1957 U-24 Miss University District

A product of the Golden Era of hydroplane racing, the Miss University District (or Miss U, for short) truly represented the ‘unlimited’ approach to hull theory.  While successful hulls of the era utilized the 3-point suspension design, the U-24 more closely resembled a seaplane—a ‘vee-hull’ and short wings with outrigger sponsons, combined with a large tail and delta-shaped horizontal stabilizer.  Extensively tested on scale tethered models, the design showed a frighteningly fast and stable ride.  The full-size version, while small compared to its contemporary race boats, was planned to run a small turbine engine (in 1957!) turning twin contra-rotating propellers located near the front of the hull, with a driver who knelt in the cockpit and steered with a handle-bar instead of a wheel.

In practical application, however, owner Armond Swenson’s dream was a complete failure. Unable to secure a turbine, a compromise was found in a small Ranger inline engine.  Despite multiple qualification attempts, the boat could not achieve a planing attitude at its lone race appearance at the Gold Cup—instead, pushing water in all directions as the forward-mounted propellers raised the bow and sunk the stern.

Undeterred, Swenson spent the next three decades refining his design—convinced that he had built a better mouse trap. The afterplane of the hull was lengthened, shaft angles changed, and outrigger sponsons significantly enlarged in ever-increasing revisions.   By the mid-1980’s, he claimed that he had accomplished his dream of making the boat plane and run as designed. Swenson continued to tinker on the U-24 until his passing in 1996, when the family donated the hull to the HARM collection. Over the last several years volunteers made up of several of the other Museum teams have gradually been returning the Miss U back to her 1957 configuration.  While it will never see the water again, the intent is to display the hull to showcase the ‘spirit of invention’ that is such a big part of the sport’s history.