T2x

Here's a little something for you folks who may not have the benefit of hindsight......

http://www.thunderboats.org/history/history0390.html

Please note how quickly (instantaneously) things go wrong and the devastating effects at speeds that are common with today's "uber cats".

I pray that this makes at least one person stop and think enough to prevent one accident or improve one cockpit

T2x

44MTI

Great read.

Eaton Photos

In all my years of following/ shooting the Unlimited Hydroplane circuit, I have never heard anyone (Owners/ Drivers/ Teams) reference Black Sunday. Thank you for linking the story.

waterboy222

I have never heard about this. What a great read, thank you for your contribution..

C_Spray

iTrader: (2)

Similar to the weekend in 1994 when Roland Ratzenburger and Ayton Senna were killed on consecutive days. The subsequent change in mind-set of the entire F1 community lead to a comprehensive and sport-wide rethink. There hasn't been another death in F1 since.

NASCAR ignored the lesson, and got their wake-up call in 2001 with Earnhart's death. The Indy Racing League buried it's head even deeper and wound up losing Dan Wheldon in 2011. High-performance boating had Key West in 2011, but apparently...

T2x

Black Sunday was doubly devastating to the sport in that it occurred on network television...live. Ron Musson and the Miss Bardahl were the most famous race driver/boat tandem in the world at that time ( The Miss Budweiser was a relatively new player). The Bardahl nosed in and split right behind the cockpit folding the huge supercharged Rolls Merlin aircraft engine on top of Ron. It was a ghastly example of how things you take for granted as "installed" (engines, air tanks, fuel cells, extinguishers) can become ballistic weapons in a millisecond, not to mention the force of water (multiples of fire hose pressure) in accident scenarios. Having seen too many of these things happen during the past 60+ years, I can clearly see the disconnect between the perceived "reality" of today's high speed players.....and the true historical and physical facts. The sad thing is, as always, perception, bling, gossip, and bravado trumps reality again and again, or to put it even more simply, a little knowledge is an increasingly dangerous thing.

Stay safe.

T2x

RebarBox

How fast were the hydro's in 66'? or moreso - at what speed were the boats going then they crashed?

Knot 4 Me

NASCAR had plenty of warning too before Earnhardt in a short-period of time (all in 2000) before his death. Tony Roper, Kenny Irwin, and Adam Petty. Why were those 3 deaths in a single season not enough to take action on?

T2x

At least a buck and a half in competition trim........... The propeller driven speed record at that time was 201 mph held by the Miss US Unlimited hydro. The boats were about 30-32 feet long. Makes today's speeds seem..not so special eh?.........56 years later.

the deep

iTrader: (8)

Wow , thank you for the insight T2 .