1939: Motor-Boat Racing

A total of 43 new world speed records in 1939 highlighted one of motor-boat racing's most spectacular and successful years. Of these records, 21 were made by inboard boats and 22 by outboards. For the third successive year, Sir Malcolm Campbell of England set a new world record for unlimited boats. On Aug. 19, at Lake Coniston, England, he drove his Bluebird II to a speed of 141.74 m.p.h. for the measured mile to break his 1938 record of 130 m.p.h. In the unlimited outboard class, on May 20, Jean Dupuy of France set a new world speed mark of 79.04 m.p.h. on the Seine.

The Gold Cup, America's leading motor boating trophy, was returned to the east this year for the first time since 1936, when Z. G. Simmons, Jr. of Greenwich, Conn., in the competitions held Sept. 3-4 at Detroit drove his 12-litre hydroplane, My Sin, to a 90-mile total record average of 66.240 m.p.h. In the President's Cup Regatta, held Sept. 24, at Washington, Canada won its first major trophy on the continent. In this competition Harold Wilson of Ingersoll, Ont., piloting his father's Miss Canada III, established a total 45-mile record average of 63,644 m.p.h. In the most popular inboard racing class, that of the 225-cubic inch hydroplanes, George Schrafft of Newton, Mass., retained his title as the leading class point winner for 1939 and also became the national champion by winning the John Charles Thomas Trophy competition.

The most popular and attractive regatta of the season was once again the National Sweepstakes held Aug. 19-20 at Red Bank, N. J. In addition to producing a new record of 291 starters, this regatta saw six new speed marks established. The featured race for the National Sweepstakes trophy was won by S. M. Auerbach of Atlantic City whose 4-litre racer Emancipator VII was piloted by T. Pezillo.

In outboard racing Clinton R. Ferguson of Waban, Mass., an amateur, dethroned the professional Fred Jacoby, Jr. or North Bergen, N. J., as the national high point outboard champion for 1939, scoring 22,078 points to win the Townsend Gold Medal. Fred Jacoby placed second with 18,371 points. As an amateur Ferguson automatically captured the Round Hill Trophy awarded to the country's leading amateur outboard driver. The outboard racing season was climaxed by the National Championships held in September, at Fort Worth, Texas, at which Ferguson won the Class A and F amateur titles, and Paul Wearly of Muncie, Ind., captured the Class A and B titles among the professionals. In the eleventh Albany to New York marathon race on May 14, Clayton Bishop of Onset, Mass., repeated his 1936 victory to become the first double-winner of the event since the beginning of the competition.

During the year a number of technical changes were made in the rules for outboard racing, inboard runabout, and Gold Cup classes. New starting procedure, changes in hull weights and class limits and clarification of disputed rules were among the alterations now being tabulated by the boat racing commissions and contest boards. A tremendous increase in regatta activity was noted during the year. Nearly 37,000 motor-boats — cruisers, utilities, auxiliaries, and runabouts — were added in the first ten months to our waterways. See also YACHTING.