1953 Marine Festival Free-For-All
Middle Bay, Long Beach, Long Island NY, June 21, 1953


Lombardo’s Boat Scores In Regatta
Tempo VI Takes Free-For-All Race on Reynolds Channel
By Clarence E. Lovejoy, Special to The New York Times

bullet Lombardo’s Boat Scores In Regatta
bullet Statistics

LONG BEACH, L.I., June 21, [1953] — South Shore Long Islanders marked the advent of summer with an all-day marine festival that centered here with an afternoon speedboat regatta on Reynolds Channel, separating Long Beach and Island Park. The celebrating started with a yacht parade this noon in Zachs Bay, Jones Beach.

Uncounted thousands in a huge spectator fleet and on the embankments had a gala watching regatta dare-deviltry, water skiers and long-distance swimmers, who were competing in the Senior Metropolitan Amateur Athletic Union individual and team championships for men.

Somewhat unusual for regatta programs, this was a benefit for the South Nassau Communities Hospital at nearby Oceanside. No one was surprised, therefore, when one of the South Shore’s best known celebrities, Guy Lombardo of Freeport, the chairman of the regatta, steered his famous and now somewhat venerable Tempo VI to an easy victory in the final event of this long hot day.

Hull Plank Cracked

Tempo VI was withdrawn by Lombardo’s pit crew after a practice run when a hull plank was found cracked. The bandleader ordered the crane operator to relaunch Tempo for the ten-mile free-for-all event.

The only other Gold Cup craft, Charles Klein’s Chaz of Long Beach failed to finish and the runner-up spot went to an outclassed but speedy 135-cubic inch craft, Baby June, driven by Frank duBeshter of Jamaica. Tempo VI is basically the same boat that won three Gold Cups, one for Lombardo and two for its previous owner, Zalmon G. Simmons, when named My Sin. The craft has had considerable face-lifting and lengthening.

An 18-year-old senior of John Adams High School, Queens, Denis Grenier of Howard Beach, in Pinky captured the event for Class BU outboards

Mrs. Sarossy Second

Mrs. Evelyn Sarossy of the Bronx, holder of the world one-mile straightaway speed record for this class, was second.

The Summaries

MOTOR BOATING

CLASS AU OUTBOARDS

1. George Benson, Freeport; 2. Curtis Schmidt, Massapequa; 3. William Steinfeld, Long Beach; 4. Bruce Medd, Manhasset; 5. Dave Gilman, Larchmont; 6. Samuel Raymond, New York City; 7. Miss Barbara Rood, Bronx; 8. Willard White, Bellmore; 9. Ronnie Lehmann, Floral Park.

CLASS DU OUTBOARDS

1. Frank Norton, Tenafly; 2. Bud McNally, Philadelphia; 3. Henry Piechinski, Huntington; 4. James Slattery, Bellmore; 5. Nick Chapman, East Moriches; 6. Louis Gerdik, Carle Place; 7. James Ware. Hasbrouck Heights. N. J.

CLASS BU OUTBOARDS

1. Denis Grenier, Howard Beach. L.I.; 2. Mrs. Evelyn Sarossy, Bronx; 3. John Cahill, New York City; 4, Pat Callahan. Manhasset; 5. Henry Brunjes 4th, Oceanside; 6. Ronald Belcher, Philadelphia; 7. Louis Denis, New York City; 8. Richard Zimmerman, Amityville; 9. Lemuel Smith, Plainfield. N. J. David Gilman, Larchmont, finished first but was disqualified because of illegal dimensions of his boat.

CLASS C MODIFIED OUTBOARDS

1. Ed Hauptner, City Island; 2, Wesley Scudder, Huntington; 3. George Scudder, Northport; 4. Eugene Squicciami, Amityville.

CLASS E MODIFIED OUTBOARDS

1. Wilfred Rogers, Pelham Manor; 2. Edward Poplees, Franklin Square; 3, Buddy Smith, Oceanside; 4. Fred Leinweber, Huntington; 5. Ed Eastman, Bellmore.

FREE-FOR-ALL

1. Guy Lombardo, Freeport, Tempo VI; 2. Frank duBeshter, Jamaica, Baby June. Charles Klein, Chaz, did not finish.

[Excerpt reprinted from the New York Times June 22, 1953]


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