Print, Photographic

Photograph

Shanaman Sports Museum

Miss Rocket

Name/Title

Print, Photographic

Entry/Object ID

1997.16.02

Description

The close up photograph of the hydroplane Miss Rocket U19 shows the open cockpit design of early hydroplane racing. Miss Rocket was the first Tacoma-built hydroplane — designed and built by Les Staudacher — and was owned by Austin Snell. She was first named Coral Reef but later renamed after Snell’s Rocket gas stations, and the boat’s best finish was a second-place in the annual Seafair Race. She was driven by Harry Reeves. Miss Coral Reef made her debut in 1957 but didn’t garner much attention in the first few races of 1958. In the boat’s first season and a half, the U19 boat had failed to qualify for a single final heat but that changed when rookie driver Reeves finished second and first in her preliminary heats in the Gold Cup on August 10, and in the final race, Reeves went after driver Jack Regas and the Hawaii Kai III. Regas won by a rooster tail but it was the best performance for the boat and its crew. Photo donated by Mildred Cooper.

Lexicon

Search Terms

Hydro Racing, Professional/Semi-Pro, hydroplanes

Relationships

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Miss Rocket

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hydroplanes

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Unlimited Hydroplanes

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Coral Reef

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Woods, Frank

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Tacoma

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Longozo, Ed

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Staudacher, Les

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Snell, Austin

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Miss Rocket

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Seafair Race

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Reeves, Harry

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Gold Cup Seattle