1952 Buffalo Launch Club Regatta

Hibbert Captures Speed Boat Title

Engle and Hutton Also Gain National Runabout Honors in Regatta at Buffalo

[No unlimiteds ran]

BUFFALO, Aug. 16 [1952] (AP) — Howard Hibbert of Miami, Fla., drove the Nitrogen through choppy waters and rain today to win all heats for the Class F service runabout national championship in the Buffalo Launch Club regatta.

Bill Engle of Washington, Pa., took the Class E service runabout title race with Miss Me.

The Class D championship went to Tommy Hutton of London Bridge, Va., who piloted Let's Go II.

Hibbert racked up 800 points. He covered the five miles in the Niagara River in the first heat in 6:48.9. His time in the second heat was 6:52.4. The Nitrogen is owned by Sam Du Pont of Wilmington, Del.

Al Boyd of North Tonawanda was second with 600 points in Mickey B. Dr. Charles Pankow of Buffalo placed third with Wendy II, scoring 450 points.

Engle scored 700 points in the Class E event, driving Miss Me in 6:36.1 to capture the second heat after placing in the first. Du Pont won the first heat in 6:23.8, but his Hydrogen developed engine trouble, keeping him out of the final heat.

Russell Kirkpatrick of Clarksburg, W. Va., took second with Rock-a-Bye, Burnett Bartley, of Pittsburgh third in Honey-B.

Trailing Hutton in the Class D contest were Mike Steffen of Grand Island in Egg and I, and Carter Parrish Jr. of Ridgewood, N.J. in Duke, Hutton's winning time was 7:13.8 in the second heat Parrish's boat conked out after he won the first heat in 7:28.

The choppy waters caused a series of upsets, but no injuries were reported.

One boat, Miss Kress, a hydroplane owned by John Kress of Detroit, sank. Kress was rescued by a patrol boat.

[Reprinted from the New York Times, August 17, 1952]