Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-23
Dick Ellis Takes
|Honors as Rain
|Curtai|s Regatta
By MALCOLM LAMBORNE, Jr.

c1l4o WOu14u uP oCPdI dCCly do
hard luck racer and standoutI
performer in the weather.
harassed Capital Power Boat
Association regatta which yes
terday drew some $4,000 spec
tatorS to East Potomac Park
until a rain storm sent people
and boats scurrying for home.
Dick Ellis, a CPBA member
from Falls Church, Va, will get
three pieces Of silverware (the
trophy presentation along with
six heats never came of because
of the storm. Ellis won the
IDU stock outboards in his racer
Fury and the D stock hydros in
his boat Four Bits.
Then to cap his day, he came
out in Four Bits with a stock
Mercury engine and placed third
in the C cupboard hydros, a.
class where the word stock
rarely is mentioned.
Joseph Ellis HOspitaIized
The other Ellis, no relation
to Dick, is Joseph, of Phila-
delphia. He wound up in Emer-
eency Hospital with burns of the
hands, arms and legs. His 280-
cubic-inch hydro exploded, ap-
parently from leaking gasoline,
right after making the lower
turn of the first lap. Harbor
police towed him to the pits and
he was rushed to the hospital.
Following the explosion, the
flag boat started tagging down
the 280S. much to the surprise
OF the race committee further
upstream on the Seawall. The
leading boat slowed down and
AL Bauer, the regatta referee,
could only call them all back
and start again. BY then the
rain Squall was near and things
started picking up.
In a vain effort to get in at
least one heat for all classes
before the storm. Bauer then
sent of the 226-cubic-inch
hydros. But when the wind
started whipping across the
channel the boats were tagged
on the course, and the program
ended.
Paul Price, former CPBA COM
modore' from Annandale. Va.
drove a masterful race in his
Patricia to win both heats for
the 48-cubic inch hydros. Close
on his stern was Regatta Chair
man Francis Racioppi driving
Caveat, the former Southern
Are from Miami, twice title
holder. Racioppi was closing fast
with Price in the second heat
when his engine started missing
and he fell back, just managing
to finish ahead of George Loeb
of Norfolk.
Huntington Second
Another CPBA member. Don
Huntington of Bethesda, drove a
thriller of race in the 225s. He
came within inches of snatching
a first place from George Smith
OF Mount Holly, N. j.
Jack Holt, one of the Wash
lngton areas best stock out
boarders, led the first heat of
the DUs and was doing the same
in the second heat when he
struck a piece of driftwood,
smashing his lower unit. That
put him out of commission.
Interestingly though, he was
the only driver of the week end
to suffer hull damage from the
floods of Friday night. The
debris in the river forced a shift
of the regatta Saturday to
Washington Channel where boats
raced around two Government
buoys fortunately placed at just
the right distance apart.
Harbor police, the Coast Guard
and Coast Guard Auxiliary
worked together in keeping boat
traffic to a minimum. Among
those watching the races from
anchored pleasure craft were
Representatives Bonner, Demo-
crat of North Carolina, chair
man of the House Merchant
Marine and Fisheries Commit
tee, and Shelley, Democrat of
California, and John Drewry,
chief counsel of the committee.
They were aboard Representa-
tive Shelley's cruiser Golden
Gate.
Summaries:
DU. Stock Outboards C3 Iaps)
En T1ssf neat Bay Boo lack H E
ton: Eatontown, N. j Time. SO.
,oI Second heat: Eugene Bryan, Nor
--Euiys O-OelIlAIYa KID, Id. III |
Baker. Bishopville. Md. Time. 5:a7.5.
dG BRYAN 400. Baby Boo takes S' second
~, , Cupboard HydrOs &c laps,
Vile Eiri pa heat rbl Ttyi% Ru cwsmP6sl Dan
i fSlRs: H E9Fif fim. 1853 s5ssM Mesrids suf-
Al Tots Ti SS5Ii c,T T%Ss s;SS2 ma
AL. 500. Mcbride 45O
4 outSoarSS Hy aHS q Iaps
q First Int,. heat: Jim Campbell; 81
3 sob soften seIs College Park; 3@Hose. Nose,
second heat sis' Campbell SR55ehI; @e e tSst
hose Nose. Time, 4:O9.4.
eod Total .r Points Campbell, 500; Gotten,
D Stock OHydros g Lapo
bushes Norfolk 22 @PsElmaFRS Ent D. ME-
Dick Ellis Fails Church Time Sos
msrvs: B@Baby K.p, I Bin syn Smith. I win-
Tofa ponss -Four TiT Bits S sss p.m,
r,r.Ct t9utboaTd BydrSs {. lapsl
insto55St. d Heat eHG6 SThorntqn Wash:
second Heat; i '. S:SS; ELLIS:
'T otSl POtnts Time: g En- zoo,
Thornton, Ss5; Ellis, 5s5. e0efSef 'OV'
Pacific One-desiEns
LIST Heat: l-Wildcat. Calvert Thomp-
ION, Chester Nd: 2-Dutch Boy. Garrett
Lem Thompson IT, Chester. Time
Second Heat: SANDY K: Dutch
vile, Md Time: 5:32 o. Wildcat dis
oualihed for Jumping the gun
Total Points Sandy K. 625: Dutch
~ 500 Wildcat 400
is-cubie-ineh HydrOs g Iaps)
First Heat Patricia, Paul Price.
Annandale, Va. 2-Caveat. Francis
Racloppi Washington; 3-Betty Gal,
Second Heal. 1-pafricia oMcsvest.