1936 Madison Labor Day Regatta

1936 Madison Labor Day Regatta
Ohio River, Madison, IN, September 9-10, 1936

Speed Boat Runs Wild After Throwing Driver [Madison, 1936]

While many Madison residents went out of town for their holiday vacation, an influx of tourists filled the city to overflowing both Sunday and Monday.

The main attraction was at the river where two days of boat racing was sponsored by the Madison Regatta association. With the exception of a few minor accidents the event went off most successfully.

The river banks on both sides were lined with spectators for the two days of racing, which started at 1 p.m. and were over soon after 4 o'clock.

A total of $450 was given as prize money, all of which was contributed by Madison service clubs, business men and individuals of this city.

Prizes were awarded as follows:

In the 225 cubic-inch class:

1. Bat IV, owned by Dave Reed, Cincinnati, O., $75
2. Dixie, owned by Earl Krause, Covington, Ky., $50
3. Amrad, owned by Alvin Holsclaw of Madison, $25
4. Bobs, owned by R. Poppe, of Belleview, Ky., $15
5. Bim, owned by Walter Elliott, of Madison, $10

In the 510 class:

1. Amrad, Holsclaw's boat, $40 prize
2. Hermes, owned by C.T. Carman, of Vine Grove, Ky., $30
3. Bim, Elliott's boat, $20
4. Dixie won $10

In the 725 class only four boats finished, due to accidents to two of the boats.

1. Why Worry, owned by W.E. (Bill) Cantrell, of Louisville, $75
2. Silver Streak, owned by W.R. Compion, of Somerset, Ky., $50
3. Miss Cincinnati, Jr., prize $25
4. Amrad, $15

Holsclaw entered his boat, the Amrad, in all 12 heats, and finished each without experiencing trouble. He built the boat himself with the exception of part of the hull. As prize money, he collected $80, finishing in the money in each event.

Four accidents were reported during the races. The most serious one was when the Miss Cincinnati took a wild leap over choppy water, throwing out her driver, Lon Schafer, and mechanic, J.R. Lippman, before running around in a circle and ramming a hole in a Louisville Coast Guard boat. She was running wild when C.V. Ciconnette, of Louisville, raced along the side of her, climbed over and cut off her motor.

The driver and mechanic were rescued by other Coast Guard boats after they had clung to a buoy.

The Trailsmobile, a boat which was entered in the 510 and 725 classes by E.N. Andriot, of Louisville, blew her cylinder heads during a race and wrecked the engine.

The Scram, owned by Milton Harris, of Cincinnati, had to withdraw from the 225 class event because of motor trouble.

The bow of a yacht owned by Dr. Robert Herman, of Cincinnati, was damaged considerably when rammed by a small boat owned by Jacob Bersch, of this city. Dr. Herman's boat was tied to the judge's boat while its owner served as an official during the races and the accident occurred when Bersch made a taxi trip to the judge's boat.

(ED. NOTE: The above item may be of interest to those who think Bill Muncey did something unique when he drove the Miss Thriftway into a Coast Guard cutter on Lake Washington nearly 40 years ago. Turns out he was preceded in this maneuver by more than two decades, although in the earlier instance both driver and mechanic were long gone from the cockpits by the time their boat smacked the Coast Guard craft.)

(reprinted from the Madison, Ind., Courier, September 11, 1936)

Hydroplane History Home Page
This page was last revised Thursday, April 01, 2010.
Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. Email us at wildturnip@gmail.com
© Leslie Field, 1999