Winnipesaukee Power Boat Association

[mcdude]

I thought perhaps you "boat people" might be interested in this item I found on e-bay....not so much for the item itself but because of the extensive historical narrative provided with the item. I will cut and paste the narrative as the link will expire soon after the item is sold. By the way, I am not the seller of the item or associated with e-bay in any way. Below the text I have provided the link to the item and also a few associated links. McD

"Fresh from a Boston estate is an Important WPBA Wooden Speed Boat racing trophy Circa 1927. This Event was the First Speed Boat racing event that took place in the United States. The trophy being offered is from that event. It was manufactured by Wallace Silver. It is in exceptional condition and stands 8 inches tall by 5 1/2 inches wide. The trophy was presented to the third place winner of that racing event . In the mid 1920’s, a few boating enthusiasts decided to generate some excitement on Lake Winnipesaukee by establishing a Winnipesaukee speed boat championship. Boaters, of course, had been racing each other since their boats had been traveling around the lake but most races had been impromptu and poorly documented. The history of boat racing in the early 20’s is still under research, but for now, our story starts in June of 1926 when a local businessman, James R. Irwin of the Weirs, donated a prize cup to be awarded at the end of the boating season. This beautiful silver cup stood two and a half feet high and had at its base, a motor boat in action. The prize, called the Irwin cup, would be awarded to the fastest boat that completed six, 2 ½ mile laps over a triangular course. Points were awarded to all entrants with a maximum of 200 points awarded for 1st place. At the end of the season, the owner with the greatest number of points would be awarded the cup. Further, if any owner could win a series of races three times over the summer, he would be able to keep the cup permanently. The races were scheduled to be run at Weirs Bay three times every two weeks starting on the July 4th weekend, but were extended to include a forth race that was scheduled to be run over the Labor Day holidays. Although difficult to imagine today, the lakes region of the mid 1920’s was a fairly isolated area. New Hampshire’s total population in 1920 was 440,000 with only 36,000 recorded in both Carroll & Belknap Counties. Travel in and out of the area was primarily by train as most roads were simple one or two lanes and unimproved. Travel during the winter months was very difficult and attempted only by the hearty. Only the western portion of the lake, specifically Weirs, Lakeport, Laconia, and Alton Bay, had any sort of substantial buildup. The eastern shore of the lake, from Meredith clockwise around to Alton, had no connecting paved road. Travel around the east side of the lake was accomplished over rough dirt roads. Rail service was available into Wolfeboro, but was both slow and laborious, requiring layovers and train changes. People who lived in Concord, Manchester or Nashua had no direct route they could take to the eastern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee and instead were required to take the railroad east to Rochester or even Portsmouth before they could head north into Wolfeboro. Route #28 from Alton to Wolfeboro wouldn’t be paved until late 1929. The boat race organizers were hoping the scheduled races would draw people into the region but knew great efforts would have to be made to insure easy travel in and out of the area. To help people attend the Weirs races, Irwin, along with city officials and other local businessmen, worked closely with the local Boston & Maine railroad executives to finalize plans for advancing their mutual interests. Funds were raised for a series of band concerts that were given every Sunday through Labor Day. Music hours were scheduled from 2-3 and 4-5 in the afternoon. The band that regularly performed was the 387th Infantry Band stationed in Laconia and other plans were put in place to help provide amusements for the expected crowds. Railroad officials scheduled special excursion trains that left Boston at 8 o’clock and ended up at the Weirs at 11:20. The trains came to the Weirs not only from Boston, but also Lynn and Lowell, as well as southern NH. Local hotels scheduled special meals to coincide with the arrival of all excursionists. People started arriving at the Weirs before the holiday weekend to enjoy an extended time in the lakes region, many courtesy of the special Boston & Maine RR service. By Saturday afternoon, hotels, camping grounds and boarding houses were all full to capacity with weekenders and other vacationists. Monday, 5 July, started early at the Winnipesaukee Gardens for the thousands of spectators that packed the Weirs. The Infantry band was busy entertaining the crowds that were estimated at over 6,000 strong and the race judges were setting up their official barge. By 10:00, the last of the speed trials were held and all handicaps were set. Spectators arrived by land, and by boat. Every type of craft from canoes to cruisers were milling about the Weirs to witness the afternoon’s racing program. At 1:00 in the afternoon, the steamer Mt. Washington left the Weirs and a few hours later, the afternoon’s racing events began in earnest. The first race was an outboard motor race that started sharply at 3:30. The second race was a semi-speedboat event, with older boats that raced between 15-30 mph. The third race was for the Irwin cup, and was the crowning event of the afternoon. Boats were expected to reach up to 55 mph and represented some of the fastest on any lake in New England. This third and final race began at 4:22 in the afternoon and the starter’s flag was dropped by the Mayor of Laconia, the Honorable George Stevens. Only four contestants made it for this final race, the fifth scheduled contestant was Sam Dunsford who had already entered one of his other boats, Babs II, driven by a friend. Dunsford was saving himself to drive his new racing boat, Rainbow IV, which was delivered to the Weirs earlier in the morning. Dunsford had been racing on the water for a number of years and with the growing success of his business supplying the burgeoning automobile industry with electrical parts, was in a position to spend serious money on his favorite hobby. Rainbow IV was a perfect ‘step up’. Built in 1924, she had a most distinguished, if controversial, racing career, having won the 1924 Gold Cup race, only to be disqualified by the APBA. The Gold Cup races were seen as among the greatest of all international powerboat racing events and the chance to buy a racer like this, one designed by the noted designer George Crouch, must have been irresistible. As a racer, Rainbow IV held numerous records, including a 24 hour speed record set in October the previous year, in Canada, while powered by a Liberty V-12. Dunsford bought Rainbow IV from Harry Greening and had a Packard Gold Cup engine installed. To Dunsford’s considerable dismay, she could not be readied in time for the inaugural Irwin cup race. The race started well, with all four contestants close together but after six laps around the triangular course, twenty eight minutes after the start, RIP III, a Chris-Craft driven by owner Robert Peterson, crossed the finish line and carried away the honors. Wildcat, a Ditchburn designed and built boat driven by Glenroy Scott came in second and Babs II, Dunsford’s Chris-Craft driven by Arthur Smith, came in third. The forth boat, Jean L driven by Frank Lane was forced to withdraw on the second lap due to a broken rudder. The head race official was Jim Irwin and his daughter Eleanor presented a metal shield to Robert Peterson signifying the win. The second race in the series was held two weeks later on July 18th, again at Weirs Bay, on a triangular course laid out by Jim Irwin and Sam Dunsford. Dunsford’s mechanic, Elmer Folsom, had worked around the clock over the previous two weeks while located on Dunsford’s estate on Tuftonboro Neck. By race time, Folsom had Rainbow IV’s Packard engine ready and the crowd was very excited. Rainbow IV’s reputation as a fast, record holding boat was well publicized and known. Her running style was also very distinctive as her surface piercing propeller threw up a spray almost 20 feet in the air when she was at speed. When Dunsford, accompanied by his trusty mechanic Folsom, finally rounded Governor’s Island a few minutes before the races were to begin and came in full view of the assembled throng, there was much cheering and horn blowing. She was clearly the favorite. However, there were a number of competitors who took up the challenge including the first race winner, Robert Peterson in RIP III. Also racing were Jean L, Wildcat and Babs II. The crowds were again estimated at over 6,000 people on land and over 100 craft of all sizes were surrounding the edges of the bay. Rainbow IV did not disappoint as she easily won the race with an average speed of 50 mph. Dunsford and Folsom were given a standing ovation. Jean L and Wildcat were second and third respectively. Both Babs II and RIP III were disqualified as they ran faster in the race than in the trials.

This is the 3rd Place trophy that just sold on e-bay.

[mcdude]

On Sunday, August 1st, the third series of races were held, again in Weirs Bay around the same type of triangular course the previous two races were held. Many new boats from Alton and Wolfeboro joined in the competition. The races were open to all and the attention paid to the whole event combined with a strong marketing effort helped push the Irwin cup starting field to 11 strong. Flyers were distributed to all the local towns and anyone who owned a boat was heartily encouraged to show their support for the lakes region. Reading through the literature of the time, boat owners were encouraged to support the local area, and were clearly told they had it in their power to make the event a time to remember. The race winner was Nilly driven by Eben Parsons from Alton Bay. Rainbow IV came in second with Wildcat in third. Alice came in fourth driven by Carl Cram, also from Alton Bay. Thousands of spectators lined the shore with hundreds boats and crafts lining the sides of the bay. After three races of tight competition, the standings were very close. None of the boats won more than once and each of the three leading contestants had enough points to win the cup if they could win the last race. The point standings were: Rainbow IV 350 points RIP III 300 points Wildcat 225 points Babs I 220 points Nilly 200 points Jean L 100 points Babs II 66 points Alice 25 points Echo Jr. 20 points The last race of the series was run on Sunday, 12 September. As before, the race was held in Weirs Bay. A full starting lineup of race boats was on display ready for the race. Although postponed for a week, there was no fall-off in attendance. The Boston & Maine RR came through again by assisting thousands of fans who dotted the shore. Hundreds of others attended in their own boats in the spectator fleet. 23 minutes and 27 seconds after the start, Sam Dunsford, driving his Rainbow IV, won in a convincing fashion. He picked up 200 more points giving him a total of 550 points for the racing season and won the beautiful Irwin cup. RIP III took second place with Wildcat in third. With the racing season over, all participants agreed the season was very successful and plans were made to expand the racing in future years. Local media and businesses were complimentary in the way the boat racing generated interest in the whole area and helped to attract vacationers into the lakes region. All agreed the races provided the largest attraction around the lake and were easily the fastest in the New England area. The racers agreed amongst themselves they should plan for a more extensive series of speed boat races. This necessitated forming a boat association that could formally sponsor the racing events. Membership would be open to anyone in the lakes region and application blanks were handed out to all who expressed an interest. This formal association would provide structure and organization to the regions racing events. It was hoped it would not only make it easier to plan the racing regattas, but could also represent Lake Winnipesaukee in other competitions outside the region. Looking towards the future, this was a critical factor. For, in the minds of all the racers, it was known the Gold Cup racing committee dictated competitors could not enter as an individual, but must be sponsored by an association. In June 1927, the Winnipesaukee Power Boat Association (WPBA) was born, complete with a meeting place, the Oakbirch Inn in Alton Bay and its own burgee. Key members of the Winnipesaukee boat racing community were selected to lead the club. Jim Irwin was elected as Secretary and Nathaniel Goodhue, from Wolfeboro, was elected as Treasurer. Heading the club and entire Winnipesaukee racing effort, and granted the title of ‘Commodore’, was a wealthy industrialist from Concord, Samuel Dunsford. I am sure that the above discourse is more information than you ever wanted to know,This early speed boat racing trophy is being offeredwith a low reserve. Please take a look at the other unusual items we currently have for auction on ebay. good luck"

(2-7-05) FINAL PRICE AT AUCTION - $1,009.99 !!!!



More Links and Photos
(If you follow the links I guess you can see where the narrative was taken from...)
http://www.lwhs.us/wei-winnipesaukeepier.htm

[mcdude]

From "Winnipiseogee Heritage II" - Published by the History of Alton Class - Alton High School - March 1980.
THE BANDSTAND ON LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE AT ALTON BAY AND THE ALTON BAY RACING ASSOCIATION
Interview with Mrs. Aida Downing conducted by Mrs. Johnston.

"In the mid 1920s, a group of men from Alton Bay formed a racing association with the idea of racing speedboats and other boats on Lake Winnipesaukee on Alton Bay. Members of the Association were; Lester Downing, Edward Downing, Harry Jones, Martin Lynch, Ralph Stevens and Stephen Lynch. In 1928, the association decided that a bandstand should be built in the bay. The bandstand would be used for two purposes; band concerts and a judging stand for races. The bandstand was built over a large ledge about halfway between the old railway station and Victoria Pier. during the Winter months when the ice was frozen, a crib was built, filled with rocks and a foundation built over this. The bandstand was completed later. Mr. Olie Barnes of Alton was asked to construct the bandstand with the help of the racing committee and a crew of volunteers. The stand was completed and used in 1928 for band concerts and boat races.

The following is from the 1928 Alton Town Report:
Report of the Alton Bay Racing Association
Cash Received:
Donations by subscriptions....................$915.75
Amount received from Whist parties........$134.51
Received from Town of Alton.................$500.00
Deficit........................................... .... $78.54
TOTAL............................................. .$1628.80

Cash paid out:
Frank I. Hayes, 8 Band Concerts...............$660.00
Advertising Mass. Gold Cup Regatta............$30.00
Prizes for Speedboat Races.......................$45.50
Bandstand Construction............................$893.30
TOTAL............................................. ......$1628.80

Labor and materials and the use of teams and trucks were donated by the citizens to the extent of $679.80 making the total cost of the bandstand $1,573.10, which is the property of the Town of Alton.


From an Oak Birch Inn Brochure. This photo taken at Victoria Pier in Alton Bay with the Mount Washington dock in the left background.

BOAT RIDES

Interview with Aida Downing and Richard Downing by Kathy Jones and Mrs. Johnston

For many years, Alton Bay was the center for speed boat rides, its' only competition was a 26 foot Chris Craft, the "Miss Winnipesaukee, out of the Weirs.

The first speed boats to carry passengers out of Alton Bay began operating around 1930. They are as follows;
1.- "Yankee Flyer" - Carl Cram, 1930, 30 foot Dodge, 350 H.P.
2.- "Minute Man" - Dr. Webster, 1932, 26 foot Hackercraft, 175 H.P.
3.- "Legionaire" and "Legionaire Special" = Fred and Lester Downing (Bay Boat Company) 1934, 28 foot Garwood, 150 H.P. and 26 foot Chris Craft, 225 H.P.

Mr. Cram eventually purchased the "Minute Man" around 1938 and remained in business for several years. His boats operated from a dock which was located at the site of the present motel by Woody's Store (Now Gillan's Marine?) The last spped boat to operate from this dock was "The Miss Alton Bay" during the 1950s.

Across the bridge, at Downing's Landing, the Legionaires were operated by Fred and Lester Downing.
Downing's Dock

During the 1930s and 40s few people owned their own boats and these thrilling boat rides provided much enjoyment for city tourists. The usual ride gave the passenger a view of Alton Bay's shore line as far as Little Mark Island all for 35 cents. Later, the price for a 20-30 minute ride increased to 50 cents and 75 cents. A trip around the lake might run for about nine or ten dollars.

In October of 1940, the fastest 'passenger boat' in the world arrived at Alton Bay from the Corby Estate at Bald Peak Colony Club in Moultonboro. Known as the "Jay-E III", it was renamed the "Legionaire 70". It was owned and operated by Mr. Lester Downing from 1940-1947 when he sold it to Mr. Al Ouellette of Sandy Point Beach.
The "Legionaire 70" was 36 feet long by 8 feet, 7 inches. It had a single 1,000 H.P. 12 cylinder V-type Packard engine built by Garwood in 1929. It ran on 75% aviation gas and 25% benzol. The "Legionaire 70" lived up to its' name and truly averaged 70 m.p.h. The gas consumption, when running at wide open throttle, was 100 gallons per hour. Ther was only one other boat exactly like this one, its' twin, which was owned by the King of Siam. (would I make this up?)


As the late 50s and early 60s arrived, more and more people began to purchase their own boats. The days of the speed boat were over and a new era of boating began. The "Legionaires", owned by the Bay Boat Company, were the last survivors and discontinued operation in the early 60s."

BOAT RACES
From "Winnipiseogee Heritage" History of Alton Class - Alton High School - Taken from the "Winnipesaukee Times" by David Shibley.
"Between the year of 1947 and 1951, boat racing was just about the most popular sport in Alton Bay and the Lakes Region. Some of the big names at the time were, Al Ouellette (one of the best drivers and oldest on the circuit, whose homebase was Sandy Point), Ray Ouellette (Sandy Point), William Heidke (Alton Bay), Bob Jones (Alton Bay), Charles Trumble (Alton Bay), Ivers Wetherbee (Alton Bay), David Birdseye (Alton Bay), Bob Colby (Laconia), Frank Redding (Wolfeboro), and Brad Bryant (Weirs). All boats were put into classes; inboard, outboard and special class; then those boats were broken down into A, B, C, D, or E. Boats ranged from a small 50 pound, 7 cubic inch, midget hydroplane to the big 30 cubic inch class "C" hydroplane, weighing 150 pounds and travelling well over 60 m.p.h. on the straight-away.

The length of the race course was three laps. Each lap was 3 miles long. Prizes were trophies. According to the rules, there had to be three boats to constitute a race. When 3 boats started, 2 places would be paid; where more than 4 boats started, 4 places would be paid. Some of the well-known boats at the time were "Miss New Hampshire", "Buckaroo", "Wild Duck", "Zambowango", "Hari Kari", "Tiger Shark" and "Wild Oats"."


ALTON BAY SKI CLUB
Click here to SUPER-SIZE this image (for easier reading)

[mcdude]

BOAT RACING INTERVIEWS

"Dick Bernard of Durham and Alton Bay remembers that there were all classes of boats raced. The early races, 1947-1951 were not sanctioned and were outboards 20-50 h.p. Also, inboards raced. Later races were conducted according to APBA rules and were sanctioned races.

Mr. J. Willard Marriott of Washington, D.C. and Wolfeboro, remembers racing boats in Alton Bay from 1947-1950. He raced a 22 h.p. Evinrude outboard in 1947 and 1948. In 48-50 he also raced a 17 foot Higgins boat with a 165 h.p. grey marine fireball engine.

Dana Thomas of Alton remembers racing in class C utility. He finished the 50 mile marathon in 1950 but rough water in the Broads gave him a lot of trouble.

Bric Ouellette of Alton Bay recalls that the race course was triangular, starting at the bandstand, extending to the two markers at Sandy Point, and back to the bandstand for the finish point. In 1949, Bric had a 135 cubic inch hydroplane, powered by a V4 60 h.p. engine capable of 72 m.p.h. In 1951, he traded for a class B outboard runabout that travelled 45 m.p.h. 'There were so few hydroplanes on the lake in those days, there would always be three or four of us travelling around together, racing every week-end around the lake.' "

Interview materials from "Winnipiseogee Heritage"
NAT GOODHUE & WOLFEBORO BOATBUILDING
.....speaking of Nat Goodhue......



From "Remember When" Edited by Kathy O'Meara - a Bicentennial project of the Wolfeboro Chamber of Commerce.
Various steamboats tried to race the Mt. Washington to see who was faster. One was the "Gilnockie". The engineer was the late Nate Goodhue of Wolfeboro who used every known trick to urge a few more revolutions from the engine. The Gilnockie "won" since it was all fired up and the Mount was winding down for the day. "This event gives an inkling of certain characteristics of Nate Goodhue which were to remain with him and make him noted among boatmen until his death. When anyone wanted to get more speed out of a boat they frequently consulted with Nate, who know all the regular and nearly, if not all, the 'trick' methods of getting that extra burst. This knowledge was carried through to the days of high speed runabouts, and during a recent season I heard Nate Goodhue advising the owner of a very fast boat on methods to employ to obtain more speed. "Well, Bill," Nate replied to man's insistent questions, "if you grind the valves, and clean the carbon, and put on a high compression head, you might make her just a 'leetle' faster." There was no limit in Nate's eyes. It is unfortunate that his calm and easy-going ways are gone from the lake's boating characters." Three Centuries on Winnipesaukee - Paul Blaisdell - p. 70 - New Hampshire Publishing - Second Edition - 1975 (First Printing 1936.
__________________________________________________ __________
Old-fashioned speed boat rides are still available today at the Wolfeboro Town docks aboard the Millie B. The Millie B is a 28 foot mahogany Hackercraft.


All Aboard the Millie B
Experience the thrill of a wooden boat ride on Lake Winnipesaukee in this 1928-style all-mahogany runabout. You'll see spectacular lake and mountain views, picturesque islands, beautiful waterfront homes, and maybe, a loon or two. Millie B rides are fun for all ages, so bring as many generations as you can! Click here for more information on the Millie B

Speed boat racing still occurs in Wolfeboro every other year partly sponsored by the New Hampshire Boat Museum.

Click here for more photos of the OBSESSION
"The Obsession" The New Hampshire Boat Museum presents, our third, biennial, invitational:
New Hampshire Vintage Race Boat Regatta
Wolfeboro, NH
September 15-17, 2005
The past comes alive as some of the best known race boats of bygone eras return to Wolfeboro, for our New Hampshire Vintage Race Boat Regatta. The boats will run demonstration "fly-bys" of 6 laps on a 1.25 mile oval course on Wolfeboro Bay beginning at 9 AM. In addition to seeing and hearing these unique and beautiful boats run, spectators are invited to view them close-up in the pit area, at the Town Docks between 9 and 4, on both Friday and Saturday. Wolfeboro is now a major stop on the APBA Vintage Race Boat Circuit, and next summer's regatta expands to 2 1/2 days, and includes 50 Vintage race boats running demonstration laps on a full size race course, on beautiful Wolfeboro Bay.

Click here for more information on the Racing Regatta and many more photos.
Image from the NHBM web page,


JIM IRWIN & THE WEIRS


No discussion of power boats on the lake is complete without a tip of the hat to Jim Irwin.
Click here to read his biography
"One of the big features of the Winnipesaukee Gardens were the boat rides offered by a fleet of seven triple cockpit Chris-Crafts, all carrying the Miss Winnipesaukee name. “Those boat rides started in the 1930s. We’d take in used boats and run them until they just had had it,” says Jack(Irwin). The boats were all virtually identical, 26-foot and 28-foot 1929 model runabouts, and could take nine passengers in addition to the driver.
He said that his first job at Irwin’s Winnipesaukee Gardens after he got out of the Marines in 1956 was taking people out on the lake for the popular speed boat rides.
“The rides were 10 miles long and took about 20 minutes. We’d go up towards Bear Island and Center Harbor or out to Welch Island. Thousands of people took those rides. We’d start at 9 a.m. and run them until dusk. It seemed like there was always a line of people waiting. In later years we took the windshields off so they’d go faster and we could give people a real thrill.”
text from the Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society click here
tear off ticket here
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE RIDE!

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Hats off to you too! Very nice post.
(Love the new McJigger!)

[Just Sold]

Thanks for your good work McD.

You brought back these memories with your post.

The Bob Jones mentioned in the article along with his brother Downing Jones owned Downings Boat Yard now known as Parker Marine. Bob Jones (Downings) purchased a speed boat in the 60's which I only saw him drive a few times. I remember it had a big block Chevy motor which had a lot of chrome. He actually bought 2 and sold one to a man who had a cottage w/boat house near the Oak Birch Inn. The boats were reported to go in excess of 70MPH. He said he would only sell a boat like that to a person who was qualified to drive it when someone would asked to order one.

I can remember watching the boat go up the bay in the late afternoon when it was calm and you had to keep your eyes and head moving just to keep up with it. It just flew by.

As for Goodhue and Hawkins they made custom boats in the 60's. For those who remember Friends Beans, Bob Friend sold the company to JJ Nissan and spent the next winter at his Tuftonboro Neck home, which is right on the tip of the neck, while he had a new boat built at Goodhues. He and his wife kept an eye on the boat as it was built. I believe it was similar to the Goodhue Utility Launch. I never did get a ride in it though.

I never rode in the Legionnaire but I remember seeing it in the bay and at Downings Landing.

[gtxrider]

I love this stuff. I read Bric's letter about the Hydroplane and it hit home. Can you please email me a copy of the letter for my dad or has ghfromaltonbay asked already?

We knew Al, Ray and Bric from Sandy Point.


Also in the article about the Alton Bay H2O ski club I think I know the Chris Craft with the 275HP engine used for the barefoot skiing. I was owned by a fellow who stayed at Sandy Point.


I remember ski shows in the Bay and the jump that was just above Sandy Point when not being used for shows. We would sit on the beach and watch the jumpers practice. I seem to remember the club having a Correct Craft ski boat.

[Island Girl]

I just love the boating history of the lake. Though I was raised on a much smaller lake in MA, the wooden boats were prevalent through my childhood. I loved my 12' Hiliner with a 10HP Johnson. My sister and I learned to water ski behind that boat. We had water ski shows with other kids and adults on the lake and did some of the tricks mentioned in your articles. What fun!

Thanks for jogging the memories, McD.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Check out Vintage Race Boat Shop. They have excellent photos of the old wooden boats as well as new custom wooden boats.
You can tell they are passionate about these beauties.
They’ve even invited us by on Saturday mornings for a visit . They like doughnuts.

[Mee-n-Mac]

Where do you find all this stuff Another great post. All I can add is that G-48 is a not infrequent visitor to Alton Bay. I wonder who owns her ?

[Rattlesnake Gal]

She is listed on their site as Obsession G-48.

[gtxrider]

Originally Posted by Just Sold

Thanks for your good work McD.

You brought back these memories with your post.

The Bob Jones mentioned in the article along with his brother Downing Jones owned Downings Boat Yard now known as Parker Marine. Bob Jones (Downings) purchased a speed boat in the 60's which I only saw him drive a few times. I remember it had a big block Chevy motor which had a lot of chrome. He actually bought 2 and sold one to a man who had a cottage w/boat house near the Oak Birch Inn. The boats were reported to go in excess of 70MPH. He said he would only sell a boat like that to a person who was qualified to drive it when someone would asked to order one.

I can remember watching the boat go up the bay in the late afternoon when it was calm and you had to keep your eyes and head moving just to keep up with it. It just flew by.

As for Goodhue and Hawkins they made custom boats in the 60's. For those who remember Friends Beans, Bob Friend sold the company to JJ Nissan and spent the next winter at his Tuftonboro Neck home, which is right on the tip of the neck, while he had a new boat built at Goodhues. He and his wife kept an eye on the boat as it was built. I believe it was similar to the Goodhue Utility Launch. I never did get a ride in it though.

I never rode in the Legionnaire but I remember seeing it in the bay and at Downings Landing.

As a kid young Ray Ouellette told me about the fastest boat on the lake I guess he was referring to the Legionnaire.

I also remember the 2 speed boats. I think they were RAYSON CRAFTs or that style known and in racing as SS or Ski depending on engine size. As a kid I wanted one just like them. The closest I came was a model boat from AMT models. You think those off shore baots are loud there is nothing like an open set of headers above the water but when they are up on a plane there is little to no wake.

Our first boat came from Downings way back in 1966. No high speed job just a 15' aluminum StarCraft Jet Star with a 33HP Evinrude. Later repowered with a 50HP. We had lots of fun with it and did a lot of water skiing behind her.

[ghfromaltonbay]

One of the private boats used by the club was a Chris Craft owned by John Cooke of Portland, CT who stayed at Sandy Point from the mid 1950's until 1997. John sold the boat in 1980 when he bought a Century Resorter. By then he had "retired" from driving for the skiers. I have several 8x10 photos which I will attempt to scan onto the forum which were taken by a newspaper photographer of the barefooters down near the bandstand during one of the shows. The pictures are from the late 60's judging by the ages of the skiers who are now in their late 40's and up. I also have some pics that John took of the skiers practicing their pyramids on the beach at Sandy Point. Every weekend the skis were lined up along the Beach Motel wall as the guys practiced. In those days you could start off and land right near the beach in the designated ski area.

[ghfromaltonbay]

I tried to attach the photos in this forum section, but they were too large. I uploaded the 4 pics in the Photopost under Historical pictures. The first is a collection of 4 small photos from 1963 of the skiers practicing their pyramids on the beach and then in the lake off Sandy Point. The rest are from an early 1970's ski show featuring barefooters.

[mcdude]

...thanks GH. These are super!

Click here to SUPER-SIZE the images above




"Here are copies of the photos I scanned in of the ski club using John Cooke's boat. The smaller pics are dated 1963. The 3 larger photos show the guys starting off down near the public beach, the skiers going barefoot in the 2nd larger shot, and the last shows John and the Barefooters after their run. The only 2 I definitely know are Jim Ciaccio on the left who's from Lowell MA and Peter Belkas on the extreme right. I don't know how to upload these to the website, but maybe you can. gh"
thanks again, gh! great old photos.

[gtxrider]

FYI! It is/was a Chris Craft Cavalier made of plywood so it was light. It had a hot small block Chevy with Corvette in its veins. It was John's baby.

Just think they are less than 150' from shore and skiing on the south side of the band stand in a NO WAKE ZONE.

[Island Girl]

I love seeing these old water skiing pictures. Reminds me of being a kid. We used to ski 7 behind a boat. The problem was always the skiers who fell and the rest of us had to hang on to keep the ropes from tangeling. Some of the more adventurous did the pyramid thing as well.

Thanks for rekindling the memories.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Thanks GH! Great photos.
Does anyone out there do the barefoot thing anymore?
What about towing multiples, is that even allowed?

[Island Girl]

I believe 2 skiers is the maximum allowed in NH. My brother can barefoot ski. It would have to be an incredibly smooth wind free day... say 6 am. Maybe I can get him up the the lake this summer to do that.

[SIKSUKR]

I used to barefoot all of the time but that was many moons ago.That water hurts when you do a faceplant at 40+.We once had ten skiers on one boat on my small lake in southern NH.Oh,the good ole days huh? Mc Dude,you continue to amaze me with the amount of lake history you share with us here.Thanks so much. SS

[mcdude]

This Goodhue-Hawkins Cruiser is pictured on the Mississippi River in 1910.

The reason this image was not inserted in the thread but was added down here is that the new Forum allows for only four images to be uploaded per post! McD

[webmaster]

Originally Posted by mcdude

The reason this image was not inserted in the thread but was added down here is that the new Forum allows for only four images to be uploaded per post!

That has been fixed. There is now no limitation on the number of attachments.

Don

[mcdude]

Thanks, Don:
I just came back here to add it to the appropriate place in the thread but I guess I should leave it where it is or your response would make no sense!
McD

1-23-06

Here's a brochure that arrived today from e-bay. If I remember correctly from the text above this would be about 1940.


Follow the link below to supersize this image .....
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...gionnaire1.jpg


....follow the link below to super-size this image....
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...gionnaire2.jpg

and a new Legionnaire postcard 2/5/06

[mcdude]

Water Skiing in Alton Bay 1950 - I can't quite place the angle of the shot, does it look familiar to anyone?

[AC2717]

It is funny now how none of this is legal, when it was all legit at one point and with less restrictions than we have now, kinda makes you sit back and think, maybe there are too many rules? Maybe because of the restrictions there are more problems, maybe, maybe maybe anything else
ahh the good olde days, of which I was not apart of due to age

[Mee-n-Mac]

First it looks to me that the Alton Bandstand is in the background. The dock with the flag jutting out in the left background looks familiar to me. I'd say the shot was taken where the Bayview condos are now and they are skiing too close to my dock !

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by AC2717

It is funny now how none of this is legal, when it was all legit at one point and with less restrictions than we have now, kinda makes you sit back and think, maybe there are too many rules? Maybe because of the restrictions there are more problems, maybe, maybe maybe anything else
ahh the good olde days, of which I was not apart of due to age

Agreed.And the Legioneer pictured above could not boast about giving 65 mph rides anymore.I already yearn for the good old days in that sense.

[Tony h20]

In the pics of the 4 skiers and john cooke driving the chris craft my father third from right is in all black top with the zipper on the front of his wet suit.His name is Tony Cammarata.Anyone still around from his times up there?He wants to get in touch with them.Our Family had a house just past sandy point on the left hand side that was sold in 05 then burned in a controlled fire training test and a new one was built we also had a dock 75' plus feet back in the 70's.It was the last house that had the view of the lake before mountmajor highway runs through tree scenery on both sides of the road.

[LakesRegionSpirit]

Would anyone know the first name of the "Dr. Webster" referenced in this content?

[BroadHopper]

Anyone remember the water ski races from the Weirs around Rattlesnake and back? I think that went on until the early 70's.

I remember the jet boats and drag boats entering the race. It was getting pretty serious when they were using Maharajah long boards and a racing harness like the Catalina Island races in California.

I was told the boats with waterskier in tow were averaging 70 mph and have hit speed of up to 100 mph!

Goodhue Marine out of Glendale had a special Hydrodyne boat with twin Mercury racing outboards.

[Just Sold]

I remember the water ski races coming down into Alton Bay in the mid 60's.

They came to about the tip of Echo Point and turned around. One race in particular had a skier behind a cabin cruiser. Now that was back when gas was cheap.

Bet John Birdsall remembers those days.

[livefreeordie]

Great post love this stuff makes me remember hearing all these stories growing up working for Bric at Sandy Point..... I still cant believe that Winni was the first place in the US to hold a Powerboat race and now we have a speed limit.....

[blkptds]

Originally Posted by Just Sold

I remember the water ski races coming down into Alton Bay in the mid 60's.

They came to about the tip of Echo Point and turned around. One race in particular had a skier behind a cabin cruiser. Now that was back when gas was cheap.

Bet John Birdsall remembers those days.

I was the spotter on that trip, skiier was Dave Chase from Gilford, really rough day, and I had problems with my Century Resorter so a Chris Craft seaskiff cruiser was substituted

[BroadHopper]

that was the day.........................

I bet that boat smooth out the waves fairly well for skiing. Frankie Cook of Gilford was pretty big in the old races.

[topwater]

Its funny how life always comes around FULL CIRCLE. In 1940 we were advertising we had one of the fastest PUBLIC speed boats in the world, ( Legionnare "70" ) here on Winnie. Rides were somewhere around $1.00. Here we are in 2010 and now some people who believe they own the lake are trying to drop the speed limit to 45. Life sure changes, but I hope the speed limit doesn't.

[John A. Birdsall]

I did not see it mentioned but Jimmy Calvin had an inboard, his place was on the east side of the bay near the public beach. It was a white and brown boat and was it nice. Don Purdey (spelling??) lost his arches I believe in barefoot sking in Alton. He had one of the early Coronadoes. I think the ski club also used the little legionere for sky shows as well.

We did not do 70 mph behind the puddy-tat, but with our trusty 18 hp Johnson we pulled a lot of ski's with that. Yes for the good ole days. Sure was fun. can't wait for Ice Out...

[Descant]

Thanks for all the memories.

Things we don't do anymore...

I started "skiing" when I was 12-13. A 13 ft MFG with an 18hp Evinrude. We didn't have skis, but used an old outhouse door. The water squirted through the 1/2 moon, and obscured vision. Later I got a 15 ft with 50 hp and we skied all over the lake. Smith Cove was a favorite on windy days as it was protected. Now restricted by more docks and a speed limit. We had a ski jump anchored in Paugus Bay, and I learned that skill.

I was one of those who participated in the water ski races, as a driver. The 18 ft Tompson, 120 hp wasn't as fast as some of the others, but it had one of the new deep vee hulls and was great in rough water and good for the skier. At top speed we probably did 38 mph. At that speed, the fuel tank wasn't big enough for the long races (50 & 60 mile marathons) so we carried an extra five gallons and poured it into the main tank while maintaining full speed.

I was also one of the lucky ones who had a summer job at the Weirs driving the "Miss Winni's".

A lifetime of memories squeezed into a few summer months...

Anybody out there who was one of the kids diving for coins at the Mount Washington docks? Or who jumoped off the Weirs bridge? By the time I was old enough to do those things, it was apparently all illegal.

[Mr Cooke's Crew]

Yes, the guy on the left is indeed Jim Ciaccio (Chach) which is me. The other two guys are Johnny Buckley and Tony Camarada(sp?). I have a lot of pictures as well, but I need my daughter to help me out and upload. Great memories.

Originally Posted by mcdude

...thanks GH. These are super!

Click here to SUPER-SIZE the images above




"Here are copies of the photos I scanned in of the ski club using John Cooke's boat. The smaller pics are dated 1963. The 3 larger photos show the guys starting off down near the public beach, the skiers going barefoot in the 2nd larger shot, and the last shows John and the Barefooters after their run. The only 2 I definitely know are Jim Ciaccio on the left who's from Lowell MA and Peter Belkas on the extreme right. I don't know how to upload these to the website, but maybe you can. gh"
thanks again, gh! great old photos.

[Mr Cooke's Crew]

I stayed at Sandy Point most of my life. And with Mr Cooke for about 12 years. I barefooted with your Father a lot. I still go up almost every weekend. I have a 85 Century Coronado maroon & white, I keep at Parker's.

Jim "Chach' Ciaccio

[66Fibersport]

My dad is in the full wet suit. It looks black in the photos but its red and black. I used to use it when i was 15-19 years old and still have it. John cooke i met when i was a kid at sandy point with our fibersport in the early 80's and john told my dad to throw the skis on me and we'll go out. He was a tough no BS person. Then my dad showed me how to water ski when i was 6. We still ski together. I wish I was older then in the early 70's to enjoy the freedom times

[NHBUOY]

Great thread McD. Just "discovered" it contains some famous friends of mine..lol...