RACE SITES:
News Update!! Lake Tahoe, CA. The Tahoe Yacht Club has named their 1995 V & H event as the SKY HIGH REGATTA. Dates: August 10th thru 13th.  This event is open to all classes of Vintage & Historic racing craft. We hope all of our members and future members with or without equipment will support this major regatta. We would like all of you to pass the word so that we can draw the West Coast power boat racing legends, crews, owners & drivers to this reunion.  A guaranteed good time will be had by all. Any member who would like to volunteer their help or participate in the SKY HIGH REGATTA, should contact: Steve Lapkin, General Manager Tahoe Yacht Club P.O. Box 286 Homewood, CA.  96141 phone # (916) 525-5225 or fax # (916) 525-0855.
 Detroit, MI:  Vintage & Historic plans for participation in the 80th Anniversary of the Gold Cup are well underway. As you read this article official invitations will already have been mailed. The Date: May 31 thru June 4th. Slated are static displays and flybys on the World Famous Gold Cup course. Remember, this Vintage event is by invitation only. The cut off date is May 1, 1995. If you have not responded and wish to participate, you must contact me ASAP day (810)725-4582 or evenings(810) 725-7237. This is your last chance.
 Laconia, NH:  Aquafest ‘95 will held June 9 thru 11th on Lake Opechee. There will be dry land displays and flyby opportunities for vintage raceboats.  This will be a great addition to our schedule!!
 Red Bank, NJ:  The 55th Annual National Sweepstakes Regatta. July 15th and 16th. The Vintage raceboats have been participating in Red Bank’s activities since 1988. In 1988 at the opening of the regatta, Guy Lombardo’s former Tempo V now owned by Mario Scopinich driven by Doug Apy drove around the race course displaying the American Flag while the National Anthem was played. This was quite a moving site for all who were in attendance.
 Lake Hopatcong, NJ:  September 16th and 17th. 
 Lowell, MA:  September 23rd and 24th. This is an ideal site for the vintage boats. There is plenty of room in the display area PLUS perfect water to run on and a great race course.

CHALLENGES:
Jeffrey Smith of Helena, AL dropped us a note. He included a picture of his perfect 1940 Vissel and Moore 225 ci hydro that was built in California. All natural hull!! What a beauty!! This boat was raced in Ohio prior to WW II and possibly placed second at the Detroit Cup in 1941 or 1942. Jeff is searching for pictures, newspaper clippings, or magazine articles/programs from the Detroit Cup race from that era.  Can anyone help him?
 Stan Franzeen from Glouster, MA has acquired an original wooden runabout -- the Billy Gar -- built by his grandfather Clifford Padgett in the 1930’s. He is looking for any history or information regarding this craft. From the late 1910s until the 1940s, Clifford Padgett built over 200 wooden boats and raced them from Long Island Sound to the Great Lakes to the Florida Keys. His grandfathers’ boat shop was in Quincy, IL. Anyone with this information, please contact Stan at (508) 283-7642 (fax or phone).
 Jim Peele from Midland, MI is looking for the Master Carpenters Certificate for the Ventnor Hull #552.  If anyone has an idea was to where Jim could locate this document, please give him a ring. Phone # (517) 631-1089.

ON  A SAD NOTE: 
Jim McCormack from Owensboro, KY, the 1971 Gold Cup Winner past away in February. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.

VINTAGE HOT BOAT OF THE MONTH: 
Falcon  JS1  racing at Red Bank, New Jersey  circa 1949..  driven by Ray Morris.. JSS National Champion and Record holder.  Photo compliments of Bob Moore

Red Bank, NJ and the Jersey Speed Skiffs
                       by Bob Moore
 The Jersey Speed Skiffs are a class which is unique to the Jersey shore and provides spectators with an exciting, highly competitive form of inboard power boat racing.
 Developed as “pound boats," the early skiffs were used by commercial fishermen plying their trade. Contrary to rumor, the speed skiffs were not used as “rum runners”; their lack of cargo capacity made them impractical for such a venture.
 Among the early skiff builders, “Pappy” Seaman of Long Branch, is considered to be the “Father” of the Jersey Speed Skiff.  Pappy designed the first speed skiff, and many of his innovations and improvements are evident in today’s boats. George Wolcott was another local builder who contributed greatly to the speed skiff’s early development.
 So versatile were these skiffs, that the owners would use them for recreation and fishing during the week and race them on the weekends. Being residents of the Red Bank/Long Branch Area, many of the competitors would “form-up” in the Pleasure Bay Area and travel enmasse by water to the Red Bank Race Site. Here they would anchor and watch the races. At the appropriate time they would “weigh anchor," run their race, and then return to their anchorage. At the end of the day, the skiffs would again “form up” for the return to Long Branch.
 Although hydroplane design has changed greatly over the years, the speed skiffs have remained basically the same.
 Speed Skiffs have raced at Red Bank for over 40 years, in fact Red Bank was the site of one of the first sanctioned APBA races for skiffs at the 1947 National Sweepstakes Regatta.
 The Jersey Speed Skiffs are to Red Bank what baseball, apple pie and hot dogs are to America.

©1995 Tom D'Eath