Record In A Storm

In white-capped waters off Havana's Morro Castle, 28 Star Class yachts last week competed in the first big international regatta since 1939 -- but the dip ping of sails and careening of tiny hulls drew no audience ashore. Sports-loving Cubans were mostly off at baseball games.

The first day, one Spanish, one Portuguese, one Brazilian and seven U.S. boats quit because of broken rudders, sprung masts, bad weather. On the third day, in rough weather, George Fleitz, 32, of Los Angeles, in his Wench II, set a world record for the 10-mile round-the-buoys course. Time: 1:37:33. His Wench II piled up so many points on the record day that Owner Fleitz marched off with the three-foot silver trophy, after a ceremonious ducking in the refuse-filled Almendares River.

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