A Rendezvous with History

By Bruce Niederer — GBI Technical Advisor

In my article Profile of an American Craftsman the photos of the Les Staudacher jet-powered boat at Marine Services Unlimited provide a photographic history of the first and last run of the Tempo Alcoa. What follows are the details of that historic event.

In 1957 Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians were in high demand. The band leader and his music were well known throughout the U.S. and Canada. Lombardo was also a successful and well-known driver of Gold Cup hydroplane speedboats. Prior to WWII, Lombardo had a distinguished 225 cubic inch class career and moved up to the Gold Cup circuit after the war when he bought the proven Champion My Sin from Zalmon Simmons in 1948. Continue reading →