1976 Presidents Cup
45Th Presidents Cup Regatta
By Steve Garey
A measly five boat field, the smallest race field since 1959's 4 boat Indiana Governor’s Cup, left race sponsors wondering if it was all worth it as the rainy weather blew out Saturday's events. Sunday morning was the same, but by race time all was sunny and the water was the best Potomac water some old- timers had ever seen.
HEAT 1
Atlas Van Lines, Olympia Beer, Miss Budweiser, Miss Madison, U-7
Atlas and Oly screamed to the front at the start with Budweiser way back and U-7 and Madison trailing. Atlas led for a lap in a fabulous standoff with Oly. Schumacher grabbed lead on inside at end of lap #1. Schu pulled away from Muncey with Bud trying gallantly to catch up. At end of back- stretch of lap 2 Bud leaped and nosed in on her right side, tearing off her right sponson. Heat was stopped as Benns jumped into water. Benns was unhurt.
HEAT 1 - RERUN
Atlas and Oly battled again thru lap 1 with U-?6 on inside this time. U-7 stayed with them for -j- lap before falling back. Another tremen- dous race was staged by the two Bill's before Schu pulled away for the win. U-7's engine expired just f lap from the finish line. U-74: 400; U-76: 300; U-7: DNF; U-6: DNS.
HEAT 2
Atlas got the inside and led into the 1st turn. Atlas pulled away on back chute leaving Oly and a surprisingly fast Miss Madison. Boats strung out from here and Muncey took heat. U-76: 400; U-74: 300; U-6: 225.
FINAL HEAT
Once again Muncey and Schumacher squared off before the start and Schu squeezed in along the buoyline. For the fourth time in as many starts they roared toward the 1st turn side by side. Olympia came out ahead and proceeded to rocket away to a rec- ord 116.279 mph first lap. Madison trailed far behind in third. Billy also tallied a new race record for the course at 107.200 mph for a 371 mile race. Old record was 101.351 set by George Henley in Pay ’n Pak in the '74 President's Cup. Finish - U-74: 1100 U-76: 1000; U-6: 4Z0.
— Unlimiteds Detroit