1953 Red Bank Regatta
Red Bank NJ, September 12-13, 1953

Tempo VI Takes Red Bank Gold Cup as Wildcatter Gains Sweepstakes Title
Lombardo’s Boat Wins on Navesink
Maresca Drives Tempo VI to Cup Score, Trails Bartley in Sweepstakes Points
By Clarence E. Lovejoy, Special to The New York Times.

bullet Red Bank Cancels Speed Boat Races
bullet Boat-Racing Peak Set This Month on Navesink and Potomac Rivers
bullet Bartley’s Craft Red Bank Leader
bullet Tempo VI Takes Red Bank Gold Cup as Wildcatter Gains Sweepstakes Title
bullet Red Bank Regatta
bullet More Power to You
bullet Statistics - National Sweepstakes
bullet Statistics - Red Bank Gold Cup

RED BANK, N. J., Sept. 13, [1953]—Guy Lombardo’s appropriately named Tempo VI came back today and with a substitute pilot at the steering wheel succeeded in winning both of the feature heats on the Navesink River. But this wasn’t enough to carry off the National Sweepstakes title which went to Burnett G. Bartley Jr. of Columbus, Ohio, on points, 700 to 625.

However, Phil Maresca of the Freeport, L. I., family whose boat yard does much of Lombardo’s repair work, was able to win the Red Bank Gold Cup on points. 700 to 525 for Ray Gassner’s Sunshine Baby III of St. Petersburg, Fla., and to place in the runner-up position in the sweepstakes behind Bartley.

This landlocked basin has only one weakness. Smooth 364 days of the year, it can be roughened with a west wind. Today a westerly at least 20 miles strong put whitecaps on the Navesink and delayed the regatta program a couple of hours. Referee Lou Eppel decided to let the heavier inboards race through wave troughs and postponed competition for the fragile outboards until twilight, hoping for a lull in the wind.

Easy Final Heat Victory

For the final heat of the National Sweepstakes, Lombardo assigned Maresca to drive his Tempo VI. This turned out to be a breeze. Maresca led from the start, driving 100 yards ahead on the first lap, 500 on the second and winning by 150 yards from Bartley’s Wildcatter. Wildcatter was 400 yards in front of Charles Klein’s Gold Cup craft, Chaz.

Bartley’s 300 points as today’s runner-up added to his 400 for winning yesterday’s first heat gave him the top total of 700.

The Red Bank Gold Cup was different. Yesterday Lombardo finished second with 300 points behind Joe Wolf in Sagana XIII. Today Maresca in Tempo VI led home Sunshine Baby in the final heat, for a winning point score.

Sets Speed Skiff Records

Despite the rough water, the Jersey speed skiffs class set world records. In the first heat James Camp of Newark, behind the steering wheel of Slo Poke was clocked at 45:023 m.p.h to erase the record of 44:51 made by Ray Morris in 1950 here. In the second heat, with water conditions still rough.

Camp was credited with a speed of 46:153.

Accidents were surprisingly rare. But in pre-race trials, Wolf, driving Frank Foulke’s Sagana, capsized and was out for the day. Doug Brockman of Cincinnati, driving Miss Hypo in the 135-cubic-inch class, was lucky. The wind was especially brisk as he finished the first heat and found several row boats had drifted on the race course. Trying to slow down, but going nearly a mile a minute, Brockman had to steer a course in and around spectator cruisers. In doing so he cut the mooring lines of a couple of yachts, setting them adrift, but emerged safely.

THE SUMMARIES

JERSEY SPEED SKIFFS

FIRST HEAT, FIVE MILES: 1. Slo Poke, James Camp, Newark; 2. Falcon, George Gerlach, Lancaster Pa.; 3. Tanker Clipper, Frank Camp, Newark; 4. Suds, John B. Boland, Port Au Peck, N.J.; 5. Shorty Too, Robert Aumack, Eatontown, N.J.; 6. Scatt II, John McCann, Bradley Beach, N.J.; 7. Hurricane, Len R. Dixon, Rumson, N.J.; 8. Sea Bug, Henry Murata, Clifton. N.J. Jo-Carol Too, Danny Ardolino, West Long Beach, N.J. did not finish. Time—6:39.8. Speed—m. p. h.

FINAL HEAT: 1. James Camp; 2. Gerlach; 3. Frank Camp: 4. McCann; 5. Dixon; 6. Murata; 7. Boland. Aumack did not finish. Time—6:39.8. Speed—46.153 M. P. H. (new world record).

Point Score: James Camp 800, Gerlach 600, Frank Camp 450, McCann 264.

225-CUBIC INCH HYDROPLANES

FIRST HEAT, Five Miles: 1. My Sin II, Henry J. Vogel, Webster. N. Y.; 2. Why Not, Earl H Jarrett, Loudonville. N. J.; 3. Pee Wee, Dr. W. F. Prim, Akron. Ohio; 4. Woody Spel, E. J. Pliescott, Cambridge. Md. My Ambition, Robert W. Schroeder, Niagara Falls. N.Y., disqualified. Time—4:36.3. Speed—65.141 m. p. h.

FINAL HEAT: 1. Vogel; 2. Prim; 3. Pliescott. Jarrett did not finish. Time—4:35.0. Speed—65.454 p. h.

Point Score: Vogel 800, Prim 525, Pliescott 394, Jarrett 300.

266-CUBIC-INCH HYDROPLANES

FINAL HEAT: 1. Wee Tommy Tucker, Ed. Aleksandrowicz, Baltimore; 2. Sunshine Baby III, Roy Gassner, St. Petersburg. Fla. Miss Perfect Balance, Bob Osiecki, Lyndhurst, N. J., disqualified. Time—4:53.0. Speed—61.433 m. p. h.

Point Score—Gassner 700, Aleksandrowicz 400, Wolf 300.

135-CUBIC-INCH HYDROPLANES

FIRST HEAT, Five Miles: 1. Who Dat, Don Wilson, Dearborn. Mich.; 2. Wa Wa, William A. Ritner Jr., Merion Pa; 3. Sin, Charles R. Lloyd, Harrisburg, Pa.; 4. Oizry, Bill Vietz, Springfield. Mass.; 5. Miss Hypo, Doug Brockman, Cincinnati; 6. Butchie, Floyd Malone, Paterson. N.J., 7. George H. Middleton, Saugus, Mass.; 8. Fancy Free, Frank E. Vernon, Washington. Time—4:44.36. Speed—63.470 m. p. h.

FINAL HEAT: 1. Wilson; 2. Lloyd; 3. Ritner; 4. Vietz; 5. Middleton. Time—4:33.0. Speed—65.934 m.p.h.

Point Score: Wilson 800, Lloyd 525, Ritner 525, Vietz 338.

NATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES

FINAL HEAT, Ten Miles. Tempo VI, Phil Maresca, Freeport. L. I.; 2. Wildcatter, B. G. Bartley Jr., Columbus, Ohio; 3. Chaz, Charles Klein, Atlantic Beach, L.I. Medico IV, Dr. George E. Firth, Philadelphia, did not finish. Time—8.27.8. Speed—70.894 m.p.h.

Point Score: Bartley 700, Maresca 625, Klein 352, Wolf 300.

RED BANK GOLD CUP

FINAL HEAT, Ten Miles: 1. Tempo VI, Phil Maresca, Freeport; 2. Sunshine Baby III, Ray Gassner, St. Petersburg; 3. Medico IV, Dr. George E. Firth, Philadelphia. Chaz, Charles Klein, Atlantic Beach, disqualified. Time—8:34.9. Speed—69.914 m.p.h.

Point Score: Maresca 700; Gassner 525, Wolf 400, Firth 225.

CLASS B OUTBOARD HYDROPLANES

FIRST HEAT: 1. Chet Webb, Niagara Falls, N. Y.; 2. Vic Scott, North Bellmore, L.I.; A. J. Harjes, Bronx. Time—4:36.7. Speed—9.560 m.p.h.

FINAL HEAT: 1. Webb; 2. Warren Kenny, Jericho, N. Y.; 3. Harjes. Time—4:41.2. Speed—42.775 m.p.h.

Point score—Webb 800, Harlem 450, Kenny 300, Scott 300.

CLASS C SERVICE OUTBOARD RUNABOUTS

FIRST HEAT: 1. Lester Rose, St. Albans, L.I.; 2. Walter Martin, Woodlands, Que.; 3. Fred Mathews, Watervliet, N.Y.; 4. Norman Noble, Brooklyn; 5. Mrs. Anne Jensen, Flushing, L.I. Jack Jensen, Flushing, did not finish. Time—5:06.2. Speed—39.208 m.p.h.

FINAL HEAT: 1. Mathews; 2. Rose; 3. Noble; 4. Jack Jensen. Time—4:59.6. Speed—42.916 m.p.h.

Point score: Rose 700, Mathews 625, Noble 394, Martin 300.

CLASS F OUTBOARD HYDROPLANES

FIRST HEAT: 1. Byron Shannon, Audubon. N.J.; 2. Ross Wark, Audubon; 3. Ben Marakoff, Audubon Park; 4. Robert Armstrong, Ridgefield, N.J. Time—4:50.6. Speed—41.266 m.p.h.

FINAL HEAT: 1. Shannon; 2. Dean A. Worcester, Manchester. N.H.; 3. Wark; 4. Marakoff; 5. Vic Scott, North Bellmore, L.I.

Time—4:08.5. Speed—48.263 m.p.h.

Point Score—Shannon 800, Wark 525, Marakoff 394, Worcester 300.

[Reprinted from the New York Times, September 14, 1953]

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