1935 Atlantic City Regatta
Atlantic City's First Regatta
Atlantic City boasts of being the World's Playground, and most everybody admits it is without peer as center of recreation, at least in these United States.
But now it has come into its own as a motorboat racing center. The First Annual Atlantic City Regatta June 28 and 29, staged under the auspices of the recently-organized Absecon Island Yacht Club, sanctioned by the APBA., was crackerjack regatta. For a beginner it was a dandy, and in succeeding years they are able to improve on it, what future the resort has in motorboating.
Betty V, owned and raced by Melvin Crook, of Montclair, N. J., winner last year of the National Sweepstakes, and other speedboat honors, won the 25-mile inboard marathon and the S. Mortimer Auerbach trophy, in the feature of the two-day regatta. That 28-foot hydroplane with her freaky superstructure and noisy Packard motor, chased around the 15 laps is 36:42, an average speed as figured by the committee, of around 44 m. p. h.
One boat raced at record speed, and her owner has filed his claim for the world's record in Class C inboard runabouts and another also beat the existing speed mark in the 91 cubic inch class, but is not entitled to recognition in the record-breaking class, as a series of fast performances marked the two days of speed racing in well-filled classes.
Hi Ho, owned and driven by George B. Ward Jr., of Wilmington, Del., covered five miles in competition in Class C inboard runabouts, in 8:55 1/5, averaging 33.632 m. p. h., an apparent record. No previous record was to be found in this class.
Aguila Voladora (Flying Eagle), owned and raced by Arno Apel, of Atlantic City, N. J., chased around the 5-mile course in competition in the only heat of the 91 cubic inch class, in 7:28, a speed of 40.107 m. p. h. However there were only two starters in the class.
Rustle, owned by Byron Russell, of Long Branch, N. J., surprised in the 135 cubic inch class, to win the race scheduled as the Eastern championship for that event. This craft is the former Flying Eagle, which when owned by Edison Hedges of Atlantic City in 1933, won the championship in her class. Two boats were disqualified in the final heat for beating the gun, Emancipator III, owned by S. Mortimer Auerbach, of Atlantic City; and Eagle, the new boat owned by Edison Hedges. Emancipator III had won the first heat in 6:40, averaging 45 m.p.h. or close to the world's record of 45226 made by that craft last summer at Havre de Grace.
S. Mortimer Auerbach also introduced his new racer Emancipator IV to the thousands of regatta fans, in the 225 cubic inch class, but the boat failed to come up to expectations, finishing fourth on final points, after taking fourth in the first heat, and third in the second heat, limping in in both events,
The 225 honors went to Andrew Crawford's Ednandy, from Washington, D. C., when that new craft won both heats for a perfect score, averaging better an 40 m.p.h. in each heat. Dr. Cecil H. Bagley's Wilmer III, of Baltimore, was second in each heat. Dave Foster's Martha II was awarded third on time over Auerbach, when they were tied on points.
J. C. (Cab) Walier, of Syracuse, scored an outboard clean-up in the regatta. The first day he won Class C honors on time from C. Mulford Scull, of Ventnor, national C-2 champ, when they each won a heat and were second in the other. Then on the second day Walier came back and took first money in both Class B and the free-for-all. He took both heats of the free-for-all, the first at 46.440 m.p.h., and the second at 45.547 m.p.h., fast for the choppy Thorofare course.
J. Leslie Barton, of Newark, N. J., won both heats to take Class A money. Byron Shannon of Audubon won the outboard runabouts. John R. Wanamaker, son of the late Captain John Wanamaker, made his racing debut, to win class E inboards. Gurney P. Sloan, of Margate, N. J., racing Miss Longport, won the inboard runabout free-for-all.
The summaries follow:
CLASS A Outboards Open
First heat—won by J. Leslie Barton, Newark, N. J.; second, C. Mulford Scull, Ventnor; third. Philip Gore, Baltimore; fourth, H. B. Shakeshaft, White Plains, N. Y. Time 8:16 speed 36.290 m.p.h.
Second heat—won by Barton; second, Shakeshaft; third, Walter Off, Jr., Atlantic City; fourth, Scull; fifth, Gore. Time 7:56.6; speed 37.767 m.p.h.
Points—Barton 800; Scull 469 on time; Shakeshaft 469; Gore 352; Off 225.
Outboard Runabouts
Won by Byron G. Shannon, Audubon, N. J.; second, H. Deffinbaugh, Woodside, Del.; third, Tom Murray. Dover, Del.; fourth, Frank Schmutz, Pennsauken, N. J. Time 7:28; speed 40.178 m.p.h.
Class C Outboards Open
First heat—won by C. Mulford Scull, Ventnor, N. J.; second, J. C. Waller, Jr., Syracuse; third, E. C. Hutchinson, Dover. J.; Time 6:26; speed 46.608 m.p.h.
Second heat—Won by Walier; second, Scull; third, Frank Schmutz; fourth, Priestley, Pennsauken, N. J. Time 6:37.8; speed 45.249 m.p.h. Points—Walier 700 on time; Scull 700; Hutchinson 225, time; Schmutz 225; Priestley 169.
Class C Inboard Runabouts
Won by Hi Ho, George B. Ward, Jr., Wilmington; second, Bo Peep, Len S. Bailey, Merton. Pa. Time 8:55.2; speed 36.632 m.p.h. (claims world record).
Class D Inboard Runabouts
Won by Bo Peep, Len S. Bailey. Merlon, Pa.; second, Ginger, Frank Schwartz, Longport. N. J.; third, Miss Sophie Roberts, Atlantic City; fourth, Scram, Jules F. Dedan, Margate, N. J. Time 9:18.6; speed 32.223 m.p.h.
Class E Inboard Runabouts
Won by Fernanda, John R. Wanamaker, Philadelphia; second, Nellie G., Roger Sullivan, Ventnor, N. J.; third, Bo Peep, Len S. Bailey, Merton, Pa.; fourth, Miss Sophie Roberts, Atlantic City. Time 8:20; speed 36 m.p.h.
135 Cubic Inch Class (Eastern Championship)
First heat—won by Emancipator III, S. Mortimer Auerbach. Atlantic City; second, Eagle, Edison Hedges. Atlantic City third, Rustle, Byron Russell, Long Branch, N. J.; fourth, Martha II, D. H. Foster, Washington, D. C.; fifth, Wooden Home, Gardner Orme, Washington, D. C. Time 6:40; speed 45 m.p.h.
Second heat—won by Rustle; second, Martha II: no third. Emancipator III and Eagle disqualified. Time 8:33; speed 35.060 m.p.h. Points—Rustle 625; Martha II 469; Emancipator III 400; Eagle 300; Orme 127.
225 Cubic Inch Class
First heat—won by Ednandy, Andrew Crawford, Washington, D. C.; second Wilmer III, Dr. Cecil H. Bagley, Baltimore; third Martha II, Dave Foster, Washington: fourth, Emancipator IV, S. Mortimer Auerbach, Atlantic City. Time 7:27.2; speed 40.232 m.p.h.
Second heat—won by Ednandy; second. Wilmer III; third, Emancipator IV; fourth, Martha II. Time 7:11.1; speed 41.744 m.p.h. Points—Ednandy 800; Wilmer III 600; Martha II, on time, 394; Emancipator IV 394.
91 Cubic Inch Class
Won by Aguila Voladora, Arno Apel, Ventnor, N. J.; second. Uncle Sam, Robert Wagner, Mays Landing. Time 7:28.4; speed 40.107 m.p.h.
Free For All Runabouts
Won by Miss Longport. Gurney P. Sloan, Margate, N. J.; second, John H. Shade, Jr., Philadelphia; third Bo Peep, Len S. Bailey, Merion. Pa.; fourth, Scram, Jules F. Dedan, Margate, N. J.; fifth, Miss Sophie Roberts, Atlantic City; sixth, Sally Ann, Charles Paschall. Time 7:22; speed 40.687 m.p.h.
Inboard Marathon 25 Miles For S. Mortimer Auerbach Trophy
Won by Betty V, Melvin Crook. Montclair, N. J.; second, Miss Longport. Gurney P. Sloan, Margate. N. J.: third, John Shade Jr., Philadelphia; fourth. Scram, Jules F. Dedan, Margate, N.J.; fifth, Sally Ann, Charles Paschall, Margate. Wings. Walter Haines, Atlantic City, did not finish. Time 36:42; speed m.p.h.
Class B Outboards Open
First heat—won by Edmund Hoffman, Arlington, N. J.; second, J. C. Waller, Jr., Syracuse; third, Fred Eberling. Clifton, N. J.; fourth, Morton Daller. Chester, Pa.; fifth. Connie Adams, Northfield, N. J.; sixth, Ed Clapper, Philadelphia; seventh, Ed. W. Robinson, Phoenixville, Pa.; eighth, Harry Russell, Atlantic City. Time 7:34.1; speed 39.630 m.p.h.
Second heat—won by Walier; second, Daller; third Eberling; fourth, H. B. Shakeshaft, White Plains. N. J.; Fifth, Russell, sixth, Clapper; seventh, Adams. Time 7:21.4; speed 40.742 m.p.h.
Points—Waller 700; Daller 469; Eberling 450; Hoffman 400; Adams 198; Clapper 190; Russell 180: Shakeshaft 169: Robinson 71.
Outboard Free For All
First heat—won by J. C. Waller, Jr., Syracuse; second, Jim Priestly, Collingswood, N. J.; third, Edmund Hoffman, Arlington, N. J.; fourth, H. B. Shakeshaft, White Plains, N. Y.; fifth, Ed Clapper, Philadelphia; sixth, B. G. Shannon, Audubon, N. J. Time 6:27.3; speed 46.440 m.p.h.
Second heat—won by Walier; second, C. Mulford Scull, Ventnor, N. J.; third. Clapper. Time 6:35.1; speed 45.547 m.p.h.
Points—Waller 800; Clapper 352; Priestly 300 on time; Scull 300; Hoffman 225; Shakeshaft 169.
— Franklin H. Bates
(Reprinted from Motor Boat, August 1935)