Best Gold Cup Ever
A strange and exciting occurrence happened on the Detroit River this year. The 99th running of the Gold Cup Unlimited hydroplane races returned better than ever. The Offshore Pro-Series boats were added to the bill, forever changing the dynamic of the event.

With 30-knot winds and 3- to 4-footers rolling across the course on Saturday morning, the hydroplanes were rendered useless. That is when the offshore boats came into the spotlight.

The catamarans basically saved Saturday from being a total bust. It was great to watch these cats thunder down the course and the drivers struggle to navigate the tight corners. It was just too bad that the races were not sanctioned or counted for points, for we may have seen even faster laps and gutsier moves.

Are these guys onto something? I am a subscriber to Powerboat, yet have never been to an offshore event. If I am not mistaken, most of the action happens farther out in the ocean where spectators cannot fully appreciate the speed and skill of these boats and drivers. In Detroit, these boats were right in front of the crowd.

It seems to me it would draw additional crowds and capital by showcasing these two series together at select events. The Detroit Gold Cup has seen its ups and downs over the years, as has the Unlimited series. Several issues including long waiting periods between races and weather have plagued the event, making it less desirable to spend your day and money down on the river. This year they solved both issues!

Sunday's weather was glorious, as was the Unlimited racing action. Detroit put on a great show—the best I can remember. And I have been going to the Gold Cup for 20 years. There is no better racing than Unlimited action in my opinion, and the offshore boats only added to the experience. Tom Bartolini and Mark Weber did a fabulous job. Congratulations and thank you for the memories. See you next year!

Jason Knost
Tampa, Fla.

Powerboat Collection
Regarding your Editor's Report "Buy It Now" (August 2007, Page 8), I expect you will get a few long-term readers telling you how long they have subscribed. I am one of them. Every issue since July 1973 is in my basement. I also have the Performance Reports issue from 1973. It is filed ahead of the July issue, so maybe I go back to June of that year.

It's been a great ride. I even bought a boat once based on a Performance Report (Hydrostream Virage). I hope to subscribe for many years to come, but when we move next my collection will be sold.

David Funnell
Windsor, Ontario

Not B-Blades Fault
I wrote the Teague on Tech letter "26 Daytona Props" that you ran in your August issue (Page 24). Since then I have solved the problem with my boat by simply adding a half-inch spacer in the outdrive and the boat performs fantastically. Top speed is 96 mph at 5,900 rpm in the summer heat.

The reason I'm writing is that I am concerned about any misunderstandings that some of your readers may have about B-BLADES and the quality of their work. I mentioned them in the original letter so you'd know the work was professionally done. The problem with my boat was not because B-BLADES did poor work, it was because of my setup.

I just want the Powerboat readers to know that B-BLADES does excellent work—the quality of their work was flawless. If Brett (Anderson) will still do my props, I hope to send him more props in the future.

David Weaver
Rural Hall, N.C.

Video Content
I just watched the video for the 44 MTI on www.powerboatmag.com. Wow was that cool. I never noticed the video test reports before. I enjoyed watching instead of reading about it. Keep up the good work PB.

Mike Bowers
Treasure Island, Fla.

Wish Me Luck
Thanks for the awesome quality magazine. I, like others, subscribed 20-plus years ago and have now returned. Your articles treat readers like they do actually know something about powerboats.

But here is something important as well. For the second time in my life, I'm completing a restoration project of a performance boat. It's a 1988 Chris-Craft 312 Stinger—a boat with beautiful lines that still looks good today.

Here's my dilemma: Two weeks after the launch of my first restoration, the boat sank. I was told it was because I removed the boat's name Lonely Bull and didn't rename it. So launch of the reborn Chris-Craft is coming up, and again I'm removing the original name Bodacious Big Blocks, although this time a new one will go on (not decided on yet). My question: Is there a particular process or a ceremony recommended to avoid angering any of the gods and goddesses of the sea, and help ensure that the boat doesn't sink?

By the way, the first one actually sank because a Minnesota muskrat tried to make a home through the outdrive bellows. The ensuing court battle with my insurance company is a whole other story.

Thanks and keep up the great work!

Greg Gasch
Waverly, Iowa

Short of sacrificing a chicken, I think you've done the right thing by acknowledging you've angered the boat gods. The only ceremony we can think of is make sure you put the drain plug in.—Ed.