Life at Lake X in the '60s

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Originally Posted by willabee

:iagree: Don't know about Jackie running the 1000 Silo, but you have all the rest correct. We put a C6 on the tail of the big boat thinking it just might get the job done in that rough water. Even with the holding of the barge traffic, that rig still could have finished in the top three or five if some rookie hadn't ground the coil mounting bracket so thin that it broke and fell from the ignition panel, promptly shutting the engine down! Oh well, that's another story. :o

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That was the race where "Shakey" copped his clogs-------I was 10 meters to his right and his boat looked to be in good shape --------it simply just went under------no flip----no big drama----one minute it was there---the next gone---just like that !!!!!
He was not found until many years later.
My heart just was not on that race----yes i did have a great engine "twas a 1000 BP for all i knew----but it could outrun the 1250's
Garbrecht took the boat and the motor back to the states and i never raced for Mercury again.

As for the "shorts" comment, if Dad wasn't skiing or swimming, he was in long pants.

Grewupon - I just spent the last hour searching my computer for a photo of you Dad and Jim Harkins leaning against a pickup truck. I might even have posted it somewhere on this thread....Bottom line...Your dad was wearing shorts :) - Steve Sirois[/QUOTE]

Mr. Sirois,
I can't believe you have ruined my childhood with the above quote. Didn't you know that 'history' is nothing more then "His Story" and now you have rained on my parade. My wife tells me, I have selective memory. I sit corrected concerning my dad and his shorts. I wonder what else I need to be corrected on.......
Oh Mr. Willabee is correct the boat built for Mr Hanks was not in the picture because in 1971 my older brother (LakeX Kid) was helping my dad - no room for twelve year old second son. But after Steven goes back to the good ol' USA in early '72. To fill the void Older sister and I get to help. My sister was taught how to rebuild speedmaster lower units and I enjoyed rebuilding C2s. Renato even allowed me to watch his two carpenter build the boats. Fun Times Had By All.....

Grewup - Well that's twice this week I have had a good belly laugh. Believe it or not, the other one was from the amazing Jackie Wilson. I realize that you and I might get a lot of flak over this...but, I have to put you up on the throne with Jackie..at least for now. :rolleyes::D:rolleyes: - Steve Sirois
By the way, I'm still looking for that picture.

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Originally Posted by GrewuponLakeX

As for the "shorts" comment, if Dad wasn't skiing or swimming, he was in long pants.

Grewupon - I just spent the last hour searching my computer for a photo of you Dad and Jim Harkins leaning against a pickup truck. I might even have posted it somewhere on this thread....Bottom line...Your dad was wearing shorts :) - Steve Sirois

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Mr. Sirois,
I can't believe you have ruined my childhood with the above quote. Didn't you know that 'history' is nothing more then "His Story" and now you have rained on my parade. My wife tells me, I have selective memory. I sit corrected concerning my dad and his shorts. I wonder what else I need to be corrected on.......
Oh Mr. Willabee is correct the boat built for Mr Hanks was not in the picture because in 1971 my older brother (LakeX Kid) was helping my dad - no room for twelve year old second son. But after Steven goes back to the good ol' USA in early '72. To fill the void Older sister and I get to help. My sister was taught how to rebuild speedmaster lower units and I enjoyed rebuilding C2s. Renato even allowed me to watch his two carpenter build the boats. Fun Times Had By All.....[/QUOTE]

Hey "GREW UP KID"---l will tell you one thing you may not realise--------Your dad ----ROY RIDGELL--- was the greatest ambassador that Mercury ever employed.
The whole world of boating loved and admired him and were very happy to call him a friend. I mean every country he ever visited , he was given a welcome fit for the MD of ANY company, let alone Mercury. I knew him for over 25 years as a friend, mechanic, mediator,---he was the only person in the world that could work with Renato----------Nobody ever lasted long with Renato-----not even 40 years later has there ever been anyone that close to him. Just be proud you had a great guy for a father.

Hey "GREW UP KID"---l will tell you one thing you may not realise--------Your dad ----ROY RIDGELL--- was the greatest ambassador that Mercury ever employed.
The whole world of boating loved and admired him and were very happy to call him a friend. I mean every country he ever visited , he was given a welcome fit for the MD of ANY company, let alone Mercury. I knew him for over 25 years as a friend, mechanic, mediator,---he was the only person in the world that could work with Renato----------Nobody ever lasted long with Renato-----not even 40 years later has there ever been anyone that close to him. Just be proud you had a great guy for a father.[/QUOTE]

Mr. Wilson,
First let me apologize for taking so long to reply. Thank you for the kind words concerning my dad.http://www.screamandfly.com/images/icons/icon7.png He was my hero, because of him and his love for Mercury, I wanted to follow in his footsteps. He got my brother two different jobs with two different dealerships. All for naught. When I asked for help, he told me the marine business was too cyclic, try something else. I joined the navy just to figure out what I wanted to do (Dad had been in the Navy - 51 to 53). Only I made a career out of it. When we would talk, I told dad that I would have my 20 in the navy in 1997 and he would be 65. We would both retire and I would open a Mercury Dealership and he would be my Master Mercury Man. God had different plans. Still missing him after all these years.
Thank you again.

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Originally Posted by GrewuponLakeX

Hey "GREW UP KID"---l will tell you one thing you may not realise--------Your dad ----ROY RIDGELL--- was the greatest ambassador that Mercury ever employed.
The whole world of boating loved and admired him and were very happy to call him a friend. I mean every country he ever visited , he was given a welcome fit for the MD of ANY company, let alone Mercury. I knew him for over 25 years as a friend, mechanic, mediator,---he was the only person in the world that could work with Renato----------Nobody ever lasted long with Renato-----not even 40 years later has there ever been anyone that close to him. Just be proud you had a great guy for a father.

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Mr. Wilson,
First let me apologize for taking so long to reply. Thank you for the kind words concerning my dad.http://www.screamandfly.com/images/icons/icon7.png He was my hero, because of him and his love for Mercury, I wanted to follow in his footsteps. He got my brother two different jobs with two different dealerships. All for naught. When I asked for help, he told me the marine business was too cyclic, try something else. I joined the navy just to figure out what I wanted to do (Dad had been in the Navy - 51 to 53). Only I made a career out of it. When we would talk, I told dad that I would have my 20 in the navy in 1997 and he would be 65. We would both retire and I would open a Mercury Dealership and he would be my Master Mercury Man. God had different plans. Still missing him after all these years.
Thank you again.[/QUOTE]

I would be very happy for you to call me Jackie. I have only been "MR. To people I didn't like and the taxman (IRS) to you.
What a wise old sage Roy turned out to be, he was absolutely bang on the button when he told you to join the navy and forget the marine business-----who's motto is---if you want to make a million, start of with two!!!!!!!
Hope one day my kids will miss me as much as you miss your dad, by the way WHICH KID ARE YOU? And does your mum still drink a gallon of coke-a-cola a day? She used to have it crated over to Como in the Mercury parts truck.

Jackie,
If Dad was still alive, I would have to have a 'Mr.' in front of 'Jackie', he always said you may be older but your never to old to be corrected.
Of Roy and Ann's, I am number 3 of 4 children, 2 of 2 male side. Even though I am second son always considered myself the best looking:icon_bs:. Racing season 1971, My brother Steven traveled the circuit with Dad. I only got to go to races that were during the summer. When you and yours stayed with mom and dad in the spring of 71, there was only my little sister and my cousin, Biff. Biff is my Uncle Bobby's oldest. (Like me Uncle Bobby was number 3 and second son - we have a lot in common).
As for mom, it's a gallon of diet :iagree: coke-a-cola.
Hope all is well in Southern France.

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Originally Posted by GrewuponLakeX

Jackie,
If Dad was still alive, I would have to have a 'Mr.' in front of 'Jackie', he always said you may be older but your never to old to be corrected.
Of Roy and Ann's, I am number 3 of 4 children, 2 of 2 male side. Even though I am second son always considered myself the best looking:icon_bs:. Racing season 1971, My brother Steven traveled the circuit with Dad. I only got to go to races that were during the summer. When you and yours stayed with mom and dad in the spring of 71, there was only my little sister and my cousin, Biff. Biff is my Uncle Bobby's oldest. (Like me Uncle Bobby was number 3 and second son - we have a lot in common).
As for mom, it's a gallon of diet :iagree: coke-a-cola.
Hope all is well in Southern France.

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Left the south of France 18 months ago and came back to the south of England to live out the rest of my life.
Well remember one of my girls getting onto a bundle with Biff, and blood and snot flying, but they made it up and enjoyed the time in Como.
Say hi to mom and wish her all the best from me. "Mister Jackie".

one bankrupt country with good food to a bankrupt country with bad food and bad weather...
Must be the beer
cheers

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Originally Posted by powerabout

one bankrupt country with good food to a bankrupt country with bad food and bad weather...
Must be the beer
cheers

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you got that arse about face,backwards and upside down.
how long is it since you ate in France or the UK ?
What once was, is no longer!!!!!!
you have to admit, we were very good at making the colonials self sufficient, ie, Singapore and Hong Kong.
any food you got in Malasia, I guarantee we have in the UK.
Bad weather? ----- we don't have monsoons every day and mossies the size of crows.
If we weren't so busy looking after everyone else instead of minding our own business, we may make it.
whilst 'TIGER ' ain't a bad beer, it can't hold a candle to TETLEYS. Cheers also.

Hi Jackie

I sure dont miss the fly's from down under and I love the non dom tax regime in the UK
I see in the news the Health Minister has finally said that the NHS, the International Health Service is to be renamed the National Health Service
its a start.
Cheers
(10 years in London myself)

so come clean "powerabout" who are you really ?
Trying to think of an AUSSIE who had a bit of the knowledge.
There weren't many !!!!!!!!
Did The Aussie bit around the time of Warby ( mad as a coot}.
Knew a lot of the drivers and crews.
Paul Jorgenson had a newspaper in Surfers'
Kay Marshall did the FONDA series a couple of times
Craig Bailey, Won a fonda race in Chalon Sur Saone .
Kevin West was the gofor for every OZ team there ever was, {great little ****}

Will take a lot more than a name change to get the NHS back on track, A good start would be to fire all the admin who milk the system dry and put their salaries into R&D and medicine, nobody listens though.

I'm from Melbourne
They are all from up north
My ex business partner ran Jorgensens marina for a while way back

Scribed!

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Originally Posted by seeroy

Here's my Memco in the Gulfstream. That's Ray Dowling behind me. Good shark bait...:D-Steve

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Steve, I think this is navigator Ray Dowling who is also co-piloting with driver Roy Ridgell. To much sunlight for Roy would turn his face dark red, so eventually he started wearing the Noxzema cream as sun-block. I would have to think Ray too was fair skin and applied the cream for protection.

I know my Mom used the cream at night, so I have to assume that this is where Dad's solution for sun protection came from. When you see 1960's photos or videos of the White Face Noxzema boys then, now you know who they are. I hope I am correct in that this is Ray Dowling with Roy Ridgell, if not please correct my recollection.

Also looking at the perpendicular splash distance from the boat's hull, in the photo, this does not seem to be a joy ride.

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