Liberty Cup Regatta

[Excerpted from The Spirit of Poulsbo]

When rooster tails ruled the roost In the mid-fifties the North Kitsap Youth Center was searching for a new funding source. Play Days had run its course, and no one was too excited about reviving it. Rummage sales, raffles, and street fairs were all tried and true but not too interesting. There must be a better way, the committee mused. Then someone in the group remembered an offhand comment made by hydroplane racer, Bill Muncey, who had visited Poulsbo sometime earlier. He commented that Liberty Bay looked like an ideal place for a hydroplane course. After due investigation, the decision was made, and Poulsbo became home to what some have termed “…the biggest civic promotion in Poulsbo’s history.” Committees were formed, the Seattle Inboard Racing Association (SIRA) was contacted, promotion began, and the first Liberty Cup Regatta was born. The race on July 4, 1959, drew nearly 9,000 spectators and over seventy hydros to the newly-graveled but unpaved Bayshore Parking area. The Poulsbo Yacht Club building (present site of the Marine Science Center) served as headquarters. The first year the Youth Center netted $1,472 for the next year’s activities, and Liberty Cup organizers had high hopes for becoming the hydro-racing capital of the Pacific Northwest. The next spring, the Chamber of Commerce took over the sponsorship of the event, with an eye to promoting North Kitsap County to tourists and possible residents, as well as attracting shoppers among the racing fans. The following promo on Poulsbo was published in a special racing newspaper for the Liberty Cup weekend: WHAT KIND OF TOWN IS POULSBO? What kind of a town is Poulsbo, host city for the second annual Liberty Cup limited hydro race? Several thousand visitors to last year’s race asked that question, and many more are asking it this year. It’s hard to find out during the race when the town is full of boats and people. But underneath all the fuss and furor you’ll find Poulsbo a decidedly friendly town, a distinctive town that’s pleasant to live in. From the first Norwegian settlers to today’s commuters, the town prides itself on being a friendly, steady, no nonsense kind of a town. Another example of the community’s spirit is the pit area known as Anderson Parkway during most of the year. It was built by a combined town and business effort with funds from both, as a means of increasing parking and making it easier for the shopper to patronize the quality-minded businesses of the community. Another strong point is the support always forthcoming for community projects–the Liberty Cup being one of the best examples. Money from the race goes to the North Kitsap Youth Center Association. The whole race is put on by volunteers from the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard.

A Celebration of Youth
Putting on a regatta of this size is a big undertaking and takes manpower as well as money. Friction is bound to enter into the mix. By spring 1960, two new chairmen were in place, and organizers faced having to make some changes in the set-up of the races in order to accommodate more spectators and race regulations. The American Power Boat Association (APBA) was concerned that the course be surveyed so that, if records were set, they were on an even par with other courses throughout the U.S. In the end, the race course was moved a little farther south on the bay to accommodate more spectators along the shore, and barges were anchored in the bay to provide viewing stands for spectators. Certain problems had been identified and changes were made for smoother operation of the races and more safety in the pit areas, as well as ease in parking boats. In addition, a newly-paved parkway was ready to greet the boating crowd. Ron Jones, an official of the Pacific Coast & Seattle Inboard Racing Association (SIRA), was encouraging the committee to try to attract the West Coast limited championships, as well as the 1962 National Inboard championship. Those finals were scheduled for Green Lake in Seattle in 1960 and California in 1961, so by all rights the championships, he believed, should come back north for 1962. In the meantime, contestants for Liberty Cup 1960 were lining up with some impressive names on the list. Three occurrences turned the spotlight on the Liberty Cup: First, the race won the approval as the regional championship race of the APBA; second, two top unlimited drivers (Mira Slovak and Bill Muncey) agreed to continue their feud at the Liberty Cup; and third, the world champion competitive 7-liter racer, Roger Murphy, said he’d try to compete at the Liberty Cup. From all accounts, the weekend lived up to its billing of “chills and spills.” In the end, none of these names won. Instead, a world record of one and two-thirds miles at 60.8 M.P.H. was set by Harry Reeves, driving his 136 cu. in. speedster, Ope. But costs for the races were high, and volunteers were waning. By November 1960, the Chamber of Commerce decided to do a little research before committing to another year of sponsorship. SIRA invited Poulsbo to bid on the next Liberty Cup Regatta, and finally the Chamber decided early in 1961 to sponsor the races once again. In June 1961 the debate over towing money was foremost on the agenda. It was proposed that tow money of $10 per boat crossing the starting line should be paid in addition to the prize money. That would have meant an additional $500-600 for the race, a sum to which the Chamber could not commit. In the end the Chamber stuck to their original decision to support the race with $425 toward prizes and trophies. The HERALD reported on July 7, 1961, that the weather had been great, the crowd was large, and a good time was had by all. But when the Chamber totaled their figures for the weekend, they were in the red. By February 1962 the Chamber announced they would not be able to continue sponsorship of the race. Instead a newly formed Liberty Cup Association guaranteed funding and took on sponsorship for 1962. The new group would pay the required $145 sanction fee and the insurance. A second setback occurred when SIRA decided not to attend, saying they had not been invited to participate in the race. Quickly, Vince Prouty and Bill Whitford of the Liberty Bay Cup Association met with Bob Andrus of SIRA, formalizing an agreement that the Liberty Cup Association would handle local arrangements and SIRA would conduct the actual races. Fourth of July 1962 was again spent watching the rooster tails on Liberty Bay. For the second time a world record was set—this time by Earl Wham driving his 266 class boat, Holy Smoke. His speed of 84.428 M.P.H. broke the old record of 82.720 M.P.H. The races continued through 1963 and 1964, but the Liberty Cup Association was feeling burnout from their three-year push, and the pressure of rising costs. Organizers again turned to the Chamber for aid. It was a hard decision to make. The event was popular from both the racers’ and the spectators’ point of view, but the manpower hours and the money required to keep the event viable proved too much for the small community. The winner of the 1964 Poulsbo Liberty Cup Regatta was Seattle driver, Bill Lange. He holds the distinction of being the last Liberty Cup Regatta winner. Six years was a good run, but all good things must come to an end. Since the original point of the race was to fund the North Kitsap Youth Council, and there was a profit of only $46 showing for 1964, it was not deemed feasible to continue the event. In 1965 the north county area voted in general election to establish the North Kitsap Parks and Recreation District, and the need for the North Kitsap Youth Council was no more.