1952 Silver Cup

Detroit River, Detroit, Michigan, September 1, 1952

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Boat Banter

By Fred Runnells

"We’re sorry but we can’t postpone the Labor Day regatta date." That was the answer Stan Sayres received from Leonard H. Thompson, secretary of the Detroit International Regatta Association, after conferring with Ed Bodkin, regatta chairman, and Clyde Palmer, race committee chairman.

Sayres had requested the postponement of the Labor Day regatta so he would have more time to recondition Slo Mo V, which blew a cylinder in the first heat of the 1952 Gold Cup race recently. Sayres made the request through the American Powerboat Association; which in turn passed it on to Thompson and the host club of the Labor Day regatta, the Detroit Yacht Club.

The request wasn’t denied because local officials didn’t want the famous Slo-Mo V here for the Silver Cup. On the contrary they wanted Sayres here very much but pointed out that the Silver Cup race was only one of eight on the program and that there were several other drivers in other classes to consider: Some of them were coming from as far away as New Orleans and other distant points. It was also pointed out that other regattas had their own dates and to postpone the Labor Day event would only garble up the rest of the racing season for the other clubs and the boat owners.

Walter and Roy Dossin, owners of Miss Pepsi, couldn’t tell whether their boat would be ready to run in the Silver Cup classic or not. The boat didn’t arrive in Detroit, via trailer, from Lake Washington in Seattle, until Monday. Work began immediately in tearing down the busted gear box that forced Miss Pepsi from the Gold Cup event and the Dossins were hopeful repairs could be made in time to give local speedboat fans an opportunity to see the Gold Cup monster perform Labor Day.

[Reprinted from the Grosse Pointe News, August 21, 1952]

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Doesn't look like Wild Bill Cantrell will be back in Detroit in time for the Silver Cup race on Labor Day. Harry Leduc tells us he received a letter from Wild Bill, written by his nurse, and he said he figured to be out of the hospital in 15 days but said he probably was being optimistic.

[Reprinted from the Grosse Point News, August 28, 1952]