1954 Buffalo Launch Club Regatta
Launch Club Summaries
Results Sunday:
7 Litre Hydroplanes (National Championship)
First heat
So Long, Ray Fageol, Cuyahoga Falls, O.; Wildcatter, Burnett G. Bartley Jr., Columbus O.; Mercury, Oliver M Elam Jr., Ashland, Ky.; Gangway, B.G. Bartley Sr., Pittsburgh; Time, 4:03.5. average speed for 5-mile course, 73.92 miles per hour (Buffalo Launch Club course record).
Second heat
So Long, Wildcatter, Gangway; Black Gold, W. Gerald Bailey, Harrisburg, Pa.; 4:04.2. 73.71 mph.
Final Standing—Fageol, 800 points; Bartley Jr., 600; Bartley Sr., 394; Bailey, 296; Elam Jr., 225.
Class E Racing Runabouts (National Championship)
First heat
Bouncy Barby II, Ed Brown, Sacramento, Calif.; Roughneck, Bob Willis, Long Beach, Calif.; Go Devil, Bill Yaeger, Warren. Pa ; Tor-Gre, Ralph Barker, Niagara Falls: 4:44.6, 63.247 mph (BLC record) Ed Endres, BLC, disqualified in Dawn II.
Second heat
Roughneck, Rebel Angel, Sherm Critchfield, St. Petersburg. Fla.; Rockabye V. Russ Kirkpatrick. Clarksburg, W. Va.; Tor-Gre; 4 44.6. 63.247 mph.
Final standing—Willis, Critchfield, Brown, Kirkpatrick, Barker.
225 Cubic-Inch Hydros
First heat
My Sin II, Hank Vogel, Rochester; Miss Columbus, Chuck Hunter, Columbus. O; Cheetah, Chuck Irish, Hamilton, Ont., 4:21.9. 68 72.5 mph (BLC record).
Second heat
My Ambition IV, Bob Schroeder, North Tonawanda, My Sin II, Miss Columbus; 4:19.7, 69.311 (BLC record).
Final standing—Vogel, Hunter, Schroeder.
135 Hydros (Gasoline only)
First heat
Woofen, driven by Vogel, owner Norm Barry, Buffalo; Skippy, Don Johnston, Smith Falls, Ont.; Little Audrey, owned by Vogel; 4:51.6, 61.728 mph.
Second heat
Woofen, Little Audrey, Dragon, Bob Schroeder, owner, Sam Crooks, Madeira Beach, Fla.; 4:33.9, 65.741 (BLC record).
Final standing— Vogel-Barry, Vogel, Johnston, Schroeder, Crooks.
Unlimited Hydros
Chro-Mate, driven by Ron Musson, Akron, O., owned by Frank Hearn Jr., Toledo, O.; Mama’s Mink, Tommie Turner, Kenmore, owned by Joe Less, North Tonawanda; So Long, Fageol; Wildcatter, B.G. Bartley Jr.; 7:09.5, 75.44 mph for BLC 10-mile record.
Chance Race (Local)
Malfunction, Marlowe Pichel, Lewiston, N.Y.; Honey Bun, Carol M. (Fritzie) and Gwennie Rich, Williamsville, Betty Ann, Dr. August C. Schwender, Eggertsville; Boo Hoo Two, John T. Clark, Buffalo; Ray West, Williamsville; Worry Wart, Mike Eberle, Tonawanda; Oswegatchie, Al Preston, Buffalo; Buddy Joan, Frank Reichlin, Buffalo; Sandra Mae, Mel Rupp Jr., Grand Island; The Old Goat, Peggy Malican, Buffalo; Jango, John Gonctek, Buffalo.
* * *
Results Saturday:
Class D, E and F Service Runabouts (National Championships)
First heat, (actual finish):
Skip, Harry Bickford. Hampton. Va.; Nitrogen. Howard G. Hibbert, Miami. Fla.; Rockabye IV, Kirkpatrick;
Class D
Skip. 6;13.1, 48.251 mph (BLC record);
Class E
Rockabye IV, Miss You. Bill Engle. Washington. Pa.; Live Wires. George Klein, Buffalo; 6 26 6. 46 56 mph.
Class F
Nitrogen,Wendy II, Dr. Charles A. Pankow, Buffalo; Joyan II, Bill Oldfield, Buffalo; Miss Niagara. John Atkinson, Buffalo; 6:19 5, 47.43 mph (BLC record).
Second heat (actual finish)
Skip, Nitrogen, Baby Loon, Al Boyd, Tonawanda, owner George Trimper, Eggertsville; Wendy II, Joyan II Miss Niagara.
Class D
Skip, Baby Loon. 5 54.9, 50.753 mph (world and BLC record).
Class E
Miss You. Bob-An-I, Woody Rice, Wilmington. Del.: 7:01.6 52.694 (BLC record).
Class F
Nitrogen, Wendy II, Joyan II. 6:18.5, 47.569 mph (BLC record).
Final standing
D. Bickford, Boyd; E. Engle, Rice, Kirkpatrick; F. Hibbert, Dr. Pankow, Oldfield.
266 Hydros
First heat
Chro-Mate, Musson-Hearn Jr.; Water Bug, Sam Guarino. Detroit. Mama’s Mink, Turner-Less: 4:07.9, 72.639 mph (BLC record).
Second heat
Chro-Mate, Escapade II. driver Bob Schroeder, owner Dr. Paul LaTour. Montreal; 3:56.8. 76.013 mpn (BLC record).
Final standing — Musson, Schroeder, Guarino.
135 Hydros (methanol)
First heat
Allegro, driver Al Bingham, Buffalo, owner Ed Galley, Gardenville; Royal Rebel, Turner; Adios, George Kane, Allen Park. Mich.; Dragon, Hibbert: The Moaner, Lou Balas, Oak Park, Ill.; Little Audrey, Vogel. 4 39.8, 64 322 mph
Second heat
Chromium, Musson-Hearn Jr; Woofen, Vogel-Barry; Skippy, Johnston, 4:15. 70.588 mph (BLC record).
Third heat
Chromium. Allegro, Woofen. Little Audrey, Turner, Hibbert-Schroeder.
48 Hydros
First heat
Mad Atom, Bill Schicora, Kenmore; Why Willie, Bill Gillies. Detroit; Sleep Stealer. Primo Ardune. Detroit; 5 40 8. 52 817 mph (BLC record)
Second heat
Why Worry, Gordie Harper. Detroit; Rebel Angel, Critchfield; Sleep Stealer; Mad Atom. 5 28 8, 54.745 mph (BLC record).
Final standings — Schicora, Ardune, Harper, Gillies, Critchfield.
Canadian One-Design
First heat
My Tootsy, Pete Buichell, Perth, Ont; 5:36, 45.454 mph
Second heat
Shaker, Jim Greenhaugh, Toronto, 6:45.1, 44.444 mph.
— August 16, 1954