Others: Budweiser to end hydro sponsorship

Budweiser announced that this will be the last year that they are involved in the sport of unlimited hydroplane racing. This could well be the end of the sport that has seen less competitive fields and fewer boats in the past few years. Budweiser has been involved in the sport since 1963, and the Miss Budweiser has won 136 races and 23 national titles.
if any of you get the chance to see an unlimited race this year don't miss it, it is less of a sport than it is a spectacle, the site of boats skimming across the water at close to 200 mph with their roostertails a 100 feet in the air and 200-300 yards behind them is not soon forgotten

seattletimes.nwsource.com...

unlimited hydroplane racing, i havent heard of this what is it?

boat racing, the boats are 36 feet long powered by turbine engines, they race on a closed usually 2 mile oval, used to be a real big deal but has declined in the past few years, really something to see!!!!!

seems like good fun, wonder why it went down over the years

budweiser is both the curse and the savior of the sport. their sponsorship dwarfed the other teams to the point that no one else was competitive, for the last few years they kept tweaking the rules to slow the miss budweiser down to the level of the rest of the field, most of the other boats would pick up local sponsors for each race and were no match for the miss bud
www.bernielittlesr.com...

here are the specs for the miss bud, i was wrong in an earlier post, the boat is about 30 feet long not 36
Specifications
Engine: The T-55 L-7 Turbine engine is a shaft turbine, rated at 2,650 horsepower at the output shaft. The engine was used extensively in Chinook Helicopters.
Manufacturer: Avco Lycoming
Engine Model: T-55 L-7
Output Shaft RPM: 15,330
Compressor Ratio: 7:1
Engine Weight: 600 pounds
Oil Capacity: 5 gallons
Hull Designer-Builder: Miss Budweiser Racing Team
Length: 29' 10"
Width: 14' 6"
Weight: 6,200 lb.
Gearbox Ratio: 45 percent reduction
Fuel Capacity: 60 gallons
Fuel Type: Jet A
Propeller Material: 13 - 8 - MO Stainless
Propeller Design: Three Blade Propeller
Propeller Pitch: 26 inches
Propeller Diameter: 16 inches
Cockpit Design: The Miss Budweiser Turbine hull utilizes a canopy from an F-16 jet fighter to protect the driver. The canopy is attached to a roll cage which is molded into a composite nomex core cockpit. The driver is in a form-fitting seat in a reclined position utilizing a five-point harness to hold him in the seat and carries his own air supply on board.