Within the 70 miles of shoreline on Lake Tahoe lies many boathouses, some old, some remodelled some fairly new, but all unique in their own special way. There is this one particular boat house, that caught my attention because of the history being protected within. Measuring 18? x 60?, this boathouse structure was built in 1903 and originally housed a 50' powerboat named Miduena (My lady), a mid-ship cabin elegant cruiser. As wonderful as Miduena sounds, the interesting cargo (to me) within the boathouse is what currently resides within: an all metal 35? speedboat originally called the Cigarette IV, built by Brewster Auto Body in Long Island for Lord Gordon Hamersley of New York launched in 1926. Originally Hamersley had this speedboat built to compete in the famous race against time with the fastest train in United States called the 'Twentieth Century Limited' from Albany to New York that was won by the speedboat Teaser in 1925. The other ambition that Mr. Hamersley had was to have this speedboat racer capture the Dodge Trophy and Beat R.F. Hoyt's speedboat named Teaser.　 This Dura- aluminum boat (Cigarette IV) won the historic 1926 President?s Cup race at the national Speedboat Regatta in New York. President Calvin Coolidge presented the Presidents cup to Gordon Hamersley at the White house naming the Cigarette IV as the world fastest speedboat of all time. In 1937, Californian Stanley Dollar JR purchased the Cigarette IV , sealed it in vaseline and then shipped it by boat to San Francisco.　 From San Francisco, it was trucked to Lake Tahoe then the vessel was later renamed ?the Mercury" to compete against rivals Herbert Fleishhacker JR (see earlier post on the pool in SF) and Henry Kaiser Jr. in gentlemen racers at the yearly July lake races held on Lake Tahoe. In the 1937 lake Tahoe Championship race, a broken drive shaft halts Stanley Dollars entry and the Kaiser?s 'Hornet' wins the race.
The next year in the July Lake race events, Stanley Dollar JR, driving the silver hulled dura -aluminum "Mercury" recaptured the Lake Tahoe speedboat racing title in what was described as the most thrilling championship race in years.
Then in 1975, the ?Mercury? was donated to the ?League to save Lake Tahoe? by the Dollar estate and was later gifted to the Sierra State Parks Foundation and the Foundation transferred title for the boat to California State Parks in 1995.
The Dollar Estate at Carnelian Bay became the Dollar Hill and Chinquapin developments. And the Dollar Estate in Walnut Creek is now the Rossmoor retirement community.
CIGARETTE IV　STATS
The all-aluminum speedster, Cigarette IV is 35 feet over all, 33 feet on the water line and six feet- six inches beam.　　She was constructed with 979 pieces of duraluminum fastened with 14,250
rivets, 7,087 bolts and 238 screws. This 35' vessel weighs in at less than 975 lbs　less rigging.　　　.The original engine was a Curtiss V-12 aircraft engine that produced 625 horsepower. The twelve-cylinder V.1400　
Curtiss motor,built　by the Curtiss　Aeroplane and Motor Company of Garden City, is similar to the motor used by Lieutenant Cy Bettis in the airplane with which he won the Pulitzer Trophy in the　National Air Races　
at Mitchell Field.　The fuel tanks, one fore and one aft, have a capacity of 150 gallons of　gasoline, and the fuel consumption is about forty-five gallons per hour. As the boat lay in the water after　launching, she had　
cost her owner　between $50,000 and $60,000　in 1926.
SHORT SNORTER sinking during 1954 Gold Cup at Camp Richardson
running with The Hornet
　　　
　
The next year in the July Lake race events, Stanley Dollar JR, driving the silver hulled dura -aluminum "Mercury" recaptured the Lake Tahoe speedboat racing title in what was described as the most thrilling championship race in years.
Then in 1975, the ?Mercury? was donated to the ?League to save Lake Tahoe? by the Dollar estate and was later gifted to the Sierra State Parks Foundation and the Foundation transferred title for the boat to California State Parks in 1995.
The Dollar Estate at Carnelian Bay became the Dollar Hill and Chinquapin developments. And the Dollar Estate in Walnut Creek is now the Rossmoor retirement community.
" To this day, on a calm and quiet evening, if you listen closely, one can hear the roar of the raceboats echoing across the lake. "
CIGARETTE IV　STATS
The all-aluminum speedster, Cigarette IV is 35 feet over all, 33 feet on the water line and six feet- six inches beam.　　She was constructed with 979 pieces of duraluminum fastened with 14,250
rivets, 7,087 bolts and 238 screws. This 35' vessel weighs in at less than 975 lbs　less rigging.　　　.The original engine was a Curtiss V-12 aircraft engine that produced 625 horsepower. The twelve-cylinder V.1400　
Curtiss motor,built　by the Curtiss　Aeroplane and Motor Company of Garden City, is similar to the motor used by Lieutenant Cy Bettis in the airplane with which he won the Pulitzer Trophy in the　National Air Races　
at Mitchell Field.　The fuel tanks, one fore and one aft, have a capacity of 150 gallons of　gasoline, and the fuel consumption is about forty-five gallons per hour. As the boat lay in the water after　launching, she had　
cost her owner　between $50,000 and $60,000　in 1926.
SHORT SNORTER sinking during 1954 Gold Cup at Camp Richardson
running with The Hornet
　　　
　
