Print, Photographic

Photograph

-

Shanaman Sports Museum

Name/Title

Print, Photographic

Entry/Object ID

1997.16.04

Description

A black and white photo of the U19 Miss Rocket sits on a trailer with her crew wearing coveralls in 1957. The Miss Rocket was the first Tacoma-built hydroplane — designed and built by Les Staudacher — and was owned by Austin Snell. She was initially christened the Coral Reef but was later renamed the Miss Rocket, after Snell’s Rocket gas stations. The boat’s best finish was a second-place in the annual Seafair Race. She was also driven by Harry Reeves. Miss Rocket 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

Made/Created

Date made

1957 - 1958

Lexicon

Search Terms

Hydro Racing, Hydroplanes, Professional/Semi-Pro

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Miss Rocket

Person or Organization

hydroplane racing

Person or Organization

Unlimited Hydroplanes

Person or Organization

Tacoma

Person or Organization

Seattle

Person or Organization

Staudacher, Les

Person or Organization

Snell, Austin

Person or Organization

Regas, Jack

Person or Organization

Reeves, Harry

Person or Organization

Seafair Race

Person or Organization

Gold Cup