1960 Harmsworth Trophy
1960 August 20
Supertest Wins Harmsworth
Beats Back United States Threats
Second Title in Row for Miss Supertest
PICTON, Ont, Aug. 20. — (AP) — Sensational Miss Supertest III completely mastered a crippled United States’ team today and kept for Canada the Harmsworth trophy, international powerboating’s highest bauble.
The successful Canadian defender roared to her second straight victory in the best- of-three races while only one American boat of what started as a three-boat fleet finished.
Gale V of Detroit, the top United States’ hope and runner-up to Supertest in Friday’s first race, was unable to get her engine going. She was out of today’s race before the start with a dead battery.
* * *
Nitrogen Too, leading across the starting line, went dead in the water on the fifth lap.
Only Nitrogen, Nitrogen Too’s sister craft from Wilmington, Del., was able to carry the U. S.’s hopes to the finish. And Nitrogen was about four miles behind the zooming Supertest at the end of the 45-mile grind around the Bay of Quinte’s five-mile course.
This was only Canada’s second Harmsworth victory since the trophy first was offered by Alfred Harmsworth, a British publisher, in 1903. Supertest, with Bob Hayward at the wheel, won it last year in Detroit.
The U. S. has won the trophy 16 times and until last year, had held it for 39 years. The race is held only when there is a challenger.
Immediately after the race it was announced the 1961 Harmsworth would be held on the same course outside Picton provided another nation challenges Canada.
Hayward, Supertest’s 32-year-old chicken farmer pilot, sat back at the start today and didn’t make his bid until the second turn, entering the home stretch of the first lap. He passed Nitrogen there and took off after Nitrogen Too.
Along the back, 2¼-mile straightaway on the second lap, Hayward let Supertest go. Opening her throttle, Hayward sped past Nitrogen Too and pulled away steadily.
Supertest finished the race with an average speed of 115.48 m.p.h., a shade slower than her first heat record time yesterday.
Her best lap time was 126.22 m.p.h. on the second lap when she exceeded yesterday’s Harmsworth lap record by nearly two miles an hour.
— August 20, 1960
* * *
Supertest Roars Home
ITEM—To the surprise of nobody, Canada’s sizzling fast hydroplane Miss Supertest retains the Harmsworth Trophy with ease from three out-classed U. S, challengers.
COMMENT — Trying to catch driver Bob Hayward with the scows America sent to the Canadian competition is like matching Grandma Moses with sprint champ Ray Norton in the 100-yard dash. Supertest, with her big Rolls engine, can run away and hide from the Allison-powered U. S. boats which are restricted by the rules to the use of American-designed engines. Let’s admit Supertest is best, quit challenging for the Harmsworth, and promote a real-world championship race in which Hawaii Kai, Thriftway, Seattle Too, Miss Spokane, Miss U. S., etc., are eligible. Under present rules, the Harmsworth race is no contest.
— August 20, 1960