1955 Mapes Mile High Gold Cup
Big Hydroplanes Seek Gold Cup In Tahoe Mile-High Race Today
Hundreds of fans from Reno, Sparks and other cities of the area are planning to throng today to Tahoe City to watch the annual spectacular Mile-High Regatta at the northwest end of Lake Tahoe.
Competition will be held in eight divisions—the unlimited hydroplanes, seven litres, cracker box, B racing runabout, 48-cubic inch hydroplane, 136-cubic inch, 135-inch and 225-cubic inch.
But for the spectators who are expected to throng the piers and beaches for miles in the Tahoe City area, the Tahoe Gold Cup event for the unlimited hydroplanes is the big race.
The beautiful Mapes Gold Cup is at stake in competition by the big boats, which will run three separate heats (10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.) for the $5,000 perpetual trophy donated by Charles Mapes of Reno.
Most of the other events will be run in two heats, sandwiched In between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. General tickets at Tahoe City are $1 for adults and 50c for children. The reserved seat tickets are $2.50 a copy. The programs are selling for 50c each.
Stan Dollar, perennial ruler of Lake Tahoe’s waters who suffered a mishap last year when his veteran Short Snorter shipped water and sank just before he reachel shore, is back for another shot at the title.
The Murphy family will enter the powerful Breathless, third last year, with Jay Murphy at the wheel.
Zephyr Fury, owned by Ray Crawford and Howard Gidovlenko, and Henry J. Kaiser’s Scooter Too, will be dark horse threats today.
Most publicized entry, but one which suffered a bad mishap yesterday, was Kaiser’s new hydroplane Hawaii Kai, sister ship to the Miss Thriftway (of Gold Cup fame at Seattle).
Yesterday Hawaii Kai, which clocked 100 mph in a first workout at Tahoe two weeks ago, was making a trial spin and fell victim to a broken propeller blade. The mishap also bent the prop shaft at a 30-degree angle. In addition, the powerful craft suffered a broken intermediate strut, several broken cross-members, and a bent rear strut.
However, it was indicated by Edgar Kaiser, the Hawaii Kai may be repaired in time for today’s Gold Cup event. The crew was lucky in getting replacements for the damaged parts flown in from San Francisco in a short time.
— Nevada State Journal, September 10, 1955