1949 Buffalo Launch Club Regatta
My Sweetie Wins at Buffalo
Wild Bill Cantrell continued his string of victories in the Gold Cup Class by winning the feature event for unlimited craft at the Buffalo Launch Club Regatta held for the first time after a fifteen-year lapse. While driving Horace Dodge's My Sweetie to victory, he just missed setting a new record for a 15-mile race as he was timed at a speed of 77.754 m.p.h which is only .102 m.p.h. below the record.
The smooth riding My Sweetie literally ran away from the field which included Guy Lombardo's Tempo VI which finished in second place one mile astern of Cantrell, John Bogie's Blitz III, and a number of seven-liter craft.
In the 135 cubic inch class and the 225 cubic inch Div. I and Div. II classes, Sid Street completely dominated the field as he won nine straight heats from a large field of top flight contenders in all three races held during the two-day regatta.
During the first heat of the 225 Div. I race, Lou Butler driving his Barracuda flipped while in a terrific battle for the lead with Sid Street and Bob Bogie. Bogie immediately circled back in an effort to aid Butler and on seeing a patrol boat take him aboard, he resumed the race and finished in second position.
| Summaries Buffalo Launch Club Regatta August 20-21, 1949 135-Cubic Inch Class First Heat, Five Miles — 1. Geewhiz, Sid Street, Kansas City, Mo.; 2. Bingo II, Al Bingham, Buffalo; 3. Ranger, Kenny Ingram, El Monte, Calif.; 4. Skidoo; John C. Cramer, Dayton, Ohio; 5. Running Wild, J. W. Langmuir, Brockville, Ont.; 6. Little Audrey, Harry L. Vogel, Dearborn, Mich.; 7. Hornet, George Reynolds, Brockville, Ont.; 8. Hot Stuff's Baby, Dick Rankin, Pontiac, Mich. 9. Nitwit, Frank Smith, Kingston, Ont.; 10. Pirate, Robert Van Rhee, Detroit; 11. Family Curse, Dave Belfie, Gananoque, Ont. Time — 6:06; speed — 49.18 MPH. Second Heat — Five Miles-1. Street; 2. Ingraham; 3. Cramer; 4. Vogel; 5. Rankin; 6. Van Rhee. Time-5:42 4-5. Speed-52.57 MPH. Total Point Score-Street, 800; Ingram, 525; Cramer, 394. 225-Cubic Inch Class, Division 2 First Heat. Five Miles-1. Whizz, Sid Street, Kansas City, Mo.; 2. Costa Lotta, Art Hatch, Hamilton, Ont.; 3. Maple Leaf, Ed Pine, Belleville, Ont.; 4. Blue Devil II Don Ziegler, Detroit; Merlyn Culver, Dayton, Ohio, and Robert Schneider, North Tonawanda, N. Y., did not finish. Time-5:47 2.5. Speed-51.814 MPH. Second Heat. Five Miles-1. Street; 2, Hatch; 3, Pine; 4. Ziegler. Time — 5:30 4/5. Speed — 54.417 MPH. Total Point Score-Street, 800; Hatch. 600; Pine, 450. Indoor Service Runabouts [sic] Classes B and C First Heat, Five Miles — Mischief, George Trimper, Buffalo; 2. Toots, Harry Denbergh. Kenmore, N.Y. 3. Jigg IV, Harry Zahn, Buffalo; 4. R. R. Reinhold, Buffalo; 5. Trick or Two, Curtis Caughy, Buffalo; 6. Henry Glanz, Lockport. N. Y. Time — 8:47. Speed — 34.155 MPH. Second Heat, Five Miles — 1. Trimper; 2. Vandenbergh; 3. Zahn; 4. Reinhold; 5. Caughy. Time — 8:27 3/5. Speed — 35.461 MPH. Total Point Score-Trimper, 800; Vandenbergh, 600; Zahn. 450. D And E Racing Runabouts First Heat, Five Miles — 1. Miss Waterloo IV, Percy Buddell, Waterloo, Ont.; 2. Ali Bask, Norman Frey, Allentown, Pa.; 3. Hell’s Angel, Sherman Crichfield, St. Petersburg, Fla.; 4. Dot E. II, Pat Endres Grand Island, N. Y.; 5. Meteor, C. H. Abbott. Belleville, Ont. Time — 6:10. Speed — 46.648 MPH. Second Heat, Five Miles — 1. Crichfield; 2. Frey; 3. Endres; 4. Abbott. Buddell did not finish. Time — 6:19 2/5. Speed — 47.475 MPH. Point Score — Crichfield, 625; Frey, 600; Buddell, 400. |
(Reprinted from Motor Boating, October 1949)