Evening star., 1939-07-02
Wealth Is Not Asset
In Racing Pacific
1-Design Craft
Fifty l3-Footers Now
Registered on Coast,
With Class Growing
BY MALCOLM LAMBORNE, Jr.

by NALSoLU laAHDoNNE, VT.
A momentous innovation has
come to American speed boating.
An inboard runabout no larger than
the smallest sailing class and GER
tainly no more expensive than the
family dinghy looms on the boating
horizon as the greatest develop
ment in the same since Ole Evinrude
fashioned the first crude outboard
motor.
For the first time in poWer-boat
Ing history. one-design class has
been developed that will give each
owner an even break when he goes
out on the race course. No longer
will there be that unfortunate, yet
inevitable. prymiding of costs and
sharp practices which have made
racing anything but good clean
fun.
Nor any longer will the little man
be forced to drop out as his COM
petitors spend small fortunes on
freak designed hulls. super popped
up power plants and all the tricks
deemed necessary to beat the otner
fellow to the silverware. Rigid re-
strictions will keep hull dimensions
to a constant, engines to certain
make and cylinder displacement and
similar materials in constructing
hulls.
Boat Is Two Years Old.
Although sail racing has seen a
rapid growth of one-design craft,
this marks the first successful at
tempt in the power field. The new
boat Is known as the Pacific one
design hydroplane class. 1t began
out on the West Coast two years
ago with minimum of fanfare.
Just as quietly the class spread
among racing men-the little man
racer, particularly-until now more
than so of the l3-footers have been
registered in the West.
Then this winter, like a powerful
ground swell, the class swept East
ward where at least six of the boats
are under construction and eX-
pected out for some of the more
important regattas in Northern wa
ters this summer.
But don't get the impression that
tins Is just another mail order boat
for which only Junior would save
his nickels. Melvin Crook of Mont
clair, N. j., winner of the national
sweepstakes title in 1886 with a boat
that probably would be worth four
Of the little Pacifics, is building
one of the new boats, which would
be evidence enough that the class
has the goods. The young Prince
tonlan is leader of the class in the
East.
Crook came out of retirement for
. short time to race one of David
Gerlls Lady Gems in England last
summer. In all probability he still
would be on the beach if it hadn't
been for the Pacific one-design.
Measurements Certified.
Before an owner can race he must
have measurement certificate that
assures his boat is no more than
Is feet over all and with a beam
OF 5 feet, that it is planked with
mahogany over oak frames and with
single step. and that his 8-cylinder
engine has no more than so horse
power. Super-chargers, fancy blow
ers and other trick gadgets are out
and If they're not, then the boat
will be.
Ihat the cost of complete lob
shall not be more than $3.50 places
1t within the reach of hundreds
With a cylinder displacement of
l36 cubic inches. the boat will be
permitted to compete in the exist
ing l35 hydroplane division. The
American Power Boat Association
saw to this last winter when it
ruled to let the Pacifics come in on
Their present basis. Maybe it's not
cricket, but there's been talk that
the one-designs one day might re-
place the 1855.
This newcomer has proved. too,
that you don't need a fortune to at
tain high speeds in a boat. The rec
ORD for l mile is 4750 m.p.h.. set
by Roy Mccullough of Long Beach
Calf. And don't forget the class
isn't two years old vet.
List price for the specified engine
is $3.50 with marine conversion parts
costing an additional $25. Some of
the California racers have been re-
ported picking up engines for as