1935 Madison Labor Day Regatta
Ohio River, Madison, IN, September 2, 1935


Big Shot, Little Rip and Scram Win in Madison [1935]

Despite rain and rough water, near record-breaking time was turned in by 225 and 725 class boats in the second annual Labor Day races held here yesterday under auspices of the Madison Regatta association.

There were no upsets or smash ups but the champion 225 class boat, the Scram, owned by Milton Harris, of Cincinnati, O., turned the trick of placing first in the higher 510 class in two heats.

The Big Shot, owned by R.N. Longsworth of Somerset, Ky., was an easy winner of the 725 class, taking three straight heats with a variance of only ten seconds in the three runs.

The Auto Hi, a 725 boat owned and built by the students of Cincinnati Auto High School, made a bid for first in the first heat of the class but was not quite fast enough to push the Big Shot to the limit.

Final positions in the various classes were: 225 class, race for the McFarlan championship trophy:

1. Scram, Milton Harris, Cincinnati
2. Stormy Weather, Robert Holleth, Covington, Ky
3. Bobs, Robert Cunningham, Cincinnati
4. Zip, Earl Krouse, Covington, Ky. 

Best time made by the Scram in the third heat was six minutes and 29 seconds for five miles.

510 class:

1. Little Rip, Charles Schott, Louisville
2. Scram, Milton Harris, Cincinnati
3. Kismet, Willis Schneider, Ludlow, Ky. 

Best time was by the Scram in the second heat when she made the run in six minutes and 42 seconds.

725 class:

1. Big Shot, R.N. Longsworth, Somerset, Ky.
2. Miss Cincinnati, C.J. Fischer, Cincinnati
3. Hermes II, C.T. Carman, Vine Grove, Ky. 

Big Shot's best time was in the second heat when she ran five miles in six minutes and 13 seconds.

One of the most spectacular events of the regatta was a parade Sunday afternoon of approximately 40 magnificent cruisers, owned by members of the Queen City and the Falls City boat clubs.

The Louisville boats met at Hanover beach and formed a line of single file to cruise up to Madison, while the Cincinnati fleet, in turn, met at a given point up the river and cruised down in the same fashion, meeting the Louisville boats at Madison.

The two captains of the respective fleets proceeded ahead of the combined fleets up one side of the river and down the other before tying up for the night on the Indiana side.

Rain and chilly weather prior to the time the races were scheduled to open, cut the crowd to some extent, but in spite of unfavorable conditions the regatta brought thousands of people to Madison for the holiday.

(reprinted from The Madison, Indiana, Courier, September 3, 1935)

© Madison Courier. Used by permission.


Hydroplane History Home Page
This page was last revised Thursday, April 01, 2010.
Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. Email us at wildturnip@gmail.com
© Leslie Field, 1999