White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1935-09-26
McKelheer And
Keller Are Big
Winners Of Day
Perfect Weather Aids In
Success OF Annual
Event

Favored by perfect racing weather,
cloudy but warm, the second annuaf
White Bluffs Regatta Sunday justified
all predictions of being the most out
standing event ever staged here. APP
proximately twenty boats were brought
over by their owners from Yakima.
Kennewick and Wenatchee to enter
the races for which total prizes of $50
had been offered.
With nearly four hundred cars
parked along the beach and on top OF
the bank, crowd of fifteen hundred
people, drawn from nearly every COM
munity in central Washington, wit
messed the thrilling speed dashes which
were marked by several spills, fortu-
nately not serious. Entertaining the
spectators between the races from their
stand near the starting float, the White
Bluffs Band received a number OF COM
pliments from the visiting spectators
on the quality Of their program.
Joplin, Keller Show Speed
Swimming over the smooth course
at nearly 45-mile per hour clip, Earl
Joplin and Leonard Keller Of Wenat-
chez covered the four laps of the first
heat of the hydroplane race in one OF
the most thrilling races of the day AT
no time was there more than length
of open water getween them, Joplin
In his Gust Skip 1T" gaining few
yards on Keller's "Popeye" at the start
and holding it through to the finish
line. Both these drivers are well-knoWn
at all the racing events in the North
west, and they proved the ability
which has placed them in the front
rank of the C class racers at Sundays
meet.
| Four boats lined up for the relay
race, Popeye, just Skip Tt, McKelheers
Pacific Phantom Of Yakima, and Jim
Klingle's rough-riding little hydroplane
of Yakima They all got off to good
start, Keller getting the jump on Jop-
lin this time and reaching the float on
the second lap first to pick up his pas
senger. Both he and Joplin had trouble
making connections, however, and NC
Kelheer went into the lead on the
third lap. Joplins motor died and he
lost nearly lap in getting started, but
picked up considerable distance In the
next two laps.
Keller had cut down McKelheer's
lead as they came into the float to
drop their passengers at the end of
the fourth lap, and went on to win
the race by comfortable margin.
Joplin's hard luck stayed with him as
he slowed down at the float, and he
had lost more than a lap before he
could start out. His passenger, Orion
McCotter, misiudged the distance be-
tween the boat and the float and took
ducking. McKelheer came IN second
7 In this race.
Boat Turns Over
In the second heat of the hydroplane
race, Joplin, coming up fast on the
. straightaway to the start, broke his
) tiller rope and his boat went end Up,
2 dumping him in the water. He was
, uninjured, and neither his boat nor
: motor were damaged, but 1t put him
s out of the racing for the rest of the
afternoon. McKelheer's G class runa-
{ bout, which several years ago held the
! Pacific coast championship, went into
: the lead on the first lap Of this heat
e and held it throughout to split the
v prize money for the event with Joplin,
s who had won the first heat.
d In the ten-mile free-for-all, Keller
G came back for revenge and, while his
+ lead was threatened by McKelheer sew
: eral times, gained a good lead on the
s last lap to come in first McKelhee1
8 was second and Newman of Kenne-
wick in his large runabout powered by
., q 32-hp. service motor was third. Mid
- way of this race Jimmie Klingle, run
= ming in third place, broke his tillel
2 rope on the far side of the course, a.
the same spot where he turned ovel
:, several years ago, and went for a swim
- when his boat turned over. He was un
:, injured but his boat was slightly dam
;, aged.
- Although it was late in the Afternoon
and a number of spectators had left
le the balloon race gave the crowd plent
! of excitement. Four boats gave an ex
70 hibition of speedy maneuvering a
y their drivers and passengers broke tn
d balloons on the water with sharp stick
(Please turn to page 81