Hydro-plane boats

VaDirt

VaDirt

Dirt Track Fanatic
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
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Poquoson, VA
No forums about boats, but there's now a thread:) This was the first time I ever saw the boats race, and it was pretty damn cool.

This past weekend, Hampton, VA hosted its 86th annual Hampton Cup Regatta in the waters off of old Fort Monroe. Fairly protected cove in the Hampton Roads waterways, and a beautiful setting for racing. Open to the public with a great viewing area, this unique event feature numerous classes of hydro-plane boats, as well as some flat-bottom speed boats and open hull "jersey skiffs" racing a 1 mile oval course. Interrupted on the first day by severe thunderstorms, day two saw racing all day long featuring the famous "rooster tails" that are a great part of this sport, with drivers from as far away as Montana, Washington State, and even Canada racing their hardest.

Just check out www.luvracin.com, click on Virginia, then on the "photo features" tab.
 
Love boat racing and have witnessed all sorts of them from unlimited to 100 cc outboard hydroplanes. Also love what the US calls Grand Prix Boat Racing. These boats can turn almost 90 degrees and they don't race four or five for a couple of laps. Check out their web site at http://www.champboat.com/
 
I've never had the oppurtunity to go to a Unlimited Hydroplane race but everytime I see on on the hauler at a truckstop or rest area I wander over and check them out. The boats have unbelievable craftsmanship and attention to detail just beautiful workmanship.
Makes me miss the days when you used to see ALL the racecars out on open trailers and ramptrucks :( Personaly I think stuffing our racecars away in big ass trailers has taken away from our sport and cut down on fans. I don't know how many times back in the day we would have people talk to us at gas stations/rest areas and even running down the road I wonder how many of them decided to go to the races that night just because they saw a racecar going down the road?

I know when we hauled my old midget on a open trailer over to the Zepherhills Oldie Show behind my friends restored 57 Chevrolet Cameo truck. We literally had a caravan following us when we arrived at the gate! Sure was Fun driving the old cackling banger around the track wish I had a set of dirt tires :D
 
Watching the unlimiteds is something else for sure, but they have to be on really smooth water or they will cancel. The smaller series will run on much rougher waters and can have as much excitement as the big boys. Also, the Grand Prix series can run on rivers as well as the open water. I've seen everything from a 100 cc outboard hydroplane, to the top series run. They are all great to watch. Nothing like seeing a boat get wobbly and then heading for the heavens. I sure wouldn't want to be in one of those boats, but the safety today is so much better than in the older days just like NASCAR.
 
FlFlash said:
Makes me miss the days when you used to see ALL the racecars out on open trailers and ramptrucks :( Personaly I think stuffing our racecars away in big ass trailers has taken away from our sport and cut down on fans. I don't know how many times back in the day we would have people talk to us at gas stations/rest areas and even running down the road I wonder how many of them decided to go to the races that night just because they saw a racecar going down the road?
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Won't see ours inside a trailer!

Very true statement, though. Enclosed trailers have killed the fanbase of racing.
 
Ever sen a top fuel drag boat run? Think funny cars on water.
 
I am V-Driven born and raised. Dragboats and flatbottom circle boats are my thing. To me there's nothing better. :D
 
This is a guy I've known since the 70's
50 foot unlimited cat, 185+ mph. Just upgraded the turbos and new outdrives. hoping for 195
 
I used to watch the unlimited hydroplane races on SpeedTV. The racing was closer to airplane racing. The Miss Budweiser was dominate for a long time.
 
Ahhhhh boats.

Watched the Unlimiteds at San Diego Bayfair last year, missed the event a couple weeks ago but boy are they fun to watch live... even if there are only like 6 of them and they are running out of chopper engines to stuff in them.
 
The West Coast swing of the 2024 H1 Unlimited season begins on the Columbia River in Tri-Cities, Washington. LIVE
 
Used to watch drag boats on Oak Hollow Lake in High Point, NC. Great show, and they let you wander through the "pits" to see the boats and talk to the racers. But the races died out in the 1990s after locals complained about the noise and worried about polluting their drinking water reservoir. There were a few races staged since then (although it's been about ten years since the last time) but they were not well run or promoted. Now the City Council laments losing the revenue that the races brought, but nobody agrees upon a solution.
 
FlFlash said:
I've never had the oppurtunity to go to a Unlimited Hydroplane race but everytime I see on on the hauler at a truckstop or rest area I wander over and check them out. The boats have unbelievable craftsmanship and attention to detail just beautiful workmanship.
Makes me miss the days when you used to see ALL the racecars out on open trailers and ramptrucks :( Personaly I think stuffing our racecars away in big ass trailers has taken away from our sport and cut down on fans. I don't know how many times back in the day we would have people talk to us at gas stations/rest areas and even running down the road I wonder how many of them decided to go to the races that night just because they saw a racecar going down the road?

I know when we hauled my old midget on a open trailer over to the Zepherhills Oldie Show behind my friends restored 57 Chevrolet Cameo truck. We literally had a caravan following us when we arrived at the gate! Sure was Fun driving the old cackling banger around the track wish I had a set of dirt tires :D
Click to expand...
We always used open trailers, too. It was mostly a budget issue, but it also helped attract small local sponsors. I would pull the trailer / race car with my 3/4 ton van, which could hold the stuff that was small and/or couldn't take a chance on getting wet. Obviously we didn't bring a spare motor (or even whole spare car like some of our rivals).

Many times over the years I've been in unfamiliar areas and found race tracks or race shops by following race cars towed on open trailers. The first time I went to Williams Grove I wasn't sure where to turn at a major intersection in Mechanicsburg, but while waiting at the traffic light I saw a sprinter on an open trailer towed through the intersection - so I followed it. Took me to the back side (pit side) of the track plus the back-straight grandstands, which turned out to be a great spot since there was a lot of action on the back-straight and going into the third turn. That sprinter turned out to be the #99 "****box" sprinter driven by Jan Opperman, although he didn't do well since this was after his 1976 head injuries that he never recovered from.


lol, racing-forums has censored the name of that car
 
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