THE FAIR SEX AND THE SEA

Once each year the fairest women sailors in the land vie with each other for the Adams Cup, to decide who sails fairest and fastest of them all. This year it proved to be Allegra Mertz (right) of Rye, N.Y.'s American Yacht Club, where the racing took place. (Allegra thus added to a reputation fully as formidable among women sailors as that of her brother Arthur Knapp is among the men.) The girls came from Florida, Maine, Virginia, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York and Washington. Before Allegra won the Adams Cup (it was her third) the big 210 hulls had to slice through 53 miles of race course. Races started at 9 and finished at 5, and included all the usual mishaps (see below). What with the 210s cutting up the water outside American Y.C. all day, there was very little room left for nautical meandering by male species of any kind. But at least one daring and presumably male 5½-foot shark got in the way of the Seattle girls' boat and was promptly rammed. He disappeared and left Long Island Sound to the girls.

Smiling Seattlites share joke while waiting on lawn of yacht club for race-committee official launch to take them out to their boats.

Florida Quartet, led by Skipper Pat Duane (left), were runners-up to team from American after three days' racing.

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HANS KNOPF

SKIPPER MERTZ WON FIRST NORTH AMERICAN TITLE IN 1950

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HANS KNOPF

FLORIDA CREW ANXIOUSLY LOWERS COSTLY MAINSAIL TO CHECK DAMAGED BATTEN POCKETS BEFORE START OF THE FIRST RACE

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HANS KNOPF

MAINE'S SUE WALBRIDGE CATCHES A CATNAP IN THE SUN ON BOAT'S FOREDECK DURING A BREAK BETWEEN ADAMS CUP RACES

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HANS KNOPF

SKIPPERS AND CREWS PARADE DOWN GANGPLANK IN EARLY MORNING, CARRYING THEIR SAILS WITH THEM TO THE RACING HULLS

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HANS KNOPF