Description

SLO-MO V (U-37) UNLIMITED HYDROPLANE

FULLY BUILT AND READY TO DISPLAY MUSEUM QUALITY SHIP MODEL

Dimension approx.: 30″ L x 12.5″ W x 8.5″ H –
Approx Scale 1:12
The model is already built. THIS IS NOT A MODEL SHIP KIT
Authentic gauges, dials and steering wheel on dash

When Slo‑Mo‑Shun V rolled out of Anchor Jensen’s Seattle boat shop in 1951, she carried the weight of a city’s expectations. Her older sister, Slo‑Mo‑Shun IV, had just stunned the world with a water‑speed record and a Gold Cup victory. Now owner Stan Sayres and designer Ted Jones wanted a second boat — one that could dominate the racecourse, not just the straightaway.

The result was a broader, more muscular hydroplane. With a 12‑foot beam, Slo‑Mo‑Shun V was built to leap out of corners with explosive acceleration. Like the IV, she was a three‑point prop‑rider, lifting nearly her entire hull free of the water and balancing on two sponsons and the propeller itself. But the V had a different personality: steadier in the turns, more planted, and built for the tight, tactical combat of heat racing.

She made her debut at the 1951 APBA Gold Cup on Lake Washington — the first Gold Cup ever held in Seattle — and she delivered a performance that instantly became legend. Driven by the fearless Lou Fageol, the V set new lap and heat records, averaging 90.881 mph over two blistering heats. She never trailed in the first 60 miles of racing. When a crash forced the cancellation of the third heat, Slo‑Mo‑Shun V was declared the winner, giving Seattle its second straight Gold Cup and cementing the city as the new capital of unlimited hydroplane racing.

After her triumphant debut, Slo‑Mo‑Shun V became Seattle’s ambassador to the East Coast. In 1953, she toured the major races back east, winning the President’s Cup in Washington, D.C., and finishing fourth in Detroit’s Silver Cup. Her sleek lines and roaring Allison engine turned heads wherever she went, proving that the Seattle boats were not just fast — they were dominant.

In 1954, she underwent a major transformation. Sayres replaced her Allison with a Rolls‑Royce Merlin, the legendary British aircraft engine. The gamble paid off: Slo‑Mo‑Shun V became the first Merlin‑powered hydroplane to win a Gold Cup, adding another milestone to her growing list of achievements.

Her most dramatic moment came in 1955, during a qualification run on Lake Washington. Lou Fageol, always pushing the limits, attempted to set a new record. At high speed, the V hooked into the air, performed a full 360‑degree flip, and — astonishingly — landed upright. Fageol survived but suffered severe injuries that ended his driving career. The crash became one of the most famous moments in Seattle sports history, a reminder of how thin the line was between glory and disaster in the golden age of hydroplanes.

After the accident, Sayres sold the damaged hull to Greater Seattle, who rebuilt her and campaigned her as Miss Seattle from 1956 to 1962. She later raced as Berryessa Belle and Miss Tri‑Cities in the mid‑1960s, extending her competitive life long after most boats of her era had vanished.

Retired in 1966, she sat quietly for decades until a full restoration began in 1991 at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum. Today, restored to her Slo‑Mo glory and owned by Bruce McCaw, she stands as one of the museum’s crown jewels.

A Legacy of Speed, Drama, and Seattle Pride

Slo‑Mo‑Shun V is remembered for:

Her record‑setting debut in 1951
Two Gold Cup victories (1951, 1954)
The 1953 President’s Cup win
The unforgettable 1955 flip
Her role in cementing Seattle as the epicenter of hydroplane racing

More than a boat, she was a symbol of a city’s passion for speed — a roaring, spray‑throwing icon of the era when hydroplanes ruled Lake Washington and Seattle fell in love with thunder on the water.