Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

Alfie and Phil were offshore racing pals------Phil had the readies and Alfie the craft to spend it.
The 16' Levi was one of the most successful boats of all time, but could not begin to live with the "New" tunnel boats being built by almost all the known boatbuilders and quite a few jumped up Wannabees like the ROSSANARI and my own LEOPARD so Double M had to come up with SOMETHING.
I do not believe Soni Levy could have designed that contraption-------it was so far out of sync-------and Sony himself is a very bright lad indeed.
Where it came from is anyones guess, that Souters built it i don't doubt, but it didn't even LOOK the part and was "PUG UGLY" compared to any boat that was out there--------particularly the early Torriggias and Molinaris which were works of art. Just a racing FLOP confined to history and the crematorium for boats---------a car park on November the 5th.

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Originally Posted by jackie wilson

That old 16'Levi was good to you----is that the one you won with at RABONDAGES? or had you got into tunnels by then?
Don't ever remember you having a good tunnel boat, you seemed to be pioneering oddbods with a collection of "nearly boats" i think things took an upward turn when you went with OMC.

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Hey Jackie you never spoke a truer word just loved driving that old Levi 16 it was a good boat It came from a time when every racer just used to buy the same engine out of a box for 1968 a 125HP Mercury in this case.In 1969 it was a 1250SBP courtesy of Carl Kiekhaefer and Mercury paying prizemoney down to third place in INTERNATIONAL( events) only` still came out of a box the same as everyone elses.The RABADANGES 1 HR race I was very lucky to win with the 5mins gun gone my engine wouldn`t fire I had gassed it up` I shouted Roy Ridgell he jumped in the boat had the covers off the engine and shouted fire it and away we went.I have posted a picture from a race you should remember well Jackie see if you can identify the venue and see how many drivers you can remember I think 13 in all that ran these engines in the UK .I think it was Bill Shakespeare that had the most prizemoney beat me by about £50 I know I had won a 1st/2nd and 3rd places for that year` I think Don Ross was next then Bob Spalding and Charlie Shepherd who had 2 engines a1000sbp and 1250sbp.I have posted a picture from the race you should remember well I think this circuit was just as dangerous as Bristol I know the speeds were not as fast but the spectators used to be a few feet from the water.Attachment 303254Attachment 303253

That Rabondages pot you are pouring the Champers into stood on my mantlepiece for 25 years before being relegated to a tea chest for the next 18 years, then a couple of months ago my sister Ange asked if i had any old trophies i didn't want------i dug out a couple of hundred from under the workshop bench, she chose that one and it now takes pride of place in HER sitting room.
One of the nicer ones i donated to OFF for the golf competition----It was from Either Roses or Marbella,----can't remember which-----Feckin lucky to remember it was even Spain.
Fairford was the only course i remember where you shook hands with the speckled taters, but i don't remember the embedded stones on the embankment and the top island was higher than that------sorry Steve, memory shot!!!!!
Number 23 looks like the 14' Levi that Merryfield built for -----oh, crap, whatsisface---Rex Manns mate---he went on to win the british championship then scarpered owing everyone , never did pay for the boat or motor, Damned if i can remember his name-------you'll have to ask Mike Ward----he's a bright lad on racing history.

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Originally Posted by STEVERINO

Hey Jackie you never spoke a truer word just loved driving that old Levi 16 it was a good boat It came from a time when every racer just used to buy the same engine out of a box for 1968 a 125HP Mercury in this case.In 1969 it was a 1250SBP courtesy of Carl Kiekhaefer and Mercury paying prizemoney down to third place in INTERNATIONAL( events) only` still came out of a box the same as everyone elses.The RABADANGES 1 HR race I was very lucky to win with the 5mins gun gone my engine wouldn`t fire I had gassed it up` I shouted Roy Ridgell he jumped in the boat had the covers off the engine and shouted fire it and away we went.I have posted a picture from a race you should remember well Jackie see if you can identify the venue and see how many drivers you can remember I think 13 in all that ran these engines in the UK .I think it was Bill Shakespeare that had the most prizemoney beat me by about £50 I know I had won a 1st/2nd and 3rd places for that year` I think Don Ross was next then Bob Spalding and Charlie Shepherd who had 2 engines a1000sbp and 1250sbp.I have posted a picture from the race you should remember well I think this circuit was just as dangerous as Bristol I know the speeds were not as fast but the spectators used to be a few feet from the water.Attachment 303254Attachment 303253

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. The race venue was the river Amstel in Amsterdam you and Don Ross won that race I finished 2nd.The no 8 boat on the turn is Cees Vande Veldon driving one of Herman Lievens V hulls they held all the European speed records in 1969 over 80mph every time we raced against them we won them doing around 68 mph.Drivers with 1000SBP engines 7 in all Charlie Shepherd driver was Brian Kendall'Bill Picton had one'Jeremy James had one'John Reed had one'Bob Spalding had one'Mike Rose had one'and your friend Peter Tajero on a green Shakespeare cat had one. Drivers with 1250SBP engines 6 in all were Bill Shakespeare had one.Steve Pinson had one.Don Ross had one.Freddi Miles had one.lol Hopkins had one.Charlie Shepherd had one he had John hill driving for him and Peter Thorneywork driving for him.

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Originally Posted by STEVERINO

. The race venue was the river Amstel in Amsterdam you and Don Ross won that race I finished 2nd.The no 8 boat on the turn is Cees Vande Veldon driving one of Herman Lievens V hulls they held all the European speed records in 1969 over 80mph every time we raced against them we won them doing around 68 mph.Drivers with 1000SBP engines 7 in all Charlie Shepherd driver was Brian Kendall'Bill Picton had one'Jeremy James had one'John Reed had one'Bob Spalding had one'Mike Rose had one'and your friend Peter Tajero on a green Shakespeare cat had one. Drivers with 1250SBP engines 6 in all were Bill Shakespeare had one.Steve Pinson had one.Don Ross had one.Freddi Miles had one.lol Hopkins had one.Charlie Shepherd had one he had John hill driving for him and Peter Thorneywork driving for him.

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Always loved racing in Amsterdam, the Amstel was the best venue, Amsterdam was where Don had his "Biggie", tore his hip out, don't think he ever sat in a boat again, it was around the 2 hour mark, we were two full laps in the lead at the time.
I sold engines to Bob Spalding, Mike Rose, Colonel Peter Tajera, Lol Hopkins ------every time I put a race winning combination together, someone would offer me silly money for it. I had a wife and five kids to feed and I could put another rig together in a week, even if I had to drive down to Italy for a boat.
Life was never dull in the Wilson household, always made a point of taking the kids to school or I never would have seen them except at weekends when we went racing in one country or another.
Used to be in the shop 'till 2or 3o'clock in the morning, switch the phone off and get on with it, many a time the bobby on night duty would come round and say " your wife called the station and asked us to tell you to get home----right now" .
I just loved what I was doing----living beyond my means, but enjoying every minute, disliked going to bed, looked forward to getting up. In fact it's still like that in my mind-----it's just that the body won't recognise it-----,go on ----get some sleep people, MYGGWY J.

Morning all, nice to see that wonderful Irish kid win in Valhalla -----he is such a going concern, you only have to look at his face to know he's a right little bugger, but loveable. Phil Mick is my favourite US golfer---a real gent through and through. Pity Tiger is not part of the equation any more, would have been great to see a head to head over the next five years---but that's not going to happen.
Wonder who the "American Tiffosi" will pick out as the next hero? maybe Mc'Ilroy!, although they do tend to be partisan and pick a home player. TIGER IS A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW.
Nose to the grindstone today, it was wild and wet and windy yesterday but today don't look too bad, grandchildren arrived for another weeks stay---went in the pool for an hour or so. I need to find some peace in the workshop, have a couple of items to finish off. Enjoy your day.j.

Weather hasn't improved a lot-----,lots of wind -n- water, used the time to straighten the shop, reseat the grinder, swop saw blades and bolt the sander down.
Steve my next door neighbour wants me to build him an arbor out of scaffold poles---10' high and octagonal as a centre piece for the new lawn he's putting out back. I'll do a little mock up this afternoon after me nap.

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Thats the mock up I did for Steve-----four twenty foot galvanised scaffold poles, bent in the middle to form four arches----stitch em together and Voila instant centre arbor at next to no cost.
He has a stack of poles-----I have the bender and the time. Why ? 'Cos he's a bloody fine neighbour.
next up is the trophy I cobbled together for daughter Sam, was gonna get the brass plaque engraved professionally, my engraving never was a lot of cop and the right hand has a bit of " "wagglement " these days, but she said she wanted it AUTHENTIC and all done by me, thank god she did-----engravers come out of the same mould as dentists,lawyers and veterinarians ----don't know what to charge-----just think of a figure and you know you have to pay up. Wouldn't mind , but it's all done by laser set by a 'Puter nowadays . Getting late, time flies when your having fun, got some. ZZZZZZZ time to catch up on, MYGGWY .J

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When I had a clear out to make more room so I could fill it all up again with more modern rubbish I came across this medal from nearly fifty years ago.
Won it racing just off the beach in Cannes----seven days of racing on the Cote d AZUR from Monte Carlo --Nice----Cannes----,Toulon----,Isle-Des-Embiers in '67.
You had to win it two years on the trot and then you got a first class flight to the USA all expenses etc.,------never did go back to try for the other half.
Had a great time though, hooked the boat on the back of the transit camper, loaded all five kids (Sam was just months old) and took off for the south of France ---won every race I entered and came away with 22 trophies--that's why I raced number 22 for years ever after.
'twas all a long time ago and is completely irrelevant, just thought I'd sneak it in there, it may cause a titter or two.
gotta go, the day is beckoning, and you not ignore a beckoning.

Got stuck into Steve next door's arbour, spent all morning faffing about with every imaginable piece. Of kit, cutting ,shaping. Grinding, filing, really making a mountain out of a molehill-----then had a sudden flash of inspiration -----what a Pratt ----think latterly ----took me an hour this afternoon to come up with the answer, will show you the picks tomorrow, and the headpiece that took me all morning to produce.
Phoned Steve and told him to come round and collect the arbour headpiece ---his comment was " "clever bastard ain't yer" that's the comment of a good friend. Just got called for dinner -----spaghetti-Bol . More tonight.

Jilly coulda been Italian ---she cooks the meanest pasta this side of the Med---tonight's offering was spag-Bol for grown ups - . for kids followed by home made ice cream for me and banana splits for grand kids. Three more days and I'm a free man again, life reverts to some semblance of normality.
Jilly booked up for a five day trip up to Scotland ---first day it's a tour of the GLENMORANGIE distillery and a whiskey tour experience, then a trip to Shetland and the islands---sometime in September I'm told ----tell you all about it in Tavares .
Guess most of my friends are up to their fetlocks in making a living, did enquire as to their well being but nobody answered.
You know when you get a tune going round and round in your brain----happened to me today----remember john Houston singing "SEPTEMBER SONG" -----for it's a long long time from May to December ?...and the days dwindle down----to a precious few---etc, etc, etc, as Yul used to say.

Sad to hear of the demise of Robin Williams-----loved Mork and Mindy and " Dead Poets" and his wonderful portrayal of a DJ in "GOOD MORNING VIETNAM " RIP.

The kids had Pomadora !!!
the picture is of an off cut of English oak that was left over from the trolls----had the spalted base and I turned a piece of 3" alluminium for the centre.
Jilly gave it her seal of disapproval ---the base does not suit the top-----you cannot please all of the people all of the time especially if you married one.
Should read things through before I post 'em. Sorry.

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1st one is her who shall be obeyed at all times ready for the 70/s evening party.
2nd , just a few old rockers dressed as we were "back in the day".
Gives you some idea of the "tricks" this old racer gets up to in his spare time.
No kewpie doll for guessing which is me.

Was wore out and whiskey tired last night and couldn't be arsed with the iPad so apologise for no post last night---Did have a great nights sleep with just the one forage to the bathroom in the early hours. My turn to rise at 6am and make "Madame" her first cuppa coffee and me mug of TETLEYS .
Enough of the early morning twaddle, won't bore you to tears any more, just get out there and do "something" all you old farts----seize the day and wring it's bloody neck!!! J.

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Thats the the crown centre piece for Steves arbor-----5'x10'x25'----all squidged and bent by me myself for a good neighbour .

Had one of my mad fits of depression and decided the plaque on SAMs trophy just was not good enough, so I went to the local trophy shop in Littlehampton ----took the brass plate after I polished the backside and asked them to engrave word for word what I had etched on the front-----was amazed and delighted to hear the charge was £7.50 $11 US. Take it all back, engravers are not thieves and vagabonds like dentists, vets. and members of the legal profession .
Played at being a real grand pop ----took the kids to play crazy golf, ( I got TWO holes in one), beat 'em hands down. They are 7& 8 so it was fair and square. Then a miniature train ride round the park, followed by lunch at the "Fish Factory". Well, I was going to the engravers anyway, so what the hell? $100 later, (and only £7.50 went to the engraver) I dragged my sorry arse back home and flopped into bed----you ever tried taking today's kids to the park? And a sandwich, and a train ride. I blew a weeks pension in four hours-----only 72 hours and they're back with their parents and sanity will return to the Wilson household----Halleluja!

One of my all time favourite females has left us, Lauren Bacall----what a doll--- met her just once at Heathrow airport, the voice was just as orgasmic in real life---"Just put your lips together and blow)
they don't make 'em like that anymore----THAT WAS A STAR.
I just read her age---Jesus wept---I knew she was turned forty, but never realised she was older than me-----very few people are----just Gene Langham and old people like that, maybe WILLABEE!

Thursday tomorrow and the car boot sale at Ford Airfield---six o'clock start if I want a worm. So the sandman cometh----MYGGWY . J.