NOTES:
Upon completion of the 145 cubic inch hydroplane restoration of THE JUDGE by Larry Lauterbach, Will Farmer Jr presented Dan Joseph the Owner/Driver with a beautiful plaque commemorating the restoration effort of this Will Farmer custom built hydroplane. Will Jr. tells us, “Henry always treated us very well, but it is so rewarding after all these years, to see that our friendship allows us to work together on these restoration projects.” 
 We have received several requests from interested readers for us to complete our history list of inboard classes. If your favorite class hasn’t been discussed yet please be patient and we will begin where we left off this winter.

CHALLENGES:
Mike Endres a veteran driver in many classes is looking for his 1972 Jones Cabover THIRD GENERATION that was originally powered with a 225 ci Buick engine. However, the boat was changed to a 6 Litre and raced out of New Jersey for a brief time with a 350 Chevy and named 8 GREAT TOMATOES. Does anyone know of its location or what happened to it?

RACE SITES:
Mt Dora, FL - March 2003 is NOT going to be an APBA Sanctioned event. This will be an ACBS event with skiffs and hydros still more than welcomed to participate as they have done in the past. Negotiations are underway for a joint “Festival of Speed - Mt Dora” March 2004. 

ON A SAD NOTE:
Buddy Roper of Newport News, VA passed away in August of this year. Recently Buddy was responsible for organizing the East Coast Inboard Racers Reunion at Hampton 2001. Roper was a former Inboard hydroplane driver and he raced in the 225 and the Grand Prix classes. Some of the boats that he piloted were Rodney Brogden’s KITTY B, and Norman Lauterbach’s CRAZY HORSE. Buddy was also one of the founders of the Virginia Vintage Raceboat Club.

BOB SILVA’S WEST COAST REPORT: 
TIME TRAVEL
Standing before two supercharged 7 Litre Hydros, both sporting the racing designation H-1, I felt like I was in a time warp sending me back into the 1960’s. That was until I turned around and looked at two Pacific One Design Hydros parked in the pits. Then I felt like I’d stumbled into the 1950’s. When a record holding Grand Prix cabover blasted away from the dock, I jumped to Valleyfield, Canada, 1992. I was time tripping and bopping from memory to memory, all thanks to the Clayton, New York Antique Raceboat Regatta 2002.
When Tom Bertolini fired up the restored blue and gold COUNTRY BOY N-8 and roared away from Clayton’s dock, I got goose bumps. The sight took me right back to the Nationals at Green Lake, Seattle, 1975. It was there that Jim Kropfeld in the conventional Lauterbach COUNTRY BOY dueled deck-to-deck with Steve Reynolds in a new Norberg cabover, WHITE LIGHTNING to win the 225 title. 
Driver Billy Sterett Jr. powered away with a thunderous roar from a blown Chrysler Hemi in his Lauterbach built 7 Litre and I was sent back to the ’66 Nationals. His father, Bill Sterett Sr. had smoked the finest 7 Litres the West Coast had to offer that year at the wheel of the record holding MISS CRAZY THING H-1
I was studying the raised letters, SOOY, on the cowling of VAGABOND, E -103, when owner Steve Lindo told me that Dick Sooy altered the original Plymouth “SAVOY” script to become his own name. Now, 30+ years later, I’m reminded of a classic photo that was thumbtacked to my grandfather’s garage door. It was of Walter Struzek flying the record holding E-103 to one of its three 280 National Championships.
As my “mate” from Australia, Dave Pagano, drove the ’71 Jones cabover EAGLE 101 AIRBORNE out to the short Clayton course, owner G.M. Johnson told me that this 280 hydro once competed as YANKEE DOODLE. My recollection played like a slow-motion movie from 1975; seeing the YANKEE DOODLE going completely airborne while leading the pack into Green Lake’s first turn. Flares looped through the sky, stopping the heat and ending Dave Sutton’s shot at a National’s win (although the boat miraculously landed right side up).
Seattle’s Ike Kielgass and Barbara Carper provided me with the best memory of Clayton 2002.a ride in the 1948 7 Litre MERCURY H-11. There I was, acting as Ike’s riding mechanic, checking the gauges and looking back over the cowl for imaginary competitors as the supercharged Fageol-6 pushed the Ventnor 3-pointer down the straights and slid nicely around the turns. I could just imagine the thrills of more than 50 years ago, when 7 or 8 two-man hydros fought it out at 70+ mph while trailing Castrol fumes.
I can only guess what it must have been like for Mike and Carmel Reitman, to tow their 266 hydro, WHA HAPPEN III, across country from Soquel CA., to participate in their first Vintage event. Mike literally drove the bottoms off the sponsons of his restored 1966 “Pop” Schroeder hull. “I can’t wait to get my 7 Litre running”, Mike said with a smile. “This is way better than anything I could have ever imagined”. The Clayton Antique Raceboat Regatta, I might add, is just as I imagined it to be. 

VINTAGE HOT BOAT OF THE MONTH:
Ike Kielgass fires off the supercharged Fageol-6 in the ’48 Ventnor MERCURY H-11. Ike and Barbara Carper towed from Seattle WA to take part in the Clayton Antique Raceboat Regatta. Ike graciously provided rides aboard the beautiful mahogany, 7-Litre hydro, to over a dozen lucky people. 

PHOTO CAPTION: 
(Left to right) Dan Joseph, Larry Lauterbach and Will Farmer Jr. Clayton, NY

©2002 Tom D'Eath