1910 New Year's Day Races

Willamette River, Portland, Oregon, January 1, 1910

Motor Craft Prepare

Entries For The New Year’s Races Numerous

Contest to Advertise Portland’s Mild Winter—Red Arrow, Happy Heinie’s Opponent

Entries for the New Year’s day motor boat races, to be held by the Willamette Motor Boat Club, are coming in fast and present indications are that the list will be much larger than expected.

The object of the race on New Year’s day is to advertise the mild climate of Oregon, to let Eastern people know that Florida is not the only place where motor boat races may be held in the middle of Winter.

No entries will be received after Friday evening, December 31. The races will start from the judges’ boat to be anchored in the middle of the river at a point opposite Yamhill street, and will be run over a two-mile course, from the starting point around the east pier of the Steel bridge, finishing again at Yamhill street. The races may be seen from any of the docks between the Morrison and Steele bridges.

The feature of the day will be a challenge scratch race for the Scripp cup, donated by Charles Hays. The undefeated Happy Heinie will try to hold her title as the fastest 25-foot motor boat on the Coast against the Red Arrow, a new 25-foot boat owned by Joe Michael, of Wilsonville. This boat is expected to make 25 miles an hour.

Milton Smith, of Rainier, owner of the Happy Heinie, and Joe Michael, owner of the Red Arrow, will go to considerable expense in bringing their boats to Portland. The Red Arrow will have to be taken through the locks at Oregon City and the Happy Heinie probably will be brought from Rainier on one of the river boats, as at this time of year the Columbia is rather rough for small boats.

Following are the entries already in:

(Transcribed from The Morning Oregonian, Dec. 31, 1909, p. 12.)

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