First flight to Cuba

Larry Milberry, Aviation in Canada, McGraw-Hill Ryerson 1979

 In January 1911, chasing an $8,000 prize for the first flight from Florida to Havana, J.A. McCurdy ends up in the water. An oil leak had forced him to shut off his engine and ditch within sight of the Cuban beaches, he was immediately picked up by an an American naval vessel. 
During the two hour flight he had been out of sight of land for much of the 100 mile distance, an aviation first. Later the same day he gave an airshow near Havana though I'm not sure if the airplane he used was the same one. Dspite the fact that he hadn't quite made the trip, it was agreed to award him the prize though when he opened the envelope later, it was found to contain only scraps of newspaper.