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Speedboat Racers Vie for National Title |
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Betty V's Sensational Win Brings Speedboat Trophy |
Patapsco River, Baltimore, Maryland, August 12, 19341934 National Sweepstakes Trophy
Betty V’s Sensational Win Brings Speedboat Trophy
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Baltimore, Aug. 12 [1934] — Eastern speedboat drivers won the two championships featuring the final day's events of the Maryland Yacht Club’s tercentenary regatta and silver jubilee here today, but Western and Eastern outboard drivers split the money and prizes in storm-swept races.
A downpour of rain, at times reaching a cloudburst, drenched drivers and spectators. while the storm swept the waters of the Patapsco [River].
The hydroplane Betty V, 23-foot; one-step craft from Montclair. N. J., owned and driven by Melvin Crooks and designed and built by Walter Buskee, of Dover, N. J., won the National Sweepstakes championship classic American speedboat title, breaking the point deadlock by a sensational margin in the final heat today.
Riptide, owned by Albert Schwarzler of New York, speedy hydroplane, won the National Championship in the 225-cubic-inch hydroplane class, although she finished second today in the final 10-mile heat.
Betty V decisively broke the deadlock in the sweepstakes for premier honors in the regatta. She averaged better than 80 miles per. hour on one of the six laps of the race, and for the full 15 miles averaged 53.957 miles per hour.
Gas Fames Overcome Mechanic
Pep III, owned and driven by John Bramble, of Baltimore, trailed the champion Betty V almost all the way, taking the lead at the start, but losing it to the ultimate winner right at the first turn. Pep III put up a game race, but her crew found troubles of their own, for the motor started sending out gas fumes which almost finished her mechanic. He was Vincent Gutowski, of Baltimore, who was unconscious from the fumes when the race ended. He was rushed to hospital for treatment. Pep III average 52.848 miles per hour for the 15-mile race. With Riptide second, Emancipator II, owned and driven by S. Mortimer Auerbach of Atlantic City, was again winner in the final 225-cubic inch hydroplane heat today, leading almost all the way. However, she fared poorly on points, owing to the fact that she did not compete in the opening heat yesterday.
Times for the six laps by Betty V in her final victory in the Sweepstakes were: First lap, 2.29 3-5; second, 5:02 3-5; third, 7.41 4-5; fourth, 10.21 4-5; fifth, 13.35 2-5; sixth, 16.40 4-5.
Despite the storm-swept river, upsets were totally absent from the final day's events, not a single mishap being reported in the inboard hydroplane or outboard races.
Bigelow in Rough Passage
Palm Beach Days, the veteran Gold Cup racer, owned and driven by William McP. Bigelow, of Philadelphia, enjoyed a stormy passage across the Chesapeake Bay this morning, starting from the wharf of the Miles River Yacht Club, St. Michaels, Md. at 10.43 A.M. and finishing at the committee boat Apache here at 11,49. The trip of approximately 50 miles took him 1 hour 16 minutes in the fast craft. What a trip it was! Storm after storm was encountered in the obstacle run, as rain fell in sheets most the entire distance. The rain was so thick at times that it was impossible to see anything, the famous Philadelphia
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Was Julian van Buren, of the Miles River Yacht Club.
Bigelow enjoyed more heavy rain after he arrived here, for he entered the craft in the Gold Cup class, where it battle with the Arctic Tern in a nip-and-tuck battle.
Two new official American Power Boat Association speed records were announced tonight for the sweepstakes classic.
A new heat record of 57.107 miles per hour was officially recognized today for the National Sweepstakes event, that time having been made in yesterday's racing
An official lap record for a 2½ mile lapin the history of the sweepstakes was made on the first lap today by Betty V, when she made 60 miles per hour for the lap.
Arctic Tern Wins Gold Gup
It was announced today that Betty V and her crew will have all expenses paid for their craft to compete in the Toronto Regatta featuring the exposition there late this month.
The Gold Cup class was won by Arctic Tern, Ernest Chase's bib racer. formerly called Miss Chicago, trailed by Palm Beach Days. Arctic Tern took both heats.
The first heat was particularly
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