Speeding along the Columbia River at upward of 60 or more mph, powerboats were once a thrilling part of the Clatsop County Fair and Astoria Regatta Festival.

At the fair in 1929, Levi Sarajarvi dominated the competition in two races with the Flying Finn, a storied Class B hydroplane powerboat he built that year.

The county fair and Astoria Regatta, which take place over the next two weeks, no longer directly involve the river. The one-of-a-kind Flying Finn and My Girl now serve as a reminder of the exciting, fast-paced spectacle.

Made of mahogany and spruce, Sarajarvis boat is now housed in the former Astoria Builders Supply building as part of the Columbia River Maritime Museums collection of historic Pacific Northwest boats. The slightly larger Class C boat, My Girl, is also part of the collection.

The boats are among dozens the museum will organize in the coming months after moving everything over from the Astoria Armory Building, which could no longer sustain a continually growing collection.

When this property became available, it was too good to pass up, said Jeff Smith, head curator at the museum, about the space available.

Sarajarvis boat was discovered in 1984 as a barn was being cleared out in the Lewis and Clark area. It was still in good condition and donated to the museum.

Dozens of historic photographs show Sarajarvi and other racers who competed in the fair and regatta races in the early part of the 20th century. The competitions were held on the river directly in front of what is now the Maritime Museum. Grandstands once stood near 16th Street and Marine Drive so spectators could watch the boats do laps around the designated buoys.

The Morning Astorian published accounts of Sarajarvi winning the Class B category and a free-for-all outboard race at the 1929 fair.

It was Sarajarvis ability to handle his craft at the turns and in rough water that contributed largely to his winning the race, a Sept. 18, 1929, article stated about the Class B competition.

In the final heat of the free-for-all race, Sarajarvi went up against Axel Englund and his powerboat named Pancake, according to the same article.

In those days, outboard racing was really getting going, said Jon Englund, who wasnt born until a decade later, but remembers hearing of his fathers races against Sarajarvi. It was really an interesting time.

The Flying Finn also won the free-for-all at the Cathlamet (Wash.) Regatta that year.

The different classes are based on boat and engine size. Mounted on the back, the outboard motor engines were right behind the racers who had to kneel while they steered with one hand and had the other on the throttle. The front of the boat bounced up and down as it sped across the water.

The type of engine used on the Flying Finn didnt have a muffler, said Smith, and most racers altered the engine cylinders to be able to reach greater speeds.

The noise must have been phenomenal, said Dave Pearson, deputy director of the museum. They were highly modified for racing. These were the first going that fast on the water.

According to Smith, the engine used on My Girl had cast-aluminum parts, a way to ever so slightly lighten the boat. The hull is made of mahogany as well as a type of nylon used for aircraft at the time. The 13-foot boat was raced by Rockey Stone of Willamina, according to museum records. Stone managed to win a world record title, said Smith, and dominated the racing circuit until 1970.

Along with the boats, the museum has several trophies won by Stone and Sarajarvi. Some have a small powerboat mounted on top. With thin wood for the hull, the boats are a slightly more fragile than the other boats in the collection. The museum plans to mount the boats on shelves along with other smaller-sized boats in the former lumber storage building, which is adjacent to the former store.