All News Posts (263)

In his attempt to win still another racing trophy, defeated Champ Bill Muncey was frustrated by a wall of water and an oilman's boat.

By Hugh Whall

Reprinted from Sports Illustrated, July 15, 1963

"Washing down" is an old tool in the lockers of most hydroplane racers. A tactical maneuver, now illegal under the racing rules, it consists of deliberately aiming the fierce fire-hose power of the towering rooster tail from the stern of your boat at a…

I just added almost 100 new photos to the Unlimiteds Detroit photo database. They were loaned/donated to us by Byron Lang.

If you repost, please credit as "From the Byron Lang Collection".  

Some of these pics are spectacular.  ENJOY! …

Two weeks ago, in a some what involved transaction, my much altered and somewhat deteriorated 1979 Squire Shop hull ended up in the ownership of Gary and Christie Laws and I came out of the deal with the totally rotten 1963 Tahoe Miss.

While this may seem to be of some question, I have always wanted a round bow Hydroplane. The Tahoe Miss has been out in the…

Among the most popular outboard-hydroplane events during Seattle area summers were the races from Redmond to Kenmore by way of the Sammamish Slough, now considered to be a "river" since Microsoft moved into town and property values reached the point where the term is no longer acceptable to local real estate agents.

But to most of us hanging out on this website, it was always "The Slough". This annual event was a thrill to watch, especially near the Bothell Bridge. Though the races…

Anyone have any idea where the steering wheels from the 50's era hydroplanes came from? Trying to find some for my models. The closest I can get so far is a 1930s automotive 4 spoke (Bentley, MG and the other euro cars).

As a Ferrari enthusiast and former seller/broker of Ferraris, I've been acquainted with this famous boat for several years. I've been looking for a scale model of it for some time. the only ones I've seen are a 1:43 scale resin model kit  produced by FDS about 20 years ago and a large scale kit by Amati which can be built as either a static or R/C model. Not cheap however. (but I am) There also seems to be a number of built versions coming out of Asia of varying degrees of…

What a wonderful sight this morning when I drove into the Museum parking lot to see that familiar big Lincoln Town "art" Car sitting in its customary parking spot. Just seeing that big car, festooned with hydroplanes on the roof and hood, paintings on the flanks and roostertails everywhere, both painted and in relief, brightened my whole day.Lenny is back!.

Leonard Ellis is well known to us regulars and a great friend and long-time supporter of the Museum.  Most of you might know of…

By Fred Farley  -  H1 Unlimited Historian

What is the story behind the classic round-nosed Ed Karelsen hulls? How many of them were there and under which names did they compete?

The round-nosed Karelsen hulls pretty much defined the state-of-the-art in Unlimited hydroplane hull design in the late-1960s and early-1970s. They were generally wider and flatter than their contemporaries and resembled in outward appearance the Dan Arena hulls of the…

The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum has a lot in common with the R/C Scale Hydro Community. Both communities are passionate about the sport of unlimited racing. Both groups have a keen interest in the history of the sport, and both groups owe a huge debt to Roger Newton for playing such a big role in getting us started. That is why the Hydroplane Museum is proud to announce our…

Uncle Al, remembered by long time friend and crew member Dave Woelfert.

On May 19, 2012, unlimited hydroplane racing lost one of its most ardent supporters when Eldon “Uncle Al” Thoreson passed away.

Al started as a crew member and builder of Bob…

There is something for everyone at the Hydroplane Museum! 

The next few weeks are very busy with a wide range of activities

7:00PM the evening of Saturday Jan 19th we will bring back our popular “Movie Night” and en…

By Fred Farley  -  H1 Unlimited Historian

Former Unlimited hydroplane driver David "Salt" Walther of Dayton, Ohio, passed away on December 27, 2012. He was 65.

Walther qualified as an Unlimited driver in 1970 as pilot of George Simon's MISS U.S. of Detroit. Between 1971 and 1976, he drove for the Dayton-based COUNTRY BOY team, owned by his father, industrialist George Walther, Jr.…

By Fred Farley  -  H1 Unlimited Historian

Question

Fred, do you know what Horace Dodge, Jr., did with the original MY SWEETIE?  -  Dick Degener

Answer

Regarding the original MY SWEETIE, the following story was told to me by Al D'Eath (father of Tom and Roger), who was an employee of Horace Dodge, Jr., in the early 1950s.

Horace never owned any of the boats that he raced; his mother (Anna Thompson Dodge) did. She controlled…

In a ceremony on Friday, October 26, 2012 at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum near Seattle, Bill Boeing, Jr. was inducted into the Unlimited Hydroplane Hall of Fame, just short of his 90th birthday.  

Bill Boeing, Jr., the newest inductee into the Unlimited Hydroplane Hall of Fame, participated in racing as an owner between 1956 and 1960.  

Bill Boeing, Jr. Photo by Ed Clark

In the middle-fifties, when seemingly everyone was jumping on the…

Join us at Lake Chelan on October 5th through 7th!

The 2012 Mahogany & Merlot Vintage Boat Show is a "on-the-water" boat show and FREE Family Friendly event featuring the Vintage Unlimited Hydroplanes from the Hydroplane And Raceboat Museum in Seattle, along with restored Vintage Inboard ‘Limited Class’ Hydroplanes, and Antique & Classic Mahogany Runabouts from the Golden Era of pleasure boating.…

Well, it has been awhile since I made a post to this blog so I thought it was time for an update.  I am continuing to work with a great group of people on restoration of the 1958 Miss Bardahl.  After several months of cleaning and disassembly we finally have some visible progress as several aluminum panels have been attached to the stringers in between the rear frames.  On a more personal note, the hydroplane I am building for my boys has been flipped right side up.  Hopefully, some pictures…

The Chief gave me a pass this week. It was a trade actually: “two days next week, for one day this week.” I took the deal- I had no choice. this is Gold Cup week and I have a long ways to go before my program is race ready and competitive.

A week and a half…

The sober citizens of Seattle go slightly daffy every year when the time comes for the roaring hydros to defend the city's proudest possession—the Gold Cup

By Wilbur Jarvis

Reprinted from Sports Illustrated, August 10, 1959

In the early part of August each year an odd kind of euphoria overwhelms the otherwise rational people of Seattle. They start shooting off fireworks. The males put on pirate costumes and wander around town kissing, and…

I was at the Museum this morning helping Don Mock work on the horizontal wing for the Blue Blaster when fellow member, Bob Senior, came over to say hello and to check on our progress. Bob is a very special person having been involved in Unlimited Hydroplane racing in one form or another for nearly 50 years. I always look forward to a visit from Bob. Among the things we discussed during his visit was the growth of (this) Museum Website to over 700 members. That’s nearly a three-fold…

It is one of the quirks of the Hydro Business that there are long cold months during the winter when little or no activity is taking place, and then for a few days at the end of July and start of August we are so incredibly busy that there is hardly time to blink. (I often tell my friends that I know what it must be like for Santa Claus to go the whole year with seeing a soul,…