Born and raised in the Seattle area hydros were something we kids were very keen on. To hear a big piston engine up close was totally awesome to a young boy. When we could we would go to the races at lake washington during seafair, usually with my gear head uncle, he was a local DJ and always had a pass to the pits. Then back home we would build crude models of our favorites, tie strings to them and run up and down the beach roaring like little thunder boats
I dunno'......but big. Used to race it with an exclusion against some of the blown Chrysler competitors. Almost double size of the 426 guys. Boat's history over ruled its arc of technology ... and I want to say, that the other racers let him run their class out of respect for him and it. 30 years plus of ass kickings ... in the same breath of Munro's fastest Indian. EDIT : 719 cubic inches, and the first run was 1939 as the Hermes IV. George Neff Davis(owner/driver), Robert Stack's 225 class driver, renamed it ITS A WONDER simply because he couldn't believe it'd start up to race. Google finished this edit. I merely regurgitated enough to be a hindrance to its story.
Here are some other photos I have of "Hurricaine IV", Ken's pride and joy. I took these photos last August up at Lake Tahoe. You can see that like "Scooter Too", this boat also flys the burgee of the Lake Tahoe Yacht Club on her fin. It's kind of an odd look for a 3-point hydro, but it's a very old design (built in 1947 or '48), and it was none too successful despite having some good drivers take a stab at her. It clocked 139 mph up at Lake Tahoe (6,220 foot elevation) which was very fast for "back in the day" but was always a handful to drive from what I heard. Like many of the early Unlimiteds, it had room for a "rideing mechanic". If you meet Ken, and he offers to take you "for a spin", my advice is, ...........don't do it. "Hurricaine IV" was also used in an old movie, with Rock Hudson. This video shows here running up at Lake Tahoe...
Remember watching these on Wild World of Sports! I don't think I ever thought about being a hydro driver, that seemed really crazy!! Love the Hurricane and the Skip-a- Long, could you share some knowledge on these two George? Great post Ryan
Skip-A-Long was before my time but I do remember Stanley Dollar. He was very wealthy shipping magnet, he owned the Dollar Steamship Lines. And I remember that he raced boats on Lake Tahoe. He and Kaiser had a healthy competition over the years. Anyway, all I knew about the S-A-L was that it sank and was lost forever, or so they thought. But in the mid 1980's, the boat was discovered almost completely intact with an underwater viedo camera and eventually retrieved, and is undergoing a complete restoration up in Seattle. http://www.lesliefield.com/personalities/stanley_dollar_and_his_passion_for_speed.htm Still in pretty good shape after all those years under water. The boat being built out of aluminum helped, plus the fresh water at Lake Tahoe is very clear.
How topical for me!! I don't have anything that resembles a race boat but I did pick up a 1955 Lone Star Admiral I am building currently. I have a hallock windshield for it and a early 60's 40hp Johnson Engine. Plans included a full polish from top to bottom and some oxblood with white piping cushions.... Hopefully by spring 2016.
I'm always getting in trouble here for getting "off topic" but the article on Stanley Dollar above talked about the boat that Stanley's dad gave him so he could go racing in the wooden hull or "speedboat" classes at the Tahoe races. "Baby Skipalong". If I recall, they had some kind of WWI aircraft engine in it (a Liberty maybe or Packard) and it hauled ass. All nicely restored and worth about $300K+.
Speaking of Stanley Dollar, he raced an older 3-point Unlimited for awhile at Tahoe, the "Short Snorter". This boat was once called "Miss Pepsi V" out of Detroit and although it was way past it's prime on the Unlimited circuit, it could still cut the mustard at the Lake Tahoe Yacht Club races, where it was "friends vs. friends" (yeah, right). Rich guys didn't get to be rich by being timid. "Short Snorter" in action on the lake... When your name is "Dollar" and your ship line owns over 32 ships, you are permitted to flaunt the "dollar sign" on your funnels.
It appears that I have stolen this thread. I apologize, but I like vintage Unlimiteds (I became disinterested when the class went "back motor" and then turbine powered). I have always felt that pickle forks were for stabbing pickles, not for using on the bow of a boat. With your permission, I'll upload some more, until someone tells me to stop...
Over the years, many of these boats changed hands and in almost every case, the names changed too. But in many cases, the race numbers remained with the boats. The "Miss Pepsi V" changed hands a couple of times in the 1950's, and eventually was owned by Stanley dollar and re-named "Short Snorter". I've watched this boat race at Lake Tahoe several times...
While everyone is having an orgy over the unlimiteds, don't forget the limiteds. There was quite a racing circuit here in the northwest on various lakes (and still is to a certain extent). Climbing into a 'boat' not much bigger than a coffee table and going 90 mph takes a set of balls.... big ones. The top-class 7 liter limiteds were nearly as fast as the pre-turbine unlimiteds, they just ran on a smaller course. I got very briefly involved with these in the early seventies as 'crew' for a guy I met through work, but these guys were too crazy even for me.... After a friend of his gave me a ride in his blown hemi drag boat, it was clear I would be safer on land....
Just a small note, well two actually..I believe Eddy Meyer did a lot [at least started] in class H which were predominately crosley powered, his included ...And two movies that may be worth a watch, Madision and Magnificent Obcession...And as an assumption one can visualize how these big power boats derived from the bootleg boats that ran the great lakes with big airplane engines [one did have two "Libertys" [v8] to out run the feds just as the good ole boys did with cars...Ryan, Thanks for posting........
Here are the APBA rules for the 7-Liter class.................in 1962 1. The match shall consist of two or more heats of five miles in length as advertised by the local race committee. 2. The total maximum piston displacement of the engine or any number of engines installed in a boat of this class shall not exceed 7 Litres (427.161 cubic inches.) 3. Competing boats shall be powered with one internal combustion motor of the 4 cycle type, either supercharged or unsupercharged. Providing the cost of said engine or any number of said engines installed in boat of this class does not exceed $2,000 for unsupercharged engines, or $2,500 for supercharged engines. These prices shall be based on respective manufacturers current list market price for engines, parts and conversions including such equipment as starter, fuel pump, ignition systems, carburetor, etc., but does not include such equipment as battery, propeller, tachometer, gages, instruments, exhaust piping, tanks, etc. 4. The overall dimensions of the hull for the 7 Litre class excluding projections will be a minimum of 19 feet and must be propelled by an underwater screw type propeller. 5. Championships in this class shall be awarded as follows: Divisional, National and World Championships. 6. The use of superchargers shall be permitted. 7. The letter prefix to the racing number for this class shall be "H"
Yep, the Limited's have way more in common with the Hot Rodders. Don't tell me that the builder of this Lloyd couldn't build a show winning Hot Rod..............................
When you own the website you can make exceptions to your own rules. Life isn't always fair. Try to accept it.
Interesting article for sure....Some o the best old time narration in that video! We need some old Chris Craft coverage now.....
Ryan you are not that far off , Eddie "The Thrill"Hill did some time with boats when he took a break from NHRA then return to back to his Dragster
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