Dad's Boat... err... Dads' boats

[Fish]

I guess our dad's cannot blame us for the addiction to fast boats, afterall children learn what they live. Below are pictures of my dad's molonari, and parker's dad's rabco parked side by side on lake tarpon in the early 70's. At the time the picture was taken, both had been recently sold to their new owners, Bob V from the boards here (bought the rabco ) and his brother (who bought the molonari).

My dad won a national championship at Ufala in 73' with the molonari, and then sold it when he got his Hubercotti to Bob's brother. These are the only two pictures I have been able to find of the molonari. Thank you Bob for mailing them to me, it really means a lot. I will get them in the mail back to you this afternoon.

Anyway, I thought it was pretty cool that 30 years later the kids are tearing up the same lakes our dad's did.... just a tad bit faster ;) :)

[Hottrucks]

Those are very kool pics glad you could find them maybe post them in History too!!
Thats when you had to DRIVE a boat....

Men where men and women liked it that way!!

[Hot Shot Merc]

Cool Fish:)

[action17]

I guess our dad's cannot blame us for the addiction to fast boats, afterall children learn what they live.

You are not lying there Jody!!!I'll never forget the first time I put the 17 action in the water after we built it and trying to get the coast guard gear up under the dash and telling my dad how rediculous this was because there was hardly any room and him saying when you younger you and your step mom would get under there and hide from the rain he was talking about his first 16 action he had in 1978:rolleyes:

[Bob V]

Jody,

Your Dad will always be a racing legend in my mind. I remember him as a methodical driver with no fear. Not only was he a fierce competitor, but also an incredible guy to know and be around. I can remember spending countless hours down at your families' marina talking to your Dad and Tommy Huber. I can still remember your Dad's three race boats lined up under the awning behind the show room. There was the white and blue Molinari with the T-2 that my brother bought. Then there was a second Molinari with white with red stripes and a T-1 and finally the awesome Hubercotti with a T-2.

I can still remember walking into the showroom at the marina and seeing brand new Chrysler 135 stackers sitting on a stand that your Dad had for sale at $1400.00 each. If I could turn back the hands of time, those stackers would be sitting in my living room now. Maybe not though, because back in those days I did not have anything close to the $1400.00 price tag.

Thanks for the memories and regards to both you and Jack...

[mercpunk]

just think thirty years fom now when yalls kids or myself will be tearing up the lakes ... I'm only 15 and have driven v and tunnel performance boats just think what the future holds when its my turn

[blkmtrfan]

That is very cool Jody :cool: :cool: http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gifhttp://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif

[AnthonySS]

Yep...cool pics....maybe someday our kids will do the same :)

[specboatops]

My Father is directly responsable for my love of performace boating, hell all boating for that matter, as a kid watching my dad and his buddies fool around on the weekends and what not.....................good memories!!

Chris

[delawarerick]

Fish real nice pictures I wish I had my fathers he raced local in NJ small hydros that were taken to the races in a milk truck. We are talking around WWII. That makes me old. Rick

[Fish]

thanks guys, I have some really cool memories of the races and that boat, just not too many pictures.:( Thanks again bob for the pictures and the kind words about my dad.:) I know what you mean about the stackers in the living room, I wish he still had it.

Sounds like a lot of us got the bug from our dad's. In hindsight, I only wish I could have appreciated the racing when I was a little kid as much as I do now.

Any of you guys have pics of your dad's rides? post em if you got em, and if you don't, tell the story anyway.

[Bruster]

Sounds like a lot of us got the bug from our dad's. In hindsight, I only wish I could have appreciated the racing when I was a little kid as much as I do now.

Any of you guys have pics of your dad's rides? post em if you got em, and if you don't, tell the story anyway.


I think I got it from Grandpa, my dad never had any race stuff, just ski boats and a great place to grow up on the lake.
Here is a article my grandfather published over 50 years ago. Grandpa owned Van Pelt Boat Works in Spring Lake, Michigan and produced hundreds of interesting items in his shop, including some very fast racing boats. Although some of the information has changed, a lot of the basic "stuff" still holds true today. I sure wish I could talk to him today.
http://www.infoblvd.net/sah/ArtVanPelt/VanPelt_1.html

[PARKER RABE]

Bob V , Just Think Where U Saw Jacks Boats At The Marina ??? Thats Where I Work Everyday ! Its Now Quality Boats , And I Sell Grady Whites And Pursuits From There ., I Wish I Could Go Back 30 Years And Be Standing There ...

[Fish]

Bob V , Just Think Where U Saw Jacks Boats At The Marina ??? Thats Where I Work Everyday ! Its Now Quality Boats , And I Sell Grady Whites And Pursuits From There ., I Wish I Could Go Back 30 Years And Be Standing There ...

Man, this is definitely a small world.

Bruster, sounds like you got the gene for fast boats too. I am starting to think this is an inherited trait passed down thorugh generations.:)

[Fish]

Here is one of my favorite pictures. It is johnboy with his son on his lap on Lake Seminole. I remeber doing the exact same thing more than 30 years ago with my dad on the same lake in his molonari. Looks like another next generation S&F'er in the making.

[heath brinkley]

Lake Tarpon, that's where I was born. Dad had a checkmate, but was more into cars. 65 Vette, 426 Plymouth, 55 chevy. Guess that's why I'm more into cars, like you said inherent genes.:D :D

however it happened to me, I'm just glad it did.

Cool pics by the way.

[Skeeter0226]

I'm another one that learned from Dad. My Dad, Bob Sanders, started racing APBA and NOA in the late 60's driving for GW Invader. Then he built the Delta boats that were so dominate in the FE class in the 70's. I started out cleaning up the shop at Delta when I was 10. This has led me to a life long career in the boat business. Over the years I have built an repaired boats, mostly high performance bass boats such as Predator and Rocket. Now I am a project engineer at Skeeter, all thanks to Dad.

[Fish]

thanks heath, and it looks like some of the checkmate rubbeed off on ya too.

Skeetered, do you have any pics of the deltas your dad built?

[PARKER RABE]

JUST DUG UP A KILLER TAPE OF THIS BLUE STREAKER WITH THE T2, RUNNING A RACE WITH MANY OTHERS , HERE IN ST PETE IN 1976.....WISH I COULD POST IT !

ILL GET WITH FISH AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ?

IF ANYONE HAS AN OLD BETAMAX PLAYER , I HAVE SOME T1 AND T2 STUFF TO WATCH .....MINE CRAPED OUT BACK IN THE 70S :eek:

[natzx7]

Parker ,a good photo place should be able to put those on DVD for you.

[Bob V]

Parker,

That is probably me that you are seeing is the Rabco. After I bought it from your Dad, I re did the bottom and put a little rocker in it. It was number 61 and named the Magic Twanger II. The race was the Olson Classic, sponsored by Kenny Olson. I placed second in Unlimited Outboard. I still have the trophy sitting on the shelf. I have a few more pictures of that race. Thanks for the memories.

[Skeeter0226]

I have a few, but Mom still has all the old stuff. I'll see if I can get them scanned at work. All this talk has me thinking about the old days. My Dad was a natural talent at driving a boat. We were at a race in Clanton, AL in about 1976 or 77, and Dad wasn't racing much at that time. Kenny Kitson showed up with a Tunnel with a XS-150 Merc but the driver didn't show. Dad had never raced anything bigger than an 85 and mostly v hulls. He had never seen this boat before or ever raced one like it. Dad and Kenny were business partners at one time, so they agreed to run the boat. My Dad ran away from the field. It was the most amazing thing I ever saw and sticks in mind to this day.

[PARKER RABE]

bob v thats it !!!! i got the race transfered on to vhs , your right 61 magic twanger 2 , got some killer footage of u !!!!!!!!!!! reggie fountain and kenny olson raced 2 tunnles in that race ! lots of streakes with twisters on them

i also had a seebold name the magic twanger

[PARKER RABE]

bob look at the hammer down galleries there should be more pics of your boat in there too

[Fish]

Bob V, here are the hammerdown galleries, if you have not seen them already check this out:

http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78108

http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77432

http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71320

http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71397

I'm gonna get with parker and see if I can get some of the videos transferred to dvd and post some of it.

[heath brinkley]

sweet !

[PARKER RABE]

got about 10 betamax tapes full of twister 1s 2s and stackers! runnung hard!

[blkmtrfan]

got about 10 betamax tapes full of twister 1s 2s and stackers! runnung hard!
Would love to see and hear that :cool:

[PARKER RABE]

i also have a recent tape of mullins running his stacker on his molinari in winterhaven .

[Raceman]

i also have a recent tape of mullins running his stacker on his molinari in winterhaven .

Did you an yo' buddy kiss and make up agin? I thought last time y'all broke up it wuz fur good.:rolleyes:

[PARKER RABE]

No Belive It Or Not I Havent Talkd To That Fat Bastard

[Bob V]

Hey, not to change the subject too much, but I just found a video tape that I had recorded of Craig Arfon's ill fated attempt to break the world water speed record back on July 9,1989 at Lake Jackson in Sebring Florida. It has several interviews with him in the days before he was killed as well as the actual footage of the "final run." He was clocked at over 400 mph when it hooked and snap rolled just after he shut down the after burner. Talk about a wild ride. I guess that he should be added to the list of those that have passed...

[Fish]

Bob.
I remember that. My dad was in the boat building business in the late 80's and Craig came to him for sponsorship. In exchange for funding, he was offering to "brand" his boat with the same name as those my dad was building. Just a name, there obviously would have been nothing from from my dad's factory about craig's boat, but would have gotten tremendous press from the world record.

In the end he chose not to do the deal because if the attempt did not go well, there could be a negative backlash as well. I am not sure if Craig got another company to do the deal or not, but it was certainly a tragedy when he made his run.

BTW, we get together around here a lot and run our boats, shoot the chit, etc., we would love to have you come out and join us. I almost always have an empty seat and an open invitation for you.

fish

[PARKER RABE]

bbo , i have that tape also , what a wild ride , great interveiws ,and coverage .

[TBuck2003]

Parker,
Would love to see and hear the stacker/twister tapes can you make a copy to dvd or cd.Whatever it is I will pay for it.Dad ran a 1250 stacker on a Hustler Tunnel boat but all footage is trash.People do not believe the noise factor,trying to show em what it is all about.Call me 330-425-3629.
Todd

[brichter]

thanks guys, I have some really cool memories of the races and that boat, just not too many pictures.:( Thanks again bob for the pictures and the kind words about my dad.:) I know what you mean about the stackers in the living room, I wish he still had it.

Sounds like a lot of us got the bug from our dad's. In hindsight, I only wish I could have appreciated the racing when I was a little kid as much as I do now.

Any of you guys have pics of your dad's rides? post em if you got em, and if you don't, tell the story anyway.
Here are some shots of a couple of my dad's ( Bill Richter Sr.) rides,
He ran UI, Mod 90, Mod UJ, Mod 100 and formula 100 in Region 7 OPC.
Still love those old boats and motors, miss the OMC/Merc rivalry.

I remember the stacker days, the first race I went to when I was 9 or 10, when they fired up those 1250 BPs and 135 Chryslers I ran as far away as I could and hid!

[PARKER RABE]

gonna take some time but fish and i will get it all together , we gotta find the betamax for the good stuff

[Skeeter0226]

thanks heath, and it looks like some of the checkmate rubbeed off on ya too.

Skeetered, do you have any pics of the deltas your dad built?

Here are a couple shots of a Delta. These were taken in the mid 70's.

[Skeeter0226]

This is my Dad in his first raceboat. A 1967 or 68 Allison with a manual start 50 Merc. Does any one know if this boat had a pad? I don't remember.

[PARKER RABE]

Sweet Keep Em Comming

[brichter]

Heres one from Kankakee in 1975.
OMC V4 on a Sid Hull in mod 90 class.

[brichter]

Rockford Il, 1977.
#898 is Terry Leatherby.

[Fish]

these are some great pics guys, thanks for posting.

[PARKER RABE]

just found a tape of reggie fountain racing his tunnel in 1975, with a t3, with a few other boats.

[Tom Foley]

This is a great thread , living across the street from a big boat yard as a kid was a big influence on me . Although my Dad never raced he always supported me in my racing adventures in Stock Outboards . He bought me my first hydro in the tenth grade . We used to wheel it over to the canal on a home made dolly made from stolen shopping carts and carry it down the dock into the water and shred the main canal up and back ! I have a pic of my dad and I carrying my 20 ss hydro to the water in Lake Kennedy in Cape Coral in 1985 . Wish I had more pics . I have taken him on a couple of 95 mph rides on the Suwannee in the Euro , He loved it to a point !! :D

[Fish]

... I have taken him on a couple of 95 mph rides on the Suwannee in the Euro , He loved it to a point !! :D

Here you go tom.

[Tom Foley]

Thanks Jody , saved to pic file like so many other of your great shots !

[Fish]

Thanks Jody , saved to pic file like so many other of your great shots !

tom, I ahve a few others and a a higher res version of that one. PM me your emal address and I will send them over too.

[brichter]

Here are couple of shots from the Kankakee nationals in 1993 I think.
The boat is a Caldwell, his 5th boat and a good one. He ran Formula 100 with it.
Still looking for shots of Dad's Burgess, his 4th boat which he ran for about 12 years. When I find them I'll post em.

[Bob V]

Jody...Don't forget to return the pictures...Also, I found more pictures which you can scan and post...Regards..Bob

[PARKER RABE]

bob get them up here im dieing to see more pics of the magic twanger 2 :D

[PARKER RABE]

my magic twanger

[PARKER RABE]

streaker t3

[PARKER RABE]

still the chit

[Fish]

Jody...Don't forget to return the pictures...Also, I found more pictures which you can scan and post...Regards..Bob

I apologize Bob, my dad wanted to show them to one of his long time friends and he does not kow how to use a computer. I will get them back to you asap. Thanks again,

fish

[Bob V]

I apologize Bob, my dad wanted to show them to one of his long time friends and he does not kow how to use a computer. I will get them back to you asap. Thanks again,

fish


Jody...Still waiting on you to return those pictures...Bob

[bridges]

I used to ride on the side cushions in Dad's 15' Allison. Now the boat is mine. :)

Here are photos of me as a baby in Dad's Glasspar g3 and then as a young boy holding his CV-16 :D

[fullthrottle114]

some great pics in here,

thought i would throw some in of one of my dad's first boats :P haha

[smiley70]

Here are some pics of my dad
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g297/smiley7070/Picture-1.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g297/smiley7070/Picture057.jpg

[Fish]

Here are some pics of my dad
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g297/smiley7070/Picture-1.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g297/smiley7070/Picture057.jpg

Great pics smiley. BTW, that is only the second twister I have seen with red on the front and blue on the sides. I posted another pic a while ago with the same cowling one one of my dad's race boats.


Fullthrottle, that li'l boat with twins???:eek: :eek: You were destined to grow up in this sport!:)