Back in March, I interviewed hydroplane driver Ryan Mallow on The Edge Radio. Flying his turbo-charged boat 200 mph across the water takes nerves of steel. These boats maintain their impressive speed by hydroplaning on the water, forming a cushion of air under the boat, allowing them to fly. Piloting a hydroplane across the water at these speeds is more akin to flying a jet than driving a boat.
This weekend in Detroit, Ryan was racing the U-100 Leland boat. He was just coming into a turn when the worst happened. The front of the boat lifted off the water and did a backwards summersault through the air. Check out the video below (it takes a minute to load) shot from the tail of the boat. Fortunately Ryan came out with only a few minor scrapes and bruises. He’s a very lucky man.
