Gardnerville retiree Carl "Hercules" Jordan will be the first to tell you that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks.
Jordan, who just picked up racing hydroplanes in the NorCal-400 class last spring, was the high point amateur class champion of the East Bay Boat Club for 2008 and was the No. 2 point scorer in rookie class nationwide in the American Powerboat Association.
The catch in all of this?
He is 71 years old. His competition over the last year was mostly teenagers.
"I'm retired Navy and I've always loved racing," Jordan said. "I spent some time down in Bonneville with the Land-Speed record racing and I raced down in Ensanada for about seven years in the 70s.
"I saw these boat races a couple years ago and thought this is something I'd really like to do."
Without a crew, or any significant financial backing for that matter, Jordan set out last spring and enrolled in the most logical race class for himself.
The NorCal-400 Hyrdo is also known as the Rent-a-Race-Ride program.
"I showed up and they said I could rent a boat for the day for $100," Jordan said.
The fee included single-event membership in the American Power Boat Association, insurance, a boat, a motor, driving safety gear, driving instruction and training, a practice session and two heats of racing.
The small hydroplanes are piloted in a kneeling position and can approach 55 mph during races.
'He came to us last year and said he wanted to start racing with us as a retirement pastime," APCA Publicity Director Kenn Christie said. "He'd been a recent spectator and knew a little about the racing he was watching. I didn't know which way to go with it.
"We had no rules that specified maximum age, so it just came down to our officials' analysis of his ability to safely handle and compete in one of these tricky outboard hydroplanes as it speeds across the water at a pretty good clip."
Jordan found the reception on the racing circuit extremely welcoming.
"Everyone was so helpful and so encouraging," he said. "It was really heartwarming. It was like one big family there.
"I'd get to the end of a run and I'd simply be spent. I needed help to even get out of
the boat. The first race, a couple guys gave me some good pointers on how to handle the course and I came in first place.
"That was what caught me, to have instant success like that, it was a really good feeling. I told everyone there they'd see me again."
Jordan said the hardest part of learning the new sport was getting the hang of the start process.
"It was kind of a running start, but you had to hit the line just right or you'd be disqualified," he said.
He kept with it through the nine-race California circuit which stopped in Nicolaus, Copperpolis, Dobbins, Chowchilla and Oroville.
"We came up on the end of it and all of the sudden I found out that I was at the top of the standings," Jordan said. "That was really and incredible feeling. It felt kind of good going in there and beating kids that could be my grandchildren. It was all in good fun though. Everyone just gets along so well."
Jordan did so well, in fact, that his point totals demanded he move up a class for the upcoming season.
"I don't think I'm going to continue with it," he said. "It was just a thing I wanted to see if I could do. I'm not a rookie anymore. It took up a lot of mine time this last year.
"I'll probably do some traveling this year, maybe see some bluegrass festivals or something."
For more information on the NorCal-400 class, visit www.boatracingr11.com.
