Event Coverage Vintage 40's, 50's and 60's hydroplanes- ran last weekend

I know this is probably going to get deleted, but I was sure impressed. And nothing is more "hot rod" on the water then a wood hydro with a aircraft engine in it. Last weekend at Lake Chelan, WA they had a vintage hydroplane race. From very small to the huge unlimiteds. Hearing them was awesome! A real treat as I don't know how many people have local boats who still run on the water? Note the gauges, steering wheels, engines...just beautiful. And a wood boat show too boot at the docks! Hope you enjoy the coverage

 

More to come

 

Very nice!!
Thanks Chris, and video?

 

Great shots,and thanks.

 

Chris these, great pics!

 

Liked that sunset and the flathead powered boat,thanks again.

 

They're a thing of beauty aren't they. The hot rods of the water. Thanks for all the pics.

 

WOOD N' WATER..............Beautiful. Thanks !

 

NO, YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING "DELETED" !!! We've had them posted before, the only complaint was "We want more"!! An aircraft engine powered 'Unlimited' is sorta like an Offenhauser powered 'Indie roadster' : Always welcome here, at least in my book!! Oh hell yes, they are most definitely "Hot Rods"!!!

 

Chris, is this an annual event? I would travel to eastern WA to see this NO PROBLEM! MAN I miss vintage hydros, I used to see them at Allouette Lake when I was a kid, theres a big hole in my soul where those memories reside. I want to share this with my daughter so bad!

 

Man, with those mountains so close to the lake, it must sound FANTASTIC. Same thing at Allouette, the mountains rose straight up out of the lake on the backside, the sound would reverberate off the mountains and come right back at you. If this is on next year, I'M COMING!
man, "Miss Bardahl" and "Miss Thriftway", those names were like a magic spell when I was a kid. I had an "Unlimited Hydros" disc for my viewmaster when I was like 6. I'm almost tearing up here...

 

Looks like an annual deal. I'm in!

 

A great event and location. Also notice the burned mountainside in the background . That was on fire last month and devastated the area

 

Thanks for the coverage. There is a Race Boat Regatta at the Clayton N.Y. antique boat museum every other year for the folks that live back east. Look at the museum's web site for dates and pictures from years past.

 

Looks like a great event, I hope to make it out to see one of these days. Although it is kinda painful to see all that wood in fresh water.

With my pile of junk in the garage, and a wife who is a wooden-boat shipwright, I might just have to add a crackerjack boat to the list of 'somedays'...

 

Great pics, many thanks.....have a question tho.........that small green boat # R77 with the outboard with 6 megaphones.......what is the engine?.........lol........thanks, andyd

 

Thanks Chris, old Hydro's are awesome !

 

very cool, thanks

 

Thanks Chris, Great post. Hydroplanes are a big part of northwest history, I grew up
in the Seattle area in the late '40's thru the early '60's and have a lot of great memories
of boat racing around Seattle. Many of the unlimited pictured were in their hayday at the time.
I also remember going to small hydroplane races at Green lake and the runabout races at
the Samamish slew , but the best were the unlimited boats on Lk. Washington
Thanks again for the moment, ............................ Jack

 

Any car crazy kid growing up here in the sixties would have at least seen the smaller hydros on local lakes, it was huge here in the sixties. Really a big part of local car culture. Man, we have lost so much...

 

WOW!! Brings back memories. The Oberto boat and Thriftway ran demo's on the lake @ Coeur'd lene a couple of years ago during their wooden boat show. Local group tried to revive the sport, didn't fly for some reason. If your ever in CDA, check out the backroom Hudsons burgers on Sherman St, loads of Hydro info / pics.

 

Thanks Chris! I think I might have to skip the Wings and Wheels show next year and run up to Chelan to check this out. I also am a wooden boat and Hydro fan. Did you stick around for Sunday? If so were there many boats there on Sunday?

 

Thanks for posting, water-borne hot rods...love the finished wood...

 

Yes as you found out this is an annual event. I've been a couple times, don't know why more people do not go

I do not know but it was one of the loudest on the water

 

Yes I was there Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon...half my pics were taken Sunday. Most of Saturday I was at an auction about 20 miles out of town. It's an all weekend event

 

Thanks Chris!

 

Just cause they don't have wheels don't mean they aint hot rods. Great pics!

"My Sweetie" shows a bunch of sprint car influence.

 

Both OMC & merc have been producing v-6 motors for 25 or more years ... one way or another , that little utility would be a handful !!!
dave