Molinari Tunnel Boat History and Information

[milkdud]

peterse90 Thanks

I need to find a set up like this. Im guessing very hard to find these days. I have merc high perf catalog and it shows this as something you could buy I think. The whole floor pan and mounting structure.

I guess if you got thrown fwd the wheel would just push out of the way.

Thanks Conrad

[Lake X Kid]

Sorry 'bout that Johnno-----------,Fred was Freddie Miles, ex Suzuki race team bike rider,innovator,engine tuner,builder, designer of Miles Master race boats and a myriad other things.
he was also involved in the Suzuki Rotary bike, so I am surprised you never came across him.
Then again, the Suzi Rotary bike never really took off .

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> It was Windermere, England on a late fall cool British day (might have been 1973). Freddie Miles, new picklefork Miles Master hull arrived in the highlands' Lake District. Miles with relish aplomb was informing me with engineering detail his new creation. He proceeded in telling me, of him incorporating an aerodynamics’ professional in the final design of his tunnel hull upper deck and running surface.

I took an interest in his new design and he welcomed the opportunity to reveal some of the backstory. This might have been this particular new hull inaugural race.

To Miles great disappointment, and my surprise, the transom came unhinged. Whilst in the course of campaigning in the race the transom became partially detach from the back of the boat. The engine was tilted about 45 degrees from vertical, and hanging on to a partly unglued transom that was partially ripped from its base exposing shredded wood. I am almost certain, that engine would have gone to the bottom of the lake –never to been seen again- if it was not for its lifeline being attached to the steering cable.

This transom failure was not a racing accident –like hitting a floating object. It must have been a construction weakness succumbing to engine torque and race course vibration. Would I be wrong, that maybe it was a design shortcoming in minimizing wood thickness-strength for weight savings.

The Windermere race proving grounds got the best of the new Miles Master Picklefork.

[peterse90]

Maybe it's time and there is enough to start a Miles Master / Zonkercraft Tunnel Boat History and Information thread so we can keep this primarily about Molinaris?

[T2x]

like this one....?

[peterse90]

like this one....?

Exactly...but give us some history of this one (one of the last made for Merc power before Molinaris went OMC)

[T2x]

Exactly...but give us some history of this one (one of the last made for Merc power before Molinaris went OMC)

That was my last Molinari hull, I believe Billy ran it once before the team converted to his hulls and Renato went over to the dark side... Picked it up on an over under trailer along with Reggie's "Spirit of 76" T3 hull at Oshkosh after a fire destroyed my T2x/1750X sprint hull (see pix below)..... I only raced the red/yellow hull a couple of times as we also had a newer Seebold hull at the time, that ran ..and handled.. considerably better. I let one of my buddies, Dick Knarich, drive the red/yellow Moli and he promptly blew it over a few minutess after the picture below was taken... Dick , did most of the work on the original Shadow Cat plug...so I guess he earned it.

Pretty boat actually....wish we had it today for Vintage..also wish we had the other half dozen Molinari's I raced...and the Seebold for that matter. The Miles, on the other hand, is better off dead...

[T2x]

The Miles....may it rest in Peace..

.

[olboatman]

The Miles....may it rest in Peace..

.

Or do you mean in Pieces!!! Gary

[milkdud]

I wanted to add this photo, because of the previous discussion. It shows the break away steering after it did its job. Photo courtesy of John Sherlock.

Conrad

[Da Bull]

I saw an old add for a fiberglass Molinari pleasure boat yesterday. It was called a 2+2 sport runabout and was yellow with black stripes. It looked to have an early production V-4 Evinrude on the transom and had seating for 4. Could it have been made by Renato Molinari?

DB

[T2x]

I saw an old add for a fiberglass Molinari pleasure boat yesterday. It was called a 2+2 sport runabout and was yellow with black stripes. It looked to have an early production V-4 Evinrude on the transom and had seating for 4. Could it have been made by Renato Molinari?

DB

Yes , that was the Glastron ad from back in the 60's..I don't believe they ever actually built a mold and the boat pictured was a wooden hull built by Angelo Molinari...Renato's father. The intent was to make a mold and sell them to American pleasure boaters who would probably blow them over...

[jackiewilson]

Yes , that was the Glastron ad from back in the 60's..I don't believe they ever actually built a mold and the boat pictured was a wooden hull built by Angelo Molinari...Renato's father. The intent was to make a mold and sell them to American pleasure boaters who would probably blow them over...

Caddilac has a bunch of MAGNUMS (four)and a DUTCHMAN if anyone is fool enough to want one

[olboatman]

Caddilac has a bunch of MAGNUMS (four)and a DUTCHMAN if anyone is fool enough to want one

Very Good!!! Gary

[Tom Smyth]

Very Good!!! Gary

WRONG- he only has three now.....

[jackie wilson]

Told me Sunday lunch time he had FOUR