Garfield Arthur Wood, (born Dec. 4, 1880, Mapleton, Iowa, U.S.—died June 19, 1971, Miami), U.S. driver and builder of racing motorboats, additionally credited with devising the small, swift PT (patrol torpedo) boats of the U.S. Navy in World War II.
Educated at Armour Institute of Technology, Chicago, Wood was employed as a marine engine mechanic and finally derived nice wealth from his numerous innovations, particularly a hydraulic hoist. He served as chairman of Gar Wood Industries, Inc., Detroit, and offered monetary backing for the Chris-Craft Corporation, Pompano Beach, Fla., a builder of delight motorboats.
Wood turned thinking about speedboat racing about 1911. At Algonac, Mich., he constructed the “Miss America” sequence of hydroplanes that received 9 consecutive races (1920–21, 1926, 1928–33) for the Harmsworth Trophy, the principal worldwide prize for motorboat racing. In eight of those triumphs Wood himself drove the profitable boat; in 1931, when Wood was disqualified, his brother George drove a “Miss America” to victory. Gar Wood additionally received 4 races (1917, 1919–21) for the Gold Cup, the chief U.S. award for hydroplane racing. In the 1920 race he set a velocity mark (70.0 mph) that was not exceeded till 1946. He retired from racing after profitable the 1933 Harmsworth competitors.