1956 APBA Gold Cup Race
Detroit River, Detroit MI, September 1, 1956

Gold Cup Winner Upheld by APBA
Protest That Miss Thriftway Hit Buoy is Disallowed by Inboard Commission
by Clarence E. Lovejoy

Hydro Hassle in Detroit Taggart Badly Injured as Speed Boat Overturns Slo-Mo-Shun IV Wrecked Miss Pepsi Named Gold Cup Victor '56 Gold Cup Gold Cup Still Up In Air Gold Cup Winner in Doubt Gold Cup Protests Fail Aid Of Detroit And Seattle Newspapers Sought In Gold Cup Motorboat Dispute Boating Body Holds Hearing on Gold Cup Prize Award Enjoined Miss Thriftway Reinstated as Gold Cup Winner Gold Cup Winner Upheld by APBA Court Backs Award to Miss Thriftway

Chicago, November 16 [1956] — The Inboard Racing Commission, a unit of the American Powerboat Association, today upheld the victory of Miss Thriftway in the 1956 Gold Cup race.

The decision was made at the opening session of the annual three-day meeting of the association.

The hearing committee had recommended that the victory be awarded to the Seattle boat driven by Bill Muncey. The meant they disallowed the Detroit protest that alleged Miss Thriftway had struck a buoy and disqualified herself and that Miss Pepsi, a Detroit craft driven by Chuck Thompson, should be declared the winner.

The session was marked by moments of bitter bickering between the Detroiters and West Coast sportsmen. The Detroit group had written a long letter to the Inboard Racing Commission, signed by many Midwest drivers, boat owners and yacht club officers, requesting a reconsideration. In the end this was denied by a vote of 9 to 2.

Therefore, Miss Thriftway of Seattle will stand as the 1956 Gold Cup winner if and when the Wayne county Circuit Court injunction obtained by Horace Dodge is settle to permit the APBA to declare the race legal.

Sport Called "Disgrace"

Today nearly everybody of speedboat prominence got into the act with not one but several speeches. Speedboating was called "a disgrace" by some including Ed Heller of Detroit, a "laughing stock" by others and a "sport in jeopardy" by still others.

Among those heard were Muncey, George Simon of Detroit, who accused some of the officials of astigmatism and color blindness; Bill Stead, who implored the sportsmen to continue speedboating as a sport and not as a battle; Joseph L. Schoenith of Detroit, owner of the Gale fleet; and Al d’Eath, new chairman of the APBA’s Midwestern region.

Members of the Commission present included Foulke, Crook, E.M. Peatross, Richmond, Va., Jerry Bryant, Seattle; Gibson Bradfield, Barnesville, Ohio; Clyde Fox, Cincinnati; Lou Eppel, Cedar Grove, NJ; Bert Robb, Detroit; and George Trimper, Buffalo.

So-called world records established at the Elizabeth City, NC, regatta early this fall were disallowed because, according to Robert Schelling of Fort Erie, Ont., the course had not been surveyed in compliance with APBA requirements.

Peatross was named chairman of a new committee to assign regattas in various regions for point-scoring championships.

Another proposal that will be discussed at Saturday’s meeting of the National Council will be to cut loose from the Inboard Racing Commission the two largest speedboat classics.

These are the Gold Cup and Unlimited categories.

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