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Hanson Hydros

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United States
Madison, IN
Hanson Hydros

Specializing in 6” hydroplane models, and 3” yearly fleets, handmade and handpainted out of bass and balsa wood.

Got a boat or fleet you would like to add to your collection? Send me a message to get a quote on your custom order!

10/07/2026

2000 Appian Jeronimo

The U-5, was driven by rookie George Stratton for the 2000 season. Stratton quickly established himself as one of the sport’s rising stars, earning Rookie of the Year honors while scoring a second place finish at the Tri-Cities Columbia Cup, and third at the Gold Cup in Detroit. By the end of the season, he had shown that he had the potential for a long and successful career in unlimited racing.

Tragically though, that career came to an end at the San Diego race. During a test run on race morning, the Appian Jeronimo blew over and Stratton suffered fatal injuries. George’s death was a devastating reminder that, even with the advances in cockpit and boat safety, unlimited hydroplane racing remained an incredibly dangerous sport.

This piece was commissioned by Kim, who is married to Greg Fogle. Greg was part of the Appian team in 2000 and was one of George’s best friends. I was able to find a picture of the two when doing my research and made a copy to send with it as well. It’s pieces like this that remind me why I love doing what I do. Being able to recreate a boat that holds so much history and meaning for the people who were there and so close is something I truly appreciate. I’m very happy to hear Greg loved his surprise, while it was emotional in more ways than one.

09/30/2026

2026 Miss Apollo

This year saw the return of Jimmy Shane to the H1 tour, and he came back with an absolute bang. He won the first two races of the season aboard the Miss Apollo, including the APBA Gold Cup, a prestigious race he has now won six times. The hull has certainly proven itself championship worthy, narrowly missing out on the title this year. With Jimmy back behind the wheel, I expect it to be a force again next season.

I love doing the patriotic boats. They can be tough to paint, especially getting the lines symmetrical and those stars small enough, but when everything comes together, they really pop!

Thanks for the request Brock!

09/23/2026

Miss Madison Evolution

As you can imagine I make a ton of Miss Madison’s, some years more than others. It’s been fun building and painting them from the beginning to today, while I have a couple paint schemes I still need to make to make 100%, I thought the ones I have done would look cool all compiled together. I may be biased, but I really think Miss Madison has had some of the best looks ever (hulls and paint schemes) and they are all a blast to try and replicate.

A quick order update!
I currently have 6 boats in various stages of building or painting, with more in the queue. If you have an order with me, just know I haven’t forgotten about you! I truly appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. Each boat is handcrafted from start to finish, and I’m not going to rush the process just to get one out the door. I want every boat to be finished and ready to ship only when it meets the standards I’ve set for my work.

Thank you all for your continued support. It means a lot!

What’s your favorite Miss Madison hull/paint scheme?

09/17/2026

🚨REMINDER🚨

THIS WEEKEND the Royer Miss Madison will be on the Ohio River testing at the Vintage/Limited races. This is a FREE event and will be happening both Saturday and Sunday! Food trucks and fun! Bring the family out and enjoy!

09/16/2026

1992 Frosted Flakes Boat, Trailer and Hauler.

WOW this one was tough!! Many know I am notorious for trying to push to the limits of anything I do and this may be up there on one of my hardest projects I have ever attempted.

I built and painted the incorrect year for a customer who actually wanted the 1993 Kelloggs, so I thought I would keep this boat in my personal collection since I really don’t have much. Once I put it on display on my desk at work, I thought to myself “I should make a trailer to go with it”. Many, MANY hours of drafting, messing up the geometry of the lift numerous times, and repainting several coats, it finally got to where I was very happy with it and as realistic I could make out of wood. (Details in photos)

It could have (and probably should have) stopped there, but me being me I saw one giant piece missing, the hauler. So I got back to work and searched for some pictures of the 35 year old setup. I had one at home and found some others online, and it was just enough for me to be able the build and paint the truck. Being all made out of wood it was very hard to get the scale right and everything to look as real as possible but I really think it turned out as good as I could possibly get.

In total this setup in build and paint I would put at about 40 hours from start to finish with an unbelievable amount of trial and error. Before anyone asks if the trucks and trailers can be ordered, the short unfortunate answer is no. The amount of time and materials to make this was astonishing and quite frankly would be far much more than anyone would be willing to pay. But it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile now, and I will always have it to remind me of the time when the small hydros were such a big part of my life.

09/09/2026

1995 Jasper Engines & Transmissions

After a difficult 1994 season where the Miss Madison lacked a primary sponsor and sat out all but the Madison Regatta, Jasper Engines & Transmissions stepped up to sponsor the team for the East Coast swing of 1995.

The team faced an early setback during the Gold Cup on the rough Detroit River, where the boat blew over in heat 3A. The hull was repaired in time to score a heat win at each of the next three races, Kansas City, Evansville, and Madison. During the final heat of the Madison Regatta, Mike Hanson was running in second place when he rounded turn one and blindly encountered a spun out Miss Budweiser attempting to restart. Hanson narrowly avoided a devastating collision, but the quick maneuver caused the Jasper to spin out, surrendering its second place finish. After Madison the boat would be repaired once again and repainted yellow to represent DeWalt Tools for the west coast races.

I have always enjoyed this paint scheme, while simple it was very effective. Just like DeWalt, and Budweiser one quick look and you knew exactly what boat it was. Yes, I may be just a bit biased.

Thank you for the request Brock!

I know it is September but it’s never too early to think about Christmas gifts! Make sure if you want one or two in time this year to let me know ASAP to get on my list. It fills up fast!

09/02/2026

The Four Seat Miss Budweiser

Curious about the hull “Goldcupper” after seeing a photograph of it, Bernie Little went for a ride in the unique four seater with Guy Lombardo in 1962. By the end of the run, he knew he had to own it. Rather than buying it outright, he traded a Chris-Craft pleasure boat for the race ready hull, renamed it “Tempo”, and entered his first race during the 1963 season.

Shortly after, while stored at a Tampa airport, the boat caught the attention of August Busch III. After Little took Busch and other Anheuser-Busch executives out for a spin, they were hooked. Little pitched them on sponsoring the boat which ignited a partnership that would become the longest running sponsorship in Unlimited Hydroplane history, spanning four decades.

Without that four seater, Bernie Little might never have taken that initial ride, and the sport might never have seen a 40-year corporate partnership that permanently shaped Unlimited Hydroplane racing.

This was a great boat to build and paint. It was very challenging trying to get it all proportioned correctly in the build, and those thin white lines in the paint scheme. But to me that’s what it’s all about, to keep pushing onto harder builds and keep trying to get better with each one.

Thank you Rick for the request!

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Madison, IN
47250

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