U-Boats with City Names

By Fred Farley - Unlimited Hydroplane Historian

The following is a partial list of Unlimited hydroplanes that have had names associated with--if not sponsored by--cities.

And no, MISS SKYWAY was not named after the community of Skyway, near Renton, Washington. The Skyway Luggage Co. of Seattle was the sponsor of Lyle Parks's U-7 for one race in 1956. (The boat did all of about 40 MPH with those twin Corvettes and that infamous V-belt drive to the propeller shaft.) The Skyway Luggage Co. was owned by Henry Kotkins who was obviously much embarrassed by the boat's inability to perform. Decades later, I voted for Mr. Kotkins for Seattle Port Commissioner because he at one time had been the sponsor of an Unlimited hydroplane.

One of the following names is bogus. Guess which one!

MISS BURIEN
BURIEN LADY
BURIEN HOBBY CENTER
BURIEN PIT STOP
CHAPLIN'S BELLEVUE MAZDA
CHELAN'S MILL BAY CASINO
CITY OF KENT (Washington)
DALLAS MOTOR COACH
MISS DETROIT (many!!!)
DETROIT RADIOGRAPHICS
HOUSTON GOLD CUP '85
JASPER ENGINES & TRANSMISSIONS
LIL OLE LAKE CITY
MISS GRAYS HARBOR
MISS LYNNWOOD
MISS LYNNWOOD EQUIPMENT
LYNNWOOD HONDA
MISS BUFFALO
MISS CINCINNATI IV
MISS COEUR D'ALENE
MISS D.C. (as in Washington, D.C.)
MISS EVERETT
MS. EVERETT
MISS GROSSE POINTE
MISS HAVASU
MISS HOUSTON
MISS ISLAND SECURITY SYSTEMS (as in Mercer Island,Washington)
MISS LAJOLLA PLUMBING
MISS LAPEER
MISS LEWISVILLE
MISS MADISON
MISS MIAMI
MISS MOSES LAKE
MISS OWENSBORO
OWENSBORO'S OWN
OWENSBORO'S OWN II
MISS RENO
MISS SACRAMENTO
MISS SAN DIEGO
MISS SEATTLE
MISS SEATTLE TOO
MISS SPOKANE
MISS TRI-CITIES
TRI-CITY TILE & MASONRY
MISS WAHOO
MISS WINDSOR
PHOENIX SPIRIT
TEAM YAMAHA KELOWNA