NOTES:
Update from Lake George: The Mayor, Teri Hoffman and Bill Morgan recently appeared on local television program promoting the Vintage Powerboat Regatta and Parade. Yes I said PARADE! The Parade will take place Friday evening, prior to Saturday’s Regatta. We will need your help. All vintage boats are invited to be in the parade. This helps to promote our event, for details contact Teri. 
 Just a reminder that Clayton, NY is our big event for the season. Make sure you send in your applications early. Space is limited and we do not want to turn anyone one away. It is anticipated that there will be upwards of 150 vintage raceboats at the event. Make your plans now.

EVENTS:
June 15-16   Brockville, Ontario - North American Championship - Vintage flybys. Contact Bert Henderson (613) 345-6751 or hydromarine@hotmail.com
July 5 - 7   Madison, IN. Contact Joe Johnson home 
(812) 866-8940 or email: drummerjoe_55@yahoo.com
July 11 - 14  Detroit, MI - APBA Gold Cup Vintage & Historic
Contact Tom D’Eath (941) 792-7554.
August 2 - 4  Seattle, WA Pemco Classic Vintage Unlimiteds only Contact: Dave Williams (206) 764-9453 or email: DDW@aol.com
August 9 - 10th  Lake George, NY Vintage Powerboat Regatta Contact Teri Hoffman at (518) 371-8683
August 16 - 18,  Clayton, NY Antique Raceboat Regatta Contact Charlotte Yehle (315) 686-4104
Sept 6 - 8   Buffalo Launch Club - Vintage Contact Bill DeGlopper (716) 773-6093 or email: squeegeede@adelphia.net

ON A SAD NOTE:
Bill Wanderer, 98, Engineer and Master machinist passed away March 28th. Bill was most recently labeled as APBA’s oldest rookie when he took Shake Rattle & Roll, A-43, for a vintage exhibition run at Sylvan Lake in 1995 at the young age of 92. Bill was a long-standing Marine Prop Rider and APBA member. Some of his contributions to the sport included the development of the slide valve fuel injection used in the 850cc and 150 cubic inch class racing engines. He was responsible for the development and introduction of the BMW, overhead Cam, 6-cylinder engine that at one point held all the records on the 150/2.5 Litre modified class. Wanderer made the oil pumps for the Miss US and played a key role in us winning the 1976 Gold Cup. Bill always extended a helping hand to many racers. We extend our sympathies to his family and friends.

BOB SILVA’S WEST COAST REPORT:
I’ve had several requests for the Website address for Replicast and Provence Moulage Models: Replicast is at www.merseyworld.com/replicast and Provence Moulage is at www.mafma.com/provence_moulage. I’d like to recognize the model builder for Mike Taggert’s Shake Rattle and Roll as Mike Morley

The Denny Design for Speed
The mechanically inclined and inventive Denny brothers, Bob and Denton, built their first runabouts as teenagers. Gasoline engines used in early Maytag washers powered those boats. Following WWII, Denton built and raced a dirt track roadster, competing against future stars Ed Ellisian and Bob Sweikert. During this time Denton was offered the drivers seat in Gerry Booth’s 225 Hydroplane, FIREBALL, 3-N. The thrill of speed on water lured Denton to sell his roadster and devote more time to Booth’s bright-red hydro.
By 1951 the exciting 48-ci hydroplane class had established itself in Northern CA. and caught the Brothers’ attention. Most of the 48 hulls were Kenny Ingram designs but the Dennys decided to build their own, following plans drawn-up by Bob. Denton modified the little 44 ci Crosley by installing a Harmon and Collins cam, multiple Amal carbs and Nardi aluminum rods. “On methanol, turning 8 to 9 thousand rpm, they put out 90 horsepower. The engine weighed less than 100 lbs and I could remove and install it alone. My brother Bob and I could lift our 9 ft hull, MIGHTY MIDGET, off of its trailer and launch it,” recalls Denton. The 48s soon became APBA’s most popular class, with 166 boats registered in 1955. Kneeling in the small, 85-mph methanol-burners while using a hand throttle are what Denton credits with making him a better driver. “You could drive into the corners a lot deeper than the bigger, heavier classes. You’d shift your weight over the side to keep the outside sponson from digging-in.” This was years before the modern large outside turn-fin was first used.
The Brothers’ built a second 48, in 1953 and named her, LITTLE BUTCH. In 1955, Bob designed a 136-ci hydroplane for Eddie and Al Silva. Bob Denny’s longer sponson design for SCRAPPY, 88-S varied from Rich Hallett’s design. This hull was especially successful on the tight 1-Mile courses. The Silvas went on to defeat the 1957 competition and mile record holder, Jerky owned and driven by Bob Boehm of Healdsburg, CA.
In the 1960’s Denton was hired to drive a Rich Hallett built 225 for owner Lon Graditi. The CALIFORNIA KID, 20-N was originally built for Unlimited driver, Roger Murphy in 1955 and named, GALLOPING GAEL JR. Murphy, who was seriously hurt when she shed a sponson and barrel-rolled at Long Beach, sold the hull to Graditi. Lon’s mechanic, Tony Cirmelli, replaced the Ford Flathead with a 1955 Studebaker OHV V-8. “When the crankshaft oiling problems were solved by Tony, she became a winner AND a handful to drive. The hull, designed for a speed of 100 mph, was now going 120! I had to feather the throttle but be careful not to completely lift on the straight-a-ways or the boat could blow-over”, explained Denton. But disaster nearly struck at a race, Denton was confronted by a driver going the wrong way. A rookie driver, trying to pick-up a missed turn buoy, caused Denny to abort a record-setting heat. “Lon then decided to shoot for the competition record at Lake Sammamish in Washington State, where the 225’s were real popular.” The CALIFORNIA KID established an APBA 5-mile record to go along with her 1962 kilo record of 119.967 mph. A National Championship was also won at San Diego’s Mission Bay in 1961. Graditi, who had been running 225’s since the late 1930’s, decided to sell the boat and retire after the ’63 Western Divisionals. “The guy who bought the boat was the same rookie who had almost hit me head-on.” The new owner crashed the CALIFORNIA KID three times within one year! No doubt, it required an experienced touch like Denton’s for control. The hull was converted into a 280 in 1970 where a different veteran driver, Allan Ford, made it a front-runner.
Denton retired from driving after the 225 was sold and worked for a time as the California Speedboat Association race flagman. In the late 70’s he built engines for Ritchie Alves’ 280 hydros: BITCHIE RICHIE and FOXY LADY. The last boat he built was a Glen-L designed runabout used for family outings. Bob Denny went on to design and build beautiful musical pipe organs. But they both say that one of the sweetest sounds to hear was a full field of Crosley-powered 48 hydros at full throttle. 

VINTAGE HOT BOAT OF THE MONTH:
Vern Dallman Jr. (foreground) in the baby blue and pink Ingram designed FAT PANTS III, 44-Y duels with Denton Denny’s birch and white, Bob Denny built, LITTLE BUTCH, 17-Y at the Oakland Channel in 1956. The two Crosley powered hydros were top competitors in the popular 48-ci class in Northern CA races.

Photo Caption: 
1995, Bill Wanderer waiting for clearance to enter the course at Sylvan Lake, for his rookie run. 

©2002 Tom D'Eath