 The seventh race of the 2025 ERCU Championship Series season is the Roger Newton Memorial, set for Saturday, July 28, 2025, at the Bill Mowatt Memorial Race Course in Woodland Creek Park, Lacey. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for the seventh event of the year.
LOCATION Bill Mowatt Memorial Race Course at Woodland Creek Park 6729 Pacific Ave SE Lacey, WA 98503 CONTEST DIRECTOR David Newton CONTEXT This will mark the 17th running of the Roger Newton Memorial. Roger Newton, club founder and hall of fame RC scale racer, passed away in the summer of 2008. Since then, the club has been dedicated to racing in his honor. Roger spent his life promoting and racing scale RC hydroplanes of all sizes. In the early 1970’s he created Newton Marine, a side business that sells 1/8-scale hydroplane plans. He then created R/C Unlimiteds in 1976, the first club dedicated to racing nothing but scale hydroplane models. He helped to form Classic Thunder in 1994 and then created ERCU in 2003. He was influential with scale RC racing around the world and spent his life fulfilling that dream. David Newton will again direct the race. This will be a race you won’t want to miss! WHAT TO EXPECT (All times approximate, and subject to change)
PRE-REGISTRATION Pre-Registration for the Roger Newton Memorial is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/roger-newton-memorial.html, where you will find the pre-registration link in a blue box just under the race site map. Pre-registration will close at 10 p.m., Friday, June 27. After that deadline, please register in person on site before 8:30 a.m. You can also find pre-registration by going to www.ercu-hydros.com, then selecting “Schedule” from the main menu, and “Roger Newton Memorial” from the schedule itself. DRIVERS MEETING The drivers meeting is mandatory for ALL divisions and all classes and will begin at the scorer’s table within five minutes of the closing of the testing period. Drivers who do not attend the drivers meeting will be scratched from the first heat regardless of whether they are pre-registered and pre-paid. Drivers arriving after the drivers meeting will not be added to the event until the draw for the second flight of heats. RACE OFFICIALS
ROGER NEWTON MEMORIAL DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
RACE FORMAT
POST-RACE CLEANUP AND AWARDS PRESENTATION Club equipment cleanup and re-packing the trailer will take priority once the race is over. Once the trailer is re-packed, awards will be presented. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers, first connie and Triple Crown winners. All members have a responsibility to help with set up and breakdown of club equipment. As a courtesy to your fellow racers, please stick around for the awards presentation whether you’ve won one or not. WEATHER FORECAST The forecast for the Roger Newton Memorial is mostly cloudy skies and 74 degrees with a 8 mph breeze out of the southwest and a 10 percent chance of rain. RESTROOMS Public restrooms are available on site, at the east end of the parking lot. ELECTRICITY There is no access to electricity in the pits. It would be wise to bring a generator or other power source to charge your batteries if you need to during the day.  MARYSVILLE -- The whine of electric motors and the shimmer of the north lake at Gissberg Twin Lakes Park brought more than just horsepower to Marysville on Saturday.
As the ERCU Championship Series hit the halfway mark of its 2025 season, 42 boats — the biggest turnout this season — made waves in the Jack Regas Memorial, delivering high-speed drama, surprise performances and a taste of the future with the debut of 3D-printed hulls. The sixth stop on the 12-race calendar saw competition in five classes. In 1/10-scale modern, six boats took to the water, including two brand-new, 3D-printed hulls piloted by top drivers Paxton Reunanen and David Newton. Newton’s 2025 Goodman Real Estate proved stable, fast and ultimately dominant, sweeping the class with a perfect day, including the final heat win. The race also welcomed H1 Unlimited U-40 co-owner Sharon Stocklin, who watched closely throughout the day as the sport's evolution began to take shape. Veteran racers Nelson Holmberg (2024 Flav-R-Pac) and Tyler McKeon (2024 Bucket List) each claimed two preliminary heat wins but couldn’t keep pace with Newton’s groundbreaking craft. McKeon took second in the final, followed by David Heilbrunn’s 2015 Dalton Industries in third. Flav-R-Pac's skid fin connected with something in the water at the apex of turn one and rolled the boat onto its lid during the mill. In the combined 1/7-scale modern/classic class, McKeon was flawless. His 2010 Peters & May posted a perfect 1,600-point day, taking all three prelims and the final. Gary Simmons made a splash in his season debut aboard Mike McIntosh’s Beacon Plumbing, winning two heats and placing third in the final. Holmberg, driving Aaron Olson’s 1980 Pay ‘n Pak, took second. Six competitors squared off in the 1/10 classic class, but none could touch Reunanen’s 1983 Rock. He notched another perfect score with three prelim wins and a victory in the final over McKeon’s 1977 Natural Light and John Havens Jr., who made an impressive class debut in the 1981 Spirit of the Air Force. Reunanen repeated the feat in 1/10 vintage with his 1960 Gale’s Roostertail, collecting his second perfect day. Chuck Murray (Savair’s Mist), Heilbrunn (Blue Chip) and Holmberg (Pay ‘n Save) also scored heat wins. David Newton subbed in for his son Dray in the final, steering the Squire Shop to second behind Reunanen, with Heilbrunn’s Blue Chip taking third. Parity defined the 1/7 vintage class, where eleven boats battled in tightly contested prelims. Bob Van den Akker (Seattle Too) and McKeon (Lapeer) each took two heat wins, while others — including Terry Harmer (Probe) and Jim McKeon (Maverick) — also picked up victories. In a thrilling final, McKeon’s Lapeer edged Harmer and Van den Akker to secure the win. The ERCU tour now heads into the season's second half, with momentum, innovation and tight championship races building as the chase for the checkers continues. Next up is ERCU’s first visit to Lacey this year, for the Roger Newton Memorial which will be run on the Bill Mowatt Memorial Race Course. Pre-registration is open now by clicking here, and the race circular will be posted soon.  The sixth race of the 2025 ERCU Championship Series season is the Jack Regas Memorial, presented by Spartacus Boatworks and is set for Saturday, June 14, at Twin Lakes Park in Marysville. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for the sixth event of the year.
LOCATION Gissberg Twin Lakes Park, 16324 Twin Lakes Ave., Marysville, WA 98271 CONTEXT This race had been known as the ERCU Apple Cup since its inception in 2010, when Ben Keller created the event, complete with an exhibition race drawing as many boats as possible that ran in the 1957 Apple Cup in Chelan, Wash., to recreate that final heat. After Jack Regas passed away in early 2014, Keller requested permission from the ERCU Contest Board to change the name of the event to the Jack Regas Memorial, in honor of the onetime Hawaii Kai III driver, who had not only met with Keller to see his models of the “Pink Lady” but also followed the boat’s seasons in ERCU and ESU. After ERCU high points championships in 2011 and 2012, Keller presented Regas with plaques commemorating the wins. Jack Regas meant a lot to not only the Hawaii Kai history, Keller, and Choral Enterprises, but also to unlimited hydroplane racing in general. ERCU is proud to have an event named for his memory. REGISTRATION Pre-Registration for the Jack Regas Memorial at Twin Lakes is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/jack-regas-memorial.html where you will find the pre-registration link in a blue box just under the race site map. You may also pre-pay your entry fees online by following the PayPal directions at the bottom of the page. Pre-registration will close at 10 p.m., FRIDAY, June 13, 2025. After that deadline, please register in person on site before 8:30 a.m. RACE OFFICIALS
WHAT TO EXPECT (All times approximate, and subject to change)
RACE FORMAT
FLIGHT SCHEDULE
HEAT DRAWS Heat draws will be completed just prior to the drivers meeting. The first heat draw will be conducted at approximately 9 a.m. and will be read verbally at the drivers meeting as a roll call. Succeeding heat draws will be conducted between flights. All heat draws will be printed and posted, and displayed on the TV screen, whenever possible. No re-draws of heats will be done. STARTING CLOCK A 1-minute 30-second clock will start as soon as all drivers are in the driving area and will not be stopped for any reason other than health or safety (including stubborn waterfowl). Please plan ahead for your upcoming heats, including getting your own spotter, and be ready when the chase boat comes back. A trailer boat shall not cross the start line less than five seconds after the start gun. Rookie drivers who have not yet earned 1,200 career points must start from the trailer position. RACE DAY MORNING It will be our intent to have the course open by 8 a.m. so that testing can commence once boats are registered for the event. Boat owners should prepare to have time for inspections and to be ready to race. The water will be open for testing until approximately 9 a.m. DRIVERS MEETING The drivers meeting is mandatory for ALL divisions and all classes and will begin at the scorer’s table within five minutes of the closing of time trials. Drivers who do not attend the drivers meeting will be scratched from the first heat regardless of whether they are pre-registered and pre-paid. Drivers arriving after the drivers meeting will not be added to the event until the draw for the second flight of heats. 2024 JACK REGAS MEMORIAL RESULTS
INSPECTIONS In 2025, all boats will be inspected before the first race they run at. We ask that you print out the Hull Inspection Form and complete the member information at the top of page one prior to arriving at the race site. Please also remember to bring a photo of the real boat (a photo on your phone or tablet is acceptable) that your boat. VISITING DRIVERS ERCU welcomes new members to the club and visiting racers from other clubs. Rookie driver testing will be offered during the open water period as needed. The course will be closed for rookie driver tests. Visiting racers may not take home an ERCU perpetual trophy, in the event they win the race. POST-RACE CLEANUP AND AWARDS PRESENTATION Club equipment cleanup and re-packing the trailer will take priority once the race is over. Once the trailer is re-packed, awards will be presented. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers, winners. All members have a responsibility to help with set up and breakdown of club equipment. As a courtesy to your fellow racers, please stick around for the awards presentation whether you’ve won one or not. RESTROOMS Public restrooms are available on site and are expected to be open. ELECTRICITY There is no access to electricity in the pits. It would be wise to bring a generator or other power source if you will need to charge batteries during the day.  LONGVIEW – Forecasts for a perfect weather race day certainly encouraged ERCU members to travel to Cowlitz County’s biggest city on Saturday.
Then everything changed. Chamber of Commerce weather welcomed ERCU to Lake Sacajawea Park for the 52nd running of the Stan Sayres Memorial, presented by Skidfin Consulting, but clouds rolled in quickly, keeping temperatures cool. So did the ERCU 2025-style winds. Nevertheless, it was a fun day of racing with a total of 39 boats in the pits. By comparison to the winds at Waughop and Ellensburg, this day seemed like a refreshing walk in the park. The day began with 1/10 modern which on this day would be the lightest attended class with just five boats. Five great boats and drivers all head-to-head, mano a mano through three preliminary heats in preparation for the winner takes all final. Paxton Reunanen’s Graham Trucking American Dream swept each of his prelims with a perfect 1,200 points and hands down the odds-on favorite to win the final. Chuck Murray’s 2000 Elam took second place in Heat 1 and Nelson Holmberg with his 2024 Flav-R-Pac finished second in heats 2 & 3. All five crew chief, drivers, owners were preparing for the final when word came that Elam would be a scratch. Four boats started the final but just one boat would be running to compete all five laps. For the second straight week, David Heilbrunn came away with a race win, this time in his 2015 Dalton Industries boat. His boat, as a result of the win, maintains a razor slim 325-point lead in 1/10 modern boat season standings after five races. Next up was 1/10 classic with seven boats on hand for heats 1A and 1B which were won by Holmberg in his newly-acquired 1976 Atlas Van Lines and Mike Walcker with his 1973 Red Man Too, respectively. Homberg would go on to win his heats 2A and 3A poised for the final with a perfect day going. Murray would win Heat 2B with his 1976 Olympia Beer and Jerry Dunlap with the 1983 Coors Light would take the checker for 3B. The Atlas, Coors and Oly would be joined for the final by Dray Newton and his 1986 Squire Shop along with Gary Dawn’s 1982 Gilmore Special. The final was a dandy where five boats started, five raced hard, five finished and the podium was topped by Holmberg and his Atlas Van Lines. Second and third place went to beer boats, Dunlap’s Coors the Murray’s Oly. The 1/10 vintage class featured eight beautiful boats and no ugly ones. Heats 1A, 2B and 3B were each won by Reunanen driving Kerry Kjos 1960 Miss Thriftway. Murray’s 1964 Savair’s Mist won heat 1B and Heilbrunn’s Blue Chip would take the checkers in both 2A and 3A. Reunanen and Heilbrunn qualified for entry in the final and were joined by Paul Dunlap driving the Exide, John Earnest Gale V and Holmberg Pay ‘n Save. All five started and all five finished with Paul Dunlap emerging triumphant in his first heat win of the day albeit this was the all-important winner takes all final. Nicely done team Dunlap! Second went to Reunanen/Kjos and the bronze was captured by Holmberg’s Earnest-built Pay ‘n Save. This was notably the second race this season where team Dunlap did nothing more early on but to punch a ticket to the final and then come out and take the final convincingly. Next up came the big boats, 1/7 scale modern/classic classes combined. Ten, count them, 10 boats on hand calling for flights of three races, A, B and C heats. Mike McIntosh’s 2023 Beacon Plumbing couldn’t have asked for a better start winning all three of his preliminary heats. Craig Mullen’s 1971 Pay ‘n Pak went backwards when launched for heat 1C. He would get things figured out quickly and returned to take the checkers in his second and third heat. The other prelim winners taking one of their three heats were: John Sjostrom Miss U.S., Jim McKeon Budweiser, David Heilbrunn Goodman Real Estate and Denise Sjostrom with her Oh Boy! Oberto. The bottom four boats on points after three would slug it out in the consolation heat. Goodman Real Estate jumped the start tried hard but couldn’t catch all the way up to the leader. Near the end lap four Goodman lost its grip in turn four and hopped out to make contact with Oberto. Oberto survived the collision and was not too worse for the wear, but the contact may have cost them the consolation victory. Havens Jr. took the connie win and advanced to the five-boat final. The final was a good race between Mullen’s Pay ‘n Pak and Sjostrom’s Miss US. McIntosh Beacon Plumbing became disabled for a DNF, and the Mullen’s Pak takes the checkers, McKeon, Budweiser crossed second and Sjostrom’s Miss U.S. would take third. In 1/7 vintage, David Newton did what he seemingly always does. Dominate. He and his 1956 Hawaii Kai III would sweep the checkers for all three preliminary heats. Meanwhile none of the additional preliminary heat winners won more than one of their three prelim heats. The additional preliminary heat winners were 1A - Bob VandenAkker, 1966 $ Bill, 1C - Dennis Caines 1968 Eagle Electric, 2B Rob Edwards 1969 Pay ‘n Pak, 2C Paxton Reunanen 1982 Island Security, 3A John Havens Jr. Miss US 1 and 3B John Sjostrom 1960 Thriftway. The top five in points after three prelims advanced to the final and four boats would square off in the consolation heat with one final spot in the winner takes all final at stake. Not one of the four would survive the five laps to finish the connie with all four securing front row seats as spectators. Five boats made the start. Edwards Pay ‘n Pak disabled early leaving Newton Hawaii Kai, VandenAkker $ Bill, Sjostrom Thriftway and Havens Miss U.S. battled for the five and Newton emerged from the spray to take the checkers, second was $ Bill and third was secured by Sjostrom in the Thriftway. The club’s focus now turns north to Twin Lakes Park in Marysville for the sixth race, the halfway point of the 2025 ERCU Championship Series. June 14 will be the Jack Regas Memorial presented by Spartacus Boatworks. Pre-registration is open now and can be accessed through this link.  The fifth race of the 2025 ERCU Championship Series is the Stan Sayers Memorial, presented by Skidfin Consulting is set for Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Lake Sacajawea Park in Longview. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for the fifth event of the year.
LOCATION Lake Sacajawea Park 1800 Nichols Blvd. Longview, WA 98632 CONTEXT At 52 years, the Stan Sayres Memorial is the "world’s oldest and greatest RC Scale Unlimited Race”. Started in 1974 by Roger Newton and Monte Steere, the race has been contested in Seattle Model Yacht Club and in RC Unlimiteds before finding itself a home in ERCU. The only year the race was not run was 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic caused half of the ERCU racing season to be canceled. This year's race will be a renewal to ERCU as the event will be run at Lake Sacajawea Park in Longview. REGISTRATION Pre-Registration for the Stan Sayres Memorial at Lake Sacajawea is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/stan-sayres-memorial.html, where you will find the pre-registration link in a blue box just under the race site map. You may also pre-pay your entry fees online by following the PayPal directions at the bottom of the page. Pre-registration will close at 10 p.m., FRIDAY, May 30, 2025. After that deadline, please register in person on site before 8:30 a.m. RACE OFFICIALS
WHAT TO EXPECT (All times approximate, and subject to change)
RACE FORMAT
FLIGHT SCHEDULE
HEAT DRAWS Heat draws will be completed just prior to the drivers meeting. The first heat draw will be conducted at approximately 9 a.m. and will be read verbally at the drivers meeting as a roll call. Succeeding heat draws will be conducted between flights. All heat draws will be printed and posted, and displayed on the TV screen, whenever possible. No re-draws of heats will be done. STARTING CLOCK A 1-minute 30-second clock will start as soon as all drivers are in the driving area and will not be stopped for any reason other than health or safety (including stubborn waterfowl). Please plan ahead for your upcoming heats, including getting your own spotter, and be ready when the chase boat comes back. A trailer boat shall not cross the start line less than five seconds after the start gun. Rookie drivers who have not yet earned 1,200 career points must start from the trailer position. RACE DAY MORNING It will be our intent to have the course open by 8 a.m. so that testing can commence once boats are registered for the event. Boat owners should prepare to have time for inspections and to be ready to race. The water will be open for testing until approximately 9 a.m. DRIVERS MEETING The drivers meeting is mandatory for ALL divisions and all classes and will begin at the scorer’s table within five minutes of the closing of time trials. Drivers who do not attend the drivers meeting will be scratched from the first heat regardless of whether they are pre-registered and pre-paid. Drivers arriving after the drivers meeting will not be added to the event until the draw for the second flight of heats. 2024 STAN SAYRES MEMORIAL RESULTS
INSPECTIONS In 2025, all boats will be inspected before the first race they run at. We ask that you print out the Hull Inspection Form and complete the member information at the top of page one prior to arriving at the race site. Please also remember to bring a photo of the real boat (a photo on your phone or tablet is acceptable) that your boat. VISITING DRIVERS ERCU welcomes new members to the club and visiting racers from other clubs. Rookie driver testing will be offered during the open water period as needed. The course will be closed for rookie driver tests. Visiting racers may not take home an ERCU perpetual trophy, in the event they win the race. POST-RACE CLEANUP AND AWARDS PRESENTATION Thanks to Skidfin Consulting, there will be awards at this race! Podium finishers in each class will take away hardware. There will also be a couple of special awards handed out as well. Additionally, we expect to receive our awards stickers from Thunderboat Graphics in time to hand them out after this race. Those presented will include the first four races of the season, too. Club equipment cleanup and re-packing the trailer will take priority once the race is over. Once the trailer is re-packed, awards will be presented. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers, winners. All members have a responsibility to help with set up and breakdown of club equipment. As a courtesy to your fellow racers, please stick around for the awards presentation whether you’ve won one or not. RESTROOMS There are public restroom facilities reasonably close on site at Lake Sacajawea Park, but we will also have a portable restroom from American SaniCan located conveniently at the pits. ELECTRICITY There is no access to electricity in the pits. It would be wise to bring a generator or other power source if you will need to charge batteries during the day.  LAKEWOOD -- (Or was it Ellensburg?)
When the infamous Waughop Winds kicked up on Saturday morning, it was somewhat surprising. While the predicted torrential rainfall never materialized, what wasn't expected is that the racing conditions would so closely resemble Ellensburg. Nevertheless, everyone had to race in the same conditions and five drivers did a better job than the rest when it came time for the winner-take-all finals in each division. In fact, that had not happened since May 4, 2024 at the ERCU Governor's Cup when it was raced in Ellensburg. Mike Hughes (in his first ERCU event of the season), David Heilbrunn, Tyler McKeon, Chuck Murray and Mark Manchester each recorded race wins on Saturday at the Governor's Cup. The 1/7 scale division made a solid showing once again, with nine modern/classic boats and six vintage boats in the pits. Sadly, a few boats didn't make it through the day, but the highlight was a really great race between Heilbrunn's 2024 Goodman Real Estate and Mike McIntosh's 2023 Beacon Plumbing for a couple of laps. A total of 14 1/10 scale boats were also in the pits, and while the winds and rough water did claim a few boats during racing, we were treated to another great race between Murray and McKeon in the 1/10 classic final. Hughes' took first in 1/10 scale modern, finishing ahead of McKeon who took second in the new-to-him 2024 Bucket List Racing after finally acquiring it from Nelson Holmberg. Third place in 1/10 scale modern went to Heilbrunn's 2015 Dalton Industries. The Miss Elam of Murray and Flav-R-Pac of Holmberg both failed to finish the final. McKeon in the 1977 Anheuser Busch Natural Light survived the rough waters and a challenge from Murray and his 1976 Olympia Beer in the 1/10 scale classic final while Jerry Dunlap's Coors Light followed in third and Jim Hagan's American Speedy Printing, respectfully, followed across the finish line. Tom Markos' 1976 Atlas Van Lines, driven by Holmberg, failed to finish after winning all three preliminary heats during the day. In 1/10 vintage, Murray survived the elements with his 1964 Savair's Mist to take the race win while Paul Dunlap with the 1964 Miss Exide and Heilbrunn in the 1964 Blue Chip were unable to finish. When it came time for the big boats' finals, Heilbrunn's Goodman boat ran well and was able to stay over top of the rough water and out of trouble for five full laps to take the Governor's Cup win. Second went to Carl Lewis with his 1974 Lincoln Thrift, followed by John Havens Jr's 1976 Miss Budweiser (U-95) in third place and Denise Sjostrom with the 1990 Oh Boy! Oberto. After racing hard for the lead, McIntosh's 2023 Beacon Plumbing ended up without a finish. The 1/7 scale vintage final was another barn burner with McIntosh and Manchester getting after it. Manchester held on for the win, with his 1966 Notre Dame. McIntosh's 1967 Miss U.S. 5 took second. Third and fourth went to McKeon's 1967 Miss Lapeer and Havens' 1963 Miss U.S. 1, respectively. It was another great race for ERCU with a solid turnout of 29 boats, despite competing against a crummy weather forecast and the H1 Unlimited Spring Test session in Tri-Cities. And now, we're already less than two weeks away from the 51st running of the Stan Sayres Memorial -- the oldest trophy in RC boat racing -- which is set for Saturday, May 31 at Lake Sacajawea Park in Longview. Pre-registration is already open and can be found by clicking here. This race is presented by Skidfin Consulting of Vancouver.  The fourth race of the 2025 ERCU Championship Series is the Governor’s Cup, set for Saturday, May 17, 2025 at Waughop Lake at Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for the fourth event of the year.
LOCATION Waughop Lake, Fort Steilacoom Park 8714 87th Ave. SW, Lakewood, WA 98498 CONTEXT The Indiana Governor's Cup (more commonly known as the Madison Regatta) is an H1 Unlimited hydroplane boat race held annually on Independence Day weekend on the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. Madison has hosted the Madison Regatta annually since 1951, although the race was also contested in the 1930s. The race inspired a Hollywood motion picture released in 2005, titled Madison which starred actor Mount Vernon, Wash., native Jim Caviezel. REGISTRATION Pre-Registration for the Governor’s Cup at Waughop Lake is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/governors-cup.html, where you will find the pre-registration link in a blue box just under the race site map. You may also pre-pay your entry fees online by following the PayPal directions at the bottom of the page. Pre-registration will close at 10 p.m., FRIDAY, May 16, 2025. After that deadline, please register in person on site before 8:30 a.m. RACE OFFICIALS
WHAT TO EXPECT (All times approximate, and subject to change)
RACE FORMAT
FLIGHT SCHEDULE
HEAT DRAWS Heat draws will be completed just prior to the drivers meeting. The first heat draw will be conducted at approximately 9 a.m. and will be read verbally at the drivers meeting as a roll call. Succeeding heat draws will be conducted between flights. All heat draws will be printed and posted, and displayed on the TV screen, whenever possible. No re-draws of heats will be done. STARTING CLOCK A 1-minute 30-second clock will start as soon as all drivers are in the driving area and will not be stopped for any reason other than health or safety (including stubborn waterfowl). Please plan ahead for your upcoming heats, including getting your own spotter, and be ready when the chase boat comes back. A trailer boat shall not cross the start line less than five seconds after the start gun. Rookie drivers who have not yet earned 1,200 career points must start from the trailer position. RACE DAY MORNING It will be our intent to have the course open by 8 a.m. so that testing can commence once boats are registered for the event. Boat owners should prepare to have time for inspections and to be ready to race. The water will be open for testing until approximately 9 a.m. DRIVERS MEETING The drivers meeting is mandatory for ALL divisions and all classes and will begin at the scorer’s table within five minutes of the closing of time trials. Drivers who do not attend the drivers meeting will be scratched from the first heat regardless of whether they are pre-registered and pre-paid. Drivers arriving after the drivers meeting will not be added to the event until the draw for the second flight of heats. 2024 GOVERNOR’S CUP RESULTS
INSPECTIONS In 2025, all boats will be inspected before the first race they run at. We ask that you print out the Hull Inspection Form and complete the member information at the top of page one prior to arriving at the race site. Please also remember to bring a photo of the real boat (a photo on your phone or tablet is acceptable) that your boat. VISITING DRIVERS ERCU welcomes new members to the club and visiting racers from other clubs. Rookie driver testing will be offered during the open water period as needed. The course will be closed for rookie driver tests. Visiting racers may not take home an ERCU perpetual trophy, in the event they win the race. POST-RACE CLEANUP & AWARDS PRESENTATION Club equipment cleanup and re-packing the trailer will take priority once the race is over. Once the trailer is re-packed, awards will be presented. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers, winners. All members have a responsibility to help with set up and breakdown of club equipment. As a courtesy to your fellow racers, please stick around for the awards presentation whether you’ve won one or not. RESTROOMS There are public restrooms available on site, and they are expected to be open. ELECTRICITY There is no access to electricity in the pits. It would be wise to bring a generator or other power source if you will need to charge batteries during the day.  photo by Jason Walters ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Wind. Just wind.
That was the major story of the day for the 2025 ERCU Presidents Cup at Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park. Undaunted, however, the 30 boats brought to the event by ERCU members made the best of it and completed the race day. Sustained winds of 25-35 mph, with frequent gusts above 50 mph from set up all the way through breakdown. “I’ve never seen it this bad here, and I’ve raced here a lot,” said Jason Walters who also runs with RCU. As per our normal process, the day started with 1/10 scale modern. Heat 1A featured season point leaders David Newton and Paxton Reunanen along with visiting drivers Jason Walters and Brian Perkins, with Newton taking the first heat. The second heat welcomed Chuck Murray back from his Arizona winter with the 2000 Miss Elam making its 2024 debut. Murray wasted no time in topping David Heilbrunn’s 2015 Dalton Industries and Jason Colean’s beautiful 2024 Miss Apollo. When all was said and done at the end of the day, Reunanen took the winner-take-all final, followed by Newton’s 2004 Miss Budweiser, Perkins’ 2015 Matrix Systems and Walters 2018 Oberto Beef Jerky. 1/10 scale classic featured five boats and perhaps the highest DNF percentage per capita in these conditions of all the classes. Walters took the winner-take-all final driving Reunanen’s 1983 Miss Rock KISW. Mike Walcker was second with the 1973 Red Man Too, followed by Dray Newton with the 1986 Squire Shop. Murray, with the 1976 Olympia Beer, did not finish the final. The vintage class in 1/10 scale saw six boats start the day and six boats finish the day. Reunanen’s 1960 Gale’s Roostertail claimed the winner-take-all final, while David Heilbrunn’s 1964 Blue Chip finished second, Gentleman Jim Latimer took third with the 1960 Miss Everett, Walcker stepped into drive Latimer's Miss Moses Lake in the final, finishing fourth, and Dray Newton took fifth with the 1957 Hawaii Kai III that was built by his grandfather Roger Newton. Unable to finish the final was Walters with the 1960 Miss Burien. The 1/7 scale classes also produced a high amount of action and great racing. Modern/classic was taken in a close race by Craig Mullen, driving his brand new 1971 Pay ‘n Pak. He was followed by Heilbrunn with the 2024 Goodman Real Estate. John Havens Jr., with the 1976 Miss Budweiser (U-95), was third and fourth place went to Denise Sjostrom with the 1990 Oh Boy! Oberto. The vintage class was won by Walters, driving Reunanen’s 1975 Oh Boy! Oberto. Second went to Dennis Caines, driving his always consistent 1968 Miss Eagle Electric, while holding off the 1962 $ Bill of Bobby Van den Akker, who took third. Fourth went to Havens with his 1963 Miss U.S. Next up is the fourth race of the 2025 ERCU Championship Season and will be at Lake Waughop at Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, on Saturday, May 17. Pre-registration is open now by clicking here.  The third race of the ERCU 2025 Championship Series is the President’s Cup, set for Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Irene Rinehart Park in Ellensburg. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for the third event of the year.
LOCATION Irene Reinhardt Park, 1081 Umptanum Road, Ellensburg, WA 98926 CONTEXT The President's Cup was contested by unlimited hydroplanes between 1926 and 1977, with time out for World War II (1941-1945). After 1977, the Presidents Cup became a limited event for several years. A man named William A. Rogers is the "father" of the Presidents Cup Regatta. Rogers convinced his fellow Corinthian Yacht Club members to host the race and persuaded President Calvin Coolidge to sponsor the trophy. Most of the Presidents Cup races were contested on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., adjacent to Hains Point, except for a few pre-war races that were run in Annapolis, Md. The first-place trophy was traditionally presented to the winner by the nation's chief executive. The president that demonstrated the keenest interest in the race was undoubtedly Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose love for aquatics is well known. FDR watched the 1938 race from the deck of the presidential yacht Potomac. Mr. Roosevelt was so thrilled by the close finish in the last heat that he sent for the drivers of the first and second-place boats (Theo Rossi of Alagi and George Seay of Miss Manteo II) so that he could congratulate them in person for their good sportsmanship and excellent driving. The original winner of the Presidents Cup was L. Gordon Hammersley in his $60,000 duraluminum Cigarette IV. The winning speed was around 55 miles per hour. Please join ERCU at Irene Rhinehardt Park in Ellensburg on Saturday May 3 and relive those golden days of yesteryear if only in 1/10 & 1/7 scale. REGISTRATION Pre-Registration for the Presidents Cup at Irene Reinhardt Park is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to www.ercu-hydros.com/presidents-cup.html, where you will find the pre-registration link in a blue box just under the race site map. You may also pre-pay your entry fees online by following the PayPal directions at the bottom of the page. Pre-registration will close at 10 p.m., FRIDAY, May 2, 2025. After that deadline, please register in person on site before 8:30 a.m. RACE OFFICIALS
WHAT TO EXPECT (All times approximate, and subject to change)
RACE FORMAT
FLIGHT SCHEDULE
HEAT DRAWS Heat draws will be completed just prior to the drivers meeting. The first heat draw will be conducted at approximately 9 a.m. and will be read verbally at the drivers meeting as a roll call. Succeeding heat draws will be conducted between flights. All heat draws will be printed and posted, and displayed on the TV screen, whenever possible. No re-draws of heats will be done. STARTING CLOCK A 1-minute 30-second clock will start as soon as all drivers are in the driving area and will not be stopped for any reason other than health or safety (including stubborn waterfowl). Please plan ahead for your upcoming heats, including getting your own spotter, and be ready when the chase boat comes back. A trailer boat shall not cross the start line less than five seconds after the start gun. Rookie drivers who have not yet earned 1,200 career points must start from the trailer position. RACE DAY MORNING It will be our intent to have the course open by 8 a.m. so that testing can commence once boats are registered for the event. Boat owners should prepare to have time for inspections and to be ready to race. The water will be open for testing until approximately 9:30 a.m. DRIVERS MEETING The drivers meeting is mandatory for ALL divisions and all classes and will begin at the scorer’s table within five minutes of the closing of time trials. Drivers who do not attend the drivers meeting will be scratched from the first heat regardless of whether they are pre-registered and pre-paid. Drivers arriving after the drivers meeting will not be added to the event until the draw for the second flight of heats. 2024 PRESIDENTS CUP RESULTS
INSPECTIONS In 2025, all boats will be inspected before the first race they run at. We ask that you print out the Hull Inspection Form and complete the member information at the top of page one prior to arriving at the race site. Please also remember to bring a photo of the real boat (a photo on your phone or tablet is acceptable) that your boat. VISITING DRIVERS ERCU welcomes new members to the club and visiting racers from other clubs. Rookie driver testing will be offered during the open water period as needed. The course will be closed for rookie driver tests. Visiting racers may not take home an ERCU perpetual trophy, in the event they win the race. POST-RACE CLEANUP AND AWARDS PRESENTATION Club equipment cleanup and re-packing the trailer will take priority once the race is over. Once the trailer is re-packed, awards will be presented. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers, winners. All members have a responsibility to help with set up and breakdown of club equipment. As a courtesy to your fellow racers, please stick around for the awards presentation whether you’ve won one or not. RESTROOMS There will be a portable toilet delivered on site specifically for our event. ELECTRICITY There is no access to electricity in the pits. It would be wise to bring a generator or other power source if you will need to charge batteries during the day. photos by Dennis Caines OLYMPIA – For the second straight year, Dennis Caines and the community in which he and Linda live, put on one helluva show at the ERCU Diamond Cup.
It was stop two on the 2025 ERCU Championship Series. The Diamond Cup featured Scott Lake community support and enthusiasm unmatched by any other events on the ERCU race circuit. Through Dennis’s drive and passion for not only racing, but also his community and Scott Lake, the event was truly a festival, with 29 scale hydroplanes as the main event. Vintage and modern firetrucks, firemen, face painting and other activities for the kids filled out the park and a first-class concession stand with everything from pulled pork sandwiches to root beer floats was amazing. Tenth scale modern started things off with Paul Dunlap piloting Nelson Holmberg’s Bucket List racing to the heat one victory and 400 points but would be the only heat the Bucket List would compete in as technical issues resulted in DNS in heat two followed by scratches for the remainder of the day. That left just David Newton’s 2004 Budweiser and David Heilbrunn’s 2015 Dalton Industries in the class. There were no surprises here as Miss Budweiser took the checkers in heat 2, 3 and the winner take all final. 1/10 classic featured a field of five with one visiting driver making some big waves. From the racing McKeon clan, Tyler McKeon made his occasional pilgrimage to ERCU and threw down with his 1977 Natural Lite. Four heats, four wins for a 1,600-point day for Tyler. The rest of the field divvied up the crumbs Tyler left in his wake with Jerry Dunlap and Jim Hagan and Dray Newton each scoring over 700 points on the day and Gary Dawn had a bummer day with his 1983 Gilmore Special, tallying 450. A reduced field made up the 1/10 vintage class as just three entries were able to make the trip. Paul Dunlap, David Heilbrunn and Dray Newton came to race. The preliminary heats were all won by David Heilbrunn and his 1964 Blue Chip. The Exide picked up a DNF in the first and second heats and Dray Newton’s Hawaii Kai was second in both. Headed in the third and final preliminary heat the pressure was on Dunlap as another DNF would take him out of contention for the winner take all final heat, Dunlap of course responded and finish second in the third punching his ticket and entry into the final. Heilbrunn entered the final heat with a perfect day, 1,200 points and his first-ever ERCU opportunity at a perfect day. Alas, this was not to be as Heilbrunn fought valiantly but crossed the finish line a second or two behind Dunlap’s Exide. Dray Newton tallied 1,050 points which when added to his 821 from the first race this season brings Dray to 1,871 and the lead in 1/10 vintage season points headed into the next race coming up in three weeks in Ellensburg. The combined 1/7 modern and classic class featured an event-high nine boats at the beginning of the day. McKeon brought his 2010 Peters & May and he and Mike McIntosh with his 2024 Beacon Plumbing each won preliminary heats 1A and 1B. The second and third flight, Heats 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B would each be won by McKeon’s Peters & May and Heilbrunn’s 2024 Goodman Real Estate. The winner-take-all final was set to be a barnburner with McKeon, Heilbrunn, McIntosh and three new members; John Havens Jr.’s 1976 U-95 Miss Budweiser, Scott Whitestine’s 1972 Notre Dame and Carl Lewis’s 1975 Lincoln Thrift. The final was neck-and-neck for the first two laps with Peters & May and Goodman slugging it out for the lead. Fast forward to lap number three where the Peters & May and Goodman came together in turn two with the Goodman boat getting the worse of it, taken out by a chewed-up propeller from the incident. McKeon recovered and finished the heat ahead of Budweiser good enough for his second 1,600 point day. That left just 1/7 scale vintage class with seven entries. This one would be David Newton and his 1958 Hawaii Kai going four for four, scoring 1,600 points. His closest competition would be provided by Caines’ 1968 Miss Eagle Electric, McKeon’s 1967 Miss Lapeer and McIntosh’s 1967 Miss U.S. V. ERCU moves over the Cascades next for its third race – the Presidents Cup – of the season on Saturday, May 3 in Ellensburg, the 2025 Presidents Cup. Pre-registration is already open, and can be done by clicking here. |
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