The Detroit Hydrofest was an annual hydroplane racing event held from 2015 through 2019 in August on the Detroit River in Detroit, Michigan. It continued Detroit's major hydroplane-racing tradition, which dated to 1916. H1 Unlimited last raced at the event in 2018, when Andrew Tate won the APBA Gold Cup in the U-9 Delta RealTrac. The most recent Hydrofest, branded as the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Hydrofest for sponsorship reasons, was held in 2019 and featured piston-powered boats from the Hydroplane Racing League.
History The first Gold Cup race held on the Detroit River took place in 1916. The community-owned Miss Detroit had won the Gold Cup in 1915 on Manhasset Bay, New York, and earned the right to defend it the following year on its home waters. The boat was a single-step hydroplane powered by a 250-horsepower Sterling engine and designed by Christopher Columbus Smith, the founder of Chris-Craft.
Detroit subsequently hosted major hydroplane races under a series of event names and trophies, including the APBA Gold Cup.
Beginning in 1963, the location of the Gold Cup race was determined by bids from host cities rather than by the yacht club represented by the previous year's winning boat. Between 1982 and 2018, Detroit hosted the Gold Cup 30 times, including annually from 1990 through 2014 and again from 2016 through 2018. From 1990 through 2014, the Detroit River Regatta Association (DRRA) hosted the APBA Gold Cup. When the DRRA announced in 2015 that it could not continue hosting the Gold Cup, the Spirit of Detroit Hydrofest was organized with a multiyear sponsorship from UAW-GM.
The 2018 APBA Gold Cup was the last H1 Unlimited race held in Detroit. In 2019, Detroit promoters elected not to host the Gold Cup, and the organizers of the Madison Regatta won the bid to hold it. Detroit Hydrofest continued that year without H1 Unlimited, featuring Grand Prix and other piston-powered hydroplanes sanctioned by the Hydroplane Racing League. Although organizers announced plans to return in 2025, no Detroit event appeared in H1 Unlimited's 2025 results, and Detroit was not on the series' 2026 schedule.
Race winners +Detroit Gold Cup-class and Unlimited hydroplane race winnersYearEventBoatDriver1916APBA Gold CupMiss MinneapolisBernard Smith1917APBA Gold CupMiss Detroit IIGar Wood1918APBA Gold CupMiss Detroit IIIGar Wood1919APBA Gold CupMiss Detroit IIIGar Wood1920APBA Gold CupMiss AmericaGar Wood1921APBA Gold CupMiss AmericaGar Wood1922APBA Gold CupPackard ChrisCraftJesse Vincent1923APBA Gold CupPackard ChrisCraftCaleb Bragg1924APBA Gold CupBaby BootleggerCaleb Bragg1926Harmsworth TrophyMiss America VGar Wood1928Harmsworth TrophyMiss America VIIGar WoodChampionship of North AmericaRainbow VIIHarry Greening1929Harmsworth TrophyMiss America VIIIGar Wood1930Harmsworth TrophyMiss America IXGar Wood1933APBA Gold CupEl LagartoGeorge ReisDodge MemorialDelphine VIIHorace Dodge1935Detroit Yacht Club TrophyHotsy Totsy IIIVic Kliesrath1937APBA Gold CupNotre DameClell Perry1938Detroit Yacht Club TrophyWarnieJames AndersonAPBA Gold CupAlagiTheo Rossi1939Detroit Yacht Club TrophyWhy WorryBill CantrellAPBA Gold CupMy SinZalmon Simmons1946APBA Gold CupTempo VIGuy Lombardo1947Detroit MemorialMiss Peps VDanny FosterSilver CupNotre DameDan Arena1948Henry Ford MemorialTempo VIGuy LombardoAPBA Gold CupMiss Great LakesDanny FosterSilver CupMiss Canada IIIHarold Wilson1949APBA Gold CupMy SweetieBill CantrellDetroit MemorialSkip-A-LongStanley DollarHarmsworth TrophySkip-A-LongStanley DollarSilver CupMy SweetieBill Cantrell1950APBA Gold CupSlo-mo-shun IVTed JonesDetroit MemorialMy SweetieLou FageolHarmsworth TrophySlo-mo-shun IVLou FageolSilver CupSuch CrustDanny Foster1951Detroit MemorialMiss PepsiChuck ThompsonSilver CupMiss PepsiChuck Thompson1952Detroit MemorialMiss PepsiChuck ThompsonSilver CupGale IIDanny Foster1953Henry Ford MemorialMiss Great Lakes IIDanny FosterSilver CupGale IILee Schoenith1954Detroit MemorialGale VLee SchoenithSilver CupMy Sweetie DoraJack Bartlow1955Detroit MemorialGale IVBill CantrellSilver CupTempo VIIDanny Foster1956Silver CupMiss U. S. IIDon WilsonAPBA Gold CupMiss ThriftwayBill Muncey1957Detroit MemorialSuch Crust IIIFred AlterSilver CupHawaii Ka’i IIIJack Regas1958Detroit MemorialMiss ThriftwayBill MunceySilver CupMaverickBill Stead1959Detroit MemorialMiss Supertest IIIBob HaywardSilver CupMaverickBill Stead1960Detroit MemorialMiss ThriftwayBill MunceySilver CupNitrogen TooRon Musson1961Detroit MemorialGale VBill CantrellSilver CupMiss BardahlRon Musson1962Spirit of Detroit TrophyMiss Century 21Bill Muncey1963APBA Gold CupMiss BardahlRon Musson1964APBA Gold CupMiss BardahlRon MussonSpirit of Detroit TrophySuch Crust IVWalt Kade1965Spirit of Detroit TrophyTahoe MissChuck Thompson1966APBA Gold CupTahoe MissMira SlovakHorace Dodge MemorialMiss LapeerWarner Gardner1967U.I.M. World's ChampionshipMiss Chrysler CrewBill Sterett1968APBA Gold CupMiss BardahlBilly Schumacher1969U.I.M. World's ChampionshipMiss U. S.Bill Muncey1970Horace Dodge MemorialMYR Sheet MetalBill Muncey1971Horace Dodge MemorialMiss BudweiserDean Chenoweth1972APBA Gold CupAtlas Van LinesBill Muncey1973Gar Wood MemorialMiss BudweiserDean ChenowethNational Champions RegattaMiss BudweiserDean Chenoweth1974Gar Wood MemorialMiss BudweiserHowie Benns1975Gar Wood TrophyMiss U. S.Tom D’Eath1976APBA Gold CupMiss U. S.Tom D’Eath1977Gar Wood MemorialAtlas Van LinesBill Muncey1978Spirit of Detroit TrophyAtlas Van LinesBill Muncey1979Spirit of Detroit RegattaAtlas Van LinesBill Muncey1980Spirit of Detroit RegattaMiss BudweiserDean Chenoweth1981Stroh's Silver CupMiss BudweiserDean Chenoweth1982APBA Gold CupAtlas Van LinesChip Hanauer1983Stroh's ThunderfestAtlas Van LinesChip Hanauer1984Stroh's ThunderfestMiss BudweiserJim Kropfeld1985Stroh's ThunderfestMiller AmericanChip Hanauer1986APBA Gold CupMiller AmericanChip Hanauer1987Budweiser Thunderboat ChampionshipMr. PringlesScott Pierce1988Spirit of Detroit RegattaMiller High LifeChip Hanauer1989Budweiser Spirit of Detroit RaceMiss Circus CircusChip Hanauer1990APBA Gold CupMiss BudweiserTom D’Eath1991APBA Gold CupWinston EagleMark Tate1992Budweiser APBA Gold CupMiss BudweiserChip Hanauer1993Budweiser APBA Gold CupMiss BudweiserChip Hanauer1994APBA Gold CupSmokin’ Joe'sMark Tate1995APBA Gold CupMiss BudweiserChip Hanauer1996APBA Gold CupPICO American DreamDave Villwock1997Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold CupMiss BudweiserDave Villwock1998Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold CupMiss BudweiserDave Villwock1999Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold CupMiss PICOChip Hanauer2000Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold CupMiss BudweiserDave Villwock2001Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold CupTubby's Grilled SubmarinesMike Hanson2002APBA Gold CupMiss BudweiserDave Villwock2003Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold CupMiss Foxhills Chrysler-JeepMitch Evans2004Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold CupMiss D.Y.C.Nate Brown2005Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold CupMiss Al Deeby DodgeTerry Troxell2006Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold CupMiss Beacon PlumbingJean Theoret2007Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold CupEllstrom E-Lam PlusDave Villwock2009Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold CupEllstrom E-Lam PlusDave Villwock2010Jarvis Restoration APBA Gold CupSpirit of QatarDave Villwock2011APBA Gold CupSpirit of QatarDave Villwock2012DYC presents APBA Gold CupSpirit of QatarDave Villwock2013APBA Gold CupSpirit of QatarKip Brown2014APBA Gold CupObertoJimmy Shane2015Spirit of Detroit HydrofestObertoJimmy Shane2016UAW/GM Hydrofest APBA Gold CupGraham TruckingJ. Michael Kelly2017President's CupDelta RealTracAndrew TateAPBA Gold CupMiss HomeStreetJimmy Shane2018APBA Gold CupDelta RealTracAndrew Tate2019–2026No H1 Unlimited event
Detroit joined the Unlimited hydroplane circuit in 1946.
References
External links Archived Spirit of Detroit Hydrofest website H1 Unlimited website