1966 British Columbia Cup
Lake Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada, July 17, 1966
Tahoe Miss Wins Cup
KELOWNA, B.C. (CP)—Mira Slovak, a Czech refugee who fled Communist domination and became a Central Intelligence Agency operative in the United States, Sunday won the British's Columbia Cup for unlimited hydroplanes. .
Slovak's boat, Tahoe Miss, edged Dollar Bill [$ Bill]—driven by Bill Muncey—in the over-all standings. Muncey won two of Sunday's heats but earlier had his engine washed down by another hydro's roostertail and could not get started for the day's first race.
"I had to win a race this way," he said, "Bill Muncey cleaned me in that final heat, but guys like me have all the luck."
Slovak racked up 969 points and Muncey only 895 for their day's racing.
Muncey left this Okanagan resort city before the awards banquet really got started. He knew he'd lost.
Slovak, who hijacked-an airplane to fly out of Communist Czechoslovakia and who later Became a Central Intelligence Agency operative and the personal pilot to William Boeing, didn't seem to think he'd won, or at least, didn't seem to think he'd done it fairly.
The times registered by the big boats Sunday were slow and the action was halted for several hours when a brisk north-west wind whipped up the surface of the lake.
Three boats — Tahoe Miss, Miss Budweiser driven by Bill Brow of Seattle, and Wayfairer's Club Lady piloted by Bob Fendler of Long Beach, Calif., jumped the gun in the final heat and had to complete an extra lap.
Muncey posted the fastest lap of the day, 105.386 miles an hour, and the fastest heat time, 9:04.
Slovak collected $4,500 for his win and Muncey $3,200 for finishing second.
Third was Bill Brow who earned $2,200, followed by rookie Jim Ranger, who earned $1,600.
No Canadians were entered. It was the first unlimited race held outside the United States in which points were awarded toward the national championship.
(Reprinted from the Penticton Herald, July 18, 1966)
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