loretta turnbull
speedboat racing
INTERNATIONAL SPEEDBOAT RACER
Though not an Olympic event, Loretta Turnbull and her brothers competed on the international level in the sport of speedboat racing in the early 1930s. She was known for her skill and daring, and her modesty and good sportsmanship. Turnbull began motorboat racing as a young teenager in Monrovia, and went on to win numerous awards in America and Europe. She knew Amelia Earhart, according to her daughter; "Amelia was queen of the skies, and my mother was queen of the seas." The following story comes from the Old Crow Speed Shop, Burbank: In the summer of 1931, Loretta Turnbull, a 17-year-old girl from Monrovia, was competing for the International Championship of outboard motor racing on Lake Garda in Italy. The Italian, Spanish and English boats were all large, metal and piloted by men. In contrast, Turnbull’s boat was "a little job with a little bit of airplane linen on the deck." It was named “The Sunkist Kid,” a nod to Turnbull’s childhood among the orange groves of Monrovia. To most observers, she was a minnow among sharks, but they would soon witnesses her world-class passion for speed. |
Loretta Turnbull in competition
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At one point in the 17-mile race, Loretta led her competitors by more than a mile. Until a cylinder began to misfire and her boat slowed. Bad luck. The young girl stopped the boat and began to replace “the bum plug.” While she worked, four of her competitors roared by. The repair made, Turnbull gave a pull of the rope, started the engine and was back on her way. She caught the first two boats almost at once, the third not long after, and she passed the fourth just three feet from the finish line.
Suddenly, after a display of speed and coolness, a teenager from California was the world’s best outboard motorboat racer. Clad in greasy coveralls, she received her prize from Crown Prince Humberto and Princess Maria, who leaned forward with the trophy so Turnbull would not step on their carpet.
Suddenly, after a display of speed and coolness, a teenager from California was the world’s best outboard motorboat racer. Clad in greasy coveralls, she received her prize from Crown Prince Humberto and Princess Maria, who leaned forward with the trophy so Turnbull would not step on their carpet.
The "Sunkist Kid" racing team included brothers Raymond and Rupert Jr., Loretta (# 3), and father Judge Turnbull.
Turnbull gave up boat racing after marrying and moving to Hawaii; instead, she took up sports car racing. She was the only woman member of the Sports Car Club of Hawaii and continued to drive in local races into the 1950s, with her three children among her fans. "I like to go fast," she once told an interviewer. "I think I will go fast until I die."
Speed and endurance run strong in the Turnbull family. In addition to her speedboat-racing brothers, Loretta's daughter, Tiare Richert Finney, became a competitive surfer, championship outrigger paddler, and motorcycle racer.
Speed and endurance run strong in the Turnbull family. In addition to her speedboat-racing brothers, Loretta's daughter, Tiare Richert Finney, became a competitive surfer, championship outrigger paddler, and motorcycle racer.