NOTES: 
Harlan Orrin of Fallbrook, CA. is giving serious thought to cutting down his 17 foot Aqua Craft to 10 inch sides and rebuilding it to resemble Red Wilson’s front engine E Racing Runabout, WE’s E. The Wilson ERR featured a fuel injected Desoto Firedome Hemi V-8 mounted in front of the driver.
  
VINTAGE RACERS REDISCOVERED: VINTAGE TRIVIA:
 Harlan Orrin took a recent trip to the California desert to see Walt Knudsen’s boat collection. It includes the Unlimited MISS O’NEILL U-14 on its tilt trailer minus the gearbox or twin overhead cam Fords used to power her, a Jones 225 cabover and two Hayden Harris cabovers. The Harris boats could well be the former Ted Stanton 280 RASBERRY, 17-E and the former Bud Meyer 266 AVENGER, 99-F, which ran a Pontiac overhead cam 6-cylinder. The boats were missing much of their hardware and decking, so no numbers were displayed.

CHALLENGES: 
Jennifer Jones is researching and looking for information about and photos of her grandfather W.E. Edgar Jones who drove an E Service Runabout during the 1950’s-60’s. He was also a past staff member of APBA and on occasion was a riding mechanic with J.P. Watkins. Jennifer can be contacted at: www.hometown.aol.com/prostckgrl069/ClassicBoating.html
Rocky Stone is looking for Don Ward’s 266 conventional hydro, SKITTER from the late 1950’s.

EVENTS:
 Sept 9 - 11  Grand Island, NY: Buffalo Launch Club Contact Bill DeGlopper 716-773-6093 or squeegeede@adelphia.net
 Sept 25  Lake George, NY: Teri Hoffman 518-371-8683 or Thoffman@lk-george.com
 Sept 24 – 26 Louisville, KY: Joe Johnson 812-866-8940 or  drummerjoe_55@yahoo.com

REPORTS: 
Our Vintage/Historic East Coast Rep. Bob Moore has been in sick bay and we wish him a quick recovery. We hope Bob will be up and running his Vintage Lloyd 136 ci. hydro, HI-Q again soon.

Kevin Klosterman reports that the Columbus, Ohio Vintage event featured great weather and the water conditions were perfect. The drivers really enjoyed the event, especially while watching veteran Buddy Byers doing flybys in his 7 Litre, CHRYSLER QUEEN, H-1. Buddy had the crowd going wild following his two flyby heats.
 
ON A SAD NOTE: 
APBA’s Hall of Fame member, George Hendrix of Parker, AZ passed away July 29th. George drove for his father-in-law, Marion Beaver, in the 225 ci. hydroplanes: UNCLE GUMMY and GUMMY’S GHOST and was co-driver in Marion’s enduro-hydro for the Parker 9-hour marathon.

BOB SILVA’S WEST COAST REPORT: SEATTLE SEAFAIR 46 YEARS LATER  
You know that you’re in Hydroplane Country when the national road map marks out the “Hydroplane Course” on the water way! Seattle IS hydroplane country. Just ask one of the 200,000 plus fans who attended Sunday’s Unlimited Seafair Regatta. The Seafair spectators were very savvy about boat racing, as some of them have been attending the races for over 50 years.
 I found myself standing with my mouth agape as I got my first glimpse of the turbine powered Unlimiteds flying around the 2-mile course during practice. The last time I saw the big boys run was in 1967 at San Diego and the last Seafair I attended was as a teenager in 1958!  While the speeds have made stunning leaps, I was glad to see that drivers still advance to the fastest boats by way of proving themselves through ABPA sanctioned outboard and inboard races. Looking at a 1958 Seafair program I saw that many a driver advanced to the Unlimiteds via the smaller Limited classes: THRIFTWAY’S Bill Muncey came from the old 225 Division I; MISS US I’s Fred Alter was listed as one of the very first 48 hydro class competitors; Roger Murphy spent seat time in 225 and 7 Litre hydros before BREATHLESS; rookie Harry Reeves of MISS CORAL REEF was driving in his third Unlimited event, following a Nationals win in his 136, OPE. Bill Brow was driving his second U-boat race in MISS BURIEN and competing in the 266 Nationals (his son Doug would drive in the 2004 Seafair). Chuck Hickling designed and raced inboards years before climbing into the seat of MISS SEATTLE. Al Benson moved up from Limiteds to the seat of MISS PAY ‘N PAK as did WILDROOT CHARLIE’s Bob Schroeder. The great Ron Musson hadn’t advanced to the Unlimiteds yet in ’58. Instead he was racing in the Seafair’s National Championships aboard Bill Ritner’s 225, WA WA and 266 WA WA TOO (he won the 266 class and Henry Vogel captured the 225 title). Future pilot Rex Manchester was still learning the ropes in the 280 HIGHPOWER. Also running in the Nationals was 135 charger Red Loomis, a few years prior to moving into the seat of $ BILL. Many of these drivers had roots that also traced back to outboard racing.
There were half-a-million people at the 1958 Gold Cup Seafair and they paid $3.50 admission to watch Jack Regas win in HAWAII KAI III. 
Forty-six years later, many “old-timers” return to watch the Unlimiteds race. Except they have more history to share and they love to talk about it, because Seattle is - Hydroplane Country.