1961 President's Cup
Potomac River, Washington, D.C., September 16-17, 1961

Miss Century 21, Gale V Take Heats

Miss Century 21, Gale V Take Heats Miss Century 21 Takes Boat Race "I Was Lucky" Will Race Again, Says Alter Statistics

Washington, D.C. Sept. 16 [1961] (AP) — Seattle's Miss Century 21 and Detroit's Gale V won today in the opening elimination heats of the President's Cup Regatta. Only five of eight unlimited hydroplanes finished.

Bill Cantrell scored with Gale V in the first run at an average of 103.886 miles and hour. Bill Muncey piloted Miss Century 21 to first place in the second at 108.194.

The crowd of 21,650 lining the banks of the choppy Potomac River for the start of the two-day regatta saw the defending champion, Chuck Thompson, come a cropper in his boat, Miss Detroit. Thompson's boat and another Detroit entry, Gale VII, piloted by Bob Schroeder, were both forced out be defective superchargers in the second trial.

This reduced the five-lap, fifteen-mile run to a two-boat affair. Miss U.S. I, piloted by Don Wilson of Detroit, finished second, more than a mile and a half behind Miss Century 21, the leader in the season's point standing.

In the first trial, a broken gearbox knocked Seattle's Miss Bardahl out of competition on the first lap. Cantrell coasted home about a quarter of a mile ahead of the runner-up, Miss Madison, the Madison (Ind.) entry piloted by Marion Cooper.

Such Crust IV, with Fred Alter of Detroit at the wheel, was third.

(From the Associated Press)

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