1953 APBA Gold Cup
Lake Washington, Seattle WA, August 9, 1953


Gold Cup Invaders Won’t Return, Says Schafer
By Emmett Watson

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Longer course Proposed

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Oval for Gold Cup Cut to 3.75 Miles

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90 Miles At 100 M.P.H.

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Gold Cup Regatta Slated On Sunday

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Speed Record Set by Slo-Mo-Shun IV

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Cup Boat Bought By George Simon

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Coast Speed Boat Loses Propeller

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Sayres Sued by Lawyer

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Gold Cup Entrant Ripped In Tune-Up

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On the Eve of the Gold Cup Race

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Sunday Race Condemned

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Miss Pepsi to be Retired

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Slo-Mo-Shun, ‘Grand Old Lady’, Sweeps Gold Cup

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Distaff Side Prays Home Slo Mo IV

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Slo-mo is Dream Boat to Driver

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Calling the Space Patrol

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In the Wake of the Roostertails

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Five Boats With But One Thought

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Gold Cup Race Won in the Pits

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Gold Cup Invaders Won't Return Says Schafer

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The Old Lady Got Into Another Race

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Gold Cup Race Sidelights

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Slo Mo Shun IV Surprised

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Slo-mo-shun IV Captures Gold Cup Race for Third Time

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Schafer Reluctant to Return to Seattle

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Slo Mo Shun IV Keeps Gold Cup

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Slo Mo IV Remains Queen

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The"Old Lady" Does It Again

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The Gold Cup Stays in Seattle

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Statistics

Beneath the gay, picnicky Seafair atmosphere of the Gold Cup races there lies an undercurrent of unhappiness, dissatisfaction and frustrated hopes, like a submerged object which rips out the bottoms of flying hydros. It’s well that the thousands of spectators enjoyed this one, for it may be the last one they’ll see for a while.

Jack Schafer, the likeable owner of the two Such Crusts, mopped his brow and said: "Never again. Win, lose or draw, I’m not coming back next year."

The Detroit baker, who has had a lot of luck in the Gold Cup, and all of it bad, revealed that Detroit owners are in accord that the races should go back to Detroit next summer.

"There’s a movement under wav now to have the rules changed." he said. "We feel that two years in one city is plenty. We had the Gold Cup in Detroit too long, and now we feel that Seattle has had it long enough."

Schafer said that the Detroit group won’t return to Lake Washington—making his statement before the outcome of Sunday’s race was decided.

"Do you speak for yourself, or the other owners as well?" he was asked.

"I think I can speak for the other owners, too," he said. "Not all of us are as wealthy as we are made out to be. In this race all the boats in the race except Slo-mo had to be shipped clear across the country. That involves a lot of time and heavy expenses."

[PICTURE]

Ted Jones
Gold Cup’s Forgotten Man

Jones Aids Such Crust

Schafer cited the heavy handicaps Detroit boats must overcome to heat Stanley Sayres’ Slo Mo IV. He pointed out that waters of the Detroit River are variable, often rough, and in addition, have a different current intensity each day. Sayres, he said, has the advantage of months on water that is constant and is able to make delicate adjustments which Detroit craft can’t make in their few days of preparation here before the race.

"The Slo-mo is a wonderful boat," he said, "and has a fine crew that keeps it in tip-top shape. I’d like to ship our Such Crusts out at least a month ahead of time to get it ready, hut I just haven’t got that much time or money."

Schafer laughed off his accident with Such Crust III Saturday night. "Just think." he said. "I came 2,500 miles to hit a submerged log—on such a clean course as this one, two."

The Detroit man pointed to his Such Crust V. "We’ve got a chance with it," he said. "You know, Ted Jones was in Detroit last month and helped us a great deal with adjustments. Ted went over both of our boats. It was a fine gesture on his part."

Forgotten Man

Ted Jones? Yes, it was Jones who started the movement of Gold Cup contenders west; Jones. who designed and built the unbeatable Slo-Mo IV; Jones who drove it at Detroit and first brought the Cup to Seattle, where it has stayed for three years. He was standing in the pits—the Forgotten Man of the whole shebang.

"Sayres saw to that," he said.

In that one remark lay the answer to a long-suspected break between Sayres and the man who constructed the Slo-mos. As the years have passed the name of Jones seldom is heard in connection with the speedy craft which continues to dominate Gold Cup racing.

He Might Return

A mile away, a mechanic worked on Slo-mo to prepare her for the second heat, but here was Jones, the young genius of unlimited hydroplanes, alone and apart from his own creation.

"If her engine holds out," said Jones; somewhat proudly, "nobody will beat Slo-mo today."

But there might come a day—a day when Ted Jones, the Forgotten Man comes back with a boat to beat his own.


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