History

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Some of the most exciting days of Seafair in the 1970s took place at Seattle’s Green Lake. The Seafair Milk Carton Derby began in 1972 with empty milk cartons providing the primary flotation of these unique crafts. There were boats built for speed, some for artistic design, and the derby became an arena for competition between branches of the military as the Army, Navy and Coast Guard would join the battle for trophies and prizes. For hydroplane racing fanatics, Green Lake was an ideal venue for an annual three-day regatta that included several different classes of inboards, outboards, and runabouts.

The weekend event, with its free admission, was referred to as “the best of boat racing.” In fact in 1975, Green Lake was the host of the Heidelberg Inboard World Championships, the most prestigious limited inboard event in the world. These boats would fly around Green Lake at better than 100 mph on the 1 2/3 mile oval course.

The hydroplane racing at Green Lake was specifically set up to be spectator friendly. Spectacular close-up viewing of these flying boats was available along the southeast shore of Green Lake and more than 100,000 people would attend the free three-day event. More than 100 boats would arrive from all over the country to compete for the A.P.B.A. National Championships in four different flatbottom inboard classes. Only the 12 fastest in each class would compete in the finals on “Super Sunday.” In addition to the flatbottom inboards, there were five-liter inboards and six classes of outboard racing including the seven-liters all competing for trophies and prizes.

Green Lake was known as the fastest inboard racing course in the world and was the home to more inboard records than any other course. The weekend show would also include a blown fuel drag boat exhibition with boats approaching 200 mph in their 1/4 mile sprint. Hydroplane racing on Green Lake was a part of the Seafair festival through 1976.

The Seafair Torchlight Parade would begin at 8:30 pm in the 1970s and had grown to include as many as 70 marching, motor, and horse units as well as 30 or more illuminated floats. Parade participants would travel from as far away as Honolulu, Reno, Portland, and Vancouver. Add 200,000 or more spectators to this event and its easy to see why in 1971 a group known as the Parade Marshals were formed. The Parade Marshals were responsible for scheduling and assembling the parade as well as coordinating and handling its mechanical and physical needs. They also had the important task of keeping the parade moving down Fourth Avenue.

The 1970s saw some of the most competitive boat racing on Lake Washington. Two new sponsors, Atlas Van Lines and Pay ‘N Pak, were ready to challenge the Miss Budweiser for thunderboat supremacy. In fact, “deck to deck” racing would become commonplace on the hydroplane circuit. The Miss Budweiser would win in Seattle in 1970 and ‘76. The Pay ‘N Pak was victorious in 1971, ‘73, ‘74, and ‘75. Bill Muncey and the Atlas Van Lines picked up a victory and a National Championship in 1972 and would return to prominence after purchasing the Pay ‘N Pak equipment before the 1976 season. Muncey became his own owner after driving 25 years for others and his new cabover Atlas Van Lines, the “Blue Blaster,” would win on Lake Washington in 1977, ‘78, and ‘79.

1977 saw disaster on Lake Washington as Squire Shop driver Jerry Bangs lost his life in Heat 1A. A young driver named Chip Hanauer was recruited to replace him.

The Blue Angels make their return to Seattle’s skies over Lake Washington in 1972 following the Vietnam War. The Blue Angels would fast become a highlight of the weekend’s festivities and would take part in Seafair every summer between 1972 and 1993.

Another faction of the military playing an important role at Seafair is the United States Coast Guard. The primary function of the Coast Guard is of course to promote and preserve safety on the water. The Coast Guard would not only patrol the hydroplane race course on water but also from the air capable of dealing with any incident or accident swiftly and efficiently.

It seemed there was a lot more happening in the city of Seattle as the 1970s progressed particularly in the world of sports. The Seattle Super Sonics were now a fixture, Don James would take over as Head Coach of the football program at the University of Washington, and professional football would arrive in 1976 followed by Major League Baseball in 1977. The Seattle sports scene went wild for the Super Sonic’s appearance in the World Championship in 1978 and even wilder in 1979 when the Sonics won the NBA crown. All of this attention would detract from hydroplane coverage and the typical summer coverage of the Queen’s Coronation and her daily accounts disappeared from view. Seafair suddenly had serious competition for attention in the summertime.