying Navy by placing second, Marshal threw caution to the winds and tossed on the big blue and white spinnaker. After rapidly catching the Babson boat, he ordered a jibe. Although the boom rode up the mast in the high wind, four of the crew barely held it down