1954 Salton Sea Regatta

Lake Tahoe, CA, November 5-9, 1954

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Reno Boat Hits 166 MPH; Second Fastest in World

SALTON SEA, Calif., Nov. 8. (Special to the Journal)—Second fastest time ever recorded by a boat was achieved here today when Bill Stead of Reno, Nev., piloted his huge red Hurricane IV across the rough, salty waters of the Salton Sea at a terrific speed.

The Reno-based hydroplane was officially clocked at 166 miles per hour for one run through the mile long timing “gates" here, and its average for the two runs (counting the return trip) was an official 163.824 MPH.

This missed the world's record of 178.4 set on Lake Washington at Seattle two years ago by Stan Sayres' Slo-mo-shun IV. This same craft previously held the world record of 160 which was surpassed here today by Hurricane IV. Best time ever recorded by any other boat was 156 MPH by Such Crust of Detroit, Mich. Up to four years ago the world record was 124 MPH, held by Sir Malcolm Campbell of England.

Hurricane IV defied very rough water, in which the big rollers served to check an even better speed. Stead waited from early morning for the conditions to clear, but the surface continued to grow rougher so he went out for his final spin late this afternoon.

Conditions were far from ideal, due to the limited visibility here on this inland lake. Because there were no distant landmarks to sight on, it was believed that Hurricane IV may have entered the timing traps at an angle instead of straight-on, thus costing some MPH off the total time. Some observers, estimating Hurricane's speed with distant scanning instruments. believed that the Nevada craft hit a maximum rate at some spots of 185 miles per hour!

Expected to give Hurricane IV a battle for its second straight Salton Sea regatta championship, a Lake Tahoe craft. Breathless, loaded to reach its potential.

Driven by Jay Murphy, Breathless did have a best run of 136 MPH, but its average was 124. Breathless found a lot of trouble with the choppy water here.

Stead's time today broke his own two-days-old record for Gold Cup Class craft (Slo-mo-shun is in the unlimited class); cracked his own Salton Sea record, and gave him his second straight Salton Sea regatta championship.

--- Nevada State Journal, November 9, 1954