One of our good friends last Saturday wondered whether Tempo VII can be considered a Canadian race boat; he mentioned that to his knowledge she was built in the USA for Guy Lombardo and that he never campaigned her in Canada. Good points, indeed. Just how does Tempo VII qualify as a "Great Canadian Raceboat"?


The CRHF Board has specific criteria that determines whether or not a boat is a "great, Canadian raceboat". If a boat was owned and campaigned by a Canadian, then it qualifies. If it was a national or international champion in a significant race or over a series of races, then she can be considered great. If she was a top contender over a number of years, and driven by a Canadian champion driver, she could also be considered great. A champion boat designed and built north of the 49th can be considered a great Canadian raceboat, even if she was not owned and campaigned by a Canadian driver and team.


Tempo VII was campaigned for a couple of years by Guy Lombardo, the bandmaster of the Royal Canadians. Quite often Danny Foster drove for Guy as Guy realized age was becoming a factor for him. When Guy decided he'd had enough of racing, he sold Tempo VII to one of the best drivers on the Unlimited Circuit at that time, Chuck Thompson of Detroit, Michigan. 


Chuck renamed Tempo VII twice; in 1957 she was campaigned as "Short Circuit", a clever tip of the hat to his electrical contracting business; they met with some success that year in the Detroit Silver Cup races (check out the following video, (beginning at about the 12:00 minute mark).


After a year of learning about the boat and sorting out some of her issues, he re-named her "Miss Detroit". She won the 1960 President's Cup in Washington, defeating Miss Bardhal, Miss Thriftway, Miss US and the two Nitrogen boats. She was certainly a force to be reckoned with.


In 1961, Chuck Thompson and Miss Detroit challenged Miss Supertest III for the Harmsworth Trophy; the races were held on Picton's Long Reach bay. While no match for Miss Supertest's raw speed, Miss Detroit certainly acquited herself well as the two boats battled it out before thousands lining the Picton shores, including then-Prime Minister John G Diefenbacker.


Chuck Thompson campaigned Miss Detroit again in 1962, but retired her when he was hired to drive the new Tahoe Miss. The world lost Chuck Thompson in 1966 in a Seattle racing accident.


London Ontario's Guy Lomardo Museum operated from the early 1980s to 2007. Miss Detroit was returned to Canada and the boat was refinished in her original colours with Guy's name proudly inscribed on her cockpit. When the Museum closed for good, the city conducted an auction of many of the museum's artifacts, but Tempo VII was retained by the City and stored in various facilities, the last being the Jet Aircraft Museum. For many of those years in limbo, Woodstock's Don Gaudier was her champion, always working to ensure she was well taken care of.


The Corporation of the City of London has graciously loaned Tempo VII to the Canadian Raceboat Hall of Fame. Don Gaudier accompanied her on her trip from London and oversaw her temporary storage in Muskoka. She, along with Miss Supertest III, undoubtedly the greatest Canadian hydroplane, will be moved into the new Hall when it is completed late this year.


Tempo VII is a most worthy, welcome and appropriate addition to the CRHF.