1903 Oshkosh Yacht Club Trophy Cup

The First APBA Race in the West

Power Boat Racing In The West

The first race in the West under the American Power Boat Association rules took place at Oshkosh, on Lake Winnebago, Aug. 26th, during regatta week, for a Trophy Cup given by the Oshkosh Yacht Club between H.C. Doman's speed launch Now Then and Elmer Lach's launch Merle.

Course, equilateral triangle of six knots, twice around.

First Race Start Finish
Merle 10:00:00 AM 11:15:20 AM
Now Then 10:13:08 AM 11:17:20 AM

Merle winning by 2 minutes

Second Race
Merle 10:54:30 AM 12:10:00 AM
Now Then 11:07:38 AM 12:09:26 AM

Now Then winning by 34 seconds

Third Race
Merle 3:10:00 PM 4:22:00 PM
Now Then 3:23:08 PM 4:23:48 PM

Merle winning Cup and race by 1 minute and 48 seconds

The time allowance, 13.08, was taken out at the start of each race.

Now Then had twin screws and two 13 h.p. engines, built by H.C. Doman, and the Merle was designed and built by Jones & La Borde with Fermatt & Monahan 12 h.p. Gasoline Engines, all of this place.

Dimensions of Boats: Merle Now Then
Length over all 40' 40' 6"
Length Water Line 37' 6½" 35' 9 5/8"
Beam, extreme 5' 7" 5' 5"
Beam, water line 4' 11½ " 5'
Beam depth at 1-5 midship section 10 3/4" 9 7/8"
Engines 4-cycle 4-cycle
Cylinders 3 4
Diameter of Piston 5¼" 6½"
Stroke 6½ " 6"
Number of Revolutions 410 614
Rating 33.345 39.33

Measurers, Mat Judson, Leroy G. Gates

(Transcribed from The Rudder, January, 1904, p. 43 )

[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page. — LF]