Red Bank Question

By Fred Farley - Unlimited Hydroplane Historian

QUESTION:

Fred, do you have any information on the Red Bank Gold Cup (also known as the Jacob Siegal Trophy)? It was presented by the National Sweepstakes Regatta Association. I have the trophy but all of the old winners' plaques have been removed. We are having it refurbished and thinking about bringing it out as a Vintage & Historic award. - Bob Moore

ANSWER:

This has required quite a bit of sleuthing.

The earliest reference that I can find to the "Red Bank Gold Cup" is in 1931. Whether this is the same RBGC as the Jacob Siegal Trophy, I do not know.

Red Bank, New Jersey, had hosted the "real" Gold Cup--the APBA Gold Cup--the year before. The RBGC was obviously an attempt to keep that tradition alive locally--in name if not in fact.

The winner of the 1931 RBGC was EL LAGARTO, which also won the National Sweepstakes race that same weekend. George Reis was the owner and driver. His average speed for the three 15-mile heats was 51.196 MPH. Bob Purdy finished second with LOUISA, followed in third by Bill Frietag in MISS PHILADELPHIA. These were Gold Cup Class boats, limited to 625 cubic inches in piston displacement. The Gold Cup Class became the Unlimited Class after World War II.

The earliest reference that I can find to the Jacob Siegal Trophy is in 1937. The newspaper article that I read does not identify it as the Red Bank Gold Cup. This was a race for 225 Cubic Inch Class hydroplanes at the National Sweepstakes Regatta on the North Shrewsbury River. The winner was Jack "Pop" Cooper in TOPS II, a product of the famed Ventnor Boat Works and pwered by a Lycoming engine. TOPS II won both the Siegal Trophy and the Sweepstakes Trophy in 1937. (The National Sweepstakes was an event open to single- engined hydroplanes without restrictions as to size or power.)

Hugh Gingrass finished second in the 1937 Siegal Trophy with GRAY GOOSE, ahead of Warner Steinbach with BABY TOOTS II.

I can find no further reference to the Jacob Siegal Trophy. But the Red Bank Gold Cup--which ever trophy that was--became a fixture at Red Bank, starting in 1947 and lasting until 1953. It was usually a single heat of 10 miles run on a 2.5-mile course. The same boats that participated in the main event--the National Sweepstakes--were eligible to participate in the RBGC competition.

Guy Lombardo won the 1947 RBGC at a speed of 64.306 with TEMPO VI, a former pre-war Gold Cup Class rig. Z-Z-ZIP, a 225 Class hull, was the RBGC winner in 1948 with Sid Street driving.

The first modern Unlimited hydroplane to win the Red Bank Gold Cup was Bill Cantrell, driving Horace Dodge, Jr.'s Allison-powered MY SWEETIE in 1949. Sid Street finished second in Z-Z-ZIP, followed by Harry Lynn in the Unlimited LAHALA, George Sarant in the Unlimited ETTA, Guy Lombardo in the Unlimited TEMPO VI, and Lou Fageol in the 7- Litre SO-LONG. MY SWEETIE's winning speed was 82.080.

Lombardo and TEMPO VI won the 1950 RBGC at 65.544. Bob Rowland triumphed in 1951 at 75.726 with the 225 Class YOU ALL.

No speeds are available for the last two Red Bank Gold Cup races.

The 1952 event was scheduled for two heats instead of the usual one. YOU ALL and Rowland won both heats. MY SWEETIE, piloted by Al D'Eath, flipped in the first heat and injured the driver.

For the final running of the Red Bank Gold Cup, TEMPO VI owner Lombardo relinquished the wheel to Phil Maresca. Maresca finished second and first for a total of 700 points, compared to 525 for Ray Gassner in the 266 Class SUNSHINE BABY III and 400 for Joe Wolf in the 266 Class SAGANA XIII.