1955 Ocean City Memorial Marathon
Ocean City NJ, June 3, 1955


Speedboats to Race at Ocean City

The Ocean City Yacht Club will hold the Ocean City Memorial marathon race on Saturday afternoon, June 3. This race over an 18-mile course on Great Egg Harbor Bay traditionally opens the speedboat season in the Middle Atlantic States.

Last year's winner was Bill Ritner, five times U. S. champion in hydroplane racing. He will be defending his title in a custom designed fiberglass boat built in California and powered with a super-charged Chrysler engine.

Past winners of this race have included Guy Lombardo in his Tempo; Joe Van Blerck in his Aljo; Samuel duPont in Nitrogen, and Charles J. (Chuck) Hickman; Philadelphia, in Minit-Man.

Hickman has repowered Minit-Man with a Curtis Conqueror Aircraft engine of 1,250 HP for this race. This boat is a two-time national champion and two-time winner of the 18-mile race. Last year, Hickman won the Ocean City Commissioner's Trophy with the boat.

Another contender in the 18-mile race will be Bill Knorr, who has entered his anew custom racer, Knorr-Easter. This boat has done nearly 100 miles per hour in test runs.

In addition to the 18-mile event, there will be four individual class races with separate trophies at stake. Fred Rexon will direct the races.

(source unknown, June 1955)


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