Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

Wow—— we have florida Weather———- 80+ and rising, forecast is for some thunderstorms tonight——- hot and humid tomorrow. Same again Monday. Love it when I can wander in and out the shop——- put the deck chair out on the grass, just in case I fancy forty winks !
Need to have a few quiet moments to explain how I met WARBY———— most of the old farts are conversant with Ken———— he's been at the OFF meetings on a couple of occasions .
Im of the opinion he’s a right royal prat letting his son go for a new water speed record.
It has to be the longest standing world water speed record of all time———- so far out of reach nobody has ever even come close to challenging it!
Looks like he’s having to hold out the begging bowl to fund it———— record attempts are expensive things, as well as highly dangerous.
Nobody ever walked away from a 300+ mph water speed attempt crash.
Now, if somebody had taken the record away, I could understand it. But when you have held the record over thirty years, with no challenges———- what’s the point——— it’s no contest. I can’t see the purpose of the run.

Jackie This time I have to respectfully disagree. With the new tech. over time and Mr. Warbys personalty I can understand why the new attempt. Some people just have to keep bettering themselves.
Gary

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Originally Posted by olboatman

Jackie This time I have to respectfully disagree. With the new tech. over time and Mr. Warbys personalty I can understand why the new attempt. Some people just have to keep bettering themselves.
Gary

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Gary—— the lad is on a hiding to nothing campaign———— technology is not a lot of help in the case of a mishap.
To have held the WWS record longer than anyone in history——-with the biggest margin increase ever, can never Be bettered————if he had untold Microsoft type sponsorship money to burn, I could understand it, but that’s not the case.
Hes there already——- top of the heap——— untouchable———-
The World Water Speed Record is a nasty animal——- don’t poke a stick at it ! It’ll take your head off!
Blew up another of my belt sanders yesterday ! In doing so it threw all the trip switched—— right back to the house ——— big blue flash——— goodly amount of blue smoke ———- and a stink not unlike a skunks fart. I do need a man sized belt sander that won’t quit after a modicum of hard tasking

A Four inch belt sander comes out at around £100—— move up to a six inch industrial, your talking ten times that amount ! My problem is——— I have been through four of the damn things in under three years———- they just don’t last.
Right—— Onivar——- Time to go to the paper shop for the Sunday funnies——- the one who shall be obeyed just loves the Sunday general knowledge crossword,

Nailed the bugger again———- by the cringe, kitchen goddess and me are mighty when it comes to the Sunday crossword——— did need a little help from the iPad——- but Madame still has the encyclopaedia—— two dictionaries and the Thesaurus at her elbow!
I can never understand how come IM cheating using the iPad——— but it’s ok for her to use all the literature! .?
I am now free to do what I want——- workshop looks inviting—— the deck chairs out——- suns out—— nice temperature———— but you just know the workshops going to win !

I recently read an interesting article about Craig Arfons and his fatal attempt at the speed record on July 9, 1989 at Lake Jackson in Sebring. The information indicates that he was running in excess of 400 mph and as much as 425 mph when the boat lifted off. It was never intended that he would run that fast. The team had a specific amount of time that he would utilize the afterburner, but he went well beyond that. Perhaps he wanted to set a record that would stand for a long time. Nevertheless, laying into the afterburner as long as he did well exceeded the aerodynamic capability of the hull. Had he used the afterburner as planned, he may have set a new record and been able to talk about it. We will never know... RIP

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Originally Posted by Bob V

I recently read an interesting article about Craig Arfons and his fatal attempt at the speed record on July 9, 1989 at Lake Jackson in Sebring. The information indicates that he was running in excess of 400 mph and as much as 425 mph when the boat lifted off. It was never intended that he would run that fast. The team had a specific amount of time that he would utilize the afterburner, but he went well beyond that. Perhaps he wanted to set a record that would stand for a long time. Nevertheless, laying into the afterburner as long as he did well exceeded the aerodynamic capability of the hull. Had he used the afterburner as planned, he may have set a new record and been able to talk about it. We will never know... RIP

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Thats exactly what I mean about the WWS record Bob———— it’s claimed a hell of a lot of lives down the years.
Pruett took me to meet Art Arfons—— he was down the road apiece from Rick La Morte, he loved turbos

Came into the house for a cup of tea, pills and a biscuit———- watched the last ten laps of the Monaco GP————if ever there was a clear cut case of a race being rigged———— it was this one.
Racing (crawling) at speeds five seconds a lap slower than last year——— all but one car actually finishing———— most of them on the same lap———- it was, to put it simply A Procession!
Another one like that and it’ll be F1/s own funeral procession !
I stopped watching two years ago when I realised just how”BENT” the whole F1 scene had become———- shan’t be watching it again——— talk about watching paint dry !
Another productive day in the shop——- well pleased with my achievement——- still have four pug ugly outboards to make.
Sad to hear my son Mark had to cancel his trip to visit England on Tuesday——— his wife Vicky was rushed to hospital today——— prognosis is not good——- I’ll keep you in the loop.

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

Thats exactly what I mean about the WWS record Bob———— it’s claimed a hell of a lot of lives down the years.
Pruett took me to meet Art Arfons—— he was down the road apiece from Rick La Morte, he loved turbos

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If you think about it, there are so many variable that have to come together to successfully set a world speed record. Many of those variable are out of our control. So at best, even with the best technology on the planet, setting a world speed record is little more than a crap shoot. All it takes is for one or two of the variables to go astray and the whole project becomes a disaster.

So sorry to hear about Mark's wife...

On a personal but very selfish note, I had been so much looking forward to spending time with Mark and Vicky——— we just don’t get time to talk. Somehow, we got caught up in the rush that is glibly labelled “Life”.
If you’re racing boats in the top flight——— then your in the “Fast Lane”——- it takes over your life—— 95% of the time you’re preparing for the next race——— out of season is time for getting your rear in gear ——- scheming and planning as to how you can come out of the traps ahead of the opposition.
I don’t ever remember the transition from competitive racing to organising a series——- helping Mark get into the top level——— I woke up one morning and I was old———- turned 80 ——- and still here!
Somewhere along the way I had acquired five kids——- eleven grandkids and thirteen great grandkids.
My own kids had grown “UP,UP AND AWAY, all had gone there own separate ways———Sandra and Steve had moved to Italy working for BOOTSIE.———- Mark and Vick had gone to live in Switzerland working for Rolla at Record props.
Sam had joined forces with three others to form an air freight company at Heathrow——— turned out the youngest had the best head for business——— has houses in Rural England ——- a beach house in Sussex and a house on the inter coastal In florida and has a handicap of seven.
Looking back, I often wonder what else I could have done for my kids? But then I think there’s a very fine line between “helping” and “interfering” .
On the whole, I don’t think I got it far wrong————- just amazed me the time went so quickly!

Balmy summer weather has at last. arrived here in the south of England———- two back to back bank holidays with damn near perfect weather——— first time I can ever remember that happening !
There’s always a huge three day musical festival down in Portsmouth over the bank holiday———- seems to be where the drug dealers get rid of their product to the young teenagers hell bent on a good time. This time they managed to kill a pair of seventeen year old girls and hospitalised fifteen more.as the organisers closed down the festival.
Im sure the police know who these animals are who sell the kids this lethal sh-t ! Hanging’s too good for the bastards———- tie ‘em to the railway line just before the Gatwick Express is due!
London is rapidly becoming the stabbing capital of the world——— 68 and rising this year alone——- keep it up kids——- won’t be long before Detroit and Chicago will look like safe places to live compared to London. Guess there’s no codes of anything these days?
Days are long gone when you had a disagreement with someone———- off with the shirt——-fists up in the air——— a bloody nose or a black eye——— dispute settled ?
Theres talk that police officers will carry firearms——— we must be the last country left not to have armed police. Times, they are a changing, Dylan was right!

Just to let you all know Vicky went down to theatre a couple of hours ago to have a pacemaker fitted,that’s all I can tell you————- for now. Give you an update once I’ve spoken with Mark.

Tried to call Mark several times last night but without success——— if he was at the hospital, he would have his phone switched off of course.
Saw that he called me at 23:00 hrs last night———- I was hard and fast asleep by that time so I missed him.
Outcome of all this——- I have no news on Vicks condition.
Have an appointment of my own at Chichester’s St. Richards hospital 10:30am today, but I’m fit as a lop these days, no worries!
Bank holiday finally over——— things back to normal——- stabbings in Sheffield and Wolverhampton
500 illegal immigrants landed in Spain after their boat sank in the Mediterranean! You think you have trouble with the Mexicans ?
Its a funny old world !

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All 485 feet of this thing turned up at Monte Carlo last weekend——— largest sailing ship in the world
its so FECKIN ugly it’s almost beautiful——— if the Russian peasants thought the czars were opulent spendthrifts——— wonder what they might think about this waste of time and money——— watch out, watch out there’s a revolution about!
Weekend left Liverpool supporters crying in their beer———- Ferrari let of the hook——— Froome won the Italian bike race but still accused of “doing an Armstrong “ ! No doubt about——- Sh-t sticks !
My Concept is coming along nicely——- I’m well pleased with it, so the next version should be “Acceptable”.
I know I’ve done a good job when either Roger Hinsdale or Rich Luhrs says “OK HOW MUCH”!

Does anyone out there know of a capable HYDRAULIC engineer ?
Mark is in desperate need of someone to hook up the hydraulics on “MOONLIGHT LADY” —— 50’ high speed craft with a pair of 600 Cats .
Its been seven years in the making and just needs the hydraulics hooked up!
Ritchie Powers—— where are you when I need you?

Got the all clear from the hospital——— gentle reduction from the steroids over the next few months and I’m back to normal ?
We had tropical downpours this morning, but the summer type weather is here to stay for the next month or so.
Nobody came forward with the name of a hydraulic engineer.
Boat is housed at Port St. Lucie. Probably a day’s work to get it all together——— c’mon guys——- there has to be somebody out there somewhere who can come to the rescue!