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The YMCA of Western Ontario just celebrated the Grand Re-opening of the Bob Hayward YMCA. It's been a long time coming. I covered one of the first fundraising meetings for East Side Story. Members and the YMCA have raised a great deal of money to renovate "The Bob" as it is affectionately known has guaranteed it's survival for many years to come. 
But who is Bob Hayward? Would you believe he was a farmer from Embro who raced speedboats with Guy Lombardo? If you did, you were right. Click here to read his story in one of the finest journals of speedboat racing. Bookmark the link to read the many other stories on speedboat racing about Guy Lombardo and many others.
Bob Hayward was the driver for the Miss Supertest speedboats owned by J. Gordon Thompson owner of the chain of the Supertest gas stations beginning in the 1920's. His first station was located at 362 Dundas E. Thompson went on to many other business endeavours across Canada.
Tragically Hayward was killed in a speedboat race in 1961 on the Detroit River. The Bob Hayward YMCA opened its doors in 1963. Hayward remains a legend in speedboat racing history. He raced alongside Guy Lombardo for many years. London has a proud place in speedboat racing history. How many people in London who enjoy the Bob Hayward YMCA know who Bob Hayward is? How many of them know that J. Gordon Thompson was a strong supporter of the YMCA "from his youth until the end of his life." He was so distraught at the death of Hayward that he never raced speedboats again. Hayward's nephew was present at the Grand Re-opening of "The Bob." I spoke with him a few years back while researching an article on "The Bob." History is important. Hayward had what it took to race speedboats at the highest level. Will people remember? Will people remember that Hayward raced Lombardo in his Tempo VII? It will be harder if the Tempo VII is discarded like Lombardo's Museum was.
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