RACE CIRCULAR: Presidents Cup is set for SUNDAY, May 21

The fourth race of the 2023 ERCU Pentair Championship Series is the Presidents Cup, set for SUNDAY, May 21, at Gissberg Twin Lakes Park in Marysville. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for the fourth event of the year.
 
Location
Gissberg Twin Lakes Park
16324 Twin Lakes Ave., Marysville, WA 98271
 
Contest Directors
David Heilbrunn & Nelson Holmberg
 
Context
The President’s Cup was contested by unlimited hydroplanes between 1926 and 1977, with time out for World War II (1941-1945). After 1977, the Presidents Cup became a limited event for several years.
 
A man named William A. Rogers is the “father” of the Presidents Cup Regatta. Rogers convinced his fellow Corinthian Yacht Club members to host the race and persuaded President Calvin Coolidge to sponsor the trophy.
 
Most of the Presidents Cup races were contested on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., adjacent to Hains Point, except for a few pre-war races that were run in Annapolis, Md.
 
The first-place trophy was traditionally presented to the winner by the nation’s chief executive. The president that demonstrated the keenest interest in the race was undoubtedly Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose love for aquatics is well known.
 
FDR watched the 1938 race from the deck of the presidential yacht Potomac. Mr. Roosevelt was so thrilled by the close finish in the last heat that he sent for the drivers of the first and second-place boats (Theo Rossi of Alagi and George Seay of Miss Manteo II) so that he could congratulate them in person for their good sportsmanship and excellent driving.
 
The original winner of the Presidents Cup was L. Gordon Hammersley in his $60,000 duraluminum Cigarette IV. The winning speed was around 55 miles per hour.
 
Please join ERCU at Gissberg Twin Lakes Park in Marysville on SUNDAY, May 21 and relive those golden days of yesteryear if only in 1/10 & 1/7 scale form.
 
Parking Details – IMPORTANT
Only three vehicles are allowed beyond the gate at a time to unload by Snohomish County Parks. To enter, you need to have one of our three batons. If none are hanging on the gate post, wait for someone exiting to park to pass one if the batons to you.
 
Exceptions: the trailer hauling vehicle and those with valid state handicapped parking permits are allowed to enter and remain without a baton.
 
What to Expect
(All times approximate, and subject to change)

• Winner-take-all final heats.
• Race course will be set between 7:30-8 a.m.
• Practice water and on-site registration 8-9 a.m.
• Mandatory drivers meeting 9:05-9:20 a.m.
• Racing begins at approximately 9:30 a.m. (maximum of 10 minutes after drivers meeting)
• Three flights of heats for each division (1/10 and 1/7)
• First and second consolations (depending on boat count and attrition)
  • First connie winner is trailer in the final
  • First connie second place is alternate for the final
  • Second connie winner starts on the front line in first connie
• Final heats will be run for each class
• One minute-30 second start clock for all racing
• A 20-30 minute lunch break will be held after the second flight of heats is complete. Participants should provide their own lunch
• Awards will be presented following the conclusion of the final heat of racing. Please stick around for the awards presentation and celebrate your fellow racers.

 
Pre-Registration
Pre-Registration for the Presidents Cup is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/presidents-cup.html, where you will find the pre-registration link in a blue box just under the race site map. You may also pre-pay your entry fees online by following the PayPal directions at the bottom of the page. Pre-registration will close at 10 p.m., Saturday, May 20. After that deadline, please register in person on site before 8:30 a.m.
 
You can also find pre-registration by going to www.ercu-hydros.com, then selecting “Schedule” from the main menu, and “Presidents Cup” from the schedule itself.
 
Schedule
It is our intent to have the course open by 8 a.m., so that testing can commence once boats are registered for the event. Boat owners should prepare to have time so that they can get inspections that are needed, and be ready to race.

The water will be open for testing until approximately 9 a.m. A mandatory driver’s meeting will start no less than 5 minutes after the water closes. Drivers who do not attend the meeting will not be allowed to participate in the first round of heats. 1/10-scale modern heat 1A will begin no less than 10 minutes after the conclusion of the drivers meeting.
 
Drivers Meeting
The drivers meeting is mandatory for ALL divisions and all classes and will begin at the scorer’s table within five minutes of the closing of the testing period. Drivers who do not attend the drivers meeting will be scratched from the first heat regardless of whether they are pre-registered and pre-paid. Drivers arriving after the drivers meeting will not be added to the event until the draw for the second flight of heats.
 
Race Officials

• Contest Directors: David Heilbrunn & Nelson Holmberg
• Chief Referee Modern: Craig Mullen
• Chief Referee Classic: Bill Mowatt
• Chief Referee Vintage: Nelson Holmberg
• Drivers Representative: Jerry Dunlap
• Pit Boss: David Heilbrunn
• Turn Judges: First and second place finishers will judge the next heat

 
Presidents Cup Defending Champions

• 1/10 Scale Modern: Mike Hughes, 1991 Winston Eagle
• 1/7 Scale Modern: Nelson Holmberg, 2021 Graham Trucking
• 1/10 Scale Classic: Paxton Reunanen, 1983 Miss Houston (Owner Chuck Murray)
• 1/7 Scale Classic: David Newton, 1970 Pride of Pay n’ Pak
• 1/10 Scale Vintage: David Newton, 1960 Miss Thriftway (Owner: Kerry Kjos)
• 1/7 Scale Vintage: Gerry Bordon, 1969 Parco’s O-Ring Miss

Race Format

• LOVE PLAN: Three flights of preliminary heats, five laps each. Connies and winner-take-all finals.
• First and second connies for each class (depending on total boat count and attrition).
  • Boats 6-10 in cumulative event points qualify for the first connie.
  • First connie winner advances to the final as a trailer boat. Second place in first connie is alternate in the final.
  • Boats 11-15 in cumulative event points qualify for the second connie.
    Second connie winner advances to the first connie as a front starter.
• Final heat with top five boats in each class, plus the connie winner as a trailer starter.
• Flight Schedule
  • 1/10 & 1/7 scale modern
  • 1/10 & 1/7 scale classic
  • 1/10 & 1/7 scale vintage

 
Inspections
In 2023, all boats are to be inspected – including new or dramatically changed/repaired boats which will be inspected before the first race they run at. We ask that you print out the 2023 Hull Inspection Form, found on the Resources tab of the club website (www.ercu-hydros.com), and complete the member information at the top of page one prior to arriving at the race site. Please also remember to bring a photo of the real boat (a photo on your phone or tablet is acceptable) that your boat models. In the event that there are not two or more inspectors at a race, new boats and significantly altered boats will be given a waiver for the inspection until the next event where two or more inspectors are present.
 
Post-Race Cleanup and Awards Presentation
Club equipment cleanup and re-packing the trailer will take priority once the race is over. Once the trailer is re-packed, awards will be presented. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers, first connie and Triple Crown winners. All members have a responsibility to help with set up and breakdown of club equipment. As a courtesy to your fellow racers, please stick around for the awards presentation whether you’ve won one or not.
 
Weather Forecast
The forecast for the Presidents Cup is partly cloudy skies and 69 degrees with a 10 mph breeze out of the northwest and a 20 percent chance of rain.
 
Restrooms
There are public restrooms available on site, and they are expected to be open.
 
Electricity
There is no access to electricity in the pits. It would be wise to bring a generator or other power source to charge your batteries if you need to charge during the day.