The Columbia River came alive on Saturday as H1 Unlimited teams battled it out on day two of the 2025 Tri-Cities Water Follies, building momentum toward Sunday’s highly anticipated 115th running of the APBA Gold Cup. The day began with morning testing sessions before transitioning into four afternoon heats packed with fierce competition and fan-favorite moments.
Heat results recap:
Heat 1A results:
1. Corey Peabody in the U-9 Beacon Plumbing
2. Andrew Tate in the U-91 Miss Goodman Real Estate
3. Dave Villwock in the U-27 Miss Apollo
4. J. Michael Kelly in the U-8 Beacon Electric
Heat 1B results:
1. Jamie Nilsen in the U-11 FLAV-R-PAC
2. Gunnar O’Farrell in the U-21 Spirit of America
3. Jeff Bernard in the U-12 Graham Trucking
Heat 2A was won by Corey Peabody in the U-9 Beacon Plumbing, followed by:
2. Jamie Nilsen in the U-11 FLAV-R-PAC (2nd)
3. Jeff Bernard in the U-12 Graham Trucking (3rd)
4. Dave Villwock in the U-27 Miss Apollo (4th)
Heat 2B saw a commanding performance from J. Michael Kelly in the U-8 Beacon Electric, followed by:
2. Andrew Tate in the U-91 Miss Goodman Real Estate (2nd)
3. Gunnar O’Farrell in the U-21 Spirit of America (3rd)
Among the most thrilling moments of the day was Heat 2A, where Jamie Nilsen in the U-11 FLAV-R-PAC battled relentlessly to hold off his challengers.
“They just wouldn’t let me breathe,” Nilsen said after stepping off the dock. “They were on me the whole time—it made for one hell of a race.”
The weekend has also marked an excellent start for Strong Racing, with both Corey Peabody (U-9 Beacon Plumbing )and J. Michael Kelly (U-8 Beacon Electric) each scoring heat wins. For Peabody, who is defending his Gold Cup title, Sunday represents much more than a race.
“It’s the one you dream about. We’re putting everything together to hopefully celebrate tomorrow night,” he shared.
Over at the U-21 Spirit of America, Gunnar O’Farrell expressed a sense of renewal following his return to racing on the Columbia River, the same waterway where he suffered a blowover during May testing.
“I feel relieved and back on track,” O’Farrell said after Heat 2B. “Today was about finding rhythm and rebuilding confidence.”
Sunday’s action is heating up with two thrilling sets of preliminary heats before the grand finale.
In Heat 3A, fans will witness a stacked lineup featuring the U-8 Beacon Electric (J. Michael Kelly), U-11 FLAV-R-PAC (Jamie Nilsen), U-9 Beacon Plumbing (Corey Peabody), and U-91 Miss Goodman Real Estate (Andrew Tate).
Meanwhile, Heat 3B will bring a dual with the U-27 Miss Apollo (Dave Villwock) and U-21 Spirit of America (Gunnar O’Farrell). The U-
12 Graham Trucking, driven by Jeff Bernard, sustained significant damage on the water Sunday after a blade from the propeller broke off and punctured the bottom of the boat. The incident forced the team to withdraw the boat from further competition while damage assessment and repairs are underway. Since the withdrawal happened after the drawing of the heats, 3B will remain with two boats while the remaining draws will feature heats with three boats a piece according to an H1 Unlimited representative.
While there are still many points up for grabs, Peabody and the U-9 currently lead the field with 880 points, followed by Nilson and the U-11 with 750, Tate and the U-91 with 700 (3rd), JMK in the U-8 with 629 (4th), O’Farrell in the U-21 with 555 (5th), Bernard in the U-12 (6th), and Villwock in the U-27 with 464 points (7th).
The Gold Cup final is set for 5:10 PM.