A RACING ROCKEFELLER

In faded T shirt and dungarees at the helm of his Luders 16, Golden Arrow, he could be any summering metropolite. But he is in fact Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller, diplomat under three presidents, financier, philanthropist and racing sailor since childhood. Now, as a candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in New York he is in a new sort of race, one which he finds "fascinating" but which he forsook last weekend for the old, a brisk sail with two of his five children on Frenchman Bay near his summer home at Seal Harbor, Maine. In a smoky, 20-knot sou'easter Rockefeller, a remarkably youthful and finely conditioned 50, left little doubt as to his racing form.

Nelson Rockefeller was born on Mount Desert Island, where Seal Harbor is located, and started his racing career in the old Mount Desert Island class. He now sails both the Luders and an International, and it is a rare race day when Mrs. Rockefeller, the former Mary Todhunter Clark, a cousin of Pennsylvania Democratic Senator Joseph S. Clark Jr., is not a member of the crew. This week Rockefeller is back in that other race, hitting the political hustings, and looking more and more like the man who will meet another formidable sportsman, incumbent Governor Averell Harriman, in the November runoff.

Full and by with Racing Candidate Nelson Rockefeller setting the course, the Golden Arrow buries her rail and throws chill Maine water.

Reaching down Frenchman Bay with Steven at the tiller and Rod kibitzing, Nelson Rockefeller gets ready to set unstopped spinnaker.

Rowing out to sail boat Golden Arrow in Seal Harbor, Rockefeller chins with son Rodman (Dartmouth '54) while Steven (Princeton '58) lounges in the bow.

THREE PHOTOS

RICHARD MEEK