HULL SPECS
| Homeport | Seattle, WA | Year Built | 1958 |
| Powerplant | Rolls Royce Merlin | Length | 30 Feet |
| Beam | 12 Feet | Weight | 6,170 lbs. |
-
- 1958 Apple Cup
- 1958 Conners Memorial
- 1958 Rogers Memorial
- 1961 World Championships
- 1958 National High Point Champion
RACE STATISTICS
1958 SEASON
| DATE | REGATTA | SITE | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/11 | Apple Cup | Chelan, WA | 1st |
| 6/29 | Diamond Cup | Coeur d'Alene, ID | 9th |
| 7/29 | Mapes Mile-High Trophy | Tahoe City, CA | 2nd |
| 8/10 | APBA Gold Cup | Seattle, WA | DNF |
| 8/23 | Silver Cup | Detroit, MI | 3rd |
| 9/7 | Conners Memorial | Buffalo, NY | 1st |
| 9/22 | Presidents Cup | Washington, DC | 3rd |
| 9/22 | Rogers Memorial | Washington, DC | 1st |
| 10/5 | Indiana Governor's Cup | Madison, IN | 3rd |
| 10/23 | Sahara Cup | Las Vegas, NV | 2nd |
1959 SEASON
| DATE | REGATTA | SITE | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/10 | Apple Cup | Chelan, WA | 2nd |
| 7/4 | Detroit Memorial | Detroit, MI | 4th |
| 7/19 | Diamond Cup | Coeur d'Alene, ID | 7th |
| 8/29 | Silver Cup | Detroit, MI | 5th |
| 9/6 | Conners Memorial | Buffalo, NY | 4th |
| 9/20 | Presidents Cup | Washington, DC | DNF |
| 9/27 | Indiana Governor's Cup | Madison, IN | 3rd |
| 10/11 | Mapes Trophy | Reno, NV | DNS |
| 10/21 | Lake Mead Cup | Las Vegas, NV | 4th |
1960 SEASON
| DATE | REGATTA | SITE | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/8 | Apple Cup | Chelan, WA | 4th |
| 6/25 | Detroit Memorial | Detroit, MI | DNF |
| 7/24 | Diamond Cup | Coeur d'Alene, ID | 5th |
| 8/8 | Seafair Trophy | Seattle, WA | DNF |
| 9/18 | Presidents Cup | Washington, DC | 4th |
| 10/2 | Indiana Governor's Cup | Madison, IN | 3rd |
| 10/30 | Reno Regatta | Reno, NV | 2nd |
| 11/13 | APBA Gold Cupp | Las Vegas, NV | N/A |
1961 SEASON
| DATE | REGATTA | SITE | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/6 | World Chamoionship | Seattle, WA | 1st |
| 8/28 | APBA Gold Cup | Reno, NV | 3rd |
| 9/10 | Silver Cup | Detroit, MI | N/A |
| 9/17 | Presidents Cup | Washington, DC | 3rd |
| 10/1 | Indiana Governor's Cup | Madison, IN | 6th |
About the 1958 Miss Bardahl
After Ole Bardahl dabbled in unlimited hydroplanes racing in 1957, sponsoring the U-4 built by Norm Christiansen, he was infected with the water bug. He commissioned Ted Jones to design and build his new Miss Bardahl. Legendary designer/builder Ted Jones turned the job over to his son Ron. Ron’s first unlimited was the portent of things to come. The metallic green boat, embellished with black scallops and bright yellow sides, became loved by many and feared by some as the “Green Dragon.”
The Dragon won its debut at Chelan’s Apple Cup with local hero Norm Evans driving. She couldn’t finish her next race in Coeur d’Alene, but with Mira Slovak at the wheel, the Miss Bardahl wend on to take two more firsts, two seconds and three thirds in nine races. Her consistency earned her the National High Points Championship.
Ole, now even more enthusiastic, expanded the Green Dragon’s program in 1959. He increased the boat’s power by running a Rolls-Royce Merlin. Highly regarded crew chief George McKernan joined driver Jackie Regas to form a potential juggernaut. However, after Regas was critically injured in the Diamond Cup, the rest of the 1959 season was a struggle. The Dragon was put in the boathouse for six weeks after the accident, but she re-emerged to race in the Silver Cup with young Bill Brow behind the wheel. Despite the season’s struggles, the Dragon was consistent enough to garner second place in the National High Point standings.
For the competitive fury of the Bardahl camp, 1960 also began as a dismal year with the Green Dragon taking only one-second place finish in seven races, but then Ron Musson arrived. With Musson at the helm, Miss Bardahl dashed to victory in the inaugural Seattle Seafair World Championship and finished the season with two-thirds and another victory in five races.
The original “Green Dragon” set the stage for Ron Musson and the Bardahl Team to become one of the legendary hydroplane dynasties in the ensuing years.
Miss Bardahl Team Members
Owner
OLE BARDAHL
Driver - 1958
NORM EVANS
Driver - 1958
MIRA SLOVAK
Driver - 1959
JACK REGAS
Driver - 1959, 1960
BILL BROW
Driver - 1959
RED LOOMIS
Driver - 1959
GEORGE MCKERNAN
Driver - 1960
JIM McGUIRE
Driver - 1960
BILL STEAD
Driver - 1961
RON MUSSON
Designer
TED JONES
Builder
RON JONES SR
1958 Miss Bardahl Videos
The following videos are from the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum featuring the Miss Bardahl. More videos are available on the Museum YouTube page
1958 Apple Cup
1958 Silver Cup
Mapes Mile-High Trophy
1958 APBA Gold Cup - Seattle, WA
1958 Sahara Cup
1959 Silver Cup
1960 Apple Cup
1960 Diamond Cup
1961 World Championship
1961 APBA Gold Cup - Reno, NV
Miss Bardahl Pictures
Browse our photo galleries for the 1958 Miss Bardahl and follow the hull throughout it’s four year career.
U-40 Miss Bardahl Articles
Read articles about and the 1958 Miss Bardahl throughout the hull’s four season career. To view the museum’s full digital archive, visit our Hydroplane Archives page.
Following the 1961 season, Ole Bardahl retired the 1958 hull from competition. It was used on display duty for the rest of the decade and then placed on permanent loan to Goodwill Industries, where it would reside on exhibition for the next 30 years. In 1999 the Miss Bardahl was given to the Hydroplane Museum and quickly restored for an exhibition at the 2000 Seattle Seafair race. After a few appearances, the hull was torn down and given a long-term restoration, emerging again in 2018. Currently owned by Bruce McCaw, the Bardahl is a workhorse of the Museum exhibition fleet.