1950 Star Spangled Banner Regatta
Md. Yacht Club
4 Races Won By Jankowski
Maryland Yacht Club's Annual Water Event Opens
By Louis M. Hatter
Ben Jankowski, a former airforce pilot from Glen Head, N.Y., set a torrid opening-day pace by winning four outboard speedboat races yesterday in the Maryland Yacht Club’s Star Spangled Banner regatta at Spring Gardens.
A standout among the nation's professional outboard drivers, Jankowski captured both heats for Class C hydroplanes in a field of eight starters.
He then stepped up into the more powerful Class F to again twice lead the pack in 5 mile races over a 1 2-3 miles oval course beneath Hanover Street Bridge.
Averages 52 Miles Per Hour
It was in the initial heat of the Class C event that Jankowski also recorded the best speed of the hot, sunny afternoon among a total of 76 regatta entries—an average of 52.023 miles per hour.
At $20 per victory—professional outboard drivers compete for cash prizes, amateurs for trophies and glory—the afternoon proved a profitable one for the New Yorker, an ex-noliceman
Today, beginning at 10.10 A.M., amateur inboard runabout and hydroplane enthusiasts will take over in a 22-event program. Trophies, cups, and plates valued at $5,000 will be the incentive.
Guy Lombardo Expected
Among the bigger names in speedboat racing expected today by the race committee are Guy Lombardo, the orchestra leader, whose mammoth Gold Cup boat, Tempo VI, makes a very special kind of music with its powerful 12 cylinder Allison aircraft engine.
Lombardo's boat sustained hull damage when it struck a floating bottle Friday in trial runs for the Harmsworth Trophy race in Detroit.
Making good on his commitments to race in Baltimore, Lombardo immediately shipped Tempo off for Baltimore by truck from Detroit.
Lombardo’s Boat Arrives
Last night it arrived and was undergoing repairs in the garage of Frank Foulke, another noted speedboat driver who resides in Essex, Md.
Lombardo hopes to return in the Detroit River tn resume Harmsworth Trophy trials after his appearance here today.
A couple of Lombardo’s neighbors from Freeport, Long Island, are expected to provide him some competition, namely Joe Van Blerck, in Aljo. and George Sarant, in a huge craft named Etta.
Already on vifew yesterday on the Broening Park clubhouse lawn was Daniel J. Murphy’s giant, new Dee-Jay V, from Merion, Pa. This powerful boat will be driven today by Norman Lauterbach, of Absecon, New Jersey.
Many Feature Races
In addition to the Gold Cup and Maryland Sweepstakes, which attract the big powerboats, today’s features will include the Eastern regional championships for Division II 225-cubic-inch hydroplanes; the Governor s Trophy race for 135-cubic-inch hydroplanes; the Maryland Perpetual Gold Cup. open to all 225 hydroplanes; the Bramble-Chase Trophy for unlimited displacement runabouts, and the Fairview Trophy for Class D service runabouts.
The amateurs came in for their share of opening-day glory, too. yesterday. Roger Phelps, youthful Hampton (Va.) driver of Skipper, took a pair of first places to win the Hampton-One design honors. He averaged better than 44 miles per hour in both instances.
The stock utility outboards—distinguished from outboard hydroplanes in that they are primarily pleasure craft, not designed solely for racing—drew a large entry of enthusiastic competitors.
Two Boats Swamped
It was in the Class BU first heat, won by William Carbo, Jr.’s Mickey-Jo, from Washington, that one of the afternoon’s two navigational mishaps occurred.
Norman Brewington. Colonial Beach, Va., got a ducking in the Middle Branch of the Patapsco when his boat. Tee Wee, was swamped within view of the spectators on the clubhouse lawn.
The other incident calling for rescue operations by the patrolling Sea Scouts came in the opening heat for Class A outboard hydroplanes.
Billy Guldin’s Sweel Music, from Coatesville, Pa., in third place approaching the home turn, floundered in the wakes of two competitors and flipped over. The veteran Guldin, a former auto racer, and his boat were salvaged, well saturated but otherwise undamaged.
Both heats in this event were won by Gil Peterman’s Peg, from Malvern, N.J.
Al Bauer, colorful vice president of the American Power Boat Association. officiated yesterday’s races. He will again be the referee today and will present accounts of the events via loudspeaker.
Outboard Hydroplanes
Class "A" Open
First Heat—Won by Peg, Gil Peterman, Malvern. NJ.; second. J-0. Fred R. Solees. Paterson N.J.: third. No Strain. James Campbell, Danvjlle. Pa. Time—7.11.4. Speed —41 686 m.p.h.
Second Heat—Won by Peg: second. J-7. Peter Van Biert, Rutherford. N J. third. J 10. Time—7.01.0. Speed—42.755 m p h.
Class "B” Open
First Heat—Won by J-222. Phil Smith. Fairlawn. NJ.: second. Andy’s Folly, George Anderson. New York: third, N-5. Warren Kenny. Jericho. N.Y. Time—6.27.0. Speed—46.512 mph.
Second Heat—Won by (no name), Les Buckman, Baldwin. N.Y.; second. E-2, Nick Allen. Jr.. Newport News. Va.. third. Flying Scott V. Vic Scott. Levittown. N.Y. Time— 6.21.1. speed -47.219 m.P.h
Class ”C” Open
First Heat—Won by Dodo. Ben Jankowski. Glen Head. N.Y.. second. Flying Scott V., Vic Scott. Levittown. N.Y.: third. Poison James E Baden. Washington. Time—5.46.0. Speed—52.023 mob
Second Heat Won by Dodo second, Flying Scott V., third. Polson. Time—5.50 1. Speed—51 309 m.p.h
Class “F" Open
First Heat—Won by Dodo, Ben Jankowski, Glen Head. N.Y.; second, Poison. James F: Baden. Washington; third. Flying Scott VI., Vic Scott, Levittown. N.Y. Time— 5.54.4; speed—50.733 m p.h.
Second Heat—Won by Dodo; second. Poison; third. Flying Scott VI Time— 5.55.1; speed—50.676 m.P.h.
Stock Utility Outboards
Class “AU” Open
First Heat—Won by Fire Ball. Jr.. Edward Dietrich. Baltimore: second. Dinga Boy, Francis Pasovinl. Washington (only starters). Time — 9.30.1; speed—30.498
Second Heat—Won by Fire Ball. Jr.: second. Dlnga Boy Time—10.32.1; speed— 28.472 m p.h.
Point Standing—1. Fire Ball. Jr., .800; 2. Dinga Boy, 600.
Class “BU Open
First Heat—Won by Mickey-Jo, William Carbo. Jr., Washington; second. 37-P, Robert McLean, Reading. Pa.; third. Leap Frog, Donald Marshall, Wormleysburg. Pa. Time—8.21.4: speed—35.870 m.P.h.
Second Heat—Won by Mickey-Jo: second, My Love. Fulton Dowell, Dowell. Md.; third. Leap Frog. Time—8.09.2: speed—36.779 m.p.h.
Point Standing—1. Mickey-Jo, 800: 2. 37-P, 525. 3. My Love, 469.
Class "CU" Open
First Heat—Won by Lulu, Carl Breeland, Solomons. Md., second, Whirlwind Charles Wingo, Baltimore; third. Miss Sandra, Thomas Buckler, Solomons. Md. Time—8.51.2: speed—33.873 m.p.h.
Second Heat—Won by Miss Sandra: second, Lulu: third, Whirlwind, Time— 8.50.4; speed—33.911 m.p.h.
Point Standing—1. Lulu, 700: 2. Miss Sandra, 625; 3. Whirlwind, 525.
Class “DU Open
First Heat—Won by Pat Dee II, Jimmy Teagle. Hampton. Va; second, My Baby, Pres Woodburn, Solomons. Md third. Bouncing Baby. Fred R Snyder. Lancaster. Pa. Time—7.14.3. Speed—41.317 m p h
Second Heat—Won by Pat Dee II; second, Bouncing Baby: third, My Baby. Time— 7.06.2. Speed—42.213 m.p.h.
Point Standing—First, Pat Dee II, 800; second. Bouncing Baby. 525: third My Baby. 525. (Decided on best elapsed time).
Inboard Hydroplanes
Pacific—One Designs
First Heat—Won by Skipper, Roger Phelps. Hampton. Va.: second. Maggie VIII, Jack Cook. Dover. Del.; third. Maggie VII, Howard C. Turner. Dover. Dei. Time—6.43.0. Speed—44.665 m.p.h.
Second Heat—Won by Skipper, second, Maggie VIII: third. Sandy. Jack Secord, Cheswold. Del. Time—6.42.3. Speed-44.743 m.p.h. .
Point Standing—First. Skipper, 800, second. Maggie VIII, 600. Maggie VII, 225. (Decided over Sandy on best elapsed yime).
91 Cubic Inch
First and Second Heat*—Won by Angel Maker, Burt Trout, Salem. N.J (Only finisher). Best time—6.50.1. Speed— 43.992 m p.h.
--- August 27, 1950