Wa-Wa TOO F-247

Wa Wa too F-247  is a 266 cubic inch vintage hydroplane owned by Vic Edelbrock, Jr. of Torrance, CA. The hydroplane was restored in 1994 by Tom D’Eath, three time APBA Unlimited Gold Cup Winner, 1998 APBA Honor Squadron Inductee, 2000 Hall of Fame, and Chairman of APBA Vintage & Historic Division.     Henry Lauterbach driving. Circa 1956. Original  Designer & Builder: Henry E. Lauterbach of Portsmouth, VA - 1953 Original  Engine Builder: Vic Edelbrock and Bobby Meeks of Edelbrock Racing Engines – 1955 Wa Wa too Drivers: (circa '53 through '58)  Henry E. Lauterbach-1955 Orangebowl Regatta winner Ron Musson (deceased) Miss Bardahl driver Don Wilson (deceased) Miss Budweiser driver Stu Wilson, St. Petersburg Southland winner Accomplishments: 12/28/1955 -  Miami, Florida Orange Bowl Regatta International Grand Prix Winner with Driver Henry Lauterbach beating the more powerful Italian challengers. 1956, 1957, 1958 - APBA National Champion and US1. 1956 through 1958 - 5 Mile Competition World Record Holder for 266 cubic inch hydroplane at 82.797 mph. 02/1958 - St. Petersburg, FL Southland Sweepstakes Winner with Driver Ron Musson. Misc. Facts: Bill Ritner’s boats accumulated over 1,000 wins with an outstanding collection of well over 2,400 trophies. In 1953, Bill Ritner was inducted into the Gulf 100 MPH Club. In 1970, Bill was awarded the John W. Mulford Trophy for outstanding contributions to the sport of Powerboating in North America as Owner/Driver of Inboard Hydros. This raceboat is one of the famous hydroplanes that were campaigned by Bill Ritner.  They were all were named Wa Wa too. The boats reputation speaks for itself. In motor sports history, this is the first racing vehicle powered with a modified 265 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 Edelbrock racing engine as well as the first boat in APBA history. The hydro won first place the first time out in competition!  This is the forerunner of today's most popular racing engine, the small block Chevy.  Top Speed is 135 to 140 mph. The 265 Chevy V-8 dynoed horsepower is 375 at 7,200 rpm. © Tom D'Eath

This photo was taken in January 1959.
 

Feb 1959
Another shot of the boat at the airport.
 

Feb 1959
Yours truly checking out the Chevy engine (3 - 2 barrel carbs).
 

Feb 1959
The parade from the St. Petersburg Yacht Club to the race site at Lake Maggorie.
 

Feb 1959 
This photo was taken the Friday before the races during testing.  As I remember, Bobby Rowland (dressed in a sweater and tie) doned a life jacket and helmet and took the boat for a very fast test run.  When he returned to shore and conferred with Bill Ritner and Henry Lauterbach, all three had big grins on their face.
 

Feb 1961 
Parked at Lake Maggorie prior to the races.
 

Feb 1961
Bill Ritner looking over the Chevy engine in his boat.
 

Feb 1962
Parked at Lake Maggorie prior to the races.
 

Feb 1962
Looking over the Walt Stevenson prepared Chevy engine.
 

Feb 1962 
Chevy engine - note it now has six 2-barrel carbs. 
Hilborn fuel injection will come later in 1962.
 

Feb 1962
Skeeter Johnson answering the 5 minute gun.
 
 

Feb 1962
Skeeter and the Wa Wa Too at speed.
 

These three photos were at Glaucester Point, VA in 1962. Curtis Estes is the driver.
Bill and Skeeter had many falling outs. Bill would find another driver and then hire Skeeter back. This went on until the late 60's. Case in point. When I was at the '62 Orange Bowl, the race was postponed until Monday due to weather. Skeeter returned to Maryland on Sunday as he had to be back at work on Monday. Bill was furious. Mike Thomas had flipped his brand new Lauterbach on Saturday and even though the boat was rebuilt at Bob Conn's shop he did not qualify for the finals.  Mike drove the Wa Wa Too in that race. Bill had Don Wilson drive the boat at St. Pete, but Skeeter was back in the seat by the time the northeastern circuit began in May.
 

December 1962 
The Orange Bowl Regatta, Miami, Florida
This hull as now been repaired by Henry Lauterbach after the Wa Wa Too
flipped at the November 11, 1962 kilo speed trials at Norristown, Pennsylvania.

Wa Wa Too F-247 November 11, 1962 Norristown, Pennsylvania Photographed by Carl Harris Speed trials over a one kilometer straight-away course. Driver Curt Estes was driving about 125 mph on her return run. Her trim is fine and there is a slight wind and ripple in the water. Snow showers are falling. For no known reason, Wa Wa too starts to become airborne and a pronounced list to port.   The air pressure created against the bottom of the fast moving boat starts the blow over.   Driver Curt Estes departs the cockpit from the boat.     This follows a mass of spray with the boat ending upside down and stern forward.   These photos were taken by a former 280 driver Carl Harris. These photos are very similar to a sequence that was in Yachting magazine shortly after the flip. The boat went to Lauterbach's shop after the accident and was rebuilt. Henry delivered the boat to Bill Ritner at the Orange Bowl in Miami in December 1962...........Bob Moore (Here is the article that appeared in Yachting magazine) Photo caption: Curtis Estes, pilot of the 266 cubic inch Wa Wa Too, speeds up-river after completing two laps in speed trials at Port Indian Sunday. The wind catches the front of his hydroplane.....flipping it up.....tossing Estes out.  Photo caption: Estes is wrapped in a cloud of spray as the boat crashes down from its momentary tail stand. WIND FLIPS BOAT - LANDS DRIVER IN MONTGOMERY HOSPITAL "The wind really scares me", were the last words Curtis Estes said before a sudden gust of wind flapped his 266 cu. in. hydro plane and landed him in Montgomery Hospital with chest injuries. Estes, a 35-year-old speed boat racer from Norfolk, Va., was out to speed through a marked one mile course at 136 mph in sunday's speed trials on the Schuylkill. Before pulling out from the pits, Estes expressed fear at brief but sudden wind gusts which were churning up the river's surface. Estes said to onlookers, he doubted he would hit the 140 miles per hour mark. His course called for him to circle his craft just below Catfish Dam, accelerate to peak rate and literally fly through the one mile pre-marked course. Circle Called For Executing this maneuver would leave the racer just north of Barbadoes Island where he had to circle his boat, accelerate once again for a second attempt at a speed record. Estes was then to turn his boat and steer to the pits of the Norristown Boat Club......Estes never made the final turn. Just as he left the last marked mile zone, his hydroplane was caught in a powerful enough gust of wind to 1) uplift his craft vertically; 2) eject him from the driver's seat; and 3) let the battered racer and pilot flounder in the water. Estes lay in the water for several minutes before a lone rescue boat reached him. Still in the water, he was taken to shore where an ambulance took him to Montgomery Hospital with possible fractures and chest injuries. High Powered Boat Estes was driving the Wa Wa Too, a Chevrolet Corvette engine equipped craft owned by William Ritner. The boat is described as one of the fastest hydroplanes on the water operated on an eight cylinder fuel injection system. For Estes, Sunday's mishap added several broken ribs to the three he had on entering the race. For the Port Indian area, Sunday's mishap was the second of this year's boating season. But if past performances hold true, Sunday's race will neither be the last for Estes nor for the boating fans of Port Indian.  Thanks to Bob Moore for mailing in the photos! Thanks to Tami Castro for providing the article! Click here to read more about Curtis Estes hydroplane racing career.

Note, the engine now has fuel injection.
 
 

Photo taken at my parent’s house after I brought the boat 
from Miami to St. Petersburg after the Orange Bowl Regatta. 
New Years 1963.
 
 

February 1963 
The Southland Sweepstakes Regatta in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Yours truly getting the boat ready for Don Wilson to go out and win the Southland
           Sweepstakes race.

Later in 1963, Bill Ritner will commission Henry Lauterbach to build another 266 cubic inch class. 
That F class will feature tear-drop sponsons and other improvements in the design. 
For a few races left in 1963, Ritner will campaign both hulls.

© 2003 Brent McLean
 

Bill Ritner's  Wa-Wa TOO F-247 (1963+) This section will feature the next hull that campaigned under the Wa Wa too name and was built by Henry Lauterbach in 1963. This hull replaced the Wa Wa too hull that was built by Henry Lauterbach in 1958.    The next 4 photos are of the new tear drop sponson deck design by Lauterbach. In the early 60's, Ritner and Lauterbach wanted the Kilo record that Sid Street and the Z-Z-Zip had.  Thus the streemlining of the sponsons. Henry built several more boats with those sponsons.  There were two or three Miss Washington DC's, two or three Miss Crazy Thing's and many other 150 and 225's.  When the Miss Peg showed up at the Southland in St. Pete with her skid fin behind the sponson and set the record, the tear drop sponson went away because the water created too much lift. If you will note, all the late model Lauterbach's went back to his original sponson design. All 4 of these photos taken in July 1963 at the Eastern Divisionals, Clarksville, VA.  This is a brand new boat just completed by Lauterbach. This is her second race. The first race was at Hampton, Va. the week before. At Hampton, the boat was not painted (just primer) and did not have drain holes in the transom. Henry Lauterbach drove the new boat and Skeeter Johnson drove the old boat. They finished first and second respectively. The boat went back to Lauterbach’s shop and was finished in time to go to the Divisional race the next weekend.  Skeeter won the race in his first time in the boat. A young Larry Lauterbach looking over his father’s creation.      Photos of the Wa Wa Too Chevy engine at Walt Stevenson’s shop taken in July 1963.     These 3 photos taken at Bill Ritner’s construction company yard in August 1963 a week after the Divisionals at Clarksville.  The boat was taken back to Lauterbach’s shop after the race and was finished, as well as refitted to the trailer. Lauterbach was very interested in the exhaust system on the record setting 135 hydro Avenger. He talked Ritner into a similar system as you can see in the photos. The boat had a real neat sound, but performance was not enhanced as thought. The pipes were replaced with short headers in September. Note the protective coating on the windshield has not been removed.       Driver Skeeter Johnson (left) and Henry Lauterbach, Jr. Skeeter posing on the boat. Note the zoomie exhaust pipes that replaced the collected header pipes from August, earlier in the year.  The old station wagon was replaced by a new flat bed truck. © Brent McLean

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