1958 President's Cup

Miss U.S. I Takes President's Cup Despite a Last-Place Finish in final Heat
Wilson Captures Speed-Boat Prize

Washington, September 22 [1958] (AP) -- Miss U.S. I, a Detroit hydroplane, today won the President's Cup Regatta by turning on the brakes instead of the gas. Loafing safely to last place in the final heat, she collected enough points to take home the trophy. Don Wilson, 26, who usually drives at breakneck speed, reversed his tactics for the windup of this annual Potomac River classic and it paid off. Wilson had gunned George Simon's hydroplane to consecutive triumphs in the first two heats of the three-stage race Saturday. All he needed in the finale was to be checked across at the end. So in a sport always characterized by roaring speed, Miss U.S. I slow-poked to victory. Miss Bardahl of Seattle, driven by a refugee Czech pilot, Mira Slovak, won the final thirty-mile test. Breathless II, with young Jay Murphy of Piedmont, CA at the wheel, was second and lumbering Such Crust III, nursed along by Detroit's Bud Saile, came in third ahead of Miss U.S. I.

None of the leaders had accomplished more than the two third-place finishes of Breathless in the previous heats for which points also were awarded. Thus, the final standing placed Breathless, Miss Bardahl, Miss Detroit, Such Crust and Wildroot Charlie in order behind Miss U.S. I. Neither Miss Detroit, owned and operated by Chuck Thompson, nor Wildroot Charlie, the property of a Buffalo syndicate, competed in the wind-up. Thompson had to get back to Detroit and Wildroot Charlie was laid up by an ailing oil pump. Miss Detroit, runner-up in each of last Saturday's heats, had posed the only real threat to Miss U. S. I. When she withdrew, Wilson was able to take in the capital scenery on his leisurely voyage over the gently rippling Potomac. About 7,000 spectators watched from the Potomac seawall as Wilson, a Dearborn, MI, auto dealer who has been driving boats for eight years, won his first outing of the season.

Final Cup Heat -- 30 Miles
Boat	Owner	Driver	Average Time
1. Miss Bardahl	Ole Bardahl (Seattle)	Mira Slovak	96.843
2. Breathless II	J. Phillip Murphy (Piedmont CA)	Jay Murphy	96.704
3. Such Crust III	Jack Schafer (Detroit MI)	Bud Saile	92.974
4. Miss U.S. I	George Simon (Detroit MI)	Don Wilson	88.713
Final Point Standings
1. Miss U.S. I	969
2. Breathless II	750
3. Miss Bardahl	654
4. Miss Detroit	600 Chuck Thompson	Chuck Thompson
5. Such Crust III	489
6. Wildroot Charlie	169 Buffalo Syndicate	Bob Schroeder
Miss Detroit and Wildroot Charlie did not race in final heat