All News Posts (264)

In one of the most unexpected upsets - and thrilling races - unlimited hydroplanes have known, a man who had never won before seized the President's Cup on the Potomac from the sport's last hero.

By Mark Kram

Reprinted from Sports Illustrated, July 17, 1972

Sunday on the Potomac. The thought of it seems to travel with a picture of a tranquil glade, a promise of stillness. A place where you can lie back on a blanket and ponder the birth of…

The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum would like to sincerely thank Chip Hanauer for the high quality band saw and table saw he recently donated to the museum. The saws are a huge boost to the museum’s shop and will go a long way in helping maintain boats, trailers, display projects and restorations. Chip offered the saws in memory of his father Stan, who was a fine craftsman and built many of Chip’s first outboard hydros. Stan was also one of the first board members of the original Unlimited…

Two days of hydro racing end with four hospital cases, three retirements and no real winner.

By Emmett Watson

Reprinted from Sports Illustrated, August 22, 1960

The sport of hydroplaning, in which the sight of burning boats, crippled drivers and squabbling officials has become commonplace, degenerated into a grisly parody of itself at the Seafair Trophy races in Seattle last week. The regatta produced a winner (of sorts) in Miss Thriftway, driven…

As I’m sure you know the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum is a member supported not for profit corporation.  We operate a real brick and mortar museum that houses a dozen or so of the fastest, most historic vintage unlimited hydroplanes in the world.  Restoring and running the boats is very expensive.  For the past two decades we have been supported by almost seven hundred dues paying members who contribute financially to the museum via their yearly dues…

 Would it be possible for anyone who remembers or has pictures of the

 Tahoe Miss that had a Buick or Olds V-6 engine driving the aux stage

 blower please forward any information on this unique application to me. I saw the boat in Detroit in the late sixtys.

 I believe the name of the Crew Chief was Harry Volpe. Additional information would be appriciated.

Thanks,

Bill Grunow,

About four weeks ago I was able (with a few friends) to locate the first of a series of inboard hydroplanes built in Sweden. It was built in 1963/64 and based on a design by Ron Jones Sr. It was powered by a Volvo 4-cylinder engine souped up to about 135 hp. It was raced in the 1800cc class and was able to reach speeds around 70 knots. This boat was found in a barn where it has been sitting since 1967. Rear cowling, engine cowling and the engine is missing but otherwise it is in not too bad…

    The weekend seemed to be a resounding success.  I have heard from many how much they enjoyed the hydroplanes back in Coeur d’Alene.  Thanks for all of your help.

Best regards,…

     As a fan and participant of "Live Theatre" for many years, I have experienced several moments where a particular performance is just "magical". The kind of show where everyone nails their lines, hit all their marks. The lighting and the set just looks right together. After a few scenes you realize that the audience is just eating it up. The audience can't quite explain it, but they know that whatever they're seeing is cool beyond belief.

     That's what happened in Coeur d'Alene…

     For those of you that have ever given a dollar, a days worth of work or anything else to the Museum out of the kindness of your heart.....you should be VERY proud of the show those men and women put on over the last 10 days. The 5 boats that participated in the Tri Cities, were sparkling,,,,,,I mean they glistened in the sun. Those that piloted the boats put on a GREAT show for the fans. They created a few cool formations and the photo ops were spectacular. The best part was being able…

Stan Sayres' famous "Slo-Mos" have made Seattle the nation's motorboat capital.

Reprinted from Sports Illustrated, August 23, 1954

To the close-knit speedboat fraternity of Detroit, the stumpy, graying figure of one Stanley St. Clair Sayres is like something out of a recurrent bad dream. Four years ago Mr. Sayres, an obscure automobile salesman from Seattle, Wash., came to Detroit with a strange contraption which, on the record, would go faster on…

This newly-revised Museum web site kicked off on October 19h 2010. We are now up to 423 "members", from all over the U.S. and even International. It is an amazing "blog", with lots of photos, videos, and hydro racing history. It also provides  the ability to follow all of the Museum restoration progress. But it is important to point out that the 423 are members of the "blog" and not literally members of the Museum itself. Museum membership indicates financial support, which helps us pay the…

Vintage hydroplane racing returns this summer - experience the roar and thunder the way it used to be! Boats like the Miss Bardhal, Miss Wahoo, Oh Boy! Oberto, and Miss Thriftway will be making a come back this summer thanks in part to the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum in Kent, WA. The vintage boats will also be on display in Stan Sayres Pits and a meet and greet autograph session with past drivers will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

2011 Hydroplane…

The zealots who cannot shake the unlimited hydroplane habit open the new season in the certain knowledge that heartbreak lies around the bend.

By Coles Phinizy

Reprinted from Sports Illustrated, June 2, 1975

After 15 honest years of handling lesser brutes, in 1973 Tom D'Eath, a 29-year-old Michigan boat driver, got his first try in an unlimited hydroplane. When he moved up into the biggest class of them all, D'Eath joined an elite group of boat…

There has been a lot of traffic on the blogs this week about the Notre Dame and Harrah's Club crash in heat 1A of the 1967 Gold Cup. Here are a few photos from our archives that may clear up a few questions. (All photos are from the collection of the Hydroplan Museum  Many were taken by Rich Ormbreck)

1. The Notre Dame bouning the first of three times.

 …