1954 Silver Cup
Detroit Boats Face Canadian Challenger in Silver Cup
Gale V Favored To Win
See 12 Starters In Monday’s Classic
By Tommy Devine
A fleet toughened by disappointments and spurred by hope of brighter days ahead will go to the starting line in the ninth Silver Cup regatta on the Detroit River Monday.
Rebuked for the fourth straight time in an effort to regain the Gold Cup from Stanley Sayres and his Slo-Mo-Shuns at Seattle last month, Detroit owners will attempt to salvage some prestige by turning back a Canadian challenger in the Silver Cup.
Sayres declined to send his all-conquering Slo-Mo-Shuns to Detroit for the Labor Day races or to Washington for the forthcoming Presidents Cup event. Inability to put together a crew was Sayres’ explanation for passing up the races.
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Eleven Detroit boats have been nominated for the Silver Cup. They are: Joe Schoenith’s entry of Gale IV and Gale V; George Simon’s Miss US; three boats owned by Horace Dodge; Chuck Thompson’s Short Circuit; Frank Saile’s Miss Cadillac; Chuck Doran’s Wha Hoppen Too and the Frederick Van Lennep entries of Pace Along and Trot Along, The latter two boats are the rechastened Such Crusts of Jack Schafer.
The Canadian challenger is a new boat owned by J. Gordon Thompson and James G. Thompson, Canadian oilmen. The boat, named Miss Supertest II, will be. driven by Bill Braden of Hamilton, Ont.
Miss Supertest failed in her initial effort to qualify Saturday. She was clocked at 83.07 mile per hour. To make the field boats must average 88 miles for one lap.
Three other boats also failed in their qualifying trials. They were Horace Dodge’s pair of My Sweetie and My Sweetie John Francis; and Pace Along, piloted by Chuck Thompson who has given up temporarily on making the grade with his Short Circuit.
Dodge came closest to earning a borth in the field. He made three qualifying tests in John Francis and on the fastest was clocked at 84.085 mph.
The course will be closed for qualifying between 6 and 8 a m. Monday.
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The “solid” craft in the Silver Cup appears to be Gale V, which will be driven by Lee Schoenith.
Gale V won two major regattas earlier in the season, the Maple Leaf and the Detroit Memorial.
Miss U.S. crashed during the running of the final heat in the Maple Leaf in mid June. Simon then had the boat rebuilt and it was ready for the Gold Cup at Seattle, where it took second place.
The Silver Cup will be contested in five heats of 12 miles each. The first heat is at 1:05 p.m., with the remainder at one hour intervals. The start and finish line will be in front of the Detroit Yacht Club, the host for the regatta.
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The regatta got under way Saturday when championships were decided in six classes.
The 48 class title went to Detroiter Roy Taber in Sleep Stealer. Bob Lueckenhoff, of Detroit, took the 135 class in Al D’Eath’s Sudden Death. Doug Brockman, of Cincinnati, captured the 225 class in Ballyhoo and B.G. Bartley, Sr. of Pittsburgh won the seven litre class in Gangway.
The 266 class was won by Sam Guarino, of Detroit, in his Water Bug. Guarino led most of the way in the first heat when the plywood on his starboard sponsoon began to peel and he was forced to slow down in order to finish. He took third place behind Skip Greiner, of Detroit, in Bee Jay and Doug Brockman in Gandy.
Between heats Guarino took the boat to his home, eight blocks from the Yacht Club, and made hasty repairs. He came back to win the second heat and the race.
Results of the 136 class were held up pending an Inspection of the engine in the winning boat, Jersey Devil of George Smith, Mount Holly, N.J. There was a question whether it met specifications. The second finisher in the event was Tom Skelly, of Detroit, in Vibrator.
--- September 5, 1954