Powerboat designer, builder

Lester Staudacher designed and built some of the sport's most successful unlimited hydroplanes, winning 51 races between 1953-71. Staudacher built the John Hacker-designed step hydro MY SWEETIE, which won the 1949 APBA Gold Cup with Bill Cantrell driving. In the 1950s, Staudacher started designing his own three-point Unlimiteds. His first winner was Jack Schafer's SUCH CRUST V, which won the 1953 Imperial Gold Cup with Cantrell driving. The middle ‘50s were Staudacher’s golden years, with winners including SUCH CRUST III (1953), GALE IV and GALE V (1954) and TEMPO VII (1955). He may be best remembered for his partnership with designer Ted Jones, including the original MISS THRIFTWAY, REBEL SUH (the future MAVERICK), the first GALE VI, HAWAII KAI III, SHANTY I, MISS WAHOO, MISS SPOKANE and THRIFTWAY TOO. After a falling out, with Jones Staudacher concentrated on his own designs. A notable exception was his 1957 MISS U.S. I, which broke the 200-mph barrier in 1962. This was a line-for-line hull duplicate of the Dan Arena-designed MISS U.S. I of 1953.