The Madison Regatta: Hydroplane Racing in Small-Town Indiana

Each summer, a small miracle occurs in southern Indiana, when the little town of Madison becomes the hydroplane racing capital of the world as 100,000-plus people flock in for the Madison Regatta.

The townsfolk, not merely content to host, also own the Miss Madison, one of the most successful hydroplanes on the circuit. In recent years, Miss Madison has emerged as the top hydroplane in the world, winning both the driver and hydroplane points standing multiple times. Roar down the Ohio with Fred Farley and Ron Harsin and revisit the long history of racing in this town and the sixty-plus years of the Madison Regatta.

Fred Farley has served as the designated "official historian" for the "big boats" (the Unlimited hydroplanes) of the American Power Boat Association since 1973. He served as a consultant for the Madison movie, providing information about the different hydroplanes and the 1971 Madison Gold Cup Regatta. The Madison Regatta is the fifth volume with a racing theme that Fred and co-author Ron Harsin have produced since 2003. Originally from Seattle, Washington, Fred and his wife, Carol, moved to just outside Madison, Indiana, where they have made their residence since 1999.

Ron Harsin has worked as a computer consultant for companies like IBM, Motorola, General Motors, TRW, Eli Lilly, Procter & Gamble and Ameritech. As a technical writer, Ron has several published documents and manuals created for the computer industry. Ron, his wife Ilene, daughter Jennifer and son Randy are lifelong residents of the Madison, Indiana community and spend each year caught up in the Madison Regatta activities.