December 2010 News Posts (13)

A Seattle Hydro Roared Home First In The Gold Cup But Then Officials Stepped In, And The Affair Became A Detroit Debacle.

By Jim Atwater

Reprinted from Sports Illustrated, September 10, 1956

Covered with grime, Bill Muncey bounced out on the orange deck of Miss Thriftway and did a happy jig. "By golly," shouted the husky driver as his big hydroplane swung into its pit, "by golly, it's about time." On shore Owner…

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By Thomas E. Stimson, Jr.

Reprinted from Popular Mechanics, July, 1951

If some steel-nerved power-boat driver has the courage to hold his throttle wide open for a full 30 seconds this year, there’s a chance that a brand new world record for a speed across the water will be made.

Today, half a dozen of America’s blue chip sportsmen have their eyes fixed on a terrific speed of 200 miles per hour, a figure that was fantastically out of a reach a few years ago. None…

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The Hydroplane Museum Gift Shop is open from 10 AM to 8 PM today, December 23rd and will be open tomorrow Dec 24th from 10 AM to 2 PM for last minute holiday shopping. We still have a complete inventory of boat models, Tee shirts, books and DVDs for the hydro fan in your life. Stop in and mention that you saw this post and you will get $10 off any purchase of $50 or more!…

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The museum will be closed on Saturday December 25th and Saturday January 1st.

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 Wahll

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…

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Don Mocks report from December 9th

By a twist of fate, my family goes way back with the hydroplane photographers of yore. I met Vic Condiotti. And I believe that it was my father who gave Bob ‘Cuddles’ Carver his nickname after accompanying him to a ‘tie up’ to the entrance buoy entering turn one on Lake Washington one day. I remember him at cocktail parties hosted by my parents, thinking he had maybe the tenth coolest job on the planet, after the hydro drivers themselves, of course. That was over 50 years… Continue

By Fred Farley - H1 Unlimited Historian

A boat racer since age 16, Dave Villwock accepted his first Unlimited Class assignment in 1989 as crew chief for Bill Bennett's MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS. Chip Hanauer was its driver. In 1990, Chip and Dave emerged as National High Point Champions with six wins in eleven races.

Following years of success in the flat-bottom inboard category, Villwock was High Point Champion in the 6-Litre Hydroplane Class in 1988 with Jerry Yoder's SUNSET…

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I recently purchased Jim Sharkey's amazing book, "HYDRO'S WHO'S WHO, 1946-2008". It lists all of the boats, all the drivers who drove them and what year(s) they raced. There is a chonological listing of a) all the Unlimiteds and their name changes; b) all the drivers and all the boats they drove; and c) a yearly breakdown as to how each boat finished in each race. The book is absolutely amazing with all the infomation and details. If you need to know about a hydro hull,…

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As we have progressed on the restoration of Bill Muncey’s Atlas Van Lines at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum, the topic often comes up on which year of the boat should we recreate. To the casual observer, the Blue Blaster looked pretty much the same throughout its illustrious career. But like most race boats, the Blaster underwent subtle changes from its…

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A new group has been started for uploading the restoration updates on the 1977 Blue Blaster. Join the Group and keep up on the progress of Don Mock and his crew.

On October 19th the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum launched an exciting new web site. We are approaching 250 members on the new site. You can read about, and participate, in Museum events, post and/or enjoy many hydroplane racing photos and videos, create a blog, startd a discussion on the Forum or join the group for your favorite hydro. But please understand that by registering on the site, you have only become a member/participant of the web site, it does NOT include membership in the…

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