NOTES:
 Dick Moore of Clearwater, FL has his 70’s vintage Staudacher 91 ci hydro cabover, complete with a Volvo engine. If anyone is interested, he will make them a good deal. He needs room. Dick can be reached at (727) 536-7646.
 Bob Farr of Lewiston, Idaho recently acquired the famous E-Racing runabout, My Stardust which was previously owned, built and driven by Wes Knudsen’s of Provo, Utah. This Racing Runabout won many championships and records. Bob is looking for a good home for her. Phone #(208) 746-8967.

CELEBRATIONS:
The Winding River Boat Club will celebrate their 50th Anniversary with a dinner on Saturday, April 17, 1999, in Millville, New Jersey. All are welcome. Make your plans now. Contact Jack Fisher at (609) 825-2710. 

VINTAGE TRIVIA:
Gulf 100 mph Club had a great tradition that should have never stopped. It still is quite a feat today to run 100 mph on the water. The vintage trivia question is: Which raceboat put more drivers into the Gulf 100 MPH Club than any other boat? Answer next issue.

VINTAGE FACTS:
Gulf News July 1939: 'In the famous Albany to New York Marathon Race held on May 14, Charles Mack, using Gulfpride Oil in his powerful outboard, covered the 129 miles down the Hudson River at the amazing speed of 47.4 mph. He made the best time of any boat in the race and he won first place in Class F.’ 

CHALLENGES:
Vintage member, Gerry Davidson of Leesburg, FL has certainly provided us with a good challenge. He is looking for a 225 cubic inch step-hydro, two passenger from the early 30’s, in any condition. If anyone has run across such an original raceboat you can reach Gerry at (352) 360-0742.

TENTATIVE VINTAGE RACEBOAT REGATTAS  for 1999:
 July 8 thru 11 Detroit, MI Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold Cup
 July 24,       Seneca Lake, Geneva, NY      Contact Dan Naegele (315) 536-9901
 August 6,& 7,  Lake Tahoe CA  Contact Lake Tahoe Yacht Club General  Manager, Keith Fields @ PO Box         7620 Tahoe City, CA 96145 or phone  530-581-4700 Fax 530-581-4771.
 September      Toronto, ONT., Canada

ON A SAD NOTE:
I recently learned of the passing of W. E. “Shorty” Hoggard from Portsmouth, VA. As a young inboard driver, I purchased my first Lauterbach from him in 1964. Shorty was one of the pioneers of the 280 hydro class presently called 5 Litre. He also competed in the 136 and 150 hydro classes. In 1959, Hoggard pushed his 280 hydro Shorty’s Lauterbach Special past the century mark. Quite a feat back then! By doing this, he was inducted in the Gulf Oil Company’s prestigious 100 MPH Club. Then in 1960, he set the 280 hydro Kilo record at Elizabeth City, NC. Shorty won numerous races in all classes and certainly influenced many drivers. Throughout his entire life, he always remained interested in hydroplane racing.

BOB SILVA’S WEST COAST REPORT:                 LAKE YOSEMITE   
Just the mention of ‘G Street in Merced” to a seasoned boat racer from California will likely cause a flood of racing memories. G Street lead to one of inboard’s more popular race sites, Lake Yosemite. The lake itself is not in the Yosemite National Park but located several hours east. It did provide racers with its own park-like setting of thick lawns, stone-lined B-B-Q pits, billowing willow trees, and a 1 2/3 mile record course.
 The inboards conducted 53 annual races at Lake Yosemite from 1936 through 1994 (except for WW II years).
 All the top drivers from California competed at Yosemite at one time or another. The long straight-a-ways provided for 100+ mph speeds and experienced drivers knew to sight a line toward the tall lakeside water tower for entry into the back stretch turn. Children towed their toy hydros on strings inside the sandy beach /swim area . Which was protected by a semi-circular dock that jutted out over the lake and was used as the judge’s stand and starting clock area. Here officials, photographers and spectators alike were treated to an excellent view of full-speed hydros and flatbottoms sponson walking or prop riding down the front stretch. 
 The annual July race was also host to the Northern vs. Southern CA standoff, where points were totaled for each region (11 and 12) to see who would have bragging rights to the fastest equipment.
 Perennial B-Racing Runabout champion Ernie Rose with his Lil Bee chose the Yosemite course many times over to defend his National Championship titles. In 1956 both the BRR & 48 hydro nationals were run there and the Crackerbox national champ was decided there in 1959 and again in the mid-60’s. The last, and one of the most successful, inboard races held at Lake Yosemite were the 1994 Western Divisionals.
 Today, you can still watch boat racing at the tree lined lake as Outboard racing is conducted there annually, although the 1 2/3 mile course is no longer used. The staccato rasp of flathead v-8’s no longer echo off the rocky bankwalls nor can you hear the rising drone of 12 Super Stocks running the back chute together. What each racer has are memories of the days when you turned up G street and headed east into the sunrise looking for that tree-lines oasis among the hay fields.

‘A CLAYTON WEST’ - This is what the Lake Tahoe Yacht Club is aiming for as Vintage & Historic race boats will be included as part of the 27th Concours d’Elegance at Lake Tahoe, California. This event is the West Coast’s premiere classic wooden boat show and offers a great opportunity to expose a vast new group of boating enthusiasts to Vintage race boats.
 Because of the limited dry land space at the show’s site, (The Sierra Boat Co. In Carnelian Bay, CA) all displays will be on the water. There will also be a new Lake Tahoe regulation in effect that prohibits all two cycle powered craft from the Lake, and thus from participation in the show.

VINTAGE HOT BOATS OF THE MONTH: 
The 225 Class comes down for the start as Bill Guasti’s Ford flathead powered Hallett Thunderbird, 16-N narrowly avoids colliding with Joe Quintel in California Kid, 20-N a Ford-6 powered Wickens. The homemade hulls of Jesse Wayne, Firefly 17-N, and Teacher’s Pet, 37-N owned by Kenny Wade takes up lanes 3 and 4. Kenny Sprow’s Hallett Yo Yo 41-N goes on to win this heat race at Lake Yosemite CA on July 15, 1956.

©1999 Tom D'Eath