1951 U-37 Slo-mo-shun V

“He’s three-quarters of the way through the backstretch and he’s moving into….ooooooh, OH! He went completely around!”  Broadcaster Bill O’Mara’s live narration is as unforgettable as the black and white images from KING 5’s gigantic 100 inch camera lens.  Lou Fageol and the 1951 U-37 Slo-mo-shun V had just completed a 360-degree backflip and landed right-side-up.  It is a legendary moment in Seattle sports culture.

Constructed in 1951 as a stablemate to Stan Sayers’ Slo-mo-shun IV, the Slo-mo-shun V was designed with a wider beam for better acceleration on the race course.  It did not disappoint.  In its maiden appearance at the Gold Cup—concurrently the first Unlimited race in Seattle—the V easily won with Fageol at the wheel. He followed-up the victory at the 1953 President’s Cup (one of the V’s few races away from Lake Washington), and became the first Rolls Royce-Merlin powered hydroplane to win a race at the 1954 Gold Cup. But the boat had an inherent tendency to get light and fly, and while attempting to set a new qualification record during the 1955 Gold Cup, Fageol found the boat’s limit.  Thrown out during the flip, he was severely injured, effectively ending his driving career.   Owner Sayers sold the damaged Slo-mo-shun V to Greater Seattle, who rebuilt and campaigned the hull as Miss Seattle from 1956 through 1962. Later still, she finished out her career as Berryessa Belle and Miss Tri-Cities at the hands of Bob Gilliam and Bob Miller, having never come close to matching her former glory.

Retired from competition after the 1966 season, the Slo-mo-shun V sat virtually forgotten for 25 years. In 1991 a restoration was undertaken, culminating at the 1993 Seattle Seafair race with Dr. Ken Muscatel recreating the famous ‘flying start’ under the Lake Washington floating bridge. Currently owned by Bruce McCaw, the Slo-mo-shun V is an every day resident of the Museum and a crown jewel of any visit.