1957 Presidents Cup
New Cup Marks Seen If Weather Is Good
Washington, Sept. 15 — (AP) - Speedboat followers predicted Thursday that with good weather over the week end the Presidents Cup records won’t stand up against the roaring onslaught of the nation's fastest hydroplanes.
The weather, however, may serve to protect the times set last year.
Forecasters look for a warm Saturday, when the two-day regatta begins, but with scattered showers and southerly winds that may rumple the Potomac River by late afternoon.
Shallow and susceptible to breezes at the race course, the Potomac often has given the unlimited hydros a battering in the 25 previous runnings of the capital’s speedboat classic. Conditions usually are rougher here than at Seattle and Detroit, scene of the Gold and Silver Cup races.
Jack Ramsey, crew chief for Seattle’s Thriftway hydroplanes, predicted the winner of this year’s three-step, 45-mile race will have to average at least 100 miles per hour. If the water is gentle, he said, the pace may go up to 105 or 106.
Detroit’s Miss Pepsi established the race record last year with a 97.239 average. Even so, Miss Pepsi, now retired from competition, finished second to Seattle's Miss Thriftway. Bill Muncey drove Thriftway to two firsts and a second for a higher point total. In the process he set the 3-mile lap record of 104.449 and 15-mile heat mark of 101.427.
Miss Thriftway is back to defend her title against an anticipated fleet of 16 craft Nine of the boats are already here, another on the way and Detroit’s group expected Friday.
Some of tiie contenders took to the water for initial test runs Thursday. Championship heats start Saturday afternoon and the final for the six qualifiers goes off Sunday afternoon.
— September 15, 1957
Hydros on Potomac for Presidents Cup
Washington, Sept. 18. (AP) - Nine big speedboats, the vanguard of the Presidents Cup fleet, underwent mechanical checkups today in advance of their first test runs on Potomac River.
The nine unlimited hydroplanes here for the 26th Presidents cup regatta this Saturday and Sunday included the entire west coast contingent.
Still missing were Detroit's entries, but they were expected to pull in by trailer within the next 36 hours to renew their ancient vendetta with the Seattle racers
Willard Rhodes’ Miss Thriftway, 1956 Presidents Cup victor, and a sister hydro, Thriftway Too, reached the capital almost two weeks ago. They came from Detroit, where Bill Muncey drove Miss Thriftway to second in the (Silver cup regatta.
Muncey and Thrifty had previously teamed in Seattle for their second straight Gold cup triumph. The three-year-old Thrifty now leads in the season's high point competition for unlimited hydros.
Silver Champ There
Hawaii Kai III, driven by Jack Regas to a record-breaking Silver Cup victory, is another of the Seattle boats already on the scene. Lawrence (Mike) Welsch heads the Seattle group now operating Hawaii Kai.
Early arrivals also included Miss Wahoo, owned by William E. Boeing Jr., Seattle; Maverick and Shanty I, William T. Waggoner, Phoenix and Seattle; Breathless II, J. Philip Murphy, Piedmont, Calif.; Miss Supertest II, J. Gordon Thompson, London, Ont., and My Darling, A. S. Marcy, Lake Springfield, Ill.
Crews worked over the craft in hangars at Anacostia naval air station.
— September 18, 1957
Hydroplanes May Shatter Cup Records
Washington, Sept. 19 (AP) - Speedboat followers predicted today that with good weather over the week end the President's Cup records won’t stand up against the roaring onslaught of the nation’s fastest hydroplanes.
The weather, however, may serve to protect the times set last year.
Forecasters look for a warm Saturday, when the two-day regatta begins, but with scattered showers and southerly winds that may rumple the Potomac River by late afternoon.
Shallow and susceptible to breezes at the race course, the Potomac often has given the unlimited hydros a battering in the 25 previous runnings of the capital’s speedboat classic. Conditions usually are rougher here than at Seattle and Detroit, scene of the Gold and Silver Cup races.
— September 19, 1957
Charlie Loses In Qualifier
Washington, Sept. 21 — Wildroot Charlie, Buffalo's entrant in the Presidents Cup Regatta, missed qualifying today for the final heat by a stroke of hard luck.
Wildroot Charlie powered into the lead on the fifth and last lap of her second heat and might have held the position but suddenly swerved toward the middle of the course and could recover only for a third place at the finish.
Driver Bob Schroeder apparently misjudged one of the straightaway markers for a turn buoy and cut his wheel too soon. As a result Wildroot Charlie finished behind Shanty I and Maverick.
Wildroot Charlie, bought this year by a Buffalo group headed by George J. Trimper, finished third in her first heat, and had 450 points for the day. She was seventh in the standings, and only six qualified for the final heat tomorrow afternoon.
Before today, Wildroot Charlie had been riding in third place in season’s point competition among the big hydroplanes.
The 29½ yellow and black racer averaged 87.378 miles per hour around her first 15-mile heat and stepped it up to 95.087 for the second,
--- September 20, 1957