By Gary Laws
Reprinted from Facebook.
(1980) U-25 Pay 'n Pak
This is the first unlimited hydroplane to win a race powered by a turbine engine, but most fans already know that. A very popular and noteworthy hull in hydroplane history......it has not been seen in public since 1988.
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| The Pay 'n Pak in 1981. |
The hull last raced in 1988 as the U-66 Sutphen Spirit, driven by Mike Hanson. Its career ended upon a nasty crash landing upside down and destroyed the cockpit, cowlings, and stabilizers. Although the damage wasn't considered career ending, it was never repaired and has been in "retirement" in Dave Bartush's warehouse (in Detroit) ever since.
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| The U-66 Sutphen Spirit |
Of all the hulls currently waiting to be restored, this and the U-95 have to be near the top of that list for countless reasons. Perhaps one day it will happen, time will tell.
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| The 1980 Pay 'n Pak hull in it's current form. |
On a side note, I tried to buy the trailer for The Squire Shop project prior to getting the one from Ed Cooper, but any sale would have included the boat as well. But....it was for the best, as they shouldn't be separated anyway in my opinion.