Santana E-145




Here's a Farmer-built hydroplane owned by Wes Conklin in California. He has owned it now for 12 years. Wes is starting to put some history together on this hull. This photo is one taken by Phil Kunz from the National Championship at Lake Castiac in 1977. 


 
 
 
 
 



The boat ran at the National Championships at Lake Castaic in 1977 as the Santana with Jerry Wicker listed as the owner/driver. With alot of help from Jessie from the Southern California Speed Boat Club, I was able to track down Jerry Wicker. Known history added to the hull's biography so far:

 
 

Santana
The boat was originally bought by a dentist from Saginaw, Michigan who planned to race it but never did. Jerry bought the boat in 1976 or '77. He wasn't sure and he ran the Santana for about 5 years. He tells that the Santana was region 12 High Point Champion in '81 or '82. He was pleased to hear the boat is still around and wants to take a look at it during one of his of his trips to the Bay Area. He is going to get me some more pictures of when he was running the boat. 

 

From Bob Foley: 
280 Devil Woman?
Pacific Power Boat Club's Don Vynne Memorial Regatta on Mission Bay March 13, 1977: 5th place in 280 with two sixth place heat finishes was Jerry Wicker of Long Beach CA in Devil Woman.
 
 
 
 

Pacific Power Boat Club's Gordon Jennings Memorial Regatta on Mission Bay June 12, 1977: first overall with heat finishes of first and sixth was Jerry Wicker of Long Beach, CA in Devil Woman. There were at least three gun jumpers in the first heat.
SCSC's National Championship Inboard Regatta aat Castaic Reservoir, Valencia, CA: 280s had eliminations on Friday August 26, 1977 (there were 22 entries in the 280 class). E-145 was drawn into Heat 2 and apparently failed to qualify for the final heats as she does not show up in the Sunday championship results. Chip Hanauer won in E-9 Calypso Too with heat finishes of fifth and first.
 


 

Pacific Power Boat Club's San Diego Mayor's Cup Regatta on Mission Bay October 30, 1977: Jerry Wicker took third overall in the 280s with two third place heat finishes. Name of boat not listed in the newspaper.

The SCSC Race Programs for the 1977 Nationals and (2 weeks later) the 1977 Labor Day race at the Marine Stadium list E-145 as a Farmer hull named Devil Woman, owned and driven by Jerry Wicker of Long Beach. Sounds like he changed the boat's name from Devil Woman to Santana that summer.
 
 
 


© Wes Conklin


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