1964 Governor's Cup
Year of the Green Dragon (excerpt)
by Eileen Crimmin; photos by Bob Carver
This race was no surprise, it was a shock! How? Look at the heat winners. Heat 1A, Tahoe Miss; Heat 1B, Miss U.S. 5; Heat 1C, Notre Dame; Heat 2A, Tahoe Miss; Heat 2B, Miss Smirnoff; Final, Smirnoff.
Who finished first overall? Tahoe Miss. Who finished ninth? Bardahl!
As for pollsters, speculators and punsters, all bets were off. Here was Tahoe Miss, the "Hard Luck Boat" of the season winning the 13th Annual Governor's Cup from a 13-boat field! Here was Bardahl, Queen of the Season, rating below such back-of-the-pack boats as Savair's Mist and Roostertail! Here was Madison finishing third overall, moving into second place in high point standings! Here was another boat, Smirnoff, to add to the other eight hot dogs!
Unlimited racing was open wider to more fast boats than at any time in its long history. If this kind of upset could happen at Governor's Cup, it could happen at President's Cup.
And it did.
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Governor's Cup hosted the first serious accident when Don Wilson was ejected from the U.S. 5 and sustained facial cuts from hitting the windshield. Musson in Bardahl struck a buoy which glued itself to the bow and remained there bright, glowing and embarrassing the remainder of the heat.
(Reprinted from the National Boat Racing 1965 Yearbook)