CHALLENGES:
We are still looking for pictures. Does anyone have any pictures sitting in boxes or a scrap book of the So-Long 10-G, Lou Fageol’s 1939 three- point Ventnor hull. It could be newspaper articles with pictures, snapshots, magazine pictures, anything. Please send them to me. I will return them after I have copies made.

RACE SITES:
 May 31st thru June 1 Detroit, Michigan  Chrysler 1997 APBA Gold Cup This vintage event is by INVITATION ONLY!!  The Spirit of Detroit Association would like your letter of intent to participate as soon as possible. My mailing address is: Tom D’Eath 2011 74th St. NW Bradenton, FL 34209 (941)792-7554.  Mark Edmonson PO Box 85 St. Clair, MI 48079 (810) 329-4292, will be the Vintage Coordinator at the Detroit Gold Cup Regatta. This will be Mark’s first year. He is eager to work with you in order to make the vintage portion of this regatta very successful.
 July 4 thru 6  Valleyfield, Quebec Mark Rousse has indicated to us at the Annual Meeting that Vintage & Historic will be on the schedule for 1997. Valleyfield is holding their traditional Inboard and Grand Prix Events. That alone is worth the trip. If you haven’t raced in Valleyfield, you haven’t raced in Canada!!!An event that should not be missed.
 RACE PROMOTERS -- Contact us a soon as possible so that we can help promote your event. The column goes to printing two months before the Propeller Magazine is distributed, so early notification is a must.

FAMOUS NAMES OF THE PAST:
In November, at the ACBS Vintage event at Cypress Gardens, FL, we ran into  a lot of Inboard heroes. Such as Stu Wilson of Fort Pierce, FL, who owned and raced the 266 ci hydro Saber. He brought a scrap book full of articles and pictures. Stu’s first boat was the Fo-Mo-Co-Kid, a 266 cubic inch Lauterbach hydro. Wilson also drove Bill Ritner’s famous Wa Wa Too. His brother was Don Wilson who died driving an unlimited on Black Sunday,1966 in Washington DC.
  George Baker of Daytona Beach,FL was also present. George had a string of 280 cubic inch Ron Jones hydroplanes named Gee Bee. George is a very successful powerboat racer and a Champion Airplane Racer as well.
 The amazing APBA Gold Cup Champion, Joe Taggart from Orlando, FL came. Joe designed and built his own 225 & 7 Litre cubic inch hydroplanes which were named Tommy Ann. 
 Curt Brayer of Miami, FL brought his Dancing Bear, an F-Service runabout. This boat is a multiple year National Champion and record holder.
 Gene Whipp of Sarasota, FL, who is noted for his driving skills, attended. Gene is the only undefeated Unlimited Driver in the history of the sport. It is well known that Gene’s motto was “Have helmet will travel”.
  Chuck “Rookie” Woodruff of Stuart, FL with his spouse and new 9 month old son, visited with all. Another world class driver!! Tom Isaac of Valrico, FL used to race in the 5 Litre Hydro class. He owns Rodney Brogden’s famous Kitty B a 225 cubic inch Lauterbach hydro.
  Doug Apy of New Smyrna Beach, FL displayed the restored 1958 Colcock hydro C-U-Later, which was Sonny Jones’s 48 ci hydro, Sis.

REPORTS:
The 93rd Annual meeting: Discussion took place about participation at the vintage events. We need your ideas on how to encourage more vintage racers to bring their crafts and participate in the shows or flybys. Should we encourage the promoters to provide the participants with more outings and secondary activities? Examples: Luncheons, cocktail parties or evening get-togethers. Your comments are especially important to us. We need your input. 

NEW YEARS WISH LIST: 
1. A vintage event to be held at Lake Maggiore, St. Petersburg, Florida. 
2. A chance to see Wild Bill Buntin run Miss Peg one more time. 
3. To see Joe Siracusa and Ed Morgan go head to head in the 225 class. 
4. Another Inboard Nationals to be held at the Dayton Hydrobowl. 
5. To watch a Kilo trial at New Martinsville, W.Va. in the fall. 
6. More Outboard participation. If you have a special wish, please share them with us.

VINTAGE HOT BOAT OF THE MONTH:
Newport Beach, CA. Lou Fageol testing the So-Long 10-G, with riding mechanic Joe Lucas, as they unofficially attained a speed of 103 miles an hour on February 21, 1940.
 Lou was known as the Pacific Coast speed boat king. At this APBA sanctioned time trials, Lou was attempting to break the world record of 91 mph for Gold Cup class unsupercharged boats. The So-Long was powered with a 732 cubic inch, V-6, Curtis Conqueror racing engine. On March 23,1940 the So-Long successfully broke the one mile mark to 97.447 mph. In the fall of that year Lou won the Pacific Coast Championship. 

©1997 Tom D'Eath