2013 Tavares CRA Spring Thunder Regatta – Miss Canada IV Restoration Update

Things begin to heat up this weekend on Lake Dora and at Wooten Park in Tavares, Florida as the folks from the Classic Raceboat Association present the popular CRA Spring Thunder Regatta.

This is a great opportunity to see and hear some vintage race boats from every era of racing, doing what they were originally designed and built to do – go fast on the water! There will be a wide range of vintage race boats both on display and running demonstration laps on the course including Small Hydros, Mid Hydros, Jersey Speed Skiffs, Flatbottoms / Donzi’s, Speedsters & Runabouts as well as the Big Hydros. We are planning to be in Tavares on the weekend to experience this event for the first time, with camera in hand. Here’s some info from the CRA.

Tavares CRA Spring Thunder Regatta
Wooten Park – March 15-17, 2013

Presented by the Classic Raceboat Association

Sanctioned by American Power Boat Association

The past will come alive as the vintage and classic race boats of bygone eras return to Wooten Park in Tavares, Florida for the seventh annual Tavares Spring Thunder Vintage Regatta. Tavares is a major stop on the CRA Winter Vintage Circuit, and this spring’s regatta expands to 3 full days, with over 75 beautifully restored vintage and classis race boats running demonstration laps on a 1 mile oval course on beautiful Lake Dora. In addition to seeing and hearing these unique and beautiful boats run, spectators are invited to view them close-up in the pit area at Wooten Park on both Saturday and Sunday.

For more information on this years CRA Spring Thunder Regatta including the demonstration schedule, etc – you can click this Classic Raceboat Association link to go to their informative website.
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Miss Canada IV Race Boat Restoration Update

Yesterday we received this update from fellow Woody Boater Jamie Smith, from the Miss Canada IV restoration team along with an interesting video of the project. It’s amazing to see the level of detail and challenges that the restoration team is now dealing with in order to have the big 200 MPH vintage race boat ready for her unveiling this summer at the Gravenhurst Boat Show.

To all our Friends of the Miss Canada IV Restoration Team:

We are just a few months away from completing the restoration of Miss Canada IV and are sending you this update to help you get ready for Spring, open waters and some serious boating!

By late March/early April all the wiring and mechanical work will be completed. The work will then be reviewed by Peter Orton from Seattle’s Hydroplane and Raceboat museum and any recommended modification or changes will be completed. Following his review the Miss Canada IV Test Team will meet to write the Test Plan. The plan will include a dry run of the Rolls-Royce Griffon at Toms shop, the transporting of the Miss Canada IV to the test site, and a detailed, disciplined, “in water test” plan. The plan, lasting two or three days, will detail a “go slow” approach; no 100 mph runs “out of the box”!

We haven’t mentioned dates of the “in water” test run because, honestly, the dates aren’t firm as there are a lot of details to finalize. We can tell you that we’re anxious for the ice to go out so that we can get started with the testing!!!!

After the “in water” test is completed Miss Canada IV will be returned to Toms shop for “fixes” and final detailing of the boat before delivery to Bobby Genovese prior to the Toronto ACBS Chapter’s “Greatest Race Boat Show in Canadian History” on July 4th, 5th & 6th, at Muskoka Wharf, Gravenhurst, Ontario.

During a visit to Tom Adams boat shop after the Toronto ACBS Chapter Winter Workshop event in February, Harry Wilson made the following YouTube video, where you can see and appreciate the work that’s being completed by Tom’s great team!

Jamie Smith – Miss Canada IV Restoration Team

Great work by everyone on the team, we can hardly wait to see Miss Canada IV in person at the Gravenhurst Show in early July.

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