The sport misses marathons

[T2x]

The recent Around Long Island race reminded me of just how much the sport of boat racing was stimulated by long distance enduros. The boat and motor manufacturers all competed for bragging rights about which product had the most endurance capabilities. The local marine dealers and service shops, most of whom had boats entered, all spent weeks of late nights preparing hardware while simultaneously piquing their customers' interest in the upcoming event. The various races ( Albany-NY, Gold Coast, Havasu, Salton Sea, Orange Bowl, Miami-Nassau, Around Long Island, Bahamas 500, Milwaukee-Chicago-Milwaukee, Parker, Berryessa, etc, etc,) touched most of the major markets , and some of the minor ones, in the U.S. During this era, the Offshore, OPC, Outboard and Inboard divisions all participated in long distance events and grew dynamically at least in part because of the tremendous interest generated by these iconic events. I guarantee that a reality show filmed at any one of the above events would generate enormous interest on TV.

There is a clear lesson in that the sport of track in the US only really caught fire in recent decades after various cities and communities started putting on half and full marathons, while spectator interest in sprinting has been relegated to every 4 years at the Olympics. Isn't there a parallel here in which boat racing has been reduced to heat races, 15 minute "mains", and 1/4 mile sprints, in the OPC, Outboard and Inboard ranks, or 80 mile "beach, bay and lake" races in the offshore arena...and gone steadily downhill as a result? Do racers really want to spend a fortune on transporting rigs and teams thousands of miles, with disposable, high horsepower, grenade like engines, in ever more lightweight boats, that you get to race for only a few minutes? Do spectators want to watch a race where you have no idea what boat is in what class, and if you step away for a soft drink, you miss most of the racing? With the new web based GPS tracking technology you can follow these races from anywhere on earth (Perhaps put a lap counter on closed course marathons?)

We should take a lesson from, not only the road runners, but our own history as well.

The shorter the race, the less interesting it is.

There is a new effort in Europe to bring back longer point to point events........and Ron Hill and his cohorts have begun to resurrect the Parker Enduro. With all of the hoopla surrounding the Miami Marine Stadium...shouldn't we be looking to recapture some of the old Orange Bowl Magic?

T2x

[Bruster]

Reading about the Parker Enduro, these guys break parts that don't normally just break. Some of the old geezers doing the driving must be pretty tough and in good shape, no bad knees and backs behind the wheel here. Now the boats, it's not about just puttin' your money down to buy something fast, it's about building something fast that will take the abuse. It's truely a race that seperates the men from the boys in short order.

[Powercat]

1068 mile Mississippi River Marathon St Louis to New Orleans...

[oldskier]

1068 mile Mississippi River Marathon St Louis to New Orleans...

Jeez Danny, anything you DON'T have pictures of? Reckon any Powercats in there? LOL!

[seeroy]

Not sure when or where. But, no doubt a late 50s or early 60s marathon and nine cats. how many are Powercats?

[roadtriprhino]

awesome photo and love the idea of a marathon race!!

[mark benson]

Mark75H - Can you figure out by the engines, which year this was?

[velox]

"Back in the day" we lived for the major races like the Gold Coast Marathon, Sandy Shoes Marathon, the 9 Hour Marathon and the 6 Hour OPC Grand National Marathon. All of the closed course 3 lap stuff was to give us something to do until one of the "majors" came along.
To win or even place in any of these, was the goal for the year! Once ocean racing caught on, the around Miami Beach, Miami to Nassau and such were added to the list.
One of the big factors was, in all of the above, Carl K would be involved along with Roy&Bobby Rigill, Steve&Bill Siros, Johnny Bakos, and Odell Lewis. Maybe we should have a marathon and make it mandatory to have been involved in one or more of the above events!

[Mark75H]

I'm pretty certain these are 1961 model year motors. I'll repost the picture and ask the real experts.

I'm 100% certain the first year of the flat or "square" top cowl was 1959 but 59's did not have the black wrap. Since none of the motors is completely black like a 100 hp ... I'd guess they are not 1962's. I can't imagine that many boats in a pic without the top hp current motor on at least one.

Again, I said "model year" ... these motors could have appeared anytime after September of the previous calendar year, so the pin down is probably fall of 1960 to 1962. At least it does take them out of the 1950's without a doubt

[Mark75H]

The experts say you can't tell if its 60 or 61 from this pic because the difference is in whether the front cover attaches with a screw or quarter turn latch ... the fronts are off to let in more air.

The newest car I can identify looks like a '59 GM product to me, so background clues don't help me either. Maybe some one has an opinion on the Mopars.

[Mark75H]

What the sport misses more than marathons is ... sponsors

[Powercat]

Steve:
Power Cats for sure are;
#5 ( or is that a 9?)
#56

Pretty sure on;
#41 ( modified )
#105 ( very modified )

Definitely not;
#32 and #63 - JavCats

The others can not say for sure, I can not see the normal styling cues
that would id them for sure. They could be Stylecraft if they are not
Power Cat although not many Stylecrafts made it to Florida. The other
cat brands from this era like Custom Craft or Magnolia don't fit the look
of any of these.
I can't help further on the year either as Sam has said, most likely 60 or 61.
Danny Leger

Not sure when or where. But, no doubt a late 50s or early 60s marathon and nine cats. how many are Powercats?

[Powercat]

Here is another photo shot of that group of cats..
The nose of the boat in the foreground I believe is a
Raveau Cat to add to the list..
They must have had these guys run up and down the channel numerous
times as I have seen several different groupings in photos all shot from
about the same angle and location. Also they did this same photo shoot
more than just one year.

[Mark75H]

I think you are right Danny, that looks like the paint on the Raveau ... I think the boat all the way at the back might be a Jones

[194268]

Because of the chrome lettering on the top cowl, I would say they are 60 or 61 Merc 800's. Accually they are 61's, the're full gear shift models.