CHELAN — Hydroplane racing was a relative moment in time for the central Washington community of Chelan and the lake of the same name.
The wine industry, however, has much deeper roots and history and remains vibrant today.
The two passions, however, have merged into an event and celebration called Mahogany and Merlot which takes over the community, Oct. 2-4, 2026.
Back in 1957 the population of the lakeside community of Chelan was just under 2,500 people when the first edition of the Apple Cup unlimited hydroplane race enveloped the picturesque lake of the same name.
Tens of thousands of race fans traveled the narrow and winding roads that led to Chelan where for four years during what might have been the height of the sport, some of the fastest and most renown race boats tossed up their roostertails.
The first Apple Cup took place on May 5, 1957, organized by Lake Chelan Boat Racers, Inc., and scheduled right after the Washington Apple Blossom Festival down Highway 97 in Wenatchee.
According to historical data from the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum archives, Bill Stead, won the inaugural event with a dominant performance by the Maverick, followed by Bill Boeing, Jr.’s Miss Wahoo driven by Mira Slovak.
An estimated 80,000 persons watched the race from every vantage point adjacent to the racecourse
Ultimately, four different boats would win Apple Cups, but maybe none more special than in 1958 when Chelan’s own Norm Evans drove Miss Bardahl to victory after a dramatic duel in the final heat over Fred Alter in the Miss U.S. 1.
High winds buffeted the lake as Chuck Hickling took Miss Pay ‘n Save to victory in 1959 while Miss Thriftway driven by Bill Muncey captured the cup in 1960.
Why the races went away is subject to conjecture but big crowds that taxed the community might have been a double-edged sword.
According to noted hydroplane historian, Bob Senior, “After four years of Unlimited hydroplane racing, the Chelan races were cancelled, amid a combination of increased sponsor’s expenses, crowd-control problems,” he wrote at thunderboats.ning.com.
Senior added, “Perhaps simply the fact that a major-league sporting event became just too large for small-town America to handle any longer.”
The wine business has been a much more sustainable tourism draw for Chelan.
While the internet suggests wine grapes were planted in the region in the early 1890s a commercial industry did not take shape at that time. It took over 100 years when the apple market collapsed in 1998 for wing grapes to be the money crop that now has taken root in Chelan.
Regardless, the idea to combine wine tasting and an exhibition of hydroplanes from days-gone-by has been a big hit for Chelan since its inception in 2008.
Miss Wahoo, Miss Budweiser, Miss Burien, Miss Thriftway, Atlas Van Lines, Notre Dame and others are all restored out of the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum based in Kent, Wash.
Joining the hydros are Antique and Classic Mahogany Runabouts from the Golden Era of pleasure boating.
For complete details on the event visit www.MahoganyAndMerlot.com. Or to learn more about the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum visit ThunderBoats.org.