1948 2-G Hurricane IV

“Easy?  Where’d that getcha?” The words uttered by Rock Hudson to Jane Wyman in the opening minutes of the Academy Award-nominated movie Magnificent Obsession.  There, in glorious Technicolor on the big screen, the red and white hydroplane blasts through the placid waters of California’s Lake Arrowhead in shot after shot. For the general public, it was a stunning introduction to hydroplane racing. For race fans, however, it remained of the few examples of the sport showcased by Hollywood.  The star of the movie’s opening was the Hurricane IV, an early prop-riding Unlimited.

Designed and built for Californian Morlan Visel in 1948, its first few race outings were somewhat inauspicious.  Its riding characteristics, as well as its overall appearance, were often described as resembling a humpback whale. In 1951, however, the Hurricane IV was substantially modified by Fred Wickens, which significantly improved its performance. Campaigned out of the Lake Tahoe Yacht Club by Visel and Bill Stead, its best finishes were a pair of 2^nd place finishes in the 1952 Gold Cup in Seattle, and the 1954 Mapes Trophy on Lake Tahoe. Aside from its 5 minutes of fame in Magnificent Obsession, perhaps the Hurricane’s competitive zenith was reached in 1954 when Bill Stead took the boat to the fabled Salton Sea in California to run through the measured mile.  Though it failed to set a new record, it did power through a two-way average of over 163 mph, which at the time was the third-fastest speed ever recorded.

Stored by the Stead family for many years, the hull was donated to the Hydroplane Museum in 1986. A multi-year restoration was undertaken on the Hurricane IV, and in 2008 it was displayed by Dr. Ken Muscatel at several vintage racing events across the country.