1959 Harmsworth Trophy
Detroit River, Detroit, Michigan, August 25-27, 1959

Canada 4^th Nation To Hold Trophy
By Ken Williams

Harmsworth Bid Due for Maverick Maverick's Driver Confidant Engine Error Gives Canada Lead Sad Stead is Ready to 'Open Up' Victory Drive Began in 1951 US Loss Good for Boating Canada 4th Nation Maverick Crew Grim in Defeat Harmsworth Trophy won by Canada Statistics

Miss Supertest III’s Harmsworth Trophy victory for Canada yesterday enabled a fourth country to hold the coveted prize in the powerboat racing classic’s 56-year history.

England claimed the first victory in 1903 and repeated in 1905, 1906, 1912 and 1913. France won in 1904. The United States won the title in four pre-World War I years, 1907-08-10-11, and then Gar Wood and his Miss Americas reigned from 1920 through 1933, with one exception in 1931 when his brother, George, prevailed with Miss America VIII.

The U.S. maintained Harmsworth supremacy for 39 unbroken years with additional victories by Stanley Dollar’s Skip-A-Long in 1949, Stan Sayres’ Slo-Mo-Shun IV in 1950 and William Waggoner Jr.’s Shanty I in 1956.

Maverick’s unsuccessful bid yesterday was the 13th defense of the title by a U.S. boat. The Canadian boat’s victory was sweet revenge for Miss Supertest III’s owner, Jim Thompson, of London, Ont., whose Miss Supertest II lost to Shanty I. Waggoner also is owner of the Maverick.

In 1903 Alfred Harmsworth, the famous newspaper publisher, later to become Lord Northcliffe, put up the huge plaque and declared it the world’s symbol for motorboat supremacy.

Napier I won the Harmsworth inaugural at Queenstown, Ireland, with an average speed of 18 knots (19.53 miles an hour). S. F. Edge was the owner-driver. The second event was held at Cowes and Trefle-AQuatre, the French competitor, though badly beaten, entered a protest and was awarded the cup. In the third contest, Napier II, the British challenger, proved superior to her French rival and the trophy returned to England.

In 1906 U.S. filed its first challenge and it proved unsuccessful. The boat, the Challenger, guided by W. Gould Brokaw, was beaten by two minutes arid 16 seconds over a

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Three more boats named Dixie won the next three events on Huntington Bay, Long Isand, but this string ended in 1912.

That year saw the trophy go back to England in possession of E. Mackay-Edgar for winning with Maple Leaf IV, which triumphed again in 1913.

Then World War I suspended racing until 1920, when Wood went over to Osborne Bay, England, to win with Miss America I in the new record speed of 61.51 m.p.h.

Wood was unbeatable in a succession of Miss Americas in 1921, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1932 and finally in Miss America X in 1933. His brother, George, won the controversial 1931 contest.

The next challenge was to come from Canada. This was in 1949 after a lapse of 16 years when R. Stanley Dollar Jr., of Lake Tahoe, won after beating Harold Wilson, of Ingersoll, Ont.

Again the Wilson family challenged in 1950 with their Miss Canada IV, which lasted only one of the required two races. Lou Fageol in Stanley Sayres’ Slo-Mo-Shun IV triumphed 1under the colors of the Seattle Yacht Club.

The last challenge before Miss Supertest III’s victory yesterday occurred in 1956 when Waggoner’s Shanty, driven by Col. Russell Schleeh, was victorious over Thompson’s first effort in his earlier Supertest. The Canadian driver was Bill Braden, who later was killed in a speedboat accident.

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Harmsworth Races

(Reprinted from The Detroit News, August 28, 1959)

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