NOTES:
We spoke to Jack Fisher of Millville, New Jersey. He tells us that he has all the 136 class rules from the beginning of the class. I’m glad to see that this documentation is not lost forever. Jack is one of the founding fathers of the 136 cubic inch hydroplane class. We are in need of more material for our articles, please send us your letters and comments.

VINTAGE RACERS REDISCOVERED:
Collecting and restoring Vintage raceboats is catching on and is very infectious. We want to warn you retired racers that if you locate your vintage raceboat, it is very hard to resist the obvious temptation. Before you know what hit you, you will be involved in a new hobby. I received a nice phone call from John Leach and his spouse Marlyn, of Federal Way, Washington. As a result of a previous Propeller vintage article, they were able to strike a deal and purchased their original record holding raceboat back. Buccaneer E-101. This 280 cubic inch class, 1970 Ron Jones hydroplane was a National Champion, two-time High Point Champion, and a World Record Holder. Marlyn tell us that this project has reunited the entire original Buccaneer crew. Their plans are to restore her to her championship form. The crew and John are really excited over this project. The hydroplane provided so much pleasure to the Buccaneer crew during her active racing days.  Now the restoration project is bringing them all together again. It is nice to see someone finally restoring one of Ron Jones beautiful boats. It is about time! 
 One of my personnel favorites, a 266 ci hydro, which Ron built prior to the cabover revolution, was the Gun Shy, F-90. There are rumors that the Gun Shy is alive and still in existence somewhere in Louisiana. Most people might remember the boat under the banner of Miss Peg.

RACE SITES:
 June 22 - 23  Celina, Ohio: Celina Governors Cup Regatta.  There will be scheduled flybys and static displays. $200 tow money will be divided equally between boats traveling more than 150 miles in one direction. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies will be awarded based on “Peoples Choice.” The Spectators will vote on awards for vintage boats.
 June 29   Tahoe City, CA:  High Sierra Shootout.  Vintage Offshore class race boats are invited to attend the Shootout and compete in a special exhibition category run with established APBA classes. Rear Commodore Craig Miller is our contact. You may reach him at 916-583-1770.
 July 5 - 7   Sarasota, FL: Suncoast Offshore Festival Vintage Offshore Racing boats will run with the A Class, Saturday morning on the closed course circuit. If you are interested in participating, contact Gene Whipp at (941) 388-4441.
 July 21   Sylvan Lake, MI: Vintage event. All classes are invited. This is an old traditional race site for the Region 6 area. The water is always good! An ideal lake for the Vintage classes to run flybys.
 August 15-18     Clayton, NY:  The Antique Race Boat Regatta ‘96  This is the Big Event for 1996, akin to the Nationals, or the Gold Cup for Vintage racers. Polish up that hardware. Drag out your scrapbooks and come on to Clayton. Seminars, flybys, static displays, auctions, barbecues and cocktail parties with many old friends make this a must do for 1996!!! If you active racers haven’t been there and your current schedule permits the time, come and enjoy creating great racing history.

SPECIAL REPORTS:
Recently a report of the Baby Horace III, sent from Thomas Frauenheim of Buffalo, New York came across my desk. I thought that this would be very interesting for our readers so we decided to make this a special report. Baby Horace III is for sale to the serious collector!! Every effort is being made to find an owner who will be a “caretaker” of boat racing history. One who will care for and use the boat at shows and regattas while enjoying the same thrilling ride as its driver, Caleb Bragg, did in the 1925 Sweepstakes Races! Baby Horace III was built in 1923 by the Horace E. Dodge Boat Works in Detroit, MI. As a contender for the 150 Mile International Sweepstakes Race to be run on the Detroit River in 1924. The 1924 race was the second annual race and bought out some of the finest raceboats and engines ever assembled in the sport. The importance of the Sweepstakes Race was that boat and engines were pushed to their limits over a non-stop 150 mile course. The early years of the race produced ten to twelve boats at the start, a large field in any race. Offering a grueling pace, strong competition and fast speeds. 
 Dodge named the boat after his son - Horace III. It was built at his boat plant, probably from a Hacker design because of the many similar features in design, construction and appearance. The actual builder was Alfred Seymour, a master pattern maker for the Dodge Motor Car Company. A twelve cylinder 500 hp Packard power plant was run in 1924 and this engine evolved into the Sweepstakes engine that Packard offered in the 1925 races. Baby Horace ran sixth in the 1924 races and second in the 1925 races. The 1925 winner was Packard Chris Craft with the same power as Baby Horace III. These boats were seconds apart thru-out the entire 150 miles and speeds on the three mile laps averaged over 55 MPH. The boat today is original - bottom, sides, decks and transom. It was in storage at the Dodge Boat Works, on its original cradle, from the early 1930’s to 1982 when purchased and shipped to Buffalo, New York. The craft was refinished in 1984 and re-powered with a 330 hp V8 marine engine with Vee drive. Baby Horace III runs close to the 50 mph pace today. Baby Horace III is used every summer and has attended both of the Raceboat Regattas in Clayton, New York. Boating magazines give us a pretty good history of powerboat racing history, boat design and engine development in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Baby Horace III was a great part of this history, running not only in the Sweepstakes races but the Secretary of the Navy Trophy Races in Washington for displacement runabouts.

VINTAGE HOT BOAT OF THE MONTH: 
Buccaneer,  E-101,  Left is John Leach of Federal Way, Washington, in his beautifully prepared Ron Jones 280 cubic inch Cabover.  On the right is his arch rival, Al Curtis of Edmonds, WA driving his Jones built boat the Gladiator.

©1996 Tom D'Eath