Roaring down the River

It was planned as a family affair—a chance for weekend out-boarders to get a heady taste of real racing. But the 180-odd competitors who roared down the Hudson River, two to a boat, from Albany (left) to New York over 135 miles of churned-up waterway found themselves encountering a lot more than they had bargained for. Bartenders and students, truck drivers and secretaries, plumbers and lawyers, they were kept busy dodging floating telephone poles, bouncing off mudbanks and swerving past excursion steamers. A few got their teeth knocked out as their craft slammed into the wakes of other boats ahead. One boat hit a snag and burned up. Some simply broke in pieces. But, all in all, it was a fine race.

PHOTO

PETER CUSTER