Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Top Ten List

In the spirit of "Silly Season", here are a couple of top 10 lists that Rick Lentz and Nelson Holmberg wanted to share with the membership, to spark a conversation (in the Comments section) with members who might also want to share their top 10 favorite unlimited hydroplanes of all time.

Rick Lentz's Top-10 Favorites (and why)
1. ’72 Pay n Pak – best looking fast boat of that era.
2. ’69 Notre Dame – loved the long, low look. Always fast, never won.
3. ’60 Miss Spokane – my first boat heartthrob, the underdog that was always close. Loved the tail.
4. ’74 Miss U.S. – absolutely gorgeous, should have won more but burned, twice, in Seattle.
5. ’86 Miss Budweiser – first boat designed for a turbine.
6. ’74 U-95 – innovator, and picked on.
7. ’03 Llumar – good looking and fast (maybe because Mark Evans was driving)
8. ’75 Weisfield’s – wild paint scheme (and my only nitro boat).
9. ’61 Miss Bardahl – won in Seattle in ’61 as a big underdog – liked the colors.
10. ’02 Silver Dollar Casino – “my” boat!


Nelson Holmberg's Top 10 Favorites (and why)
1 (tie). 1979 Squire Shop the boat that "hooked" me on the sport, when Chip Hanauer put me in the cockpit in the pits at Marine Park in Vancouver during an August 1979 exhibition.
1 (tie). 1973-75 Pay 'n Pak the "Winged Wonder" was the coolest-looking conventional hull ever designed/built.
1 (tie). 2002 Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison Steve David, the Miss Madison Racing Team, and those colors and the cool paint job. How could you beat it?!
4. 1977-80 Atlas Van Lines the Blue Blaster was the boat that "won" the Vancouver exhibition in 1979.
5. 1979 Miss Budweiser The first Griffon Bud. I remember it broke my heart to see pictures of it's flip (and subsequent destruction) on Lake Washington after the 1979 season was over and Dean was going for the straightaway speed record.
6. 1984 Atlas Van Lines Chip's brand new turbine hull, which was absolutely unstoppable unless they beat themselves.
7. 1984 Miss Executone The sleek lines and great paint jobs were hard to beat.
8. 1984 Lite All Star II Which eventually became the only Lucero-designed and built Miss Budweiser (T-1). It was a crapper on the race course, because the GE Marine Turbine didn't like hydroplane racing, but it was cool looking.
9. 1957 Hawaii Kai III I rode in it (OK a replica of it), and because of that, it's a vintage boat that has a soft spot in my heart.
10. 2004 Silver Dollar Casinos present Miss Rock the first boat I ever sponsored.


Kirk Pagel's Top 10 Favorites (and why)
1. U-29 Shanty I Fast and sleek, driver Lt. Col. Russ Schleeh was my hero
2. U-77 Miss Wahoo After she had the chevrons painted onto the tail fin it looked great & Mira Slovak drove with ice water in his veins.
3. U-60 Miss Thriftway (1st) exciting to wach, very colorful boat & driver. Built the "model".
4.U-22 Breathless The baby blue boat, didn't win much but nice to look at. Murphy family sent me b&w photos of all their boats.
5.U-60 Miss Thriftway (2nd) A new white sleek version of the first U-60. This one was destined to go places. Like right into a CG Cutter, sinking it!
6.U-3 Tahoe Miss (1965) Beautifully prepared & fast.
7.U-75 Miss Exide ( Wahoo ver.2) used nitrous oxide, ran fast, gave the Bardahl all she could handle.
8.U-37 Slo-Mo-Shun V won the first Lake Washington race in 1951 and was a cowd pleaser with Lou Fageol at the wheel.
9.U-11 Rebel Suh Ted Jones break from Sayres & co. produced this nifty looking boat, that would go on to become Maverick U-12. Loved the Rebel flag on the tail fin!
10.U-4 Miss Bardahl It was Tempest until Ole Bardahl sponsored it, and gave it the neat tail fin artwork. Norm Christensen drove it from Jet's Marina to Hickling's dock in Bellevue, where I got a ride in 1956. Wow!
Editor's Note - Thanks Kirk!!! It's been fun reading your favorites ... can't wait to see others. Post them in the comments link below, and we'll move them into this public viewing area.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kirk Pagel's ALL VINTAGE top ten

1. U-29 Shanty I, Fast and sleek, driver Lt. Col. Russ Schleeh was my hero
2. U-77 Miss Wahoo,After she had the chevrons painted onto the tail fin it looked great & Mira Slovak drove with ice water in his veins.
3. U-60 Miss Thriftway (1st) exciting to wach, very colorful boat & driver. Built the "model".
4.U-22 Breathless, The baby blue boat, didn't win much but nice to look at. Murphy family sent me b&w photos of all their boats.
5.U-60 Miss Thriftway (2nd)A new white sleek version of the first U-60. This one was destined to go places. Like right into a CG Cutter, sinking it!
6.U-3 Tahoe Miss (1965) Beautifully prepared & fast.
7.U-75 Miss Exide ( Wahoo ver.2)used nitrous oxide, ran fast, gave the Bardahl all she could handle.
8.U-37 Slo-Mo-Shun V, won the first Lake Washington race in 1951 and was a cowd pleaser with Lou Fageol at the wheel.
9.U-11 Rebel Suh, Ted Jones break from Sayres & co. produced this nifty looking boat, that would go on to become Maverick U-12. Loved the Rebel flag on the tail fin!
10.U-4 Miss Bardahl. It was Tempest until Ole Bardahl sponsored it, and gave it the neat tail fin artwork. Norm Christensen drove it from Jet's Marina to Hickling's dock in Bellevue, where I got a ride in 1956. Wow!
END.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for playing Kirk! Hope others will chime in, too!