Al Reilly Wins Fenlon Speedboat Races
By Amy Polk

Top photograph: Jack Edward's boat Crawdad was one of the committee boats that helped set up and monitor the International Trade Race between Al Reilly’s runabout Cherokee and Dick Tobin's Whiskey Runner in Hessel Bay August 12. Lower Photograph: The Cherokee breaks away from the Whiskey Runner.

Boat racing has been an intermittent tradition in the Les Cheneaux Islands for at least 80 years, whether it's a race between wooden runabouts or between a fleet of sleek Ensign sailboats. The speedboat races have all but disappeared from the Les Cheneaux Islands.

Hessel cottager Dick Tobin wants to revive the runabout races that he said took place between the 1920s and 1950s. His second Ned Fenlon International Trade Race was held August 12, before a growing crowd of spectators. Mr. Tobin, the champion of last year's race, lost this year to Al Reilly, another cottager, who vowed to return this year with more power in his 1928, 26-foot Chris-Craft, Cherokee , which ran on a 383 Chrysler engine. The boat ran this year's race with a 496 Crusader. Mr. Tobin ran with the same 454 MerCruiser "with a little tweak" in his 1930, 26-foot Chris-Craft runabout.

Both boats are triple cockpit runabouts. Mr. Reilly has owned his boat since 1986, and Mr. Tobin has owned his for four years. He changed the boat’s name from Irish Runner to Whiskey Runner this year.

The Champion of the 2005 Ned Fenlon International Trade Race, Al Reilly (left) accepts his trophy while Dick Tobin views his consolation prize, a rubber duck.

Mr. Tobin named the races after Ned Fenlon to commemorate the speedboat races in which Mr. Fenlon competed as a young man. Judge Fenlon used to race Quiet Please , a 1930, 28-foot Chris-Craft now owned by Prentiss M. Brown, Jr. of St. Ignace. The international trade in the name refers to Great Lakes rum-running between Canada and the United States during Prohibition.

Chris Caswell, writing in The Legend of Chris-Craft, noted that Al Capone had a fleet of nearly two dozen fast Chris-Craft boats used for smuggling.

The St. Marys River offered a short, watery passage between Canada and the United States, and Mr. Fenlon said he worked for a spell transporting liquor from Canada to Mackinac Island and other places.

Mr. Fenlon, now 102, had planned to attend the race in Hessel, but weather and a busy schedule prevented the trip. The International Trade Race was splashed with rain and mist.

Several friends operated race committee and safety boats, including Tom Flood, Fritzie Schimmel, Stan Petersen, Jack Edwards, Rex Ely, CC Vaught, and Chuck Albright. They all joined the racers and spectators for Bloody Marys and champagne on Mr. Tobin's dock in Hessel.

As winner of the race, Mr. Reilly received a large trophy and his choice of cigars. He picked a Cohiba, while Mr. Tobin smoked a Bolivar. Mr. Tobin also received a large rubber duck as the consolation prize.

"You cannot argue with a better boat and a good sportsman," Mr. Tobin said after the awards ceremony.

Mr. Reilly jokingly replied that he is grateful for Mr. Tobin "for giving me the opportunity to challenge him, and I fully expect that he'll renew the challenge next year."

Mr. Tobin has dubbed the race a "challenge series," and again extended the racing invitation to other triple cockpit classics in the area.