2006 News
1/1/2007 - Happy New Year!
Have a very happy New Year! Please be safe!
12/25/2006 - Merry Christmas!
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas to you and your family!
12/24/2006 - The Night Before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, except the cats in the littler pan
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that that they would dry out by morning.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of bonus checks danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down to watch a good movie
When out on the river there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But four big hydroplanes and four great drivers
With one little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be Chet the Jet
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
"Now Miss Tri- Cities now, Miss Bud! now, County Boy and Atlas Van Lines
From the top of the trailer ! to the top of the water.
Now run fast! Now run streaght, and finish all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the river
So up to the first turn they flew,
With the finish, in site they went.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard from the p.a.
The roar of the crowd going wild.
As I stuck out my head, and was turning around,
down the finish line came the Miss Tri-Cities
The Jet was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of trophies he had flung in the truck
And he looked like a winner for sure
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old man
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to the winners circle
And told all the judges, that they did a good job.
And laying his hand on the winners check
Off to the bar he went
He sprang to his truck, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
12/21/2006 - Scale Boat and Support Gear for sale
The scale 1960 Miss Thriftway Racing Team boat and gear have been listed on the For Sale page.
12/20/2006 - December Newsletter
The December Newsletter is now available for your reading pleasure.
Click here to view it now!
12/13/2006 - 2006 Willamette Cup video
Want to relive the 2006 Willamette Cup? See a 58 minute video of our Willamette Cup that includes interviews from Don Mock, Dave Blacksten, Mick Shutt, Randy Gosseen, Scott Meyers, Jeff Heimkes, Rich Matkin, Marc Connelly and Dave Brandt.
Click Here to view the video.
12/12/2006 - Registrations
Here we go again...
We have some new info; it seems that the "draw" format should not be used when an existing registration becomes available. I apologize for getting this wrong on the first try. The proper process under the rules is to notify all club members via the website whenever a registration becomes available, and it's a race from there... The very earliest postmarked request for the registration wins. The request must be sent to the registrar and MUST include the COMPLETELY FILLED OUT form as downloaded from the website, as well as the $10 registration fee.
With this in mind, the following boats are available under the format just described;
| Hull # |
|
Boat |
| 8408 |
|
'86 Mr. Pringles |
| 8700 |
|
'87 U-00 Miller American |
| 8806 |
|
'88-90 Holset/Miss Madison |
| 9601 |
|
'96,'98-'04 T-5 Budweiser ($50 fee attached) |
| 8401 |
|
'85-'87 Miller American |
| 98100 |
|
'98 PICO U100 |
| 0203 |
|
'02-'04 U3 Vacationville.com |
12/11/2006 - 2007 Registrations and Competition status as per the R/CU rule book
The 2007 registrations and fines have been posted in the Members section
2007 registrations and competition status as per the R/CU rule book;
If you own a boat in Competition Status you must pay a $15.00 annual re-registration fee postmarked no later than January 31 of each year to maintain your registration. The boat is required to complete a "legal finish" in at least two different events during each racing season. Should you not get the minimum legal finishes with your boat, the following January you must pay a fine IN ADDITION TO YOUR ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEE, or otherwise forfeit your registration. This fine is $50 the first year and doubles each consecutive year (ie., $50, $100, $200, $400, etc)
If you sell your boat and there are fines to be paid on that boat, you or the new owner must paid that fine before the boat can run in competition
We have posted the 2007 registrations and fines due the club by Feb 1, 2007.
Please mail your annual re-registration fees and fines if any directly to the treasurer at:
R/CU
Chester Lepinski
172 Tamarisk Lane
Richland, WA 99352
12/6/2006 - Boat Draw
The Following Hulls are available for Draw as of 12/06/2006.
| Hull # |
|
Boat |
| 8408 |
|
1986 Mr. Pringles |
| 8700 |
|
1987 U-00 Miller American |
| 8806 |
|
1988-90 Holset/Miss Madison |
Scott, our Registrar, will hold the draw for one calendar month with the closing on 01/06/2007.
In the interest of fairness we'll try to always post draws as soon as they're available, and will hold each for one month.
Entries for the draw
MUST include the form as downloaded from the website Information page and
FILLED OUT completely to be valid.
12/6/2006 - Oh Boy! Sponsorship!
Cindy Klapperich, the Marketing Communications Manager for the
Oberto Sausage Company, informed Chet Lepinski that they will be the 2007 sponsor for R/CU. This makes the 5th year that Oberto has done this. RCU's 2007 Race Season will once again be called the Oh Boy! Oberto Championship Series. Seeing that Oberto will be building a new boat for 2007, we all at
R/CU will be looking forward to a great year for them and Steve David. Art and Larry Oberto have been great for the big boats and now for us as well. When at the store don't forget to pick up that
Oberto Beef Jerky.
12/5/2006 - Registrar ready
Our 2006-2007 registrar, Scott Meyers, is ready to receive your requests to register a hull for the 2007 season. Scott would like to thank all for holding off on registrations until now, as he became adjusted to the job. To see what boats are available to register, simply go to the Information page and download our Master Hull Registy, then contact Scott with your Boat Registration Form which is also available on the Information page.
12/4/2006 - Sponson Canoes added to For Sale page
Looking to build a new boat for 2007? See the For Sale page for more information on some sponson canoes that have been added.
11/28/2006 - Master Hull Roster Update
The Master Hull Roster has been updated. You can download the latest and greatest Master Hull Roster off of our Information page.
11/22/2006 - Message from our Registrar
Our 2006-2007 Registrar, Scott Meyers, wants to let us know that all things pertaining to registrations are on hold for the moment. As you can imagine, Troy's passing has slowed the transition process considerably. Chet has agreed to get together with Scott to go over all the information we have in an attempt to get everything sorted out as best possible. Scott expects to have an announcement within the next couple of weeks. We thank everyone for their patience. Although it's unlikely Scott will be able to fill Troy's shoes fully, he'll do his best to get as close as possible.
11/21/2006 - R/C Unlimiteds - Moving Ahead Without Troy
This past week has been difficult for all of us following our loss of Troy McIntire. But none more difficult than that of Troy's close friends and family who spent the past week dealing with funeral arrangements and going through Troy’s belongings and cleaning the house where he lived. At the service on Saturday, many of these friends spoke about their friend with touching comments and humorous stories. I guess the saying is accurate that the true measure of a person can be judged by the quality of the people who cared for him. And the turnout for Troy’s service demonstrated how much he meant to a lot of fine people.
Troy's loss will be felt by R/C Unlimiteds for a long time. He has been such an integral part of the club since the mid eighties, that it will take some time for the club to feel "normal" again. As for me, Troy was one of the very first guys in the club I met and hooked up with when I started in 1986. I quickly discovered Troy to be very passionate and extremely knowledgeable about hydro racing. He was also very intelligent and quite a craftsman when it came to building and fixing R/C boats. We were the "odd couple" to say the least, me the jazz musician and the Big Guy, as we teamed up for a few years on the R/CU race circuit. He always got a big kick out of my LA-ish musician vocabulary and never failed to give me a bad time about it. We later served on the board together for many years. Troy did a lot of good for the club from his usual position of Registrar, a position he held on and off since the early '90's. Sure he lost a few checks from members and ticked us all off on occasion, but the good he did far outweighed the few oversights on his part. He relentlessly demanded the best from everyone when it came to "scale", that is, building models as accurate as possible to the real thing. And he could back up his insistence by producing, some of the clubs best looking boats over the years. And although he and I sometimes disagreed on some club issues, his voting record as a board member was very consistent and overall was in the best interest of the club. He always looked out for the little guy, members who either raced on a tight budget or had less experience. Troy's vision of R/CU was to be a as fair as possible to every member, from the top-ten hard-core racers to the part-time hobbyist.
So as we head into a new season, it will be strange because most of us don't know R/CU without a Troy McIntire. Several people have offered wonderful ideas on ways the club can honor Troy, from naming the Kennewick Lagoon after him to a yearly perpetual "best of scale" trophy. Whatever we do, Troy’s memory will be alive and well in this club for a long long time.
The new 2007 Contest board will hold it's first meeting on Saturday December 9th at noon at the Palace Restaurant in Ellensburg. Everyone is invited. One of the main topics will be picking up where Troy left off with the club's management of registrations. Scott Meyers is probably a bit overwhelmed assuming the position of Registrar. He agreed to take on the job with the assumption that he would have some assistance from Troy. So let's all help Scott get things up and running by getting your yearly and tri-annual fees in on time. It’s great to have Scott on the board and I'm sure he’ll be a great asset. The new board did get a few things kicked off for next year at the meeting prior to the banquet. I was stuck in traffic and a big-time down-pour and was not able to get out of town in time to make it to the banquet. I heard lots of compliments about the great job Brian and Chet did on the event. And congratulations to all the top ten and special award winners. And way to go on the "one-two" Brandt's. Dave, I know you think you had an "off" year, but your "off" for the rest of us would be a dream season.
The new board shuffled the deck on jobs for next year. Marc Connelly, who did a superb chairmanish job moves over to the Secretary position. The "Czar" stays on the mission figuring out our race schedule as Race Coordinator. Lee Robertson stays on as the Inspector and Chet keeps the secret combination to the clubs finances as the Treasurer. And welcome back to Mr. Gatjens as he signs on for another tour on duty on the board, this time as the Statistician. And since I didn't show up at the meeting the guys tossed me the Chairman's gig. So here we go off into another season of great R/CU racing. It will be a little different, but Troy would want us all to make the most of it, so see you all at the starting line.
-Don Mock
11/19/2006 - Awards Banquet added to site
The 2006 Awards Banquet has been added to the site. Simply go to the 2006 Driver Standings page to see all the details, or go
here.
11/14/2006 - Boat added to For Sale page
Two 1972 Vans PX hulls have been added to the for sale page.
11/6/2006 - Troy's Funeral
Troy's funeral will be held at 3:00 PM on Saturday Novermber 11, 2006. It will be a full gravesite funeral with no open casket. It will be at Muellers Funeral Home in Kennewick. The address is 1401 S. Union located at Desert Lawn Memorial Park. There will be an open casket viewing at the same address on Friday from 5:00PM to 8:00PM. Any other information you can call the funeral home at 509-783-9532
Anyone that would like to donate to help in the cost of the funeral can as per the family. Make the check out to R/CU and send to Chet Lepinski at 172 Tamarisk Lane, Richland, WA 99352 He will make sure that it gets to the family.
11/5/2006 - Sad News
Troy McIntire has just passed away. His heart stopped at the hospital and they were unable to revive him.
This is truly a sad day for R/C Unlimiteds, model boaters around the country and friends and family. Troy McIntire died today from complications that came up following the surgery on his achilles tendon this past Thursday. Troy had been one of the clubs most loyal and outspoken members for nearly 25 years. His passion and knowledge of unlimited hydroplane racing was unsurpassed Troy was also a leading builder of 1/8th scale boats and accessories for racers throughout the US and Canada. Chet and Brian Lepinski and several of Troy's close friends and family were with him this morning when he passed away. There will certainly be a service or memorial for Troy in Kennewick in the next week or so. Information will be posted. -Don Mock
Troy's Memorial page
11/5/2006 - Troy back in Hospital
Troy is in the hospital fighting for his life. He has a blood clot in his lungs and is not breathing. They have a breathing tube in his lungs. His heart has stopped and the doctors are having to shoot adrenaline into it to keep it going. The heart is stopping each time the adrenaline runs out of the heart.
Please keep him in your prayers.
11/2/2006 - EZ-UP added to For Sale page
A like-new EZ-UP has been added to the For Sale page.
11/2/2006 - Troy out of commission
 Troy was operated today at Kennewick General Hospital. He will be in this cast for at least two week and then put in a smaller one. Looks like he will be able to come home tomorrow. He will not be able to do anything out in the shop till about Feb 1.
|
10/31/2006 - Scale boat added to For Sale page
A Fritz scale 1994 Miss Budweiser has been added to the For Sale page.
10/31/2006 - Contest Board selected
The ballots have been counted, and club members have selected three members for next year's Contest Board. Scott Myers, Harry Gatjens and Lee Robertson were elected to two-year terms on the board. They'll join Marc Connelly, Chet Lepinski, Don Mock and Roger Newton to guide the club through the next season.
Existing and new board members will get together for a transition meeting before the annual awards banquet Saturday afternoon at the Richland Shilo Inn. The meeting will be held in the Shilo's conference room, located near the hotel lobby, beginning at 4:30. All members are invited to attend.
10/23/2006 - Canopy for sale
A clear canopy has been added to the for sale page.
10/9/2006 - Awards Banquet
It's time to sign up for the Awards Banquet. Download the
2006 Awards Banquet form to sign up for your spot today!
10/9/2006 - Northwest Scale Hydroplane Championship photos
Looking for pictures of the third annual
NW Scale Hydroplane Championship Race? If you are interested in purchasing any of the pictures seen on that site, contact the webmaster
Eric Bourlet was kind enough to offer some of the pictures that he took also. Low-Res versions of his photo's can be seen
here
10/9/2006 - Gold Cup & Norm Evans Memorial photos
We thank Lake Chelan Online News for offering us a video photo tour of our Gold Cup and Norm Evans Memorial. See their video photo tour
here
10/7/2006 - Vote for your 2007 Board Members
The ballot for election of new Contest Board members is now available in the members' section of the web site. Those members who were not at the Gold Cup -- or who were there but didn't vote -- can download the ballot. They should be returned to R/CU Secretary Mick Shutt by October 15. Voting instructions are included on the ballot.
10/7/2006 - Gold Cup and Norm Evans Results
The Gold Cup and Norm Evans Memorial results are in. See the Race Schedule and Driver Standings for the latest details.
10/7/2006 - Troy out of commission
Troy tore an achilles tendon at the race last weekend and won't be able to work for at least a month. He has to keep his foot elevated for at least a month. Troy wants everyone to be patient and he will get back to work as soon as possible.
10/4/2006 - Northwest Scale Hydroplane Championship
Well its time to go racing. It looks like the weather will be cooperating with high temperatures in the low sixties and dry. With some very enthusiastic racers coming from as far as Miami and San Diego we should have some incredible racing at the NW Scale Hydroplane Championship Race. Saturday we will start testing at 9:30 or earlier if possible with heat 1A at 11:30. We will be registering the racers just prior to heat 1A so don't think that it's too late. We will also be very forgiving as to the appearance of the boats as we know that this is the end of a long season, although they do need to meet safety requirements. The Saturday night swap meet will be at Alphy's Pizza in Smokey Point starting at around 5pm. We have a room reserved where we can eat, drink, tell lies and swap parts. All are welcome!!!!!!! Don't miss the opportunity to race against some of the top 1/8 scale racers in the Pacific Northwest. This weekend will be the last race of the season for us in the Northwest. The third annual
NW Scale Hydroplane Championship Race is scheduled for October 7th and 8th
just outside Seattle, WA. This 2-day race has been a huge success in the past. So replace those tired bearings, charge those batteries, check out the fuel system and "Go race for all the Marbles"
All the details are on the Race website at
http://stubbersmedia.com/nwshc/ or e-mail
or for information. We welcome all racers to come and race for "All the Marbles".
10/3/2006 - Congratulations Gold Cup and Norm Evans Memorial winners!
Congratulations to Dave Brandt for winning RCU's most prestigious race, the Gold Cup. Congratulations also to Dave's father, Bill Brandt for winning the Norm Evans Memorial race. Full race details will be posted once they are all received.
10/3/2006 - Lake Chelan Online covers Gold Cup & Norm Evans Memorial
The Lake Chelan Online News wrote an article on RCU's Gold Cup and Norm Evans Memorial that was held this past weekend at Lake Chelan. See their article
here.
10/2/2006 - A heartfelt note of thanks to all R/CU racers
Our wakes have all died down on
Lake Chelan. The staff of the Apple Inn and other assorted venues have all cleaned our rooms, probably wondering why they all smell of Corrosion X. The Gold Cup is over and, hopefully, all R/CU racers have returned home, safe and sound.
As I left Chelan, I had a very good feeling about the 2006 racing season. The Gold Cup seemed to be a microcosm of what is right with our club- and what we need to work on over the long, race less winter.
What we need to work on- and what we will probably always need to work on- is officiating. We all need to become scholars of the rule book to make every effort to make the officiating as clean and even handed as possible. We may never get to perfection, but nonetheless, this is a topic that the Contest Board will be chewing on at the next meeting- and on into the future. Officiating is the key to giving everyone the feeling of fair play, which is the key to enjoyable competition. So we will continue to hammer away at it, trying our best to implement programs to help with officiating. Stay tuned.
What was good and right far overshadowed our lingering officiating challenge, however. I watched the club embrace Roger’s race format change and felt heartened to see each racer do their level best to make it all work. That was pretty great. I witnessed the club make the effort to change the schedule to accommodate a special request by the Brandt’s, which certainly made my day. I heard about Jeff Griffin donning a snorkel and mask to dive 20 feet to retrieve Scott Meyers Miss Exide cowling which had become a condo for small mouth bass, somewhere near turn four. That was flat heroic. I witnessed Jack Carson withdrawing from the race to take Troy McIntire to the hospital when he ruptured his Achilles tendon climbing the scaffolding stairs. Now we have arrived in Sister Teresa country! And, finally, I watched Don Mock pull into the infield after encroaching on the Pringles and blowing him over. Don did not wait for the call and simply DQed himself. Adding to that outstanding move, Dave Brandt showed us his true character when came over and shook Dons hand, thanking him for the classy gesture. There were several other gestures of friendship that were offered, on and off the race course, which I am not at liberty to discuss here. But I know about them and each is deeply and personally affirming to me.
Balancing the scales between the good and the not so good just isn’t going to happen this year. The good outweighs the bad by about 100 to 1. Sure, we have some work to do. But with this group of club members, I am positive that we can get there if we keep working at it. We certainly enjoyed a bunch of great racing, fun, and friendship over this successful racing season. And next year, we will have some promising new racers to share it all with. What could warm a long winter any better?
I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone- in and outside of R/CU- who made this a great year of racing for all of us. As outgoing Contest Board Chairman I have enjoyed the unique pleasure of seeing this club from a completely different perspective this year and it shaped me as a person. Nothing could possible warm my long winter any better.
Thanks, friends- I will be thinking of you as I build my new boat for next year!
Marc Connelly
2006 R/CU Contest Board Chairman
9/29/2006 - New Boat Bio
The 1970 Miss Budweiser II boat bio has been added to Our Boats.
9/25/2006 - Master Hull Update
The Master Hull Roster has been updated with the latest hulls from the 2006 ABRA racing season. See the Information page to download the latest Master Hull Roster.
9/22/2006 - Roger and David's trip to Bill Muncey Memorial in San Diego
David and I just returned from San Diego. It was a very good trip to say the least. It started on Friday. After helping the U2.25 test in the morning David and I went across the street to test his Mr Pringles and my U5 Formula boat. Which by the way is Davids old U6 Budweiser. Got a needle on both boats after a couple of runs. On Saturday morning they started out with the scale judging. This year the had all of the drivers do the judging. I took first place with the U5. And I had only put the decals on the night before. I was sweating getting them but they showed up at the hotel the night before. I was able to get enough points to get in the final by having good draws. My boat had a few problems till the final. David had to race at least 3 out of the four heats he was in. For the most part he owned the start and lane one. There were a couple of boats that were quicker but they wound up having problems. Six boats made the final and David had another good start and never looked back. I was chasing him for awhile but spun the boat in the right turn and wound up in fourth place. Overall Al Waters put on a very good race. We brought home some of the best trophies I have ever won. Plus in the raffle I won a new radio. Not a bad trip.
CZAR
9/20/2006 - Electric Hydroplane Championship Coming to Woodland
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nelson Holmberg (360) 521-1590
September 20, 2006 or n.holmberg@comcast.net
Electric Hydroplane Championship Coming to Woodland
A national champion will be crowned this October at Horseshoe Lake Park
WOODLAND, Wash. - A national championship event is on its way to Woodland, Wash.
Electric Radio Controlled Unlimiteds' (ERCU) Columbia Division is hosting the ABPA National Championship for R/C model hydroplanes in conjunction with it's first-ever Cascade Cup trophy race.
The Cascade Cup/APBA National Championship, presented by the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum and North Fork IT Services, is scheduled for October 14 at Horseshoe Lake Park, along the north end of Woodland's signature park. A more detailed schedule of the event will be distributed as race day draws nearer.
"This is so exciting," said the race's contest director Nelson Holmberg, of Portland, Ore. "The fact that we're bringing the ability for fast electric scale hydroplane racers from all over the nation to come to the beautiful city of Woodland and see ERCU, is absolutely fantastic."
The boats that will be racing are 1/10 scale duplicates of real unlimited hydroplanes that have raced between the 1940s and today, meaning they are scale models, 1/10th of the size of the real boats (real unlimited hydroplanes are, in general, 30 feet long and 15 feet wide), and they look exactly as the real boats did when they raced.
Boats will be required to adhere to ERCU rules in order to participate in the race, which will consist of four flights of preliminary heats for both modern and vintage classes, consolation finals for each class, and winner-take-all championship finals for both classes. The boat with the most points in each division at the end of the event will be crowned national champion.
The Cascade Cup race has a unique format of its own. This year's winner of the vintage class will get to select whether the race will be held in Seattle or in Portland the following season. The intent is to build the rivalry between the two cities, similar to the unlimited hydroplane rivalry that Seattle and Detroit have reveled in since the early 1950s.
October 14 will be the first time the Cascade Cup is run, and the first time ERCU will have hosted a national championship event.
Sponsors of the event, to date, include the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum, North Fork IT Services, Rose City Model Yacht Club, Merrick Lentz Architect, Meyers' Auto Tech, Ted's Hobbies Unlimited, Newton Marine, Jim Bakke, Jeff Campbell, John & Dianne Earnest, and Bob VandenAkker & Judy Fenton.
ERCU is a club made up of 1/10-scale radio controlled fast electric hydroplane enthusiasts mostly from the Puget Sound area of Washington State. The club races two classes of hydroplanes: Vintage - round bow hydroplane replicas from the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s, and Modern - pickle fork designed boats from the early 1970s until the present. The club is also directly affiliated with the 1/8 scale nitro club R/C Unlimiteds.
9/17/2006 - Champion Spark Plug Regatta results
The Champion Spark Plug Regatta results are in. See the Race Schedule for race details. See the Driver Standings for the up-to-date points race with the latest points earned from the Champion Spark Plug Regatta.
9/13/2006 - Boat Bio update
The 1988 Holset Miss Madison boat bio has been updated.
9/13/2006 - Scale Boat added to For Sale page
The 1979 Squire Shop 1/8th scale hydroplane has been added to the For Sale page. Check it out.
9/12/2006 - Spark Plug Regatta testing times
The Spark Plug Regatta testing times and race format have been added to the schedule. See the Race Schedule for details. As a reminder, this will be a Sunday ONLY race. This means testing on Sunday before the race only. There will be NO testing or events on Saturday.
9/11/2006 - Willamette Cup
The Willamette Cup has been completed. See the Race Schedule for details of the race and the Driver Standings for the latest points update including results from this race.
9/8/2006 - Awards Banquet
As we near the end of the Race Season, it's time to start preparing for the Awards Banquet. Download the
2006 Awards Banquet form to sign up for your spot today!
9/7/2006 - Gold Cup update
For those in the club that are interested, some of the wives in RCU have graciously volunteered to host a luncheon on Sunday. Cost will be $2.00 per person and will include sandwiches, salads, beans, chips and drinks. Sign ups will be on Saturday. Chet 'the jet' has agreed to host free coffee and donuts Saturday and Sunday mornings.
9/1/2006 - Gold Cup Saturday Schedule
Your contest board has been hard at work, refining the Gold Cup schedule. The Saturday schedule has been set and is listed below. In addition to plenty of testing, qualifying and racing, we are working out the details of some other fun activities, so stay tuned to this R/CU website for more details!
Friday Sept. 29
12:00 to 1:00 Testing
1:00-1:30- First round of qualifying
1:30-3:00- Testing
3:00-3:30- Second round of qualifying
3:30-5:00- Testing
5:00-5:30- Third round of qualifying
5:30-6:00- Testing
Saturday Sept. 30
8:00-9:00 Open water
9:00-9:45 Qualifying
9:45-10:30 Open water
10:30-11:00 Qualifying
11:00- 12:15 Open water
12:15- 12:30 Qualifying [if needed]
12:30- Drivers meeting
12:45- Opening ceremonies
12:55- First Heat Gold Cup
Two Heats- 3 laps
Sunday October 1
9:00-10:00 Testing
Racing 10:15- Four heats 5 laps- Connies and Finals to follow
ERCU to run their Heats between sections of the GC/NEM
8/31/2006 - 3 boats added to For Sale page
Three boats have been added to the For Sale page. Great Prices, check them out!
8/30/2006 - San Diego History Notes
Compiled by Fred Farley - ABRA Unlimited Historian
*****
The San Diego race course has been kind to National High Point Championship teams. Of the 39 race winners since 1964, 20 of these won National Championship honors in the same year:
1965 - MISS BARDAHL
1967 - MISS BARDAHL
1969 - MISS BUDWEISER
1970 - MISS BUDWEISER
1974 - PAY 'n PAK
1975 - PAY 'n PAK
1977 - MISS BUDWEISER
1978 - ATLAS VAN LINES
1981 - MISS BUDWEISER
1982 - ATLAS VAN LINES
1983 - ATLAS VAN LINES
1984 - MISS BUDWEISER
1989 - MISS BUDWEISER
1990 - MISS CIRCUS CIRCUS
1991 - MISS BUDWEISER
1998 - MISS BUDWEISER
1999 - MISS BUDWEISER
2000 - MISS BUDWEISER
2004 - MISS BUDWEISER
2005 - MISS E-LAM PLUS
*****
With 1700 National Points up for grabs at the 2006 Bill Muncey Cup in San Diego, six teams have a mathematical chance of winning the National Championship this year on Mission Bay: U-6, U-7, U-1, U-3, U-37, and U-5.Never before have six teams been so close in National High Points with one race remaining on the Unlimited calendar.
*****
MISS BARDAHL, the 1965 San Diego champion, set long-standing speed records for a 3-mile course with Ron Musson driving.This was the first time that a boat did a competition lap of 117 miles per hour, a 15-mile heat of 116 MPH, and a 45-mile race of 115 MPH.
*****
The world lap record for an Unlimited hydroplane on a closed course is 173.384 miles per hour, set Dave Villwock in MISS BUDWEISER during qualification on a 2.5-mile course in 1999 on San Diego's Mission Bay.
*****
All of the San Diego winners between 1964 and 1977 were of the old-style rear-cockpit/forward engine hull design.The first "cabover" or forward-cockpit winner in San Diego was Bill Muncey's ATLAS VAN LINES "Blue Blaster" in 1978.Since 1978, all of the San Diego winners have steered from the front.
*****
The first boat to seat its driver (Jim Kropfeld) "indoors" with an enclosed safety canopy was the 1985 San Diego champion MISS BUDWEISER, the so-called "Bubble-BUD." Crew Chief Jeff Neff had installed a vacuum-drawn bubble made of plexiglass.The boat's designer, Ron Jones, Sr., did not endorse the plexiglass bubble because of concerns that plexiglass can be very brittle. The following year, Jones installed an F-16 fighter plane canopy on another MISS BUDWEISER.The Unlimited Racing Commission (URC) was quick to recognize the life-saving value of the F-16 canopy.Beginning in 1987, all new boats in the Unlimited Class had to be so equipped; the older boats were given until 1989 to make the change-over.
*****
The 1986 San Diego champion MISS BAHIA, owned by Bob Patterson and driven by Ron Armstrong, was the oldest boat ever to win an Unlimited race.Designed by Chuck Hickling and built by Patterson, the craft first entered competition in 1967 as PARCO'S O-RING MISS, originally owned by Laird Pierce. It finished second at San Diego in 1967 with Fred Alter in the cockpit.MISS BAHIA is the only Unlimited hydroplane to win a race 19 years after its competition debut.
*****
The first turbine-powered San Diego winner was Fran Muncey's MILLER AMERICAN, driven by Chip Hanauer, in 1987.Since 1987, only two San Diego winners have used a reciprocating engine for power: OH BOY! OBERTO (Rolls-Royce Merlin) in 1988 and LLUMAR WINDOW FILM (turbocharged Allison) in 2003.
*****
One of the most unusual Unlimited hydroplanes of all time showed up at San Diego in 1987. This was the ARCADIAN, owned and driven by Fred Hauenstein and designed by Marcelle Belleville.ARCADIAN featured one short sponson and one long one. It was powered by eight Mercury V-6 outboard powerheads, mounted inboard, rated at approximately 300 horsepower each, connected to one propeller shaft. The boat must have been an engineering nightmare.The orange-painted craft was reportedly clocked at over 150 miles per hour on the straightaway in testing but none of that was apparent in any of its appearances on the Unlimited circuit.ARCADIAN posted a test lap of 110.024 at San Diego in 1987 but never started in a heat of competition.
*****
Tommy "Tucker" Fults was a spectator at San Diego in 1967.In 1968, he won the race and was Unlimited Rookie of the Year as driver of Jim Ranger's MY GYPSY."Tucker" appeared on the threshold of a long and successful Unlimited career but was fatally injured in a testing accident on Mission Bay in 1970 while driving PAY 'n PAK'S 'LIL BUZZARD.
*****
MISS BEACON PLUMBING (U-37) owner Billy Schumacher is a two-time winning driver at San Diego. His first win was in 1967 with MISS BARDAHL (U-40). After winning the 1976 race with OLYMPIA BEER (U-74), Billy announced his retirement from competition.
*****
The 1969 San Diego race, which featured the APBA Gold Cup, had a curious postscript. When the ABC-TV WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS broadcast of the race aired a few weeks later, the winner MISS BUDWEISER and driver Bill Sterett, Sr., were clearly photographed inside the buoy line and missing at least one buoy. This had happened during Heat 1-A and gone undetected at the time by the judges.After the broadcast, APBA President Les Brown was inundated with telephone calls from irate viewers demanding that MISS BUDWEISER be disqualified but by then the results had already been declared official and couldn't be changed.
*****
The most exciting finish of a San Diego Unlimited hydroplane race is arguably the 1989 classic, which offered as its the top prize the sport's Crown Jewel, the APBA Gold Cup.With five down and one lap remaining in the winner-take-all Final Heat, MISS BUDWEISER driver Tom D'Eath had a clear lead over second-place George Woods and OH BOY! OBERTO. But Woods was making a bid. BUDWEISER's speed for lap-five was only 115 miles per hour, compared to 118 for OBERTO.Both drivers realized they were dangerously low on fuel. In the first turn of lap-six, Woods went by the faltering D'Eath.MISS BUDWEISER picked up the pace and charged down the backstretch, narrowing the gap. Both boats entered the second turn virtually dead even.It was a drag race, with the Gold Cup at stake, to the finish line with BUDWEISER taking it by 2.14 seconds over OBERTO, 124.953 miles per hour to 123.983.The 1989 race certainly reaffirmed that old saying, "It isn't over 'til it's over."
*****
Driver Dave Villwock scored his first-ever victory as an Unlimited driver at San Diego in 1992 at the wheel of COORS DRY, owned by Ron Jones, Jr. This was also the first Unlimited race that Villwock ever drove.
Very few drivers have ever won their very first Unlimited race. Prior to Villwock, the most recent rookie to accomplish this feat was Howie Benns, who won at Miami, Florida, in 1974 with Bernie Little's MISS BUDWEISER. Gene Whipp did likewise in 1973 at Washington, D.C., with Bob Fendler's LINCOLN THRIFT'S 7-1/4% SPECIAL. So did Jack Regas in 1954 at Tahoe City, California, with Henry Kaiser's SCOOTER.
Villwock now has 51 Unlimited wins. On the all-time victory list, Dave trails only the late Bill Muncey (who has 62) and the retired Chip Hanauer (who has 61).
*****
Mike Hanson's victory at San Diego in 1993 with KELLOGG'S FROSTED FLAKES (alias MISS MADISON) was indeed an unusual one. Mike had to start from the "trailer-boat" position, outside and well behind the other boats in the Final Heat.
The trailer-boat spot is the worst position on the race course and is reserved for the boat accumulating the fewest points in the preliminary heats. Never in the history of Unlimited racing had any boat ever won from the trailer-boat position, but that's exactly what happened at San Diego in 1993.
Hanson worked his way up through the field, through the battering wakes of the other boats. Mike passed one entry and then another...and another...and another. After five laps, KELLOGG'S FROSTED FLAKES was in the lead, taking the checkered flag.
"I felt we had no chance to win," proclaimed a jubilant Hanson, "but I proved myself wrong."
8/29/2006 - Master Hull Roster update
The Master Hull Roster has been updated with the latest hydroplanes from the 2006 season. See the Information page to download the latest Master Hull Roster.
8/28/2006 - Sept 2006 Boat Draw
If you are interested in a boat up for draw, just print and fill out the
Boat Registration form, toss in an envelope with a check for the registration fees, and mail to Troy McIntire, the club's Registrar. If you know of someone interested in a boat, who does not have on-line access, please have them contact Troy (
roostertail10@aol.com), to enter a drawing or register a boat.
The following boats are now up for draw:
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92102.5
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2001-'02
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U-9
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Skyway Park Bowl & Casino
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7025
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73-75
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U-12
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Budweiser
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7474
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1977
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U-13
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Anheuser-Busch Natural Light
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8255
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1983
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U-40
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Miss Houston
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5879
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58-60
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U-79
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Nitrogen
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8806
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2001
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U-6
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Oh Boy Oberto
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8408
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84-85
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U-8
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Executone
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6740
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1970
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U-2
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Miss U.S.
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9601
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2006
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U-7
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Dick Scott Automotive Group Presents Miss DYC
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9601
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2006
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U-7
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Formula Boats .Com II
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9401
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2006
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U-37
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Miss Beacon Plumbing
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0203
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2006
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U-3
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Conover Insurance / Acura of Seattle
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8901
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2006
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U-10
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Miss Emcor
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8901
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2006
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U10
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Al Deeby Dodge
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8901
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2006
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U-10
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Solutions Plus / Fairweather Masonry
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0001
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2006
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U-5
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Formula Boats.Com / DYC Presents Formula Boats.Com
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98100
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2006
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U-100
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Remax / Lil' Wil
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98100
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2006
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U-100
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Tood Hoss American Dream
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9031
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2006
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U-21
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Kenny Kent Cheverolt / Demaree Automotive Group / Lucky 21 Miss Simpatico
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9031
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2006
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U-21
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Area Codes Cellular powered by Myers Auto Tech / The Plumbing Joint
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0302
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2006
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U-2
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Michigan Mortgage / Superior Racing
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92102.5
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2006
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U-9
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Miss Car Pros
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96100
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2006
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U-99
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Lakeridge Paving
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8700
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2006
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U-13
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Acura of Bellevue
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5956
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1962
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U-57
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Gale VII
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6303
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1975
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U-22
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Sunny Jim Jam
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7474
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1978
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U-31
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Miss Circus Circus
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8303
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1991
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Ur-5
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Edge Shaving Gel
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5960
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59-60
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U-60
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Miss Thriftway
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8806
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1991
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U-6
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Valvoline Miss Madison
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8700
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1991
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U-10
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Winston Eagle
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7008
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1971
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U-8
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Miss Timex
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8419
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1984
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U-10
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Miss Tosti Asti
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8200
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1984
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U-2
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Squire Shop
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7704
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1977
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U-4
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Charlies Girl
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9299
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1993
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U-100
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American Spirit
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00100
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2005
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U-60
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Miss Thriftway
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Please send in your request for a boat up for draw POST MARKED on or before Sept 21st. The boat draw, if needed, will be held at the Gold Cup in Chelan.
Troy, our 2005-2006 Registrar, can be reached at:
Troy McIntire
R/C Unlimiteds Registrar
2718 West Imnaha
Kennewick, WA. 99336
(509) 783-8452
Use the following
Boat Registration form to register an available boat and send it to our Registrar.
All new Draws are $10 per entry and new boat registrations from the currently available boats are also $10. Thank You, The R/C Unlimiteds Contest Board
8/28/2006 - Diamond Cup Results
The Diamond Cup results are in. See the Race Schedule for the Diamond Cup race details and the Driver Standings for updated points including the Diamond Cup results.
8/27/2006 - Looking to add to your hydroplane memorabilia collection?
PRICE LISTING FOR CRIMMIN HYDROARCHIVES
Shipping is combined where possible.
#1. Unlimited catalog of ALL photos available, (THUMBNAIL SIZE - 1" x 1 1/2" each) there are 46 sections with approximately 65 images per section, approximately 2800 images total. These are from the early 50's thru the late 70's and some into the turbines. Mom's, Bob's and donated slides. I WILL NEVER MAKE ANYMORE OF THESE CATALOGS UNLIMITED OR LIMITED. Once these are gone they are gone forever. ---------------- $55.00 S/H included.
#2. Limited catalog of ALL photos available -- thumbnail size - there are 40 sections at approximately 65 images per section. These are the limiteds from the Pacific N.W. that Mom and Bob covered with some regional and nationals starting in about 1959 (a few), but mostly1963 and through about 1977, 2200 images, plus some donated from the Detroit and Tonawando from the 70's and 80's. ----------------- $55.00 S/H included.
#3. PHOTOS ---- Photos are available in two manners. The first manner being the older which buys photos from me on glossy photo paper. One 8 1/2 x 11 cost $17.50 with $5.00 S/H (Always will combine shipping for more than one) or One 8 1/2 x 11 with four 4 x 5's cost $20.00 with $5.00 S/H. The second manner is: ALL photos are now available on CD at $7.50 per photo with a four photo minimum order to be cost effective plus $5.00 S/H. All photos purchased come with a license agreement for you to make one copy. This material is copyright protected since I own the original negatives. Further copies can be discussed at a reduced pricing permit. Another option for photos is what I call the grab bag of photos I have made over the past two and a half years. I will pick a grab bag of 10 photos --- 8 1/2 x 11 for $25.00 plus $5.00 S/H. These will be a mixture of personalities, pit scenes, racing, single hydro shots, and as long as they last somne four 4 x 5's on a sheet.
#4. A special CD of any good image in the catalogs, can be cut for you to have printed at Staples with their machine and with only their Photo Impact Program for a 24" x 42" COLOR images then laminated. The cost of this CD to be sized to fit and enhanced for this size of this poster is ------------$30.00 with $5.00 S/H. All that have purchased this way usually picked a very favorite image and all have loved the results.
#5. Decorative decals can be purchased to be put on anything you want with either clear backing or white backing. The decals come with instructions on how to specially treat it after you have put it on to whatever you want. Pricing depends on the size and the amount ordered.
#6. T-Shirt transfers of any photo in the catalogs that I feel will be of good enough clarity. $10.00 each transfer plus $5.00 S/H.
#7. Mini Cards/photos in sets of 10 per set (4-sets of these special cards), and 20 per set (18 sets of these cards) These will fit into baseball card nine page holders for three ring notebooks. They are also cold laminated for durability. YOU CUT --- $10.00 a set and $5.00 S/H
#8. Audio tapes Mom made of interviews and races. a.) 1964 Detroit Gold Cup all but the first three heats. b.) 1964 Dakota Cup at Newtown N.D. entire race c.) Jack Regas telephone interview for the press kit when he was hired to drive the Notre Dame. d.) Parts of the Les Staudacher interview for Mom's article, "Man with a Mission." e.) Parts of the 17th Annual Governor's Cup at Madison Indiana. --------- $10.00 EACH tape with $5.00 S/H.
#9. A DVD-R of 8mm film Mom and my Dad took of a test run from their 26 foot Chris Craft on Lake Washington, of U-27 in 1952 about 4 sec - at a distant, and then the crew backing the U-27 into the Sayer's Boat House. Some of the 1952 Gold Cup with nice shots of the U-27 and U-37 running together, and shots of the U-27 dock side with the straight tail fin, not the step tail fin. Also on the same DVD-R is the launching of the 1959 Miss Thriftway at Ted Jones home and a couple of runs by the house by Bill Muncey, then some of the 1959 Gold Cup, with hydros like U-8, U-62, U-22, U-56, U-60, and others going by the barge, with a couple of racing scenes going by the barge. Total time is about 8 - 10 mins. ---------------$20.00 with $5.00 S/H.
#10. The entire Data Base 160 GB of material on either a NEW 250GB or a 400GB external hard drive, size of the hard drive will depend on whether or not you want to add or insert your material onto the data base and update it to your specifications, the price comes with shipping and insurance. This data base is what was mentioned in the latest e-mail so I need not go into depth unless you would like to call and I can talk you through it, because it is a larger than normal investment.
Data Base on a New 250GB external H.D., shipping and insurance ------- $1250.00
Data Base on a New 400GB external H.D., shipping and insurance ------- $1500.00
Four have already sold and each person that purchased the data base feels the price is well worth the material. Please realize that the material was all scanned a OCR text 300 dpi. So you can get an idea of how much material is in this project. Or you may purchase specific items from the Data Base for $7.50 per 100MB on a CD or DVD depending on the final size of the file.
The price includes any new updates I receive. More Harmsworth material is coming in and that will be sent to all who purchased the data base on a CD or DVD depending on the amount of material scanned for free.
If you have ANY question please call me. FOR EVERYONES information, this entire HISTORICAL HYDROPLANE business with all material (originals) plus a t-shirt transfer machine is for sale at the right price to the right person. After two and a half years of work on this project and at 62 it is time to truly retire. I accomplished what I set out to do, and that was to save ALL the Hydroplane material Mom had saved to eventually make it available to all the fans and participants. I will still be working on Mom's seven section cookbook she wrote before, during, and after her race reporting career, some recipes coming from her time on the racing scene. I will also be continuing work on Mom's biography that she had started years ago and finish it for her. 1 - 3 6 0 - 2 7 7 - 0 2 6 2 Thank You, Ned
8/24/2006 - Northwest Scale Hydroplane Championship
Don't miss the opportunity to race against some of the top 1/8 scale racers in the Pacific Northwest. The third annual
NW Scale Hydroplane Championship Race is scheduled for October 7th and 8th
just outside Seattle, WA. This 2-day race has been a huge success in the past.
All the details are on the Race website at
http://stubbersmedia.com/nwshc/ or e-mail
or for information. We welcome all racers to come and race for "All the Marbles"..
8/21/2006 - Report from Mike Walcker on the Rock Island Race Site
I am pleased to pass on a report on the preparation of the Rock Island race site for this weekend. It seems like everything is coming along nicely:
"...The Rock Island race is looking good. Central Washington Concrete, who is leasing the big pond from the city of Rock Island, hauled in a dump truck load of 5/8 minus crushed rock and smoothed out the drivers stand area and launch areas. The city is bringing down 2 port-a-potties and it should be a great weekend." reports Walcker.
As I understand things, we will be racing on the big pond, which used to be the standard Wenatchee race site. For this racer, the 'Little Pond' is all that I know. With the upgrades in launch and drivers stand areas; we ought to have a great view of the course. With two new race sites in two races, it's all new in R/CU! Come race with us this weekend!
Marc Connelly
8/19/2006 - Do you have a Scale Model for Doug Ford?
Hi, I am Doug Ford. I do a lot of aerodynamic and hydrodynamic work for the Unlimited Teams, including wind tunnel testing, etc. I have done this for many, many years. More recently, I have been asked by several engineering organizations such as the Engineering Society of Detroit and the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum to give talks on the aerodynamics and hydrodynamics of unlimited hydroplanes. For the one I did at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum in Seattle, I borrowed one of the Budweiser wind tunnel models I used for my work with Budweiser to use as a prop in my talk. It was very helpful, but is no longer available to me.
I am interested in acquiring a bare hull that I can use as a prop for my future talks. This hull should look like a modern unlimited hydroplane, either a Budweiser, Elam, Beacon Blumbing, etc, look hull. It should be cosmetically nice, have a tailpipe, canard, cowling, etc. But, I don't need special paint or decals, and don't need any running hardware, engine, prop, rudder, R/C gear, etc., just a bare hollow hull. In fact, it should be a solid color with no decals so not to look like any particular team. I just don't have time to build it.
Is anyone in the R/C Unlimiteds group interested in building me a bare hull for presentation purposes? If so, what would be the cost?
Thanks all, and you guys really do have a great sport. Keep it up.
Thanks,
Douglas A. Ford
(303) 526-7378
(303) 918-0596 Cell
8/15/2006 - Gold Cup plans for 2006
As you may or may not have heard by now RCU will be returning to qualifying for the Gold Cup. It should add another element of excitement to an already exciting event. What a way to end the season. There has been some exciting racing all season long and it will only get better. Every heat could be like a final heat. You couldn’t ask for anything better with good racing, great friends, a picturesque location and three days of great weather!! Also, on Sunday the RCU wives will be catering a lunch for everyone.
So, everyone should plan on attending this year’s event.
Here is a breakdown of the qualifying rules. Don’t forget that if you don’t make it into the GC the Norm Evans Memorial will count as a major race. The schedule has been laid out so the program can run as smoothly as possible. Check it out on the RCU Gold Cup Race Schedule.
1- The Gold Cup will be limited to the top 20 qualifiers.
2- The top 5 boats in season high points at the time of the GC will not have to qualify although they may try for a qualifying time.
3- To qualify for the GC you must have run in a previous race in the 2006 season.
4- First you must notify the referee of your intention to qualify and be put on a list. You must be ready to run when your name is called. If you are not ready to run you will be given a pass and your name will be placed at the bottom of the list.
5- Qualifying consists of three consecutive error free timed laps.
6-Once you cross the start line it counts as an official start.
7- You will be given 3 attempts to post a qualifying time.
8- Once you have a qualifying time you may not make another attempt unless you are bumped off of the qualifying ladder and still want to get into the GC.
9- Only 1 boat per driver will be allowed in the GC. No limit in the NEM.
10- All boats in the GC will be on separate frequencies.
11- Points earned in the NEM will count towards season high points.
12- Boats that didn’t qualify for the GC will be entered in the NEM.
8/14/2006 - Newspaper article on our Silver Cup
The Daily Sun News wrote an article covering our Silver Cup this past Sunday.
>>More
8/14/2006 - Silver Cup Results
Congratulations to Dave Brandt for his win at the Silver Cup with his '95 PICO American Dream. Details of the race can be found on the Race Schedule page. Driver Standings have been updated with the latest points from the Silver Cup.
8/10/2006 - 2006 Big Boat Season Championship has Hot Competition
The 2006 ABRA race season competition is white hot. With 3 different winners this season and only 727 points separating the top 5 race teams leading into the last race of the season, it's anyone's game! The Thunderboat Regatta in San Diego will be held Sept 15-17. An anticipated 13 hydroplanes are expected at this final race to determine the 2006 season champion. Who will have rights to display the coveted U-1 banner next year? The top 5 teams with a shot at the Season Championship are:
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Race Team: |
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Points:
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U-6 |
Oh Boy! Oberto |
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6566
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U-7 |
Formulaboats.com II |
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6288
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U-1 |
Ellstrom Racing |
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6065
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U-3 |
Cooper Racing |
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5941
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U-37 |
Schumacher Racing |
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5839
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Will the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto wear the U-1 badge next year? They are leading in points going into the final race, and this is a considerable accomplishment if you consider that they have the oldest hull in the fleet at 18 years old!
8/7/2006 - Short ownership for Schumacher?
Congratulations to Jean Theoret and the Miss Beacon Plumbing team for their win at the Chevrolet Cup at Seafair in Seattle this weekend. Owner, Billy Schumacher told a newspaper reporter this week that he and wife Jane might remain as owners of the U-37 Miss Beacon Plumbing unlimited for only three to five years.
>>More
8/1/2006 - Atomic Cup Results
Congratulations to Dave Blacksten for his win at the Atomic Cup with his '98 Llumar Window Film. Details of the race can be found on the Race Schedule page. Driver Standings have been updated with the latest points from the Atomic Cup.
7/30/2006 - Big Boat News:
Congratulations to Dave Villwock and the Elam team for their win at the Atomic Cup in tri-cites this weekend. After flipping the Miss Elam in heat 2A, Dave Villwock came back for the win in the final.
J. Michael Kelly in the U-13 Acura of Bellevue presented by Spirit of Detroit also flipped his hydroplane in heat 3B. The U-13 flipped and flew over the U-6 Oh boy! Oberto in turn two of lap 1. J. Michael Kelly was brought to the hospital and has been reported to be doing fine.
Below are some video links of the flip.
3 video links to the U-13 Acura of Bellevue presented by Spirit of Detroit flip over the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto.
7/19/2006 - U-21 on display in Tri-Cities
The U-21 Area Codes Cellular, powered by
Meyers’ Auto Tech and driven by Kevin Aylesworth will be on display at
Meyers’ Auto Tech Inc., located at 1120 N. Grant Place in Kennewick on Wednesday 7/26 from 3 – 7 pm. During the display they will have a live radio remote broadcast and lots of giveaways and drawings (frisbees, t-shirts, race tickets, etc). The
Miss Exide R/C Unlimited, winner of the 2006 Bernie Little Memorial race will also be on display. We would like to display one or two more r/c boats as well, so if anyone would like to be involved they can contact Scott anytime at 509-727-2727 to let him know.
7/11/2006 - Annual Atomic Cup Barbeque
The Brandt's will be hosting the annual Atomic Cup barbeque at their house. The event will start around 6:30pm Saturday after our race that day. It would be helpful if folks can bring a lawn chair that would be nice. However, they should have plenty.
Bill will not be at the testing session on Friday because of business conflicts. David will be there and Bill is asking all who would like to attend to please let David know so they can get a head count so preparations can be adequate. All racers, sponsors, big boat teams, family and friends are invited. The pool should be inviting so if folks have swim suits, bring em!
7/10/2006 - Bernie Little Memorial picture update
The pictures on the Bernie Little Memorial page have been updated.
7/10/2006 - Bernie Little Memorial Results
Congratulations to Scott Meyers on his first RCU win! Race results are on the Race Schedule page and the Driver Standings have been updated with the latest points information.
7/9/2006 - Nate Brown and Dave Villwock lose their seats
U-10 Miss EMCOR team decided to make a driver change. Effective immediately, veteran hydroplane driver Nate Brown will no longer be driving for USA Racing Partners. After failing to start in the Evansville final and then hitting a submerged log at over 196 mph in Madison last weekend, team owner Kim Gregory thought it was the right time for a change. Taking over the driver duties for the Miss EMCOR will be fan favored J.W. Meyers
U-1 Miss Elam team has also made a drivers change. Dave Villwock is out, and Nate Brown is now in for the Season Points leader. Nate will be driving the Ellstrom’s backup hull as their primary hull has sustained significant damage that is unlikely to be repaired by the Gold Cup, next weekend. The Ellstrom’s reported that Villwock needed a rest after the incident in Valleyfield this weekend, but will be back to drive their primary hull for the Tri-Cities Atomic Cup in 3 weeks.
7/8/2006 - Elam hits the rocks in Valleyfield
The Miss Elam hit the rocky shoreline during testing on Friday at the Valleyfield course. Driver Dave Villwock is ok. the accident occurred at the tightest turn on the course. Apparently the Miss Elam lost its skidfin and drive Dave Villwock had to take immediate action to avoid hitting a patrol boat along the course. The boat then ended up on the rocks causing severe damage to the left sponson and damage to the bottom of the hull, chipping the prop and bending the rudder bracket. Dave Villwock immediately got out of the cockpit and walked onto the rescue boat. It has been reported that the primary Elam hull is so damaged that they will be using their backup hull for the Gold Cup in Detroit next weekend.
7/6/2006 - Bernie Little Memorial schedule
The Bernie Little Memorial testing times and race schedule has been added to the Race Schedule. Check it out.
7/5/2006 - Madison Relief Fund
As most of you know there was a terrible mishap in Madison last week. As a group we can help. Brian Lepinski has generously offered to collect donations to cover the medical cost of those injured at the Madison race. As a group we can make a difference. Last year we donated $400 to the Katrina fund. Let’s do more this time. Brian will be taking donations from now until the Atomic Cup - July 28-29. Then Brian will hand a check to ABRA to give to the Madison Regatta so the money can get to the people that need the help.
Many thanks to Brian Lepinski for donating his time and effort for this cause!
You can contact Brian at the races, or via
to help out.
7/4/2006 - Big Boat points after Madison Regatta race
Designated winner, Dave Villwock and the Elam team add another notch in the Win column. Below are the up-to-date points race for the 2006 ABRA Racing Season
|
2006 National High Point Team Standings |
|
Number |
|
|
Team |
|
Evansville
|
|
Madison
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-1 |
|
|
Elam Plus |
|
1700
|
|
800
|
|
2500
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-3 |
|
|
Master Tire |
|
1560
|
|
300
|
|
1860
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-5 |
|
|
Formulaboats.com |
|
1055
|
|
625
|
|
1680
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-7 |
|
|
Formulaboats.com II |
|
949
|
|
700
|
|
1649
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-37 |
|
|
Schumacher Racing |
|
688
|
|
450
|
|
1138
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-6 |
|
|
Oh Boy! Oberto |
|
797
|
|
300
|
|
1097
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-2.25 |
|
|
Superior Racing |
|
382
|
|
300
|
|
682
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-100 |
|
|
Leland Racing |
|
509
|
|
WD
|
|
509
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-10 |
|
|
Miss Emcor |
|
424
|
|
WD
|
|
424
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-21 |
|
|
Freedom Racing |
|
DNQ
|
|
DNQ
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006 National High Points Driver Standings |
|
Hull |
|
|
Driver |
|
Evansville
|
|
Madison
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-1 |
|
|
Dave Villwock |
|
1700
|
|
800
|
|
2500
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-3 |
|
|
Jimmy King |
|
1560
|
|
300
|
|
1860
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-5 |
|
|
Mike Weber |
|
1055
|
|
625
|
|
1680
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-7 |
|
|
Mike Allen |
|
949
|
|
700
|
|
1649
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U-37 |
|
|
Jean Theoret |
|
688
|
|
450
|
|
