David Williams,
Bothell High School Class of 1975
Nationally Recognized Authority on Vintage Hydroplanes
Highly Involved Volunteer Preserving Hydroplane Legacy
David Williams has devoted the majority of his adult life preserving the legacy of hydroplane racing and is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on vintage boats. He bought his first race boat in 1977 and has been deeply involved in all aspects of the sport since. A visit in 1992 to the Hydroplane and Race Boat Museum in Kent, Washington, started his four years of volunteer work at the museum. WIlliams became the executive director in 1996. He built not only a great group of staff and volunteers but a sense of community, recognizing the importance of each individual. The museum is the nation's only public museum dedicated to powerboat racing and preserves seven decades of racing history. Williams has spent over 85,000 hours at the museum and has raised nearly $15 million to restore and run vintage unlimited hydroplanes. The museum has restored more than 16 vintage hydroplanes. Williams has driven more than 24 different unlimited hydroplanes, most of them vintage boats from seven different decades — an unmatched feat. After his retirement at the end of 2025, he began volunteering full time. Williams routinely volunteers his time with the sport, including giving free historical lectures to preserve the legacy of the sport. Additionally, he has authored more than 11 books, many on the histories of hydroplanes and William Boeing; been a stunt driver for a movie and a television commercial; and earned screenwriting credits on the Tacoma PBS station's history of the Boeing Company. Driven by a lifelong passion for the sport and an extensive knowledge of the history, technology and culture of speed, Williams is the torchbearer for the golden age of hydroplanes.