Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[T2x]

When I got the boat it had never been rigged.

So that must have been a replacement hull for the first one from Kitson.

[Old fiberglass]

Bubbles....If you are referring to Bonnie Clayton or "BC" as she was known on the racing circuit, Kenny was always proud to say that he paid for her optional equipment. Those were not available through Mercury.

Not sure what you are talking about ??

[T2x]

Bubbles....If you are referring to Bonnie Clayton or "BC" as she was known on the racing circuit, Kenny was always proud to say that he paid for her optional equipment. Those were not available through Mercury.

Did she wind up with Dave Gilmour?

[BrianSmith]

The early Miles were amazing in the rough and sloppy waters, they were only just over 16' [Fred learned through the little Shultze this was the way to go] compared to the 18' Molinari of this period.
Kenny and Fred had done a deal so that Ken could build boats, i'm sure the first to come out were wood, to be followed later by the glass ones.
Fairly sure GG was involved with the Zonkers so he would have got his pound of flesh somewhere along the line, Mert played with these boats for a while, but i have no idea what the deal was.
Go back 2 years earlier when Burgess was a Builder for Shakey Bill before Fred employed him, put pictures of the 2 boats together and you can see the heritage. Go forward 2 years and look at the Burgess-------- Racing History !!!!!
The '68 Shakespeare has the record for LOPING--------length of lake Como and only touched down 10 times. Driver CHARLES SHOOTER, he weighed in at 240 lbs on a good day.
I know i keep getting of the beaten track, but i write it as i think about it, and sometimes i lose the way---Sorrrreeeee.

Chick Gagen I believe had a Zonker........... I'm pretty sure it was wood. There was a transition to glass "flips" and I always wondered if the Kitsons were done like that.

In my hazy memory I don't recall any of the glass boats being any where near as fast as wood.
I recall our first twin Glastron; you could see and feel it twist at speed......pretty unsettling.
As for "loping" yes our Miles sprint would do that....it seemed to be at some sort of transition speed that it happened...........I guess once again the props made a difference...as it was pretty easy to drive thru. (It never was an issue once up to speed on a course 'tho).

This Miles also really "flew" on a long smooth straight; you could actually feel it "lift off" completely......very smooth ride after that point.
Beyond the relationship with Molinari does anyone know why GG disliked the Miles boats?

Our miles boats (singles) and our twins were the only boats I drove. I always wanted to take a spin in a "factory" Moly, however never had the opportunity for comparison.

I know I have asked this before Jackie..........is Fred still with us?

[jackie wilson]

Chick Gagen I believe had a Zonker........... I'm pretty sure it was wood. There was a transition to glass "flips" and I always wondered if the Kitsons were done like that.

In my hazy memory I don't recall any of the glass boats being any where near as fast as wood.
I recall our first twin Glastron; you could see and feel it twist at speed......pretty unsettling.
As for "loping" yes our Miles sprint would do that....it seemed to be at some sort of transition speed that it happened...........I guess once again the props made a difference...as it was pretty easy to drive thru. (It never was an issue once up to speed on a course 'tho).

This Miles also really "flew" on a long smooth straight; you could actually feel it "lift off" completely......very smooth ride after that point.
Beyond the relationship with Molinari does anyone know why GG disliked the Miles boats?

Our miles boats (singles) and our twins were the only boats I drove. I always wanted to take a spin in a "factory" Moly, however never had the opportunity for comparison.

I know I have asked this before Jackie..........is Fred still with us?

Afraid not Brian, The big C got him around 1984 i think. He had his retirement plan all set, Sold the motorcycle business, set Burgess up with the boatbuilding, Nice holiday home on the Med , then Wham, that bastard disease nailed him. Seems like if you got pleasure out of boats that damned disease followed you around .

[BrianSmith]

Afraid not Brian, The big C got him around 1984 i think. He had his retirement plan all set, Sold the motorcycle business, set Burgess up with the boatbuilding, Nice holiday home on the Med , then Wham, that bastard disease nailed him. Seems like if you got pleasure out of boats that damned disease followed you around .

Very sad.............similar happened to my Father. Retired at 65....dead within 1 1/2 years.........

Those of us who met/knew Fred will remember him well.

[jackie wilson]

One of the reasons i ain't never going to retire. Still got too many places to see and things to do.

[jlf56]

Hey Jackie !!!
Go ahead and retire, only the "good" die young.

You gotta a long way to go. Have been enjoying your post but couldn't resist this reply. Sounds like you are doing fine. Cheers mate.
Fielder

[jackie wilson]

Hey Jackie !!!
Go ahead and retire, only the "good" die young.

You gotta a long way to go. Have been enjoying your post but couldn't resist this reply. Sounds like you are doing fine. Cheers mate.
Fielder

Hiya Joe, Manage to keep that hooded old bastard in the cloak at arms length, told him "I'll call you ".
What's to retire to ??? Most of the retarded . sorry . retired old farts , wander round in a daze [ bit like Pruett when he was hammered ], i was born lop sided. I was never good as in "well behaved" but then the girl never complained ,so i couldn't have been that bad.
The party is beginning to gather speed, looking forward to seeing you there, son and grandkids also promised to visit, bunch of Seebolds too. Got to a few of the europeans, but they're dead from the ankle upwards. Just waiting for God. Get onto Willa and tell him he's NEEDED !!!!! Joe. You know what a cranky old bastard he is, you can't even lead that old horse, insulting him is the only way to get a reaction. See you soon Joe.

[BrianSmith]

One of the reasons i ain't never going to retire. Still got too many places to see and things to do.

Me too Jackie!

I "retired" 6 years ago and after I moved here to Mexico, I started a construction business. I have a plaster pump and 12 employees. I have missed the boats all these years 'tho.

[T2x]

Our miles boats (singles) and our twins were the only boats I drove. I always wanted to take a spin in a "factory" Moly, however never had the opportunity for comparison.

Having driven both...and Seebolds....There was really no comparison. The overall handling differences were like day and night. The Moli's actually wanted to turn...the Miles did not and the big Moli's were amazing in rough water....the little ones accelerated like gangbusters. Perhaps Merc designed there props around the molis..and Seebolds...but there was none of that transitional porpoising.....and much greater overall hull control.

Just my .02,

T2x

[jackie wilson]

Having driven both...and Seebolds....There was really no comparison. The overall handling differences were like day and night. The Moli's actually wanted to turn...the Miles did not and the big Moli's were amazing in rough water....the little ones accelerated like gangbusters. Perhaps Merc designed there props around the molis..and Seebolds...but there was none of that transitional porpoising.....and much greater overall hull control.

Just my .02,

T2x

Not all the Miles were galloping gourmets , and period for period, i think the Miles was Quicker than The Molinari, it just needed to be learned and loved. The 18' Moli gave you an armchair ride at a sedate speed , but would bite your hand off if you pushed it. Ask Joe Fielder !!
Seebolds were a much more customer friendly boat, due to the fact they were a further development of all the best in tunnel boat manufacturing and built and developed by a race driver with gumption.
Will agree Molinari and Velden were also drivers, but put profit before development. Burgess was not a driver but he put the cat among the pigeons with his later boats. Neither was Hodges, who relied on his drivers for development.
My favourite boat was the short 16' sprint Moli. Son Mark reckons his 17' Seebold was best, and that was 5 years on.
It boils down to whatever suited you best at the time-----how your luck was running, how brave you were feeling, and how big your balls were.

Have a funny feeling there's a lot of flak coming my way-----OK. i'm ready give me your opinion-------you won't be the first to tell me i talk out of my rear end...
He ran Hodges for a few years, but still reckons the Seebold was the one.

[jackie wilson]

T2X, there is also the small matter of props come into this equation, Miles and Rolla worked together in Europe, as did most of the good guys. Don,t know if the guys your side worked with Rolla or Mercury. Miles without a Rolla was like a CC7 without the whisky.
Let the excreta hit the whirlygig !!!!!!!!

[willabee]

I remember Chick Gagen running a Zonker Craft with a T1 in UJ that looked very similar to the miles. Anyone know if it was a copy? Doug Pearls and Homer's Scorpions also look very similar.
I also remember Kitson had some sort of agreement with Miles to build fiberglass versions.

The boat that started it all was the yellow Miles that Fred ran at Paris and then shipped to Havasu in 1970 (think he ran a Cowbell). Quite sure it was the boat that Gagen, Peacock and Martin used to start Zonkercraft. I don't know if it then went to Kitson for the glass versions, or just how the Kitsoncraft was born. I think both boats were racing in 1971. I think Pearl started running the Scorpion in 72 and Stevenson campagned a Miles picklefork in 73 (Merc power).

[jackie wilson]

The boat that started it all was the yellow Miles that Fred ran at Paris and then shipped to Havasu in 1970 (think he ran a Cowbell). Quite sure it was the boat that Gagen, Peacock and Martin used to start Zonkercraft. I don't know if it then went to Kitson for the glass versions, or just how the Kitsoncraft was born. I think both boats were racing in 1971. I think Pearl started running the Scorpion in 72 and Stevenson campagned a Miles picklefork in 73 (Merc power).

After the '70 Havasu race, Flew with Fred ,back to England and he was telling me how he had Kenny under contract to build his boats in the US, for sale in Canada and the USA. The original deal was to build wood boats. At that time Glastron were building the Molinari out of a bucket. In England Charlie Sheppard was building glass Bristols, and Shakey had Just one glass AVON special.
Freds best customer at that time was Canadian Dick Summerfeldt who had a boat on permanent order, and seemed to have boats all over the world.
There were NO competitive glass boats in Europe at that time. They did not start happening until well into the '80's. [as far as i can remember].
Son number one raced a glass Seebold in the early 80's , but reckoned it was a full second slower on any 36-45 second course.
Glass tunnels didn't talk to you in those days, you just swam back to the surface and dried off. then bought a wood boat.
Sorry Willa, but the boat that started it was the one from LIEGE [Belgium] some time before 1970, GG bought it "as was", complete with smashed front end------he Gave Fred one of the works motors to take back with him.