Name/Title
HydroplaneEntry/Object ID
2020.002Description
Originally named Pisces, this 1979 S Class hydroplane, Ron Jones Special, is the world record holder for highest speed in a 1 kilometer race (105 mph). It has a "cabover" design with the driver sitting in front of the engine, and a "picklefork" bow design. It was beautifully restored by John Jenkins of Ohio, but the paint scheme is not original. It comes with a trailer.
This hydroplane was built by Ron Jones Sr of Seattle, Washington. Jones cared deeply about safety, which ultimately might be his greatest contribution to the sport. He was among the first to champion the idea that cockpits should be in front of the engine instead of behind it, which he thought would make the boats more aerodynamically sound. By the '80s, the forward-seating hull had become the primary design, with Jones at the forefront of another innovation that greatly improved safety in the sport - enclosed cockpits. He really pushed the fully-enclosed canopy.
Jones installed an F-16 canopy on the Miss Budweiser and the Miss 7-Eleven in the mid-'80s in the wake of the death of Miss Budweiser driver Dean Chenoweth in an accident in the Tri-Cities in 1982, and within a few years the safety capsules were mandatory. Only one unlimited hydroplane driver has been killed since then.Collection
BoatsAcquisition
Accession
2020.002Source or Donor
Jon BartellAcquisition Method
DonationCredit Line
Bartell FamilyMade/Created
Manufacturer
Jones, RonDate made
1979Notes
2000 CI Ford engineLocation
Building
*Don Doebler Collections Storage Facility