1952 Biscayne Bay Regatta
Biscayne Regatta Split To Include Gold Cup Run
By Mert Wetstein
The world s oldest continuous power boat regatta—Miami’s JayCee sponsored Biscayne Bay extravaganza—was split into two sections yesterday to include Gold Cup world record speed trials and a closed course competition event.
The plans were revealed at a meeting of the Miami Gold Cup advisory committee with Jack Schafer.
Schafer, owner of the famous Gold Cup division's Such Crust stable, will bring the Such Crust III (1) — his latest creation — to Miami Feb. 6 to ready it for the speed trials which Regatta Chairman Henry Pohl. Jr. and trial chairman Charles Kittel have set for Feb. 28.
Waiting at their home bases and also expected here to compete with Schafer tn the attempt are Joe Schoenith's Gale II and Al FalIon's new Miss Great Lakes (II). Four other craft are listed as possibilities for the closed course races which have been set for March 9 They are Walter and Ray Dossin's Miss Pepsi. Horace Dodge's Hornet. Richard Riley's cupper [Miss Birmingham]—the former Miss Great Lakes—and Dan Murphy's Dee Jay.
In addition to their Miami visits, which may include an appearance in the Biscayne Bay event's first section Free-For-Ail Feb. 17. the Gold Cuppers will also visit West Palm Beach. Ft Lauderdale and Havana on their tentative winter circuit Though the dates have not been definitely set Schafer said he and the other owners would probably visit these spots during their Grapefruit Circuit races and run in special events.
The speed trials will be held over a three-mile stretch that will run on the Intercoastal Waterway from Miami’s Pelican Harbor Yacht Club on the 79th st. causeway up to a spot off Bal Harbor and Baker's Haulover. A measured mile in the middle of the course will be the speed "trap" where the boat's time will be electrically judged and the speed recorded.
The craft will be after the world speed mark of 160.323 miles per hour, now held by the famed Slo-Mo-Shun IV of California's [! - Washington] Stanley Sayres. Schafer's craft is reputed to be in the 190-mile per hour class and the other pair of definite contestants are also reportedly running better than the existing record speed.
Schafer's craft will be driven by Dan Foster, well-known Unlimited class driver, and its 36 foot length will be propelled along by a pair of 1,700 horsepower Allison aircraft engines. The spanking new three point craft has never been in competition and has been in the water only once.
Schafer will bring her here early in order to "run in" his new engines, and is expected to make test runs almost daily in an effort to get her ready to make her first competitive effort at the first section of the regatta.
The competitive course — a regulation three-mile affair — is being set up and surveyed by the committee and it will be immediately off the 79th St. causeway, extending northward in an oval off Normandy Isle. The craft will run three 15 mile heats for a cup that will be presented by the Jaycees. All three of the craft expected for the speed trials also have hopes of breaking the existing competition Gold Cup mark which now stands at slightly over 100 miles per hour.
--- January 19, 1952