Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

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Originally Posted by powerabout

no condensation of you have a cold shower....

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Cold showers are only for Floridians who have spent too much time in the sun and over sexed horny honchos with a hard on.
Just had a bath ( first in over twenty years) wasn’t too bad at all until I tried to exit—— took me all of ten minutes ———- kept flopping back in every time I heaved myself up. Ideally I needed a “sky hook”. ( something of a rarity in Walberton) .
Eventually solved the problem by rolling over and drawing my knees up —— grabbing the bath sides and hoiking myself out!
Daftest part of all this—— I put my left hand under water to help push—— thereby negating the whole exercise. No fool like an old one !!!

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Originally Posted by Lake X Kid

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Just hope some of the old farts out there strike up a conversation with me—— can’t talk about a poorly finger much longer!
...
Havent had a bath in twenty years , no I don’t stink, I shower at least once a day, but have been advised to keep the pesky digit dry —— this means showers are out!11 a
it’s no good, I can’t lie in bed any longer,

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Hey Jackie, you still claiming and typing as "Europe's 1st Mercury Service Center"?
I saw this in the 1973 July issue of Yachting & Boating Weekly.

Enjoy your upcoming bath, and keep the stories coming. I am glad we saw each other last November at Tavares. You brought the cold weather from England to Florida that weekend.

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Believe it or not ROY—- This was a really big deal for me—— capital outlay was huge (to me that is)
special kit—- workshop manuals for every motor every year and every change ——ring clamps— gauges — pullers and extractors— MICROFICHE and all who sail in her.
Roy Ridgell and Pat Frewer talked me into it——- I really was the very first “MERCURY SERVIce CENTRE”“ in Europe—— even changed the name to Mercury Marine —- that raised a few eyebrows, but I got away with it for years!
Was a SOLE MERCURY DEALER for years—— fought off the advances of Jonrude for many years, until the extra 5% loyalty bonus was outweighed by selling a couple of hundred Yamahas per annum!
Yamahas brought a lot of fun people onto the outboard scene——- real crazy kids that ran the British operation. Went to Japan with them a couple of times—— there was always something “exciting” going on with them.

Rainy afternoon—- nothing better to do—-; might just as well recap on my memories ( which are not always written in stone and deadly accurate) but well within the acceptable parameters of an old fart.
Ron Walbold ( WOBBLY) was a true carpenter boatbuilder, based in the midlands, he built the BLUE-FIN Randy of boats———- For Merryfield and direct to anyone who wanted them.
Bill Shakespeare was true wood man who had a chippie called DAVE Burgess working for him—- he built the first SHAKESPEARE tunnels.
After Shakey’s demise, Freddy Miles employed DAVE to build the Milesmaster tunnels—— then DAVE went off on his own and built the range of BURGESS boats.
Meanwhile overindulged Italy—— various boatbuilders went in the tunnel boat direction—- Cetti at Torrigia Molinari and Scotti at the bottom end of lake Como—- Tullio Abbatte further upstream.
Schultze took the American boat scene by storm when he took a tunnel to Havasu in ‘68—- from then on things were about to change forever.
Carl Keikhaefer tied up Molinari with a deal nobody could turn down—— orchestrated by ROY Ridgell and Bill Steele, built up a team of drivers from all over the world (me included). Names like Velden SEEBOLD —- im sure you’ve all seen the line ups at sometime in your life!
Omc then tied up Scotti until his untimely death in Paris——- Big fall out in 75/75 between Molinari and Mercury——— molinari went with OMC——- SEEBOLD was told to build boats for Mercury in America whilst Cees was given licence to build in Europe for the firm.
Garbrecht had Seebold send his builder over to Holland to show how a tunnel should be built—— one of the reasons early Seebolds and Veldens look similar!
There were various other Tunnel boat builders in the uk—- Hodges—— Brocklington—-Peverelle—- im sure I could remember most of them if pushed.
Thats it for today—— and if I don’t get questions before long—— that’s it about tunnel boats.

Hi Jackie

I know you don't like ifs buts or maybes but how do you think Bill Shakespeare would have fared in the factory wars had he not perished at Windermere ,
What was your opinion of the stinger cats . Hope your digit heals quickly mangled fingers are always in the firing line.

Best regards Rob

Guess it's time for me to say hello and wish you well. I'm sure if you were building an American Rotary instead of that bloody English car, you finger would still function. I'm like you and haven't been in a bathtub for years. Can't figure out how sitting in dirty water can get you clean.

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Originally Posted by robert j garner

Hi Jackie

I know you don't like ifs buts or maybes but how do you think Bill Shakespeare would have fared in the factory wars had he not perished at Windermere ,
What was your opinion of the stinger cats . Hope your digit heals quickly mangled fingers are always in the firing line.

Best regards Rob

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Make no mistake Shakey was five foot two of total mean when he got into a boat—— Merryfield was no different, winning was everything to the pair of them—- each disliked the other. JM was past his sell by date come 1970 and had virtually retired. Double M was history and John wanted to play with his BUGGATTI.
Days of the 16’ Levi were long gone—— Sony’S Tunnel was an abject failure—— too heavy for circuit and too short for offshore. Phil Hook paid a big bag of gold for it and was not best pleased.
Boat met a timely death in a fire at the London Road car park November the fifth ( bonfire night).
Shakey really got that little cat howling—— was laps ahead of everything in Liege befor co driver Wilf Gregory got a tad over anxious and whacked the pits.
Garbrecht bought the boat “as seen” and shipped it back to Oshberg.
Maybe Mike Butler remembers what happened to it—— I don’t ever remember seeing it again—— but I’ll bet a pound to a pincha Stippitch does!!!
No question about it—- Shakey was as hard as anyone the Americans had!
In Shakespeare’s book he says he didn’t think there was a future for tunnels————- second item of note is a picture of him squeezing me onto the top island at Fairford——— caption reads “Jackie Wilson trying to overtake me on the inside”. Like I said—— Shakey took no prisoners—— he would have been a great FACTORY driver.

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Originally Posted by Rotary John

Guess it's time for me to say hello and wish you well. I'm sure if you were building an American Rotary instead of that bloody English car, you finger would still function. I'm like you and haven't been in a bathtub for years. Can't figure out how sitting in dirty water can get you clean.

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Je Concur mon ami —— thanks for the best wishes Johnno !
Fingers fixed —- up and running don’t ya know—- shame about the time lapse—— I can no longer afford it!
Next concept is a great looking radial rotory—— got your name written all over it—— but it’s expensive!

Eight o’clock and I’m still lying in bed—— remember the old adage “Careful what you wish for”—— I’ve often wondered what it would be like to HAVE A LIE IN——— I can tell you in all honesty—- it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Selling my South Bend—- thought I would go into the shop and take a few pictures for the ad. Kitchen goddess had gone to work for the day——- keys for the shop were nowhere to be found.
Confess to being a tad miffed by this, challenged aforementioned female on her return—— told me politely that she didn’t trust me to stay out of the shop.
Thats when I threw my dollies outa the pram——- duplicates should be finished later in the day!

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View from my bedroom window—— snowdrops and crocus are all finished for this year—— turn of the Daffodils and heather . Sun shone for five minutes before it buggered off into the long distance—— sleet and snow on its way.

Ok, so where was I ? ——oh yes, now I remember, my experiences with tunnels and their builders!
First one I ever saw that lit my candle was at the 24hrs on lake Evian. The one which raced in Paris later that year.
I trailed that mother across the alps along with two other Torrigia’s in the middle of winter—— snowed all the way , there and back——- had a Morris J2 van with an MGB motor and gearbox , plus overdrive on all gears including reverse!
Only the St Gotthard pass was open, all the others were closed due to heavy snowfalls.
Managed to get them all home safe.
Next up was the 17’ SCHULTZE—- Dieter and I became good friends over the next couple of years—— mainly because I was instrumental in selling a shedload of boats for him.
Arthur Brown—- Denny Burton—— Mike Rose—- Bob Spalding—- me myself had him build a little 15’ for the 65hp Koenig—— dieter was very late with the delivery so I stuck a 1000BP on its tail. Bob, Don and myself hauled it down to Milan for a three hour race——- that opened everyone’s eyes, created quite a stir! Renato never built another 18’ after that. I would go as far as to say—— that altered the course of tunnel boat history. TBC———
@

can you add the dates to your stories as in what years?

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Originally Posted by powerabout

can you add the dates to your stories as in what years?

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Dont talk so bloody ridiculous Pilgrim——- can’t remember what day of the week it is —— not even sure if I woke up this morning——- i’m 88 and a rambler, I can mumble for ever, if Id have been Harvey’s lawyer he’d have got away with it. ,!!!
I could tell you to the nearest ten years, but only on a good day!

When you reach 85 Pilgrim—- you automatically get inducted into the hall of forgetfulness—- I’ve earned that right, never forget —- I’m one of those that went before and ————— bugger, What was it we were talking about????????

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This was my race club for many years, it’s where I started, all my kids grew up here —— spent every weekend from March to October there! Started with an “ IGLOO “ tent and a van—- kids slept in the tent ——we slept in the mini van. By the time the kids were grown up we had graduated to a GMC 6 wheeler with air suspension and six berths.
Even today I still think that RV is the best looking camper ever produced by anyone in the world ! It would run 100 mph fully loaded hauling a boat and trailer.
Anyway back to business, Above photo was taken August bank holiday weekend 1964 Saturday!
l around 15:00 Hrs First of four 12 lap heats. British ON Championships!
Ron Walbold —— Bluefin Volante—— Blue-Fin
Brian Hunt——-Hammer On.—-Bristol
Bill Brown—— Venus—— COSWORTH 2 litre BDG
Ron Burchell ———- is Miss Chief 11 —— Bristol
Denny Burton—— Uncle Den——- MM/Levi
Jock Geddes—— Palladin —- Give gun - Will Travel !
Chris Kingsbury——- Phaedra—— MM/Levi
John Merryfield. Keikhaefer 1V— MM/Levi
Collie Coulson——- SHHH—UNO—WHO—— MM/LEVI
John May—— Thunderbolt 11—— MM/LEVY

RED BOAT WITH BLACK DECK is
Bill Shakespeare in the AVON SPECIAL—- Orange jacket —- polka dot underpants ( with skid marks)
How am I doing so far Pilgrim ? This what you’re looking for?

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I meant it when I said GMC. SIX WHEELER IS THE BEST RV EVER MADE,

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

Hey Jackie, you still claiming and typing as "Europe's 1st Mercury Service Center"?
I saw this in the 1973 July issue of Yachting & Boating Weekly.

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Believe it or not ROY—- This was a really big deal for me—— capital outlay was huge (to me that is)
special kit—- workshop manuals for every motor every year and every change ——ring clamps— gauges — pullers and extractors— MICROFICHE and all who sail in her.
Roy Ridgell and Pat Frewer talked me into it——- I really was the very first “MERCURY SERVIce CENTRE”“ in Europe—— even changed the name to Mercury Marine —- that raised a few eyebrows, but I got away with it for years!
Was a SOLE MERCURY DEALER for years—— fought off the advances of Jonrude for many years, until the extra 5% loyalty bonus was outweighed by selling a couple of hundred Yamahas per annum!
Yamahas brought a lot of fun people onto the outboard scene——- real crazy kids that ran the British operation. Went to Japan with them a couple of times—— there was always something “exciting” going on with them.[/QUOTE]

*****
Jackie one of the things I like about your AD in the magazine, is that it is different and therefore stands out. Yours caught my eye, whereas the others had the same basic pattern, with the Merc engine.
And that segues me into the different colors which race cars and boats used to identify themselves, from the pack on the race course. Watching on TV the Pennzoil, Tide, Jag or Ferrari cars (and others) is that their colors define them. They do not have to be leading the race, for you to visual notice them in the pack.

I remember the first time, I saw the black Molinari with the racing stripes (I do not believe this is the first Molinari black boat, but it represents the color scheme). It was brought down to the bottom floor (rigging area) at the Como race shop. And I thought this look defines; I am bad and am here to win the race. I do not recall any other Molinari boat, that gave me the wow look at that, in the 1971 to ’73 time frame.

I will also admit Downard and Pellileo winning Paris boat in 1971, was the least favorite color scheme to me, of that year’s fleet from Como. And then when Cees started flying the Marlboro logo, it was subtle in looks, but pronounce enough not to be mistaken for any other race boat. To me, and I suspect to advertisers, colors are one of the primary ingredients in showcasing a/your product.
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