2024 APBA Gold Cup to Be Contested In San Diego
H1 Unlimited Teams Will Battle for Prestigious Gold Cup at 60th Anniversary of Bayfair
H1 Unlimited announced today that the 2024 American Power Boat Association’s (APBA) Gold Cup trophy will be contested in September at San Diego’s Bayfair event on Mission Bay, September 13-15. This year marks the 114th running of the Gold Cup, which is the oldest trophy in motorsports. The trophy itself dates back to 1903 when it was designed by Tiffany & Co. at a cost of $750.
The unlimited hydroplanes will return to San Diego’s Mission Bay for the 60th anniversary of Bayfair, Southern California’s largest beach festival and powerboat race weekend. And it will be the first time since 1989 that the Gold Cup will be decided on the two-and-a-half mile course.
“The APBA Gold Cup is such a historic trophy with a rich history so determining which course will hold the honor of hosting this event each season is an important decision,” said Mike Denslow, chairman of the board, H1 Unlimited. “With the return of Bayfair to this year’s schedule, it was important for the Gold Cup to make a return to Southern California after more than two decades. The San Diego fans love unlimited hydroplane racing and we know the battle for the Gold Cup will be an incredible show on their race course.”
San Diego first hosted the Gold Cup in 1969 when Bernie Little’s ‘Miss Budweiser’ with Bill Sterett driving won the race in front of 125,000 fans in a powerboat without a canopy or seat belts. The following year San Diego again hosted the Gold Cup, which was again claimed by ‘Miss Budweiser’ with Dean Chenoweth at the helm. The Gold Cup didn’t return to San Diego again until 1987 when the locally owned ‘Miller American’ hydroplane of Fran Muncey won with legendary driver Chip Hanauer. The last Gold Cup hosted in Southern California in 1989 was claimed by the turbine-powered ‘Miss Budweiser’ on Mission Bay.
The first Gold Cup race took place in June 1904 on the Hudson River in New York. In the early days, the boats plowed through the water rather than skim over the surface of it like they do in today’s events. The winning boat, the STANDARD, owned and driven by Carl Riotte, averaged just over 23 miles per hour. Measuring 59 feet in length with an 8-1/2-foot beam, the craft used a 110-horsepower Standard motor that resembled a miniature steam engine with its steel columns and open frame. Today’s unlimited hydroplanes that are approximately 30 feet in length, weigh more than three tons, and fly across the water at nearly 200 mph.
For the last two years, Strong Racing has had a ‘stronghold’ on the Gold Cup with their two drivers winning back-to-back – Corey Peabody (2022 in Guntersville, Alabama) and J. Michael Kelly (2023 in Seattle, Washington).
2024 APBA Gold Cup to Be Contested In San Diego
H1 Unlimited Teams Will Battle for Prestigious Gold Cup at 60th Anniversary of Bayfair
H1 Unlimited announced today that the 2024 American Power Boat Association’s (APBA) Gold Cup trophy will be contested in September at San Diego’s Bayfair event on Mission Bay, September 13-15. This year marks the 114th running of the Gold Cup, which is the oldest trophy in motorsports. The trophy itself dates back to 1903 when it was designed by Tiffany & Co. at a cost of $750.
The unlimited hydroplanes will return to San Diego’s Mission Bay for the 60th anniversary of Bayfair, Southern California’s largest beach festival and powerboat race weekend. And it will be the first time since 1989 that the Gold Cup will be decided on the two-and-a-half mile course.
“The APBA Gold Cup is such a historic trophy with a rich history so determining which course will hold the honor of hosting this event each season is an important decision,” said Mike Denslow, chairman of the board, H1 Unlimited. “With the return of Bayfair to this year’s schedule, it was important for the Gold Cup to make a return to Southern California after more than two decades. The San Diego fans love unlimited hydroplane racing and we know the battle for the Gold Cup will be an incredible show on their race course.”
San Diego first hosted the Gold Cup in 1969 when Bernie Little’s ‘Miss Budweiser’ with Bill Sterett driving won the race in front of 125,000 fans in a powerboat without a canopy or seat belts. The following year San Diego again hosted the Gold Cup, which was again claimed by ‘Miss Budweiser’ with Dean Chenoweth at the helm. The Gold Cup didn’t return to San Diego again until 1987 when the locally owned ‘Miller American’ hydroplane of Fran Muncey won with legendary driver Chip Hanauer. The last Gold Cup hosted in Southern California in 1989 was claimed by the turbine-powered ‘Miss Budweiser’ on Mission Bay.
The first Gold Cup race took place in June 1904 on the Hudson River in New York. In the early days, the boats plowed through the water rather than skim over the surface of it like they do in today’s events. The winning boat, the STANDARD, owned and driven by Carl Riotte, averaged just over 23 miles per hour. Measuring 59 feet in length with an 8-1/2-foot beam, the craft used a 110-horsepower Standard motor that resembled a miniature steam engine with its steel columns and open frame. Today’s unlimited hydroplanes that are approximately 30 feet in length, weigh more than three tons, and fly across the water at nearly 200 mph.
For the last two years, Strong Racing has had a ‘stronghold’ on the Gold Cup with their two drivers winning back-to-back – Corey Peabody (2022 in Guntersville, Alabama) and J. Michael Kelly (2023 in Seattle, Washington).