Tunnel Boat Racing in the 1970s

Getting the "Holy Grail" Racing Film

Grand Slam of Outboard Tunnel Hull Racing

Thanksgiving Weekend 1972. The Outboard World Championship on Lake Havasu, Arizona. This is the YouTube version of the 1972 race - You can secure a high resolution version on DVD for a $50.00 donation to our boat racing video remastering fund - contact Mark Benson for more details.

At  stake,$65.000.00 overall, this was the richest Boat Race in the world. 108 entries from the US, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Austria, & Argentina competed that weekend.6 boats flipped on Friday practice, so 102 boats answered the starting gun that Saturday morning in November.

# 35 Barry Woods- went out to an early lead in the 1st hour. # 12 Billy Schumacher, a 2 time Unlimited Hydroplane Gold Cup Champion, in his 1st  outboard race was in 2nd place.After 2 hours of racing, OMC was 1-2-3-4 with  Bobby Witt-Tommy Posse-James Beard- & Johnnie Sanders in 4th.

At hour 3 ( on Day 1) it was Sanders OMC (1st) Beard OMC (2nd)  Bert Serra (Mercury) (3rd) & Cees Van Der Veldon (4th) with a C-6 Mercury. At the end of 4 hours of racing on Day 1 it was Van Der Veldon (Mercury 1st) Sanders (OMC 2nd) Beard (OMC 3rd) & Serra (Mercury 4th) On Sunday morning, Sanders had a bad start & was running 4th.

The leader, Cees Van der Veldon, blew over while leading in the 1st hour & Johnnie Sanders took over the lead.# 501 Bert Serra, after a courageous battle with Sanders to win, ended up 2nd (Mercury). # 12 Billy Schumacher (OMC) was 3rd while #37 James Beard  (OMC) was 4th.Johnnie Sanders completed 174 laps of that 4 mile boomerang shaped course to set a new record of 86.5 mph, 4 mph faster than the previous record.

OMC captured 4 of the top 10. Earl Benz placed 7th, while Rich McKinnley  was 9th. Sanders 1st prize winnings were $18,000.00 A lot of money in those days. For Johnnie Sanders, 1972 was like the Grand Slam of Outboard Tunnel Hull Racing.

He won Parker 9 Hour Enduro, Paris, Berlin, & the Outboard World Championship at Lake Havasu that season. Johnnie Sanders accomplished something that season that no other man had ever done before, win the  four biggest outboard tunnel hull boat races in the world -all in one season! Something that was only  accomplished that year (1972) and never has been nor ever likely will ever be equaled.

Johnnie Sanders, 1972 was like the Grand Slam of Outboard Tunnel Hull Racing.  

Footage courtesy Rick Keller & his son Scot Keller

Havasu! Outboard World Championship. 1972  Copyright 1973 Johnson Outboard Div.-Outboard Marine Corp. Directed and Photographed by Matt Richard. Written by Bill Aucoin. Footage courtesy of the Rick and Scot Keller Collection. Project Production Manager - Mark Benson. Digital Services - Nick Springate.