After 15 Years... Hydros return to Lake George

By Denis Hartnett, ACBS Rudder

There was smoke on the water and thunder in the mountains when the raceboats were once again running on Lake George. After a hiatus of fifteen years, the hydros returned for the Lake George Vintage Raceboat Regatta held this August 10th, a spectacular event sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association and supported by the ACBS. Vintage speedboats have continued to exert a fascination that has only grown stronger through the years as witnessed by a crowd numbering in the thousands and the hundreds of spectator boats who lined the course.
 

“The event was outstanding,” said Tom D’Eath. “For vintage boat owners, it was a huge success. It was a perfect opportunity to get the boats out so that people can see them. They don’t do any good sitting in our garages. Vintage raceboating is a family oriented hobby, and it’s a fast growing one. The vintage raceboat division (of the APBA) is attracting 60 to 100 new members each month.”
 

As chairman of the Vintage and Historic Division of the APBA since its inception in 1994, D’Eath has used his skills and reputation to promote the preservation and display of the kind of powerboats that made him a household name. It was in this capacity that Jean Hoffman, then president of the ACBS, approached him and made the case for Lake George. D’eath and his wife Judy had brought WaWa Too, one of the most famous hydroplanes ever built, to the annual Rendezvous and was scouting locations for an APBA sanctioned vintage speedboat regatta. The result: an event that many hope will become a bi-annual affair.
 

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Those were certainly the sentiments expressed by Teri Hoffman, the organizer of the Regatta. Indicative of its promising future, Hoffman said, was the fact that 37 of the 41 registered boats were from somewhere other than Lake George.
Hoffman herself entered two boats: a 1980s hydroplane built by famed raceboat builder Henry Lauterbach, and a wooden boat that she designed herself and built over the course of three years incorporating elements of racing boats from the 1930s.
 

Three classes of vintage boats participated in the event: 3-point hydros, which dominated speedboat racing in the 1940s and 50s; Gentleman’s Racers from the 1920s and 30s, and Jersey Speed Skiffs, smaller lapstrake, flat-bottomed boats capable of reaching speeds of 80 mph and known for their acrobatic agility.
 

Photo Gallery II

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Some of the finest boats and drivers from across the country and Canada were part of this historic event. Among the Gold Cup racers and Grand Prix hydros were such names as Delphine IV, Obsession, Miss Dinomytes, Irishman and Executif 3.
 

The weekend began on Friday with a parade of boats, accompanied by color guards and bagpipes. Saturday’s races commenced with the hydroplanes, followed by the Jersey Speed Skiffs and then the wooden boats of the Gold Cup era. The event concluded with a “Meet the Drivers” cocktail reception.