Vintage Hydroplane Boat Racing
Posted on May 13th 2015
My family on my father’s side first settled in the Saint Lawrence River area in upstate New York. They started out as riverboat captains. My great, great grandfather ran a tour company that gave slow boat rides around the Thousand Islands Park. It was a lot of fun, and a great way to make a living. Tourists from all over the country would come in the summer and fall to see the beautiful water and islands that dotted the river in this unique place. As the season waned, and the tourists dwindled off, however, my ancestors’ attention would turn to sport.
They built the first generation of hydroplane racing boats. These were nothing like what you see today. The pontoons were low profile, and were seamless with the front sides of the boats. You could almost liken them to Star Wars cruisers, but built right around the turn of the 20th century. These were extremely fast boats for their time. Easily exceeding 70 mph on open water, they often topped 100 mph in the heat of racing.
My father’s father was just a boy when all of this was going on, but the tradition still lives in our hearts and in pictures. The same skills of boat building that made it possible to construct such a durable craft carried over into carpentry skills that my father taught me. The boat builder’s creed was more than putting together some boards for speed. It was all about pride and craftsmanship.
These men were like the astronauts of their day. Mild-mannered gentlemen who lived a life of relative luxury in a full-time resort setting, they would turn to fierce competitors when racing season rolled around. Making something that had a narrow margin of error was an exacting trade, assembled lovingly plank by meticulously sanded and planed plank. Anchoring the rocket engine into the hold was practically an afterthought. These were boats first, and machines second.
Make no mistake, though; these were beasts of the water. There was nothing else like them. Crowds gathered on the shore would gasp when these modern marvels roared to life. Rocking and bucking under the growling pressure of the jets, they would taxi to the line. Waves coming off the pontoons, they would pause momentarily before the starter’s gun fired. Then they were off, and it was on. Slicing and hissing along the surface of the water, barely earthbound, they ground their way from one end of the bay to the other. The sound was deafening and the fury was unnerving as they battled for position.
Often a photo finish coming down to the wire, the engines would instantly cut and go silent as the missiles glided for shore. Met with a hero’s welcome, helmet in hand, the pilots would wave to the fans amid cheers and whistles. It was always a wondrous day with the thunderous boats racing their way into history. Definitely better than a picnic and croquet, most boat lovers would say.You can always educate yourself about all-terrain vehicles and other motor vehicle technology on the MotorsHiFi site, located on the web at www.motorshifi.com. Here you can go to get your dream vehicle.