Hundreds of powerboat race fans flocked to cottage country this summer to visit a new 14,000 square foot treasure trove of antique and historic boats, trophies, artifacts and information boards that testify to Canada’s depth and breadth in power boat racing.

The Canadian Raceboat Hall of Fame opened to great fanfare in Bracebridge in July. Renowned Canadian Sportscaster Brian Williams presided over the festivities. 

The County connections are everywhere. Racing historian John Lyons said that Picton’s power boat  history officially started with the Boulter Cup Trophy Races in 1910. Mr. Lyons has documented a recreational boating club in Picton Harbour that goes back to 1888.

“When it comes to the history of Canadian power boat racing, Prince Edward County was certainly one of its earliest ‘cradles’, and remained so for more than a century.”

Miss Supertest III

One craft put Picton at the centre of the international powerboat racing scene in 1960, and again in ’61. After capturing the prestigious Harmsworth Cup at the Detroit Regatta in 1959, Miss Supertest III owner J. Gordon Thompson and pilot Bob Hayward could think of no better place for the international title defence than the waters near Picton. 

Everyone who was anyone came to Prince Edward County in the summer of 1960 to see if the boat that broke a 39-year string of U.S. domination could successfully defend the Harmsworth crown. Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and Ontario Premier Leslie Frost were guests of Picton Mayor H.J. McFarland.

The Founder of the Racing Hall of Fame, Murray Walker, owns Miss Supertest III. He said the idea for a raceboat museum became a vision when he was able to acquire the craft.

“The history of Supertest and its importance in Canadian history was too great to simply stay in a private collection,” Mr. Walker told the Gazette. “The story of Canadian racing is actually much more extensive than just the Supertest experience. So much of the history seems to start in Muskoka, so the building plans began.”

That was just under a decade ago. The building took over a year — with regulations and permitting being the major hurdle.

Not surprisingly, the Miss Supertest III exhibit is the founder’s favourite, but there are over 20 other Canadian raceboats at the museum, along with provincial and national trophies and other memorabilia.

Racing action everywhere

Among those 20 raceboats are C-Stock craft capable of reaching speeds of 130 km/h with 40 hp motor. A canvas-covered deck makes them much lighter than the norm.

Mr. Lyons recalled that during the 1950s and ’60s, Sunday afternoons would see outboard races in Picton Harbour and the waters of Consecon Lake, North Beach, West Lake, Waupoos, Wellington, Green Point, as well as at Hay Bay, Deseronto, Napanee, Belleville, Madoc, and Trenton.

“Every weekend somewhere, during the summer, both Canadian Boating Federation-sanctioned or unsanctioned ‘Wild Cat’ races were happening,” Mr. Lyons said.

Some local drivers took part in the annual spring 1000 Islands Marathon Outboard Race and finished up their season at the CNE Boat Races at Toronto Harbour.

“Prince Edward County outboard racers were well-known throughout the province & northern New York State and usually quite successful. It was cheap and exciting entertainment for the crowds, with no admission fees, usually just a ‘silver collection’ from the onlookers,” said Mr. Lyons.

Thunder on the Reach

Racing continued into the 1980s and early 90s with the annual “Thunder on the Reach” Gold Cup races. The Racing Museum has a unique connection that dates back to the Boulter Cup races of a century ago.

Belleville native Chris Galbraith and his 5-Litre Class Hydroplane Pure Canadian started his boat racing career under the tutelage of Bernie Boulter. Berine descended from County canning magnate Wellington Boulter, after whom the Boulter Cup was named.

Mr. Galbraith had a starry 1990 season with Pure Canadian, winning Canadian and North American 5-Litre championships and setting a new straight away record. “Part of this success came during her appearances in the Prince Edward Gold Cup Hydroplane Races during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s,” Mr. Lyons added. 

The Canadian Raceboat Hall of Fame is open daily from mid-May until mid-October. For more, visit their website.