Serious News
05-27-2013, 08:08 PM
Our friend jetcruzer is on his way with U57 in tow. I'm sure our friend Steve David is there, or going soon. Here's a little update until the action starts.
THE HISTORY OF HYDROPLANES AND FOLSOM LAKE
Unlimited hydroplane racing returns to Folsom Lake this May 31-June 2 as part of “Big Wake Weekend” at Granite Bay in Sacramento, California. The world’s largest and fastest racing boats last appeared on Folsom Lake in 1966 and 1967. The event was known as the Sacramento Cup in those days.
The fleet of boats that showed up for those early Folsom Lake races had almost nothing in common with their modern counterparts. All were piston-powered and all but one used government surplus Allison or Rolls-Royce Merlin aircraft engines, left over from World War II. (Jet turbine power in race boats was considered to be in the realm of science fiction in the 1960s.)
The hydroplanes themselves were rather narrow and quite box-shaped. The driver sat behind–rather than in front of–the engine in an open cockpit with no seat belt. (In the days before the F-16 safety canopy, it was believed that a driver had a better chance of surviving a serious accident if he were thrown clear of his boat.)
The modern Unlimiteds are wider and flatter and can corner much better and faster than the earlier designs.
The one thing that the boats of 1966 did have in common with those racing in 2013 was tremendous straightaway speed. Then as now, the sight of an Unlimited hydroplane at full throttle and with a roostertail of spray trailing behind it is the most awesome spectacle in all of motor sports.
Some of the most prominent names in hydroplane history appeared at that 1966 Sacramento race. These included Bill Harrah’s National Champion TAHOE MISS, Bernie Little’s MISS BUDWEISER, Bill Sterett’s MISS CHRYSLER CREW, Jim Ranger’s MY GYPSY, the community-owned MISS MADISON from Indiana, and Jim Herrington’s MISS LAPEER, the eventual winner.
Veteran Unlimited hydroplane fans, arriving for the first time at Folsom Lake, were surprised to behold a smaller than usual race course: 2-1/2 miles instead of the usual 3 miles.
During the post-World War II era from 1946 to 1965, virtually every Unlimited venue measured 3 miles or larger. The trend to smaller courses began in 1966. “This was done to improve spectator vantage points,” Sacramento Cup promoter Phil Cole explained. “When the turns are closer together, the spectator can see more of the race.” All of today’s H1 Unlimited race courses are 2 miles or 2-1/2 miles in circumference.
H1 UNLIMITED BACK AT FOLSOM LAKE » BIG WAKE WEEKEND | H1 RACING -- WAKEBOARDING WITH HYPERLITE -- PICNIC AND PARTY FOLSOM LAKE (http://bigwakeweekend.com/h1-unlimited-back-at-folsom-lake/)
THE HISTORY OF HYDROPLANES AND FOLSOM LAKE
Unlimited hydroplane racing returns to Folsom Lake this May 31-June 2 as part of “Big Wake Weekend” at Granite Bay in Sacramento, California. The world’s largest and fastest racing boats last appeared on Folsom Lake in 1966 and 1967. The event was known as the Sacramento Cup in those days.
The fleet of boats that showed up for those early Folsom Lake races had almost nothing in common with their modern counterparts. All were piston-powered and all but one used government surplus Allison or Rolls-Royce Merlin aircraft engines, left over from World War II. (Jet turbine power in race boats was considered to be in the realm of science fiction in the 1960s.)
The hydroplanes themselves were rather narrow and quite box-shaped. The driver sat behind–rather than in front of–the engine in an open cockpit with no seat belt. (In the days before the F-16 safety canopy, it was believed that a driver had a better chance of surviving a serious accident if he were thrown clear of his boat.)
The modern Unlimiteds are wider and flatter and can corner much better and faster than the earlier designs.
The one thing that the boats of 1966 did have in common with those racing in 2013 was tremendous straightaway speed. Then as now, the sight of an Unlimited hydroplane at full throttle and with a roostertail of spray trailing behind it is the most awesome spectacle in all of motor sports.
Some of the most prominent names in hydroplane history appeared at that 1966 Sacramento race. These included Bill Harrah’s National Champion TAHOE MISS, Bernie Little’s MISS BUDWEISER, Bill Sterett’s MISS CHRYSLER CREW, Jim Ranger’s MY GYPSY, the community-owned MISS MADISON from Indiana, and Jim Herrington’s MISS LAPEER, the eventual winner.
Veteran Unlimited hydroplane fans, arriving for the first time at Folsom Lake, were surprised to behold a smaller than usual race course: 2-1/2 miles instead of the usual 3 miles.
During the post-World War II era from 1946 to 1965, virtually every Unlimited venue measured 3 miles or larger. The trend to smaller courses began in 1966. “This was done to improve spectator vantage points,” Sacramento Cup promoter Phil Cole explained. “When the turns are closer together, the spectator can see more of the race.” All of today’s H1 Unlimited race courses are 2 miles or 2-1/2 miles in circumference.
H1 UNLIMITED BACK AT FOLSOM LAKE » BIG WAKE WEEKEND | H1 RACING -- WAKEBOARDING WITH HYPERLITE -- PICNIC AND PARTY FOLSOM LAKE (http://bigwakeweekend.com/h1-unlimited-back-at-folsom-lake/)