1998 Antique Raceboat
Regatta
Part 4
The 1998 Antique Raceboat regatta would not be complete without a showing
from the major league players of the unlimited class.
And what better way to represent this class than the famous Atlas
Van Lines.
The sounds heard at the regatta are as much of an attraction as the
viewing of the fine, classic hydroplanes.
Spectators literally run to the course when these unlimiteds are fired
up.
Who could argue...when the sounds from these ex-aircraft motors roar
to life across the water.
This must be why the unlimited hydroplanes of yesteryears were referred
to as Thunderboats.
The unmistakable sound created by open headers on an internal combustion
motor.
Tempus U-17 is a another unlimited that ran flybys throughout
the weekend event.
This hydroplane has the "picklefork" style that started to enter into
the hydroplane designs near the end of the 1960's.
You can never have enough propellors to select from when judging water
conditions at the race course.
You would usually need every advantage you could get over the other
racers in these competitive classes.
Riggs Smith's 36 class outboard runabout
Comet 12-N was
a featured outboard at the regatta. Circa mid-1950's.
A cedar stripped outboard runabout called
Stripfire.
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