APBA Changes [1910]
New Motor Boat Trophy
American Power Boat Association Puts Up Cup in 32-Foot Class
A new silver challenge cup for high-speed boats not over thirty-two feet in length will shortly be put up by the American Power Boat Association, according to a statement made last week by Morris M. Whitaker, Secretary of the association. This makes the third grand challenge cup offered by the organization, the other two being the Gold Challenge Cup now held by the Thousand Islands Yacht Club, and the Bronze Twenty-Foot Cup held on the Mississippi.
"These facts indicate," said Mr. Whitaker, "to what extent the association has helped so far to promote racing. Steps are now on foot to readjust the association’s long-established rating formula to meet the demands of the modern boats and bring the formula abreast of present conditions.
"To that end all the clubs forming the association—and they extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from Canada to the Gulf — have been asked to give their actual experience with the formula as now in force. The leading naval architects of this country have also been asked to make suggestions as to changes and betterments. So, when a special meeting of the association is called to consider the matter, as will be the case. Changes will be determined upon that will produce the desired results.
"The association has in view, also, the formation of restricted classes, boats of given length in which maximum power and minimum weight will be fixed, so as to secure boats which will be rational high speed runabouts, strong enough to last through several seasons of hard use and so designed so they cannot be made back numbers by newer boats of abnormal power.
The restrictions will be rigid enough so that a boat’s racing career will not be limited to one season. Through the cooperation of the clubs forming our association it is hoped to bring about racing among these boats from widely varying sections of the country."
(Transcribed from the New York Times, Mar. 13, 1910, Sect. IV, p. 4)