The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 04 Aug 1941, Mon • Page 18
Aquila Captures Coast Comet Title
Graham Farrington, sailing Aquila, representing the Red Dragon Canoe Club, of Edgewater Park. N. J., won the Atlantic Coast championship for Comets over the Seaside Park Yacht Club course today.
After having a close call in the morning race, over a 7.936-mile course in a full_sail northwest breeze, Farrington crossed the finish line just 53 seconds ahead of Phil Somervell, national champion, who is also of the Red Dragon Canoe Club, sailing Double Scotch. I. L.. Stphan, of Delanco, sailing Dragon Fly, also a clubmate finished third and H.F. Lippincott of the Riverton Yacht Club took fourth place in Cirrus.
Lippincott wins
The Morning Post Camden, New Jersey 25 Aug 1941, Mon • Page 10
COMET CLASS CROWN WON BY SOMERVELL
Riverton Skipper Sails Double Scotch to Victory on Points at Stone Harbor
Stone Harbor, Aug. 25. A Delaware river sailing skipper and present national champion in the class, yesterday came from behind to win the comet class honors in the 7th annual Sailboat Regatta of the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor held in light winds on great channel.
Phil Somervell, of the Red Dragon Canoe Club of Edgewater Park, who is engaged with his father in the machine tool business in Philadelphia, was the victorious skipper, when he won from the largest list of starters in a class in South Jersey history.
Somervell sailed his yacht Double Scotch to win the trophy without finishing first in any of the three races comprising the series he was second yesterday morning and third in the afternoon, after placing seventh Saturday. He scored 180 points in the field of 63 starters, nosing out several former champions. With him as crewmate was George Rhawn, Jr.
Warner Wiilcox, 1937 national comet champion, from Richmond county Y.C. Staten Island, lost by only 2 points. His Scud tallied 178.
Veteran Skipper Edward K. Merrill, Philadelphia banker, and 1938 national titleholder, who won Saturday's opener was third on points with his new boat Hi-Fly, which he built last winter at his Riverton Home. He scored a total of 176 1/4 points.
Two more Delaware river skippers triumphed in other classes. W. Austin Haines, of Beverly Y.A., triumphed with Squally, in the cricket class, in a field of eight, while Ed Smith, of Riverton Y.C, sailed Duster to a wide victory in the Duster class. Smith won all three races.
Stone Harbor skippers won two races, when Jim Wren sailed Jimensue to a perfect score with three triumphs in the Sunray class, and John Mattos had things his own way with his T-Z in the sneak-boxes.
Son defeated father in the moth class in a field of 21 boats. Mervin Wescoat Jr., of the Evening Star Yacht Club Atlantic City took the point honors with Juno on two first places and a fourth while his father Mervin B. Wescoat, placed second on points.
The Morning Post Camden, New Jersey 30 Aug 1941, Sat • Page 19
RED DRAGON CLUB HOLDS RACES
Sponsors Three-Day Holiday Regatta on Delaware Near Burlington
Burlington, Aug. 30. The present national comet champion and two former national kings are members of the Red Dragon Canoe Club, of Edgewater Park, near here, which has completed preparations for a three-day regatta to be held over the Labor Day weekend.
Invitations have been extended to the various other Delaware River yacht clubs to participate in the events, and one of Burlington county's biggest gatherings of yachtsmen in many years is anticipated.
The program will open with a tune-up race this afternoon at 3 o'clock. Tomorrow there will be races for stars, comets, crickets and dusters at 10.30 a. m. and 2.30 p. m. On Monday, Labor Day, the schedule calls for a contest for stars, comets, crickets and dusters at 10.30 a. m., also novelty rowboat races and capacity tests. At 2.30 p. m. a free-for-all sailing race will be held.
The Red Dragon, though as the name implies, originally a canoe club, has for many years also sponsored sailboat racing. Its present fleet of "comets" includes the craft of Phil Somervell, present national comet champion; Bob Levin, 1939 champion and E. K. Merrill, 1938 king. "Bud" Farrington, another Red Dragon comet skipper won the Eastern States championship races neia tnis summer at seaside Park.
The Red Dragon Canoe Club was founded over a half century ago, in the Spring of 1887, its first club house being located at Cooper's Point, Camden.
In 1923, the club acquired the old Shlpman estate in Edgewater Park, its stately mansion, wide spreading lawns and extensive river shore providing an ideal location for club activities.
The clubhouse has become a veritable nautical museum, housing a large collection of relics, trophies, ship ana boat models and photographs pertaining to Delaware river yachting.
The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 01 Sep 1941, Mon • Page 19
Storm Upsets 20 Sailboats
Twenty boats capsized and others had broken masts, ripped sails or minor damage, when a wind and rain storm hit the fleet of 45 small sailboats competing in the annual open regatta of the Red Dragon Canoe Club on the upper Delaware River at Edgewater Park, N. J., yesterday afternoon.
Morning races produced keen competition, as the opening races of the regatta were staged under ideal conditions. Phil Somervell, national comet class champion, won in the comet class, for the Red Dragon Club, sailing his comet yacht No. 1968, to take the feature honors. He sailed a fine race, and won by more than a minute from Bud Farrington, another home club skipper, with Sever's 1226 playing third.
In the crickets. Bob Knipp, of Beverly Y. C. sailed his No. 15 to a handy victory over Jack Denatt, a clubmate, and Austin Haines, another Beverly skipper.
Ed Smith, of Riverton, took the star class event in his boat No. 128, while Bert Shoemaker, another Riverton ace, triumphed in his No. 4 in the duster class over Dean Birch, of Red Dragon, in a well-fought race, With a field of eight competing.
The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · 2 Sep 1941, Tue · Page 25
The following three articles are a description of the 1941 Comet Class International Campionship at Sandusky, Ohio
The Sandusky Register Sandusky, Ohio 31 Aug 1941, Sun • Page 11
Await Arrival of First Boats For National Comet Class Regatta
By ART MeCALLThe launching and port committee for the seventh national Comet class regatta to be held off East Battery Park on Friday, Saturday and Sunday is awaiting arrival of the first of 40 or more boats that are to compete.
Boats from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Vancouver, B. C. Canada, are expected first as they have the longest distance to travel and from latest word the boats and skippers are nearing Sandusky. The launching committee consists of Roger Doane, Lorain, chairman; Carl Schrenk and John Atkinson, Sandusky and John Lovett and Ralph Brandt, Toledo.
On arrival here the boats will be taken to the center of the smaller basin at Battery park and a crew from the Sandusky Sailing club will carry the boats into the water. They will assist the owners in moving the craft to the catwalks in front the Sailing club where all the| Comets are to be moored. Sanduskians will assist, owners in rigging their boats and also help in removing the boats when the races are over Sunday noon.
To most sailing fans in this area the Comet is comparatively unknown as the nearest fleets are in Lorain, Cleveland and Toledo. For several years the Lorain sailors have entered the Sandusky Bay Regatta with their Comets, a special race being arranged for them.
The Comet is slightly smiller than the Inter-Lake Sailing Class or Sandusky 18-footers, as they are also called. A Comet lhas an overall length of 16 feet, has a beam of five feet and carries l30 square feet of canvas in its mainsail and jib. The rules provide for a wood rudder and metal centerboard while the mast must riot measure over 20 feet above the deck.
Has New Boat
The 1940 regatta was, held at Huntington Bay, Long Island N. Y., with Philip Somervell and George Rhawn, Jr., in Syrocco taking first place. Somervell is from the Red Dragon Canoe club, Edgewater Park, N. J., and wil! be eligible to compete here this week although he has sold the Syrocco and acquired a new-boat this year.
Asbury Park Press Asbury Park, New Jersey 07 Sep 1941, Sun • Page 9
SANDUSKY. O.-A heavy wind that churned treacherous waves in Lake Erie yesterday damaged one sailboat, capsized three and forced withdrawal of 11 others entered in the national comet class regatta, but the Sea Robin rode out the waves to capture the second race.
In the 25-mile-an-hour southwest wind. Robert and Ray Lippencott of the Riverton. N. J. Yacht club piloted the Sea Robin over the six-mile course in 59 minutes, 38 seconds. The Robin finished second in Friday's opening race and received a total of 71 1/4 points at the end of yesterday's event.
Last year's winners P. A. Somervell and George Rhawn, Jr., of the Red Dragon Canoe club, Edgewaler, Park, N. J. finished second in their boat, Double Scotch, and received 69 points for the two days.
In third place with 68 points were Warner Wilcox and Will Haines of Richmond county. New York, skippers of the Scud, which finished third yesterday and fifth in the first race.
Asbury Park Press Asbury Park, New Jersey 08 Sep 1941, Mon • Page 11
Somervell Annexes Comet Class Title
Phillip A. Somervell, fleet secretary of the Red Dragon Canoe club, Edgewater Park, N J , is the first skipper to become a two-time winner of the Comet Class Yacht Racing association's annual regatta, held on fresh water this year for the first time.
With George Rhawn as crew, Somervell successfully defended his title on Sandusky Bay with a new boat, the Double Scotch, he won the 1940 trophy with Syrocco.
The Double Scotch was third on Friday, second Saturday, and sixth yesterday to amass 100 points, nosing out two other Now Jersey boats. Second was Robert and Ray Llppencott's Sea Robin from Riverton. N. J which had 98 1/4 Third place went to G M Farrington. and W. Rhawn in Aquilla, also of the Red Dragon club, wilh 97 1/ 4 points
Courier-Post Camden, New Jersey 08 Sep 1947, Mon • Page 16
Riverton Skipper Takes '47 Comet Class Crown
Ithaca, N.Y., Sept. 8. Owen P. Merrill, of Riverton, N.J., sailing his home-built "Barfly" with John R. Fuller as crew, yesterday won the 1947 International Comet Class title as Delaware river skippers swept the first three positions in final points.
The Jersey champion moved up to fifth position at the quarter mark in yesterday's third and final race and finished the race in second position, thus clinching the series with a score of 215 points.
Shebl Wins Finals
Harold N. Sheble, also of Riverton, who races with Merrill out of the Red Dragon Canoe Club, won the final race in his Double Scotch. This gave him a final second position with 213 1/4 points. In addition to the trophy for No. 2 in the three-race series, Sheble took the Herbert L. Stone Trophy presented each year to the high scoring skipper racing in his first international comet regatta.
Howard Llpplncott. of the Riverton Yacht Club, sailing his Cirrus II, placed third in yesterday's event and finished in the same position in the series. His score was 212.
Nineteen-year-old Eric Nordholm, of Washington, D.C., placed fourth in the series after coming across the finish line in the last race in fourth place. His "Frenzy" totaled 211 1/4 points.
Somerville 15th
Merrill's triumph made up for his misfortune in the 1946 internationals held off Gibson Island, Md. He was first to finish in all three races but was disqualified in the first event lor fouling another comet. Phil Somerviiie, of Riverton, defending champion, placed 15th in the finals yesterday.
The Morning Post Camden, New Jersey 11 Oct 1941, Sat • Page 28
RED DRAGON CLUB HOLDS REGATTA TODAY
The last major sailboat event of the year will be staged on the upper Delaware this afternoon, when the Red Dragon Canoe Club holds its annual race around Burlington Island, starting from the club's headquarters at Edeewater Park, at 2.30 p. m.
The race is only open to comet class boats, but yachts of that type from all parts of the river ;will compete. The course is about 11 miles. with both start and finish at the club
Among the entries will be national comet class champion for the last two years, Phil Somervell, of Red Dragon: Bob Lippincott, of Riverton Y. C, winner of comet class honors in two recent regattas on the Delaware, and Edward K. Merrill, Philadelphia banker, and former national champion, representing Red Dragon