List of fatal accidents in motorboat racing

Contents

As motorboat racing is a dangerous sport, many individuals (including drivers, crew members, officials and spectators) have been killed in crashes related to the sport, either in a race, in qualifying, in practice or a private testing session. It has been stated that since 1940, the fatality rate in Water speed record is 85%, making it the sporting world's most hazardous competitions and approximately in offshore powerboat racing, one racer dies each year from accidents.[1]

This transport-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Accidents during Water speed record

Name Date Place Machine Comment
Henry Segrave[2] 13 June 1930 Windermere Miss England II Driver
Vic Halliwell Riding mechanic
John Cobb[3] 29 September 1952 Loch Ness Crusader
Mario Verga[4] 9 October 1954 Lago d'Iseo Laura 3
Donald Campbell[5] 4 January 1967 Coniston Water Bluebird K7
Lee Taylor[6] 13 November 1980 Lake Tahoe Discovery II Test run
Craig Arfons[7] 29 September 1989 Jackson Lake Rain X Challenger

Accidents during an Unlimited Hydroplane race

Name Date Race Place Machine Comment
Bill Freitag[8] 19 September 1931 President's Cup Potomac River Miss Philadelphia
Joe Schaeffer[9] 28 August 1939 Test run Detroit River Delphine IX
Orth Mathiot[10][11] 4 August 1951 Gold Cup Lake Washington Quicksilver Driver
Thompson "Thom" Whitaker[10] Co-pilot/mechanic
Lloyd Maddock[12] June 26, 1955 Detroit Memorial Regatta Potomac River Holiday
Ezio Selva[13][14][15] 29 December 1957 Orange Bowl Regatta Grand Prix Biscayne Bay Moschettiere
Bob Hayward[16][17] 10 September 1961 Silver Cup Detroit River Miss Supertest
Ron Musson[18] 19 June 1966 President's Cup Potomac River Miss Bardahl Explosion during race
Rex Manchester[18] Notre Dame Collision during final heat
Don Wilson[18] Miss Budweiser
Chuck Thompson[19] 7 July 1966 Gold Cup Detroit River Smirnoff
Bill Brow[20] 6 November 1967 Tampa Suncoast Cup Tampa Bay Miss Budweiser
Warner Gardner[20] 8 September 1968 Gold Cup Detroit River Miss Eagle Electric
Tommy Fults[21][22] 16 September 1970 Gold Cup Mission Bay Pay 'n Pak's 'lil Buzzard Qualifying run
Skipp Walther[23] 2 June 1974 Champion Spark Plug Trophy Miami Marine Stadium Red Man Test run prior to race
Jerry Bangs[24] 7 August 1977 Seafair Trophy Lake Washington The Squire
Bill Muncey[25] 18 October 1981 UIM World Championship race Acapulco Atlas Van Lines
Dean Chenoweth[26] 2 July 1982 Columbia Cup Columbia River Miss Budweiser
George Stratton[27][28] 17 September 2000 Testing Mission Bay Appian Jeronimo

Accidents during offshore powerboat racing

Name Role Date Series Race Place Machine Comment
Val Carr 1972 Schwepps 80 Port Jackson, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [29][30][31]
Paul Carr
Alf Bontoft Driver August 29, 1976 Cowes-Torquay Enfield Marine "Blitz" [32]
Joel Halpern Driver March 29, 1981 APBA Halter 200 Lake Ponchatrain, New Orleans Michelob Light [33][34]
Dick Fullam driver 1985 APBA Key West Still Crazy Fullam had a previous career as a CFL player[35]
Mike Poppa Throttleman
Mark Lavin Throttleman 1986 APBA Key West Jesse James [34]
Didier Pironi Driver August 23, 1987 Offshore World Championship Needles Trophy Isle of Wight, United Kingdom ACX "Colibri" - Lamborghini [36]
Jean-Claude Guénard Throttleman
Bernard Giroux Navigator
Thomas Brandt pilot 1988 APBA Sheffield Oil Unocal 76 Offshore Classic Panama City, Florida Spirit of Miss Liberty [37][38]
Don Wright throttleman
Stefano Casiraghi Throttleman October 3, 1990 Class 1 WOC Monaco French Riviera Pinot di Pinot
Shannon Pearce Driver 1990 Cock of the Mersey - Devonport Apex Regatta Mersey River, Latrobe, Tasmania, Australia [39]
Brass Wilcockson Navigator 1991 Class 3D National Championship Allhallows, River Thames, United Kingdom Puma Catamaran
Hamed Buhaleeba Throttleman August 25, 1995 Class Two World Offshore Championship Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom Victory M-1-Sterling Chevrolet V6 [40][41][42]
Jack Carmody Driver 2001 APBA Offshore Pro Series Corpus Christi, Texas Xtreme Carlos N'Charlie's [1][43]
Khalid Al-Sabah March 30, 1997 Class Two Middle-East Offshore Championship Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates [44]
Sergio Carpentieri Throttleman June 30, 2007 Powerboat P1 World Championship Travemünde, Germany Carpenter [45]
Kevin Graff Driver August 24, 2008 OPA Battle on the Bay Patchogue, New York "Aero Express" MTI [46]
Phil DeJana Throttleman
Mohammad Al Mehairi Driver December 11, 2009 Class One World Offshore Championship Dubai Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC), Mina Seyahi Victory 1 [47][48]
Jean-Marc Sanchez Throttleman

Accidents during outboard powerboat racing

Name Date Series Race Place Machine
Cesare Scotti[49] October 6, 1974 ON (2000 cc) Six Hours of Paris Seine River Scotti - Evinrude
Peter Inward[50] July 3, 1983 British F2 Powerboat Championship Fairford Hodges
Ken Stevenson[51] December 11, 1983 Formula 2 Powerboat World Championship Nassau-Paradise Island Strait Bahamas
Luigi Valdano[52] May 27, 1984 Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship Grote Prijs van Nederland Ertveld Plas, 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Gérard Barthelemy[53] June 2, 1984 Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship Paris Grand Prix Seine River, Paris, France Hodges - Evinrude
Roberto Saviero[54] August 3, 1984 Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship Private test Po River, near Piacenza, Italy "Esercito Italiano" Molinari - Evinrude
Tom Percival[55] August 19, 1984 Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship Grand Prix de Belgique Benson & Hedges Meuse River, Liège, Belgium Hodges - Evinrude
Philippe Rebulet[56] November 6, 1988 Six Hours of Paris Seine River  ?
François Salabert[57] June 10, 1990 Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship Embassy Grand Prix Bristol, United Kingdom
John Hill[58][59] April 16, 1993 Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Roger Demares[60] May 2, 1995 24 heures Motonautiques de Rouen Seine River  ?
Francis Maré[61] May 1, 1999 24 heures Motonautiques de Rouen Seine River  ?
Andy Chesman[62] July 19, 1998 European Formula 500 Championship Hamburg, Germany
Victor Kunitch[63] October 28, 2001 Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
Vincenzo Polli[64] December 21, 2002 Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates

Accidents during hydroplane and displacement racing

Name Date Series Race Place Machine Comment
Jack Turner[65][66] August 23, 1948 Canadian Gold Cup Picton, Ontario Ventnor "Tops III"
Doug Jancura April 17, 2004 American Power Boat Association Testing American Lake, Lakewood, Washington, USA Strutin PS 1 - Pro Stock Flatbottom Sprint Boat
Larry Martin[67][68] November 6, 2004 Australian Power Boat Association Wide Bay Bundy Thunder Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia Trojan - Chevrolet
Geoff Tomkins March 4, 2007 Devonport Apex Regatta Cock of the Mersey Mersey River, Latrobe, Tasmania, Australia "Iron Nuts" - Unlimited Displacement
Brian McCosker April 3, 2010 Taree Aquatic Power Boat Club Easter Classic Stuart Doyle Cup - NSW Unlimited Displacement Championship Taree, New South Wales, Australia Liberty - Unlimited Displacement
David Bryant April 4, 2010 Taree Aquatic Power Boat Club Easter Classic Eastway Shield - NSW Unlimited Open Inboard Championship Taree, New South Wales, Australia She's the Culprit - Unlimited Displacement
John Cross November 28, 2010 Australian Power Boat Association Lake Mulwala Power, Victorian Council APBA Yarrawonga, Victoria, Australia Rival - Unlimited Displacement
Ryan Butler July 9, 2011 American Power Boat Association UIM World Flatbottom Championships Black Lake, Olympia, Washington, USA Scooty-Puff. Sr. PS 44 - Super Stock Flatbottom Sprint Boat

Accidents during drag boat racing

Name Date Series Race Place Machine Comment
Mac Bale[69][70] February 1, 1970 Lake Ming, Bakersfield, California, United States
Jan Barrett[70][71] October 7, 1973 Lake Ming, Bakersfield, California, United States Water speed record attempt
David Skalicky[69] July 10, 2005 Southern Drag Boat Association Ozarka Bricktown Nationals Bricktown Drag Boat Circuit, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States "Bad Boy's Dixie Toy"
Dale Anderson[72] September 8, 2002 National Jet Boat Association Bakersfield, California, United States Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States "Bad Boy's Dixie Toy"

References

  1. ^ a b Through troubled waters
  2. ^ Sir Henry (H.O.D.) Segrave Tributes
  3. ^ John Cobb Tributes
  4. ^ Mario Verga Tributes
  5. ^ Donald Campbell Tributes
  6. ^ Lee Taylor - The Growl of Thunder
  7. ^ Jon Craig Arfons - The Fastest Boat
  8. ^ Bill Freitag Tributes
  9. ^ Joe Schaeffer Tributes
  10. ^ a b 1952 APBA Gold Cup - Gold Cup 1904-1952
  11. ^ Sport: Death at Seattle
  12. ^ http://www.lesliefield.com/races/1955_detroit_memorial.htm
  13. ^ http://www.lesliefield.com/personalities/ezio_selva_tributes.htm
  14. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=2256
  15. ^ Sport: Death of a Sportsman
  16. ^ Bob Hayward Tributes
  17. ^ 1961 Silver Cup - Silver cup Race Dies in Boat Flip
  18. ^ a b c Don Wilson Tributes
  19. ^ Chuck Thompson
  20. ^ a b Bill Brow Memorial
  21. ^ Pay 'n Pak Team Boat History
  22. ^ History of Pay 'N Pak Racing
  23. ^ Skipp Walther Tributes
  24. ^ Jerry Bangs Tributes
  25. ^ Remembering Bill Muncey, Mr. Unlimited
  26. ^ Dean Chenoweth Tributes
  27. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=1639
  28. ^ Hydro driver dies in crash in San Diego
  29. ^ http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/classic-offshore/150506-cigarette-how-many-they-were.html
  30. ^ http://www.njppc.com/OldOffshoreStories/AronowFullSpeed55.htm
  31. ^ http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/cigarette/41657-cigarette.html
  32. ^ http://www.classicoffshore.com/1971-1981.htm
  33. ^ http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70C13FC3B5D0C738FDDAA0894D9484D81
  34. ^ a b http://www.njppc.com/OldOffshoreStories/historyofoffshore.htm
  35. ^ http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1120213/index.htm
  36. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=3417
  37. ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1251501.html
  38. ^ http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/classic-offshore/195167-c-5-finish-line-3.html
  39. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=7421
  40. ^ http://www.victoryteam.org.ae/Dubai_Special/hamed.htm
  41. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19950826/ai_n14002851
  42. ^ http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/powerboat_uk/driverspg.html&date=2009-10-26+00:41:24
  43. ^ http://www.boats.com/news-reviews/article/carmody-killed-in-corpus-christi-offshore-race
  44. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=7782
  45. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=6547
  46. ^ [1]
  47. ^ Mohammed Majid Al Muhairi, Jean-Marc Sanchez Dead In Dubai Powerboat Crash
  48. ^ http://www.class-1.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=882
  49. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=2257
  50. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=5517
  51. ^ http://motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=5529
  52. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=5006
  53. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=5007
  54. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=5005
  55. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=5008
  56. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=5921
  57. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=5518
  58. ^ http://www.f1boat.com/history/cappellini_crown_93.htm
  59. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=4516
  60. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=5499
  61. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=5494
  62. ^ http://motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=3793
  63. ^ http://motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=3792
  64. ^ http://motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=2259
  65. ^ http://www.thunderboats.org/history/history0436.html
  66. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=9227
  67. ^ http://www.nzgrandprixhydroplane.com/newsjan05.html
  68. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=3893
  69. ^ a b http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=2740
  70. ^ a b http://www.narberthpa.com/Bale/bmp/dwb.htm
  71. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=4883
  72. ^ http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=b&n=8113

External links