Pay ’N Pak scored 1,025 points in winning first place in the heats on Saturday and earlier Sunday to edge Atlas Van Lines, driven by Bill Muncey, of San Diego, which scored 900 points for finishing second in three heats, including the final one.
Miss Budweiser, with rookie Howie Benns of Grand Island, N. Y., at the wheel, won the final heat and the 400 points that goes with it to enable her to move into fourth place behind U-95 in the final standings. Budweiser, winner of the initial regatta of the season last Sunday in Miami, won a heat Saturday but broke a supercharger linkage during the second lap of an early heat Sunday and did not finish the race.
The pit crews, however, were able to repair the trouble in time to get the thunderboat back into the final heat. U-95, driven by Leif Borgersen of Seattle, Wash., finished fifth in the final heat but placed third overall in the regatta after winning the first heat of her career earlier Sunday on top of a 2nd-place finish Saturday which gave the ship 827 points.
The final standings for the President’s Cup were Pay 'N Pak, winner two years ago here, 1,025 points; Atlas Van Lines, 900; U-95. 827; Miss Budweiser, 800; Mr. Fabricator, driven by Tom Kaufman of Carrollton. Ohio, 489; Miss U.S.£ driven by Tom D’Eath, Detroit, 225; Lincoln Thrift, driven by Mickey Remund of Palm Desert, Calif., 225; and Sunny Jim, driven by Tom Martin, Bellevue, Wash., 169.
Lincoln Thrift was withdrawn from the final day’s heats because owner Bob Fendler said the ship was having handling problems. Fendler said the boat would return to Costa Mesa. Calif., for modifications before the new hydroplane was returned to the circuit, probably at Detroit.