Watch dramatic airborne launch, flip at the 2024 Columbia Cup hydroplane race

The cockpit camera on the U-1 Beacon Electric captured the dramatic launch and flip of the H1 Unlimited hydroplane on the Columbia River on July 27, 2024, the first day of racing at the Apollo Columbia Cup in Tri-Cities, Wash.

Driver J. Michael Kelly quickly escaped the upside down boat through a hatch and was rescued by an emergency crew. He was not seriously hurt.

Two more unlimited hydroplanes collided the second day, also knocking them out of the race for the Columbia Cup trophy.

The water was particularly rough for racing because the race course had to be altered for safety concerns.

The Columbia Cup normally is 2.5-mile track. But because the northwest turn was too shallow, race officials decided to shift the course 350 feet to the east and turn it into a 2-mile oval.

While the result was slower speeds, it also meant no dominant boat could pull away from the rest of the field. That meant messier, rougher water in the turns for the competitors.

Sign Up for Mid-Columbia Morning