The October 8, 2005 Bluewater Resort & Casino 300 Enduro, will be a throwback to the original 1964 Parker Enduro; with 60 laps from Bluewater to Badenoch's Marina, mandatory pit stops plus $10,000 in prize money. The BWRC 300 Enduro will feature old to new hulls: Switzer Wings, Rayson Craft GN's, flatbottoms by Howard, Hallett, Dana and more. The originator of the Parker Enduro, Marion Beaver, will be “Official Starter” of the Enduro.

EVENTS:
Oct. 14-16   Georgetown S.C  Georgetown Wooden Boat Show: contact Bill Steinfield 843-236-8743 
  
REPORTS:
The Scioto River Fest, in Columbus, OH. found 30 APBA Vintage/Historic Hydros, Skiffs and Flatbottoms in attendance. A Welcome Drivers party theme, “Racing the Past into the Future” kicked off the activities on Friday night at Dave & Buster’s where friends shared videos, photos and racing stories. A Hot Rod show with 350 cars also added to the weekend excitement. The big action, though, was on the river. The hot weather provided smooth water for the 2 days of flybys on both a short and long course. The longer straights ran under the Fishinger Bridge providing Phil Kunz and Wally Hinman wonderful vantage points for photos. Vintage/Historic chairman, Tom Bertolini in his Grand Prix hydro and Billy Cousins in a 7 Litre were able to douse the bridge with roostertails thrown by the supercharged engines from  DEEPWATER SPL.and RIVER RAT. Kevin Klosterman was kept busy as both the event organizer and running his 266 hydro, AQUA FLYER, F-333. Special thanks to Buddy Byers for providing the lodging; Box 21 for the rescue services; Buckeye Lake Yacht Club Commodore, Hal LaDuc and all those who helped put this event together. 

Eight APBA Vintage/Historic boats where in the pits at Nashville, TN. to run in the Sept 9-11 inboard, OPC and Unlimited event. Beautiful weather, smooth water and plenty of flyby time was available for XANADU, STREAKER, IRISHMAN, COUNTRY STOVES, BLU BY U, CHUCK WAGON, BIG CHIEF and LIL MISS HILLWINDS. Thanks goes to Travis Hickman for his work in getting the Vintage boats added to the program. 

ON A SAD NOTE: 
Ron Larsen passed away on Tuesday Sept.13, 2005 in Livermore, CA. Ron began driving boats in his early 20’s and became a top driver of flatbottoms and hydroplanes. Ron raced 22 years, was a member of the Gulf 100 mph club, set 7 world records and won 8 National Championships. He drove the Chicago based SK-73, QUICKY TOO to set a Kilo record of 103.338 mph and win the National Championship in 1966. Driving Bill Ritner’s 266 hydro, WA WA TOO, Larson won the 1969 National Championship and class High Points before moving on to pilot Unlimiteds in the 1970’s. 
Memorial contributions in Ron Larson’s honor can be made to APBA’s Historical Society. Godspeed from all our APBA Vintage/Historic members. 
 

BOB SILVA’S WEST COAST REPORT:
Where Have All the Rich Hallett Hydroplanes Gone?
The Downey, California designer/builder (and driver) was a prolific hydro builder. Beginning in 1935 and ending in the 1970’s, Hallett built nearly 1,000 hulls! He worked alone at a frantic pace, creating the design from plans strictly in his head. “Never used a set of blueprints in my life”, he told a reporter back in the 1960’s. His shop was the confines of a 20x20-foot garage which allowed only one hull to be built at a time. He could construct two hydros a month. Rich built boats with one thing in mind, “to go faster than the last one”. They were fast and...lightweight. Newly purchased, owners could expect only 2-3 seasons of racing before their hulls began to come apart, and more than a few shed a sponson. If you wanted to win races and set records during the early to mid-1950’s, a Hallett was the boat to order. An early 1950’s, record setting Hallett could be patched-up, sold-off, then a new hull ordered for $800 and it would be faster than the old one. The early 1950’s through 60’s saw Hallett’s dominating inboard races on California’s sheltered waterways like: Long Beach, Oakland Estuary, Lake Yosemite or Newport Beach. They set records and won on the big open courses like Lake Washington and Salton Sea, as well. Close to 1,000 hulls built, yet by last count, only 10 now exist, including the late Lee Taylor’s, former 285 mph world water speed record holder, HUSTLER, now owned by Jim Deist. UNCLE GUMMY, SNAPPER, ALTER EGO, OPECHEE, WATER BALL, SUNSET, TIJUANA TAXI, QUICKSILVA, and the drag hydro GOLDEN KOMOTION finish the count. If you know of another existing Rich Hallett hydro, please let me know.