Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum

We're racing through history!

Miss Supertest 3 The great Canadian Boat

Miss Supertest 3 The great Canadian Boat

Harmsworth trophy winner 1959, 1960, 1961,
Her racing career was cut short when her driver Bob Hayward
was killed in a practice session and her owners the Thompson family packed it in.

  • photo
  • photo
  • photo
  • photo
  • photo
  • photo
  • photo

Comment

You need to be a member of Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum to add comments!

Join Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum

Comment by Doug Guido on November 19, 2012 at 6:31am

This from Wikipedia:

Robert D. Hayward (October 28, 1927 - September 10, 1961) was a Canadian powerboat racer who was a three-time winner of the Harmsworth Cup as the pilot of Miss Supertest III.[1]

From Embro, Ontario, Hayward was raised on his family's chicken farm and joined the Supertest racing team as a mechanic in 1957. Piloting Miss Supertest III, Hayward won the Harmsworth Cup in 1959, 1960, and 1961. A month after winning his third Harmsworth Cup, Hayward was killed while racing Miss Supertest II at the Silver Cup regatta on the Detroit River. The boat flipped over at 175 mph, breaking Hayward's neck. He was 33 years old. After his death, the Supertest team retired from racing.[2]

I know this to be true - I was there, on the bank of the Detroit river. I remember the shock and awe, (sorry), as the boats raced by us in the Roostertail turn on their way to the start of the first heat. Coming out of turn 3, just south of the Belle Isle bridge, Supertest hit a roller and flipped. The other boats powered down and cruised by us on their way back to the pits. No one in the 100,000 plus crowd knew what was going on. As this was in '61, it was prior to having portable transistor radios, so we were in the dark. Then it came over the loud speakers that the race was canceled. It wasn't until we got home and saw on the news the Hayward had been killed. Still a poignant memory of mine.

© 2024   Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service