1959 APBA Gold Cup
Your 1959 Timetable for the Seattle Seafair
The summertime Seafair festival at Seattle includes more competitive nautical events than any other show in America. Water skiing races, sailing regattas, outboard championships, inboard races and free cruises come to an end on the last day when as the grand finale the Seattle YC puts the fabled Gold Cup at stake against unlimited hydroplane challengers from all over the United States.
Gold Cup Facts to Remember
The Gold Cup is now the only unlimited hydroplane race were there is a bonus (400 points) given for the fastest race. Points are also awarded to each craft on each heat, 400 for first-place, 300 for next, and 225, 169, 27, 95 and 71 points. Only the fastest 21 qualifiers will start. Boats will be limited to 7 to each heat. The first heat will have three sections; the second heat will have to sections; and the final heat will have the fastest surviving 7 boats.
Trophies will include the Gold Cup to the winner; the Martini-Rossi trophy for the fastest heat; the Aaron deRoy Plaque for the fastest lap; and the Pop Cooper Trophy for the fastest qualifying time.
How to See the Gold Cup
Best place to see the race is from the deck of your own or somebody else's boat. The course along Lake Washington has been changed slightly in the log booms moved around as a safety measure; but there's just as much space as last year. Space costs $11 for small craft to $100 for 50-footers. Reserved land seats cost $3.50 on the West Shore; free admission to Lake Washington floating bridge and along East, West and South shores of Lake Washington.
Gold Cup Records
Lap (3 miles) -- 113.804 mph -- Miss Wahoo, Mira Slovak, driver Seattle, 1957
Heat (30 miles) -- 109.823 mph -- Hawaii Kai, Jack Regas, driver Seattle, 1957
Race (90 miles) -- 103.481 mph -- Hawaii Kai, Jack Regas, driver Seattle, 1958
August 3-8
Gold Cup qualifying, Lake Washington, on Gold Cup course. Challengers must run three laps at 95 mph or better. Fastest 21 qualifiers accepted. 11 AM-5 PM.
August 9
Gold Cup race -- Lake Washington, on Gold Cup course, south of floating bridge; 12-5 PM; unlimited hydroplanes; Stanley Donogh, referee; Don Amick, Gold Cup chairman; Andy Joy, vice-president; Phil Butler Jr., pit chairman; and Jack Glidewell, reg.; Harry M. Waves, assistant referee; Jerry Bryant, unlimited commissioner; 90 mile race, run in three 30-mile mile heats of 10 laps per heat around three mile course.
Tentative schedule calls for seven heats:
| Heat 1A | 12:00 noon |
| Heat 1B | 12:40 PM |
| Heat 1C | 1:20 PM |
| Heat 2A | 2:35 PM |
| Heat 2B | 3:15 PM |
| Jr. Crew | 4:00 PM |
| Final Heat | 4:30 PM |
Tentative Gold Cup Challengers
| No. | Name of Boat | Owner | YC | Length | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-00 | Maverick | William Waggoner Jr. | Lake Mead | 30-0 | Allison |
| U-2 | Miss U.S. 1 | George Simon | Detroit | 30-0 | Rolls |
| U-4 | Miss Burien | Tempest, Inc. | Seattle IRA | 27-4 | Allison |
| U-8 | Hawaii Kai III | Joe Mascari | 30-0 | Rolls | |
| U-19 | Coral Reef | Austin Snell | Tacoma | 29-0 | Allison |
| U-21 | Dollar Bill | Lawrence Schuyler | Southern California speedboat | 30-0 | Allison |
| U-22 | Breathless | J. Murphy Sr. | Lake Tahoe | 30-0 | Allison |
| U-25 | Miss Spokane | Spokane Citizens | Spokane | 29-2 | Rolls |
| U-37 | Miss Seattle | Anderson-Stoen | Seattle | 28-0 | Rolls |
| U-40 | Miss Bardahl | Ole Bardahl | Queen City | 30-0 | Rolls |
| U-47 | Miss Pay 'n Save | Hydros Inc. | Seattle | 30-0 | Rolls |
| U-55 | Gale V | Gale Electric | Detroit | 34-0 | Allison |
| U-56 | Gale VI | Gale Electric | Detroit | 34-0 | Allison |
| U-60 | Miss Thriftway | Willard Rhodes | Seattle | 30-9 | Rolls |
| U-62 | Thriftway Too | Willard Rhodes | Seattle | 34-0 | Rolls |
| U-77 | Miss Wahoo | Bill Boeing | Seattle | 30-0 | Rolls |
| U-79 | Nitrogen | Samuel Du Pont | Washington D.C. | 29-6 | Allison |
| U-88 | Fascination | Bob Gilliam | Tacoma | 32-0 | Allison |
| U-99 | Short Circuit | Thompson Electric | Windmill Pointe | 30-0 | Allison |
| U-222 | Breathless II | J. Murphy Jr. | Lake Tahoe | 31-0 | Allison |
| G-22 | Such Crust III | Jack Schafer | Detroit | 35-0 | Allison |
(Reprinted from Sea and Pacific Motor Boat, August 1959, pp. 22 +)