April 2007 From the Vintage Notebook

April 2007
by Bob Silva and Bill John III

NOTES:
The Vintage events schedule has grown to eighteen events for 2007. Seven events in the Midwest, three on the East Coast and one in Canada. Southern California-Region 12 is hosting a Boat Racer’s Reunion with static displays while Region 10 (Oregon/Washington) has added Vintage/Historic to six APBA inboard regattas. It looks like the West Coast is coming to life with vintage action!

VINTAGE RACERS REDISCOVERED:
   Phil Kunz, Jack Hines and Tim Settle (HKS Vintage Hydroplanes of Dayton), on a quest to acquire one of those rare Fred Wickens designed/built hydroplanes, made the long trek from Ohio to Florida to look at a 266 hydro, stored inside for almost 30 years, called MISS VELDA FARMS. Satisfied that the boat was one of three, Art Kastner owned 266’s, named HYDROPHOBIA, 69-F, the proud new owners began gathering history about her and her past owners.
   As luck would have it, they were able to contact the 75-year-old Art Kastner and his long time racing buddy, Mike Waters. The friendship went back to dry lake auto racing in the early 1950’s before they engaged in hydroplane duels with near identical Wickens hydros. You might say Water’s AQUA-HOLIC, 555-F, was the “wicked sister” to Kastner’s HYDROPHOBIA.
   Kastner recalled that his first HYDROPHOBIA was originally owned by cam grinder Howard Johansen and named MIXMASTER. The renowned Wicken’s built hydro was the first 266 to run a Desoto OHV Hemi with fuel injection. The MIXMASTER set other 266 owners scrambling to replace their Flathead Fords and Mercs with a Dodge or Desoto Hemi, having raised the class straight-a-way record to 131 mph in 1954. Waters and Kastner were sharing an apartment together in Hermosa Beach, CA. when Art crashed his fist HYDROPHOBIA at Salton Sea in 1959, an accident that nearly killed him.
   Following a long recovery, Kastner ordered a brand new Wickens hull. Still Hemi powered, the new HYDROPHOBIA set a 1 2/3rds mile competition record of 86 mph in Seattle. In 1963 the boat was sold to Spencer Miller and shipped to Australia. She was raced as the KANGAROO KID and later, as ASSASSIN (running a supercharger) won the Griffith Cup and set a straightaway record of 160 mph. Waters said he came close to beating Art’s competition record at Green Lake, Seattle with AQUA-HOLIC, but missed it by a hair.
   The third and final, HYDROPHOBIA, the one brought out of storage by the “HKS” trio from Dayton, ran a small block Chevy. Cowlings, made by fiberglass specialist Jack Kelly, protected a special Stu Hilborn cross-flow fuel injection unit; originally built for Mickey Thompson’s racecars.
   Desperate to beat the dominating Henry Lauterbach built, MISS WASHINGTON D.C., Lou Nuta Junior and Senior sold their Jack Colcock built ROMAN CANDLE and bought the HYDROPHOBIA sight unseen. The Nutas had their racing friend Doc Moore fly the boat out to Florida aboard his transporter. The Nutas renamed her ROMAN LADY until she picked up a sponsor and became MISS VELDA FARMS.
   Waters reminisced that that was a great time in his life; running his AQUA-HOLIC, winning two National Championships, two Western Divisionals, Region 12 High Points, and serving as commodore of the Southern California Speedboat Club.
   Partners, Photographer Phil Kunz, race boat restorer Jack Hines (MISS PEG/MISS DESOTO) and Tim Settle (BARRACUDA) no doubt share a love of vintage race boats, even though they have . . . HYDROPHOBIA.

VINTAGE TRIVIA:
Swap Shop ad in the March 1984 Propeller:
For Sale- 225 Class Lauterbach conventional, fresh, race ready Buick engine.
Many spare parts. Formerly Tiger N-1. Boat needs refinished, minor work to trailer.
Asking 3,500 for all, less for cash. Serious inquires only. Call Fred Hanson.

EVENTS:

April 28-29 Moses Lake, WA Moses Lake, WA. contact: Ana Cappelletti 425-218-2452
May 19 Muscatine, IA That was Then, This Is Now Show Contact: Phil Mitchell 952-934-3670
May 19-20 Columbus, OH Columbus Testing contact: Jon Bartell Jr. 937-266-1965
June 16 Lake Irvine, CA. Boat Racer’s Reunion contact: John Sherin 951-943-2752
July 6-8 Valleyfield Valleyfield, Quebec contact: Ben Lemay 450-371-3291
July 13-15 Detroit, MI APBA Gold Cup contact: Alan Radue 248-616-1317
July 21-22 Waterford, MI Quake on the Lake contact: Joe Schulte 313-885-5976
July 21-22 Oroville, WA Oroville, WA. contact: Andi Fitzhum 509-476-4335
Aug 18-19 Algonac, MI Silver Cup Regatta contact: Joe Schulte 313-885-5976
Aug 25-26 Pateros, WA Pateros, WA. contact: Tim Hamilton 253-531-0500
Aug 25-26 Celina, OH Govenor’s Cup Regatta contact: Joe Schulte 313-885-5976
Aug 31-Sept 2 Wheeling, WV Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta contact: Debbie Joseph 304-233-4738
Sept 7-9 Buffalo, NY Buffalo Launch Club Raceboat Reunion contact: Bill DeGlopper 716-773-6093
Sept 9 Spanaway, WA. Spanaway, WA. contact: Jeff Bernard 253-307-3346
Sept 13-15 Wolfeboro, NH Wolfeboro Vintage Raceboat Regatta contact: Bill John 603-569-5824
Sept 22-23 Utica, MI Streak on the Creek contact: Joe Schulte 313-885-5976
Sept 22-23 Chelan, WA. Lake Chelan, WA. contact: John Walcker 800-962-8723
Sept 28-29 Issaquah, WA. Issaquah, WA. contact: Lenny Baker 425-776-1847

BILL JOHN III REPORT
First – some thank yous:
   We had a great time in Detroit last month as Tom & Jacq Bertolini invited all of us to Detroit for our fifth annual APBA Vintage Winter Gathering on February 24th. This year's Winter Gathering again attracted over 90 hard-core, vintage race boat addicts. We all had a great time, as the vintage banter and videos continued well into the wee hours. And our NH Navy took home some of the top honors; congratulations to Gerri Prusko who was awarded APBA “Rookie of the Year”, not bad for a Skiff-Head. Other awards were given to Brian Small’s rescue team, and Donnie McLean got the Chairman’s award. Congratulations also to Dan and Debbie Joseph for the best vintage event of the year – Wheeling, West Virginia ???
   We also want to thank Mike Michaud, who invited our Saturday Morning Gang to his shop for lunch and a progress check on his 31 foot Gar Wood Speedster project – MURLEN. Mike fired up his hot dog steamer and put out a nice spread. Thanks Mike, the hot dogs were superb, MURLEN is coming along nicely, and we even got a chance to visit with Bud Bracket and order some hardware for Bob Mueller’s speedster project.
   Thanks also to Larry Lauterbach and David Wagoner for sending more project photos of SCORPIO – a new/replica Lauterbach Grand Prix hydroplane being built for Al Craig. Completion is scheduled for June and the boat will run this summer on our APBA Vintage Race Boat Circuit.
   Thanks to Mark Howard for his hard work, researching the history of boat racing here on Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. Mark is also the owner of SCOTTY, a very original and very historic vintage gold cup race boat, that was designed and built by John Hacker in Mt. Clemens, Michigan and then shipped to Sam Dunsford here on Lake Winnipesaukee. SCOTTY was very active on the APBA circuit in 1929, and placed second in the prestigious Gold Cup in Red Bank, NJ.
   Now for some updates on our 2007 APBA Vintage Race Boat Circuit:
   I am sad to report that after all his hard work, Rick Shannon had to cancel his “Thunder on Onondaga” at Syracuse, New York on June 15-17, 2007. Rick worked so hard to bring our beloved APBA vintage race boats to Syracuse, but due to political and financial reasons, had to call it off – for this year. But hopefully, Syracuse will be back on our APBA Vintage Race Boat Circuit next year.
   Congratulations to Dan and Deb Joseph for their award – APBA Vintage Event of the Year ???!!!
   This year’s Wheeling Vintage Race Boat Regatta is scheduled for August 31-September 2, 2007, and expands to three full days, with registrations, safety inspections and a social gathering all day Friday, August 31st and exhibition heats of vintage race boats on the beautiful Ohio River all day Saturday and Sunday, September 1-2.
   The Invitation/Registration Packets are being put together for our Wolfeboro Vintage Race Boat Regatta on Sept 13-15, 2007. The past will come alive as some of the best known race boats of bygone eras return to Wolfeboro, for our fifth Wolfeboro Vintage Race Boat Regatta. This summer's regatta expands to 3 full days, and includes over 60 vintage race boats running demonstration laps on a 1 mile oval course, on beautiful Wolfeboro Bay. If you want to participate, please take the time to review our Webpage and make sure your entry is listed, as this is also our mailing list
   Special Alert - The House of Representatives Transportation Committee is holding a public hearing for HB 847 (legislation to establish 45/25mph boating speed limits on NH lakes). We urge you sign the petition against House Bill 847—and try to persuade other friends and family to do so also. We need to defeat this unneeded and unenforceable law!
   And on a personal note- my friend Bob Mueller recently had a very serious snowmobile accident in Pittsburg, NH. Luckily, Bob’s son was with him, and assisted in the airlift to the Dartmouth/’Hitchcock Hospital. Bob suffered serious rib and vertebrae injuries, but is now on the mend back in New York City. I spoke with Bob again this week, he is in great pain but also is great spirits, and hopes to be able to join us again this summer on out APBA Vintage Race Boat Circuit. Yup, it will be great to see Bob and Tiffany back on the circuit with their Jersey Speed Skiff – TINKER!
   That’s it for now Gang, and please join us at the shop for our Saturday Morning Gatherings. The coffee and donuts are usually ready by 9:00, we have vintage boat racing videos on our big screen TV, and this week you can checkout a very special Dick Sooy 280 vintage hydroplane “Double Eagle”. 603-569-5824 (Shop phone)

ON A SAD NOTE:
Ed Newcomb passed away January 29, 2007 at age 76. Ed was a mechanic and rider for Jack Well’s Crackerbox, RUNN’IN WILD out of region 12, during the 1950’s. Ed’s sense of humor and adventurous spirit was evident at a young age, when he used a factitious name and age to get a seat in a sprint car and compete at Ascot Speedway.
God Speed, Ed.

BOB SILVA’S WEST COAST REPORT:
I send a big “thank you” to John and Ann Fitzgerald for the box of Propeller magazines that will “get me up to speed” on events in boat racing during the 1980’s-90’s era.

VINTAGE HOT BOAT OF THE MONTH

It’s no snow job, this is one very rare Fred Wickens designed and built 266 hydro the MISS VELDA FARMS, 69-F.
Originally owned and driven by Art Kastner of Hermosa Beach, CA., she is the last of three Fred Wickens hulls campaigned by Kastner as the HYDROPHOBIA, 69-F. Recently discovered, after almost 30 years of storage, the 19’ 8” hull awaits restoration. (Phil Kunz photo)