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I found Ray Gassner's 1957 266 Cu. In.
Hydro National Championship trophy that he won at Guntersville, AL in 1957
(this was the second for the SB III). It resides in the St. Petersburg
Yacht Club trophy case. When Ray passed away, most all his trophies were
donated to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Ray was a long standing member
and raced the hydros under the Yacht Club Banner as well as his 33 foot
Chris Craft in predicted log competition. After Ray's passing, the trophy
became the Ray Gassner Predicted Log trophy.
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Here's 2 photos of Sunshine Baby III
that appeared in the 1955 Southland Race Program. |
| This photo is of Sunshine Baby III
taken while the boats were parading from the St. Petersburg Yacht Club
in downtown St. Pete to the race course at Lake Maggorie for the Southland
Regatta in February 1958. |
Photo of Sunshine Baby III, F-57 as it appeared in an old APBA
Propeller.
Sunshine
Baby IV H-57
St. Petersburg, Florida just after Ray
won the 1960 Southland Sweepstakes race.
This is the first time the 7-Litre Sunshine
Baby IV raced. Photo by Brent McLean. |
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Sunshine Baby IV at it's home base,
Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Ray kept the Baby in a hanger in which
he had a corner of the machine shop set up as his shop.
Photo taken in 1961. |
Sunshine
Baby IV
This boat was built by Henry Lauterbach
in 1959. She is powered by a supercharged Chrysler Hemi 392. This photo
was taken during the filming of an episode of the TV series "Route 66".
I believe the year to be 1963. The boat
had already won the 1962 7-Liter Nationals at Guntersville, Alabama. |
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Ray and his
mechanic Doc Hardin (with cigar, on left).
St. Petersburg, Florida. February 1961. |
The next 3 photos
are from February 3, 1962,
Southland Sweepstakes Regatta,
Lake Maggorie, St. Petersburg, Florida.
Ken Wheeler, one of Ray's crew members
looking over the IV Chrysler engine. |
Ray leaving
the pits.
"Doc" Hardin, Ray's mechanic watching the
action on the lake.
Ray and Buddy Byers looking over Sunshine
Baby IV
supercharged 392 Chrysler Hemi.
St. Petersburg, Florida. February 1961.
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1962 Inboard Nationals at Guntersville,
Alabama. (Photo taken from the motel second floor).
Ray won the 7-Liter National Championship
at this race. August 1962. |
These 3 photos
are fom February 2, 1962, Southland Sweepstakes Regatta,
Lake Maggorie, St. Petersburg, Florida.
Ray waiting for the next heat race.
"Doc" Hardin resting before the next race.
The Sunshine Baby IV on the trailer
prior to the races.
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Sunshine
Baby IV going through the turns at Miami Marine Stadium.
This photo was on the Miami area phone
book cover in the early 60's. |
| ABPA Propeller
'cover' featuring SBIV, 1970. |
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1962 Orange Bowl Regatta
at Miami, Florida (December 1962)
February 1963 at the Southland Sweepstakes
Regatta
in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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December 29, 1963
Lifting H-57 out after Ray was going into
the first turn at the Miami Marine Stadium and caught the wake of Art Asbury
in the Royal Canadiana and did an easy roll. The boat was
not damaged and Ray was not hurt in the incident.
Tom D'Eath driving Ray's Sunshine Baby
IV.
Brent McLean took this photo in St. Pete
the last time it ran as the Baby in Feb. 1971.
| The Sunshine
Baby IV was sold in 1971 after Ray's death. If I remember correctly,
it went to Toms River, New Jersey and was run as El Condor. (Tom
D'Eath, sitting in the boat).
In the late 80's, Bob Walters of Iowa purchased
and restored the boat. Click here
to read an article from Nov/Dec 1989 from Hot Boat magazine about the restoration.
The below two photos were sent to me from Bob after he restored the hydro.
At that time, I gave Bob a lot of my memorbilia
and let him have all my photo's and scrap books copied. It is my understanding
that Bob sold the boat to Hayden Harris of Chelsea, MI.
The first Sunshine Baby was a Ventnor
hull and Sunshine Baby II was a Hallet. I do not have
any photos or much info on them. I do remember seeing paintings of
the boats at Ray's house when I was a kid.
If you have a photo, we would sure like
to place it on this page.
In conclusion, I would like to say that
Ray Gassner was one of the finest persons you would ever want to meet.
© 2002-2003 Brent
McLean
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