1953 Gold Cup Regatta, Unlimited hydroplanes

This clip features the 46th Gold Cup Regatta held in Seattle, Washington in 1953.
Most boats hailed from Detroit, rightful home of the Gold Cup.

[@jayhershey7525]

I turned 7 in October of 1953. We kids of South Bay would crowd into one of our neighbors' living room where we could watch the Gold Cup races on the only tv available. Did we ever cheer when Slo-Mo IV won it all!

[@craigpennington1251]

Love the old hydros. Very cool stuff.

[@santatigerclaus]

about 1947 my dad was delivering fryer chickens for his dad to Gun lake where Miss SuchCrust was being tested, and the mechanic said to him that hed heard he had a hydro, (i never saw a picture of the specs of his boat but it probobly had a lightning 10 on it, ) mechanic asked dad if he could run Miss Such Crust around the lake so he could listen to it , dad looked at his watch "why yes, i do have the time" he said that was an experience with that Allison or Rolls Royce , whatever was in it

[@uthermaceanruig5098]

Back when Allison V-1710’s were still plentiful. 👍

[@Heavywall70]

The rarity is likely due to preferences of both unlimited hydroplanes and tractor pulling to use them until turbines came around. I watched when Hanauer and Kropfeld were the big guns. Right about the time piston boats were getting beat regularly by turbines, there was even one Allison powered front engine boat still running then.

[@40intrepid]

You can still see one of these old school hydroplanes in Detroit. Miss Pepsi is on display on Belle Isle next to the Dosin Great Lakes museum. It has two cojoined WWII Allison fighter plane engines.

[@Johnny-jr2lq]

Is miss Pepsi in this video I always wondered what she was like running

[@lawrencemarocco8197]

@@Johnny-jr2lq Miss Pepsi had a stepped hull rather than a three-point hull. She created so much wake turbulence that when she got into the lead she was almost impossible to pass.

[@craigpennington1251]

Love the design of these boats and they're not slow by any means. 100 m.p.h. on the water is damn fast and when you wreck, it's like hitting concrete. Great video.

[@505197]

Bill Cantrell was from Madison Indiana, he had a drive shaft shop with Graham Heath. Bill lived to die of old age. He ran stock cars, he ran at the Indy 500, he was a pro wrestler and a game warden to name a few of his endeavors. Lou Fageol owned a bus manufacturing company, he build odd ball Trucks. Check out his Cargoliner. Bill drove for Lou.

[@ussrsniper1877]

Madison is beautiful town and hydroplane racing is important to us

[@griesTheGries]

when hydros were KING!!

[@tphvictims5101]

The good ole days when they had cigarette lighters in the cockpits.

[@miguelsalami]

AWESOME RACE BOATS THEY WERE must have been that Mobil Ethel

[@crcruise]

Rightful home in the older slower days...

[@whgrunow]

Ratcity5

[@morticiaaddams7866]

Yup. Slo-Mo took care of it.

[@tomtaggart2569]

Speeds on the Streight-a-way were not that much different. The difference was they didn't have the skid fin so, turning was much slower.

[@joesprague1464]

The Wawonna,1953,what a missed opportunity to preserve Pacific NW nautical history.

[@drfiberglass]

Big difference to the turbine pickle fork boats...

[@timraetzloff143]

Schooner Wawona at the 45 second mark. It was scrapped just a few years ago.

[@davidrivero7943]

Lil kid on the bleachers, that's Bernie Little .lol

[@fourfortyroadrunner6701]

In 1953 I was around 6 years old. I HATE the Kirby vacuum cleaners these boats are now.

[@ussrsniper1877]

What

[@griesTheGries]

using gas turbines in boat racing--in circle racing-- is stupid, turbines need to be at...and stay at 100%....they are NOT meant to be throttled, but H1 is trying to sell it as a piston boat engine replacement. by making the course as close to a circle as possible....BUT.. their world is getting smaller and smaller...as the demand for ICE's is getting louder and louder....time will tell....

[@davetaylor9089]

i think it would be a bit unsettling sitting BEHIND a motor that big.....

[@westsideflyer7559]

Rightful home my ass.

[@glengoodwin9111]

Slo mo 4 is in moma museum

[@joevald3]

But like gray days to race in . Sometimes technology actually runs the racing

[@christopherlewis3494]

Runs it , and ruined it.

[@kdub9918]

I’ve came across some amazing canisters of old racing film mostly hydroplane races and some auto races from 1959-1961 about 8 reels got it from an old collector in Destin,FL but it also has guntersville Al labeled on a couple reels. In a nice old metalLogan deluxe model carrying case. I haven’t been able to watch but did have a projector and before it went out I saw photos of a miss bergdahl (?) not sure but it was something like that. I’m wanting to sell the collection but not sure who to contact any help much appreciated my grandmother I lived with and took care of just passed away and I’m moving back out west if anyone knows a good contact please reply,thanks

[@robertshapton]

I would certainly be interested is purchasing what you’d like to sell. I love the old films and enjoy posting them so folks can see this list footage. contact me at [e-mail] Thanks

[@braddvaughn6076]

Why do the drive sit so high ? Not down in the boat ? Seems like it would be dangerous with there head banging around not very aerodynamic?

[@buckhorncortez]

Well...you should jump right into your time machine, go back to 1953 and let them know all about it...

[@nunyabidness4946]

I sent a text. I also let em know they were right about rock and roll being satanic

[@mwilson7345]

It was dangerous but when men were still real men and women were still real women , that was relaxation after WW2 .

[@rogeranderson8763]

I'm thinking it had something to do with there being a drive shaft connecting the Rolls-Merlin to the propeller, but I could be wrong. It's happened before.