For a third consecutive unlimited hydroplane final, the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto jumped to an early lead.

And for the third consecutive time, driver Steve David could only watch as the orange U-16 Miss Elam Plus and driver Dave Villwock speed past him to win at the Lamb Weston Columbia Cup.

"That's the way it has been for us," David said. "We got a good start and had a good run. But that's a fast boat. We already knew after seeing his qualifying time that it would be tough."

Villwock set a course record on the Columbia River on Friday, posting a lap of 165.687 mph that let all the other teams know that the U-16 was still the boat to beat.

Villwock has been victorious in all four races on the unlimited circuit this year, and has won the last four Columbia Cups. The Oh Boy! Oberto finished second July 15 in Detroit and was also the runner-up at the Madison Regatta on July 8.

David said that beating Villwock will just be a matter of finding the right gears and props to equal the speed of the U-16. But until the Oh Boy! Oberto does make it to victory lane, David said his team will look to utilize Villwock's dominance.

"They are our motivator," he said. "We know we have to get better and faster if we want to have a chance at it."

U-6 crew chief Mike Hanson said that the team is now focused on next weekend's race at Seafair on Seattle's Lake Washington. In fact, Hanson said that Lake Washington is where his team has been looking all year.

"All season has been spent with the idea of winning in Seattle," Hanson said. "It has been our focus."

There are many reasons why the Oh Boy! Oberto team would like to take the checkered flag in Seattle. The sponsor's headquarters are located in nearby Kent, and Hanson said that the choppy water of Lake Washington plays to the strong suits of the U-6.

But the biggest reason is that next week is also the 80th birthday of Art Oberto, whose company has funded a total of 10 unlimited hydroplanes since 1975. Oh Boy! Oberto is the second oldest corporate sponsor of unlimited hydroplane racing, but its teams have never been able to get a victory in Seattle.

The closest the team has come was in 1987 when driver George Woods earned the Oh Boy! Oberto a third-place trophy.

Hanson said that Oberto will be playing host to a party during Seafair and the Oh Boy! Oberto team is hoping it can give him a victory as a birthday gift.

"It would be so nice to win it for him in Seattle," Hanson said. "He's supported this team for a lot of years and I can't think of anything better than getting the win for him. It's on all our minds."

For his part, David said he won't be holding anything back when it comes to chasing down the orange U-16 next weekend.

"I am going to drive my heart out up there," he said.