Seafair Cup
The Seafair Cup, branded as the HomeStreet Bank Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an H1 Unlimited hydroplane boat race held annually in late July and early August on Lake Washington in Seattle, Washington. The race is the main attraction of the annual Seafair festival. Seattle has hosted the Seafair Cup consecutively since 1951. The event was part of the APBA Gold Cup for the following years: 1951 to 1955, 1957 to 1959, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1974, 1981, and 1985.
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| Event information | |
|---|---|
| Type | H1 Unlimited hydroplane boat race |
| Race area | Lake Washington, Seattle, Washington |
| Dates | July 31-August 2 |
| Sponsor | Albert Lee Appliance |
| Distance | 2.5 mi (4 km) |
| Media coverage | KIRO-TV/KKNW (AM) |
| First race | 1951 |
| Former names | Seafair Cup |
| Website | www |
History
Most of the H1 Unlimited hydroplane fleet calls Seattle home. The Emerald City has hosted the Unlimiteds every year since 1951. Lou Fageol won the very first Seattle race driving Stan Sayres' SLO-MO-SHUN V.
Seattle is the third oldest Unlimited race site. In terms of consecutive years of participation, the race is the longest continuously running event on the schedule—while Detroit Gold Cup and the Madison Regatta have seniority over Seattle, there have been years both races were not held.