Seafair fun facts
Lou Fageol began a 50-year tradition in the Emerald City when he steered Slo-mo-shun V to victory in 1951. Seattle hosted the 1951 APBA Gold Cup after Seattle representative Slo-mo-shun IV won the 1950 Gold Cup in Detroit with Ted Jones driving.
What was the controversy behind the 1951 Seafair Trophy?
After the Gold Cup was run on Saturday, Aug. 4, a second Unlimited race (for the Seafair Trophy) was run on Lake Washington on Sunday, Aug. 12. The race course was lengthened from 3 statute miles to 5 nautical miles and extended well beyond Seward Park. All of the out-of-town boats went home after the Gold Cup, leaving only the two Slo-mo-shun boats. Three local 135-cubic-inch Limited boats were recruited to replace the scratches. Slo-mo-shun drivers Ted Jones and Lou Fageol switched boats. Jones won the Seafair Trophy and Slo-mo-shun V won the race with heat finishes of first, second and first. Fageol and Slo-mo-shun IV finished second, first and second.
Which boat has won Seafair the most times?
Miss Budweiser has won 14 times. Current driver Dave Villwock has five wins in Seattle, including three consecutive in Miss Bud (1998-2000).
Why did the Gold Cup move to Detroit?
From 1904 to 1962, the Gold Cup race location was determined by the yacht club of the winning boat. After being introduced to hydros in 1951, Seattle had the Gold Cup locked down. When Detroit's Gale V took the Gold Cup away in 1955, an intense Seattle vs. Detroit rivalry ensued. The stakes were raised when the Seafair Trophy was offered as the top prize in 1956. This established a precedent for the next two decades. In the years when Seattle didn't have the Gold Cup, the Seafair Trophy replaced it. All of this ended in 1963, when the Gold Cup started being awarded to the city with the highest financial bid.
How did Seafair get its name?
The Seattle Yacht Club co-sponsored the Seattle race through 1960. Greater Seattle, Inc. — later renamed Seafair, Inc. — became the sole sponsor of the race in 1961. The Seafair Boat Club, which administers the Seattle race on Seafair's behalf, was organized in 1975.
— Cecil Cross II