After almost a year’s absence, the iconic, “Hydro on the Pole” returned to the entrance of Columbia Park. Boat this is not the same hull that came down all those months ago. The years and elements had taken too much of a toll on the boat that was taken down last year. This is a completely new hydro with a Columbia Cup connection.

The exact history of the hull is somewhat elusive. Fred tended to use his fleet of hydroplanes pretty interchangeably. Boats would race as one sponsor on the east coast, then change when they got to Tri-Cities. Sometimes, they would change from race to race. Added to the uniform look of the Leland hull, it was difficult for the historians and sometimes the crews to know which boat was which.

There seems to be some disagreementon if this hull was built in 1998 or 2000. Many seem to think it is the 2000 hull. Inspection of the boat revealed a large “98” was written under the nose deck hatch. We may never have a unanimous determination as to when the hull was constructed. After taking into account information from a variety of sources and reviewing the unique design elements on the hull compared to historical photographs, we have come to a few conclusions about this hull’s history.

This hull is a former Columbia Cup winner. In 2001, Terry Troxell drove it to victory running as the Miss Zenetix II. This also was owner Fred Leland’s final victory. This hull also most likely ran as the “Spirit of Tri-Cities” in 2004.. It last appeared on the circuit in 2005, as the Miss Thriftway. Eventually, it was slated to be used in an attempt to bring automotive power back to the unlimited hydroplanes. Sadly, the work remained uncompleted when Fred Leland passed away in 2012. Mark Evans acquired it after seeing it in a Craigslist ad in 2013.

A crew of Water Follies volunteers took on the daunting task of preparing the boat for its new home on the pole. Today in the Park, they saw the fruits of their labor lifted into it’s new position, ready to greet fans as the arrive for the 2015 Gold Cup and beyond.

Categorised in: 2014, 2015, Press Releases, Water Follies

This post was written by cdenslow