Off Newport's Brenton Reef Lightship last week, wind and fog exacted taut performances from the 12-meter U.S. yachts in the second series of trials for the role of defender in September's battle for the America's Cup. But while Sceptre, the British challenger, nimbly outran its own trial horse (a U.S. 12-meter named Gleam), the U.S. contenders knocked one another off in a bewildering series of form reversals. At week's end only Easterner looked a loser. Still in the running: Skipper Briggs Cunningham's Columbia, Arthur Knapp Jr.'s Weatherly, Donald Matthews' 19-year-old Vim.
Last month's trials established Columbia as the early favorite, but...
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