THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SPORT
SAILING DOWN UNDER
Australian yachtsmen in search of perilous sport crowd 1,640 square feet of sail on 18-foot skiffs and head out into the windswept waters of Sydney harbor. Four to six men are needed to handle and hold down the boats, which have a 34-foot mast, a batwing spinnaker on a 52-foot hollow boom and a featherweight hull of 230 pounds. Under full sail and with crews experimenting with a variety of riggings, 18-footers frequently leap out of the water or occasionally dive beneath it.
FOLLIES OF SPORT: 1955
Both baseball and golf have endured many trials while evolving from yesterday's informal pastimes into today's highly stylized sports. Just how durable they really are was again proved on two recent occasions. Near Oakland, Calif. ladies from the Castlewood Women's Golf Club, trying to recapture bygone days in a Roaring Twenties tournament (above), almost sent the game back to the shepherds. In New York, the celebrity patrons of two famed restaurants—Toots Shor's and "21"—staged a softball prologue to a Yankee-Giant exhibition for the benefit of sandlot baseball. Despite their fine intentions the exhibition quickly turned into a comedy of exhibitionism. By the time "Shor's Crumbums" took a slight decision from the " '21' Gentlemen," there was some question whether Abner Doubleday or whoever the responsible party was had done the right thing by the stick and the ball.
Mrs. F. L. Standart of the Castlewood Women's Golf Club near Oakland, Calif. wears middy blouse, sailor tie and gym bloomers as she tees off for Roaring Twenties tournament.
Rocky Graziano, who caught for Toots Shor, argues with Al Schacht of "21" before felling Schacht with a supposedly fake punch.
Eddie Arcaro, the jockey, finds a baseball harder to hit than a horse. Umpire let him keep swinging until he connected.
Mrs. Harvey Brackett tries hazard drive, her feet encased in cardboard cartons.
Mrs. Norman Miller putts with mallet. She won prize for best costume.
Robert E. Sherwood shows diamond to Phil Silvers, whose spectacles were fogged.
EVERYBODY GETS IN THE SWIM
The bone-chilling waters of Juan de Fuca Strait teem with humans hopeful of being the first to swim the tortuous 18 miles between Victoria, B.C. and Port Angeles, Washington
Roman catholic priest Father John Donelon used powerful crawl, hoping his speed would get him across before the cold sapped his strength. He was pulled from the water after only two hours 26 minutes. Father Donelon expects to try again next year.
German immigrant John Giese of Vancouver made unscheduled try but was a flop, lasting 40 minutes, covering less than a mile.
British Columbia coed Pat Russell trained for three months but quit after seven hours, nine miles from finish.
Victoria surveyor Bill Muir, like all other entries, used grease to ward off cold, but cramps ended his attempt after nine miles.
Toronto schoolgirl Janice White climbed aboard the escort boat without any help after slightly better than six hours in 48° water.
Tacoma logger Bert Thomas tried four times. His best effort covered 12 miles, kept him in the water more than 10 hours.
NINE PHOTOS
PHOTO
MRS. VIOLET MATHIESON, THE CLUB PRESIDENT, STARTS HER GOLF ROUND WITH A KICK
PHOTO
RESTAURATEUR SHOR SERVES AN ANEMIC SLOW BALL FOR CUSTOMERS AT YANKEE STADIUM
SIX PHOTOS
BILL HALKETT