1941 National Sweepstakes
North Shrewsbury River, Red Bank, New Jersey, August 17, 1941


FIFTH IN 3D HEAT CAPTURES CROWN
Schrafft Repairs Speed Boat and Finishes Far Behind Leader—Wins on Points
TRIUMPHS IN SECOND TEST
Victor Tallies 827 to 794 for Ripp in National Sweepstakes —World Marks Set
By Clarence E. Lovejoy
Special to The New York Times

RED BANK,: N. J., Aug. 17 Uncle Sam has beckoned his finger at George Schrafft, who received his bachelor's degree at Harvard in June, and in another few weeks he will be a buck private in the Army, because his draft board has said so.

But this afternoon, on a rough and blowy North Shrewsbury River, when a fresh no'wester put whitecaps on a normally calm and protected river, Schrafft reached the high spot of a speed-boat racing season by adding to a succession of other honors the national sweepstakes championship for 1941. When Zammie Simmons declined to enter his My Sin, which won the Gold Cup yesterday, the sweepstakes classic was left to the 225s, and there are a half dozen of them capable of running off with titles. Yesterday it was Joe Taggart's Tomyann III that cleaned up the field in this popular class. But to-day was something else again.

Gets Checkered Flag

To win, a temperamental speed at prima donna must keep going, and Taggart's Tomyann III couldn't do this. After a victorious first heat ahead of Schrafft's Chrissie IV, the Ohioan petered out with engine trouble in the second fifteen-mile test and Schrafft came through to get the checkered flag from the finish judges. This gave the Harvard alumnus 700 points.

With Tomyann out of the picture with a broken oil line, two other rivals were tied at 394, Frank Ripp in Meadowmere and Ken Mackenzie, driving Francis Vintschger's Tortuga II.

It was anybody's race when the cannon for the third fifteen-mile heat boomed. Schrafft’s Chrissie IV led for five of the six laps and it looked like a shoo-in for him. But a motor stoppage halted him for emergency repairs while Meadowmere moved into first place to win, with Tortuga in second position. Scorers and timers on the committee barge began totaling points.

Then Schrafft got to work with wrenches and pliers, kept Chrissje IV going at slow speed and, by finishing in fifth place, some eight minutes after the winner, was able to add 127 points, which gave him a total of 827. This was enough to win.

Tortuga Adjudged Third

Rarely has a major speed-boat title been won on such a margin. Meadowmere's third-heat victory gave Ripp second honors for the entire race with 794 points and Tortuga was adjudged third with 694.

The former State Assemblyman from Atlantic City, Edison Hedges, who unseated the defending champion, Henry Davis Jr., Dartmouth junior, in winning the national 135 Class title, with his new boat Uncle Sam, clicked off two new world records with his other racing ship, American Eagle, in the event for inboard runabouts.

In winning the Class B race, Hedges was timed at 45.708 miles an hour in the first heat and at 46.296 in the second, both of which erased the 43.478 made by Sammy Crooks at Torresdale, Pa., on June 29 with his Dragon XV.

Another new speed record was hoisted by Tom Ehrhart's Doris III in Class D racing runabouts when he was clocked at 44.466 m.p.h. to replace the 44.117 made by Frank Alderman Jr, at Lakeland, Fla. last Winter.

During the two days of the regatta a total of 310 starters entered the thirty-one racing events, installing it as the largest in history

225-cubic-inch Hydroplanes

First heat—Won by Tomyann III. Joseph J. Taggart, Canton, Ohio; Chrissie IV. George Schrafft, Westbury. L. I., second: Voo Doo, Jack O'Mara, Mount Arlington, N. Y. third: Tortuga II. George Vintschger, Morristown, N. .1., fourth; Seabiscuit. H. L: Brinkman, Buffalo. fifth; Sally Ann jr., William E. John, Rye, N. Y., sixth; Meadowmere III, Frank Ripp, Rockville Centre. L. I., seventh.
Time, 4:32-1/5.
Speed, 60.18 m. p. h.

Second heat—Won by Tomyann III: Chrissie IV, second: Voo Doo,. third: Tortuga II. fourth; Meadowmere III. fifth: Seabiscuit, sixth: Tempo IV, Guy Lombardo. Freeport. L. I., seventh: Sally Ann jr., eighth.
Time: 4:30 4-5.
Speed: 55.470 m. p. h.

Final Point score—Taggart, 800: Schrafft. 600, O'Mara. 450; Vintschger, 338; Brinkman, 222.

National Sweepstakes

First Heat, Fifteen Miles—Won by Tomyann III, Joseph J. Taggart, Canton. Ohio; Chrissie IV, George Schrafft, Westbury, L. I., second; Tortuga II, Ken Mackenzie, New Haven, Conn., third; Meadowmere, Frank Ripp. Rockville Centre, L. I.. fourth; Seabiscuit, D. G. Jones. Old Forge, N. Y., fifth; Sally Ann Jr.. W. E. John, Rye, N. Y., sixth; Tempo III, Guy Lombardo, Freeport, L. I.. seventh; Onwego, Bill Bourne, Larchmont, N. Y., eighth; Gen VI, David Gerli, New York, ninth.
Time — 13.53 1.5.
Speed — 64.809 m.p.h.

Second Heat—Won by Chrissie IV; Tops Pup, Jack Cooper, Kansas City, Mo., second; Meadowmere, third; Tortuga II, fourth; Seabiscuit, fifth; Onwego, sixth.
Time—13:54 2-5.
Speed—84.713 m.p.h.

Final Heat—Won by Meadowmere; Tortuga II, second; Onwego, third; Seabiscuit, fourth; Chrissie IV, fifth.
Time—14:02 2-5.
Speed—84.101 m.p.h.

Final Point StandingChrissie IV, S27; Meadowmere, 794; Tortuga II, 694; Seabiscuit, 423: Tomyann III, 400.

(Reprinted from the New York Times, August 18, 1941)


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