1950 Silver Cup
Silver Cup Race to Have 5 Heats
Detroit’s own Silver Cup motor boat race this year will be longer and be more interesting for the thousands of spectators who line the banks of the Detroit River each year to watch the speedsters perform.
In past years the event has been run over a five mile course and has been three fifteen mile heats.
John Mulford, who put up the Silver Cup Trophy for Gold Cup boats as a memorial to his father, came up with a suggestion to make the race more interesting this year. Mr. Mulford’s suggestion, which was accepted for this years race, was to have the race run in five heats of ten miles each, two laps around the Harmsworth course. This will put much emphasis on the starts and the boat that gets away first will be hard to pass. This also lengthens the event from 45 miles to 50 miles.
The starts in all speed boats events are always the most spectacular as the speedy ships gun their high powered motors for that split second start as they roar into action coming down to the starting line. Apparently Mr. Mulford had the record number of spectators in mind when he thought up the change to make the event better.
Edwin O. Bodkin, chairman of motor boat racing at the Detroit Yacht Club, said Achille Castoldi of Italy will remain in Detroit to race his San’t Ambrogio in the Silver Cup race after competing in the Gold Cup race here July 22. Castoldi is coming here primarily to vie for the Harmsworth and Gold Cup laurels.
[Reprinted from the Grosse Pointe News, June 8, 1950]