1962 U-40 Miss Bardahl

The 1962 Miss Bardahl represented the final hull designed and built by the legendary Ted Jones. It was the pinnacle of the Jones hydro design evolution. While building on the success of the 1959 Miss Thriftway, the Bardahl featured key design changes that set the standard for years to come.

The hull was much lower in profile, with significantly less deck curvature, allowing for better cornering and less tendency to kite. Also, the sponsons were of a unique design with an inside bevel on the inside to better allow for sliding through the corners.

Many of the most successful boats in the late 1960's were copies of the 1962 Miss Bardahl's lines, and built by Ed Karleson. These included the 1967 Miss Bardahl and 1968 Miss Budweiser.

Following the 1965 San Diego race, the 1962 Miss Bardahl was relegated to display duty for Bardahl in the Seattle area. In 1967, the boat was sent to Boston for use by the east coast distributor. While on the east coast, the boat changed hands several times.

Miss Bardahl was part of the original Unlimited Hydroplane Museum & Hall of Fame following the cosmetic restoration. However, in the late 1980's the museum began financially insolvent and ceased to operate. To pay off the debt, the museum sold many of the assets, including Miss Bardahl. Curt Erickson purchased the boat and stored it indoors, with the intention to eventually restore the hull to running condition.

In 2000, original crew member Dixon Smith purchased the boat from Curt, beginning the long trek towards restoration to running condition. Immediately after taking possession of the Miss Bardahl, work began on the restoration. Initially the work was deconstruction, followed by a lengthy reconstruction process, leaving approximately 25-30% of the original boat.