Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

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Originally Posted by FUJIMO

https://www.fastonwater.co.uk/images/p114_1_12.jpg...wilf...

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That looks like “Shakey” Bills Boat with the SILO motor ! One of the last time Bill ever ran a Mercury. WILF OFTEN DROVE AS SHAKEYS CO-DRIVER !!!
Roy Ridgell was over here based in Poole —- waiting for the Three new SILO’S —- one for me —- one for VELDEN, the other was for “Shakey”. Problem was —- He was burning the candle at both ends . He was also testing the new OMC at the same time.
Roy was not a happy bunny . Neither was Pat Frewer at SWMF , the mercury importer —- Bill was given his marching orders and never raced for Mercury again.
Just saying !!!!!

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

That looks like “Shakey” Bills Boat with the SILO motor ! One of the last time Bill ever ran a Mercury. WILF OFTEN DROVE AS SHAKEYS CO-DRIVER !!!
Roy Ridgell was over here based in Poole —- waiting for the Three new SILO’S —- one for me —- one for VELDEN, the other was for “Shakey”. Problem was —- He was burning the candle at both ends . He was also testing the new OMC at the same time.
Roy was not a happy bunny . Neither was Pat Frewer at SWMF , the mercury importer —- Bill was given his marching orders and never raced for Mercury again.
Just saying !!!!!

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That is wilf gregory driving one of Freddi miles new Milesmaster 17ft boats both Wilf and Max Milton drove Freddis boats on a regular basis up to Freddi selling the boat racing business around 1974.But you are right about the engine it was Billys Mercury silo engine Peter Thorneywork and myself raced in the Chasewater 500 with that engine and after the race Mercury took the engine back and gave it to Freddi Miles.

Jackie when you witnessed your son Mark race, did you ever get nervous considering the dangers and safety issues.
Like you mentioned, some drivers never made it to the checkered flag of retiring.

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

Somebody lately asked when my last race was . There you go , this is it. I never raced a boat again.
Jenks, Percy and Robert were forever asking when i was going back racing. None of them believed i had finally retired .
Maybe as well i did, Jenks and me are just two of the few that made it past the chequered flag to actually enjoy retirement.

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https://www.screamandfly.com/attachm...4&d=1615452062

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Originally Posted by Lake X Kid

Jackie when you witnessed your son Mark race, did you ever get nervous considering the dangers and safety issues.
Like you mentioned, some drivers never made it to the checkered flag of retiring.



https://www.screamandfly.com/attachm...4&d=1615452062

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Every time Mark ever got into a boat was a worry- i was scared sh-tless ! Hard part was never to show it. Playing it cool was essential ,Mark was one of five of my kids . In his first year of SENIOR racing , no less than seven drivers had fatal accidents, gave me cause for concern !!!
Then it happened again when my grandson Craig started offshore racing .
That’s when you ask for celestial protection and prayers become a daily routine . I have never told anyone this before . But i think every father who loved his offspring feels the same .

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Originally Posted by STEVERINO

That is wilf gregory driving one of Freddi miles new Milesmaster 17ft boats both Wilf and Max Milton drove Freddis boats on a regular basis up to Freddi selling the boat racing business around 1974.But you are right about the engine it was Billys Mercury silo engine Peter Thorneywork and myself raced in the Chasewater 500 with that engine and after the race Mercury took the engine back and gave it to Freddi Miles.

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freddie didn’t build boats until Dave Burgess went to work for him —- But i thought that was after Shakey Copped his clogs at Windermere???????
Freddie did race Shakespeare tunnels before he raced Dave Burgess built MILESMASTERS ??????

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Originally Posted by STEVERINO

That is wilf gregory driving one of Freddi miles new Milesmaster 17ft boats both Wilf and Max Milton drove Freddis boats on a regular basis up to Freddi selling the boat racing business around 1974.But you are right about the engine it was Billys Mercury silo engine Peter Thorneywork and myself raced in the Chasewater 500 with that engine and after the race Mercury took the engine back and gave it to Freddi Miles.

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Slight problem here Steve . That’s a picture of Wilf , no doubt about that !!!
It’s also the 500. Miler at CHASEWATER, year is 1970 —- only year the Silo’s ran —- In 1971 we were were running “COWBELLS” .
WAS FREDDIE BUILDING SHAKESPEARE TUNNELS IN 1970 ??????

https://www.fastonwater.co.uk/images/p114_1_00.jpg

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

—— a couple of ex royals ——
Even me as an Englishman knows OPRAH Winfrey can stir up a sh-t storm in a cardboard box with the lid shut tight if she has a mind to . She managed it admirably!!!!!!! Congrats Girl, you got the pair to drown in their own mire .
Perfect set up— divorcee with ambition—- {been there —done that— good start} Social climber , but gone off the bubble so to speak ??????

Harry with the ginger hair and of questionable heritage ????

—— it achieved two things for the English viewers . —— Harry has always been a likeable lad —- trying hard to keep his head above water. Always played second fiddle to his older brother . Did it well too!!!!
THEN

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Meghan Markel brought you to California, the founding land of political correctness. But Harry, I do not know the answer. I had a little bit of red hair in my youthful beard, but it was only in my chin area. I would not consider the, S brothers from Lake X either they, were happy husbands within their respective families.

And plus Diana would not look my way, because I couldn’t afford a chauffeur like jetsetter Dodi Fayed.
You and Meghan have daddy issues.

Harry you need to go, back across the pond, to find out who’s your real daddy.

https://youtu.be/TVRzk3VWOKY

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

Slight problem here Steve . That’s a picture of Wilf , no doubt about that !!!
It’s also the 500. Miler at CHASEWATER, year is 1970 —- only year the Silo’s ran —- In 1971 we were were running “COWBELLS” .
WAS FREDDIE BUILDING SHAKESPEARE TUNNELS IN 1970 ??????

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Freddi had the last wooden Shakespeare boat built in 1969 they were all grp in 1970 it was same boat Wilf drove in Liege and Garbrecht bought it off Freddi.In the 1970 Chasewater 500 MILE RACE Wilf drove a Milesmaster with a 1250sbp engine.The Twister1 engine we used failed in the race thats when Mercury took it back.They rebuilt it and then gave it to Freddi they ran in the 1970 Paris 6 hr race with the same engine and had Camel cigarettes as sponsors.They used the same boat and engine in the 1971 season and at the 1971 Chasewater 500 race too.Freddi never had a T11 Mercury offered i have no idea why so he ran a Johnson for the 1972 season.In 1973 Garbrecht gave Freddi the first Twister11x to race in the UK he raced his first picklefork boat and won the 1973 Chasewater 500 mile race with the new engine but i think that one went back to the US after that race.Veldon Spalding Percival were Pis-----ed they still had Twister 11 engines.and couldn`t keep up with Freddii i think they had their new T2x engines a short time after.Dave Burgess would be able to tell you much more than i can remember.

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Originally Posted by STEVERINO

Freddi had the last wooden Shakespeare boat built in 1969 they were all grp in 1970 it was same boat Wilf drove in Liege and Garbrecht bought it off Freddi.In the 1970 Chasewater 500 MILE RACE Wilf drove a Milesmaster with a 1250sbp engine.The Twister1 engine we used failed in the race thats when Mercury took it back.They rebuilt it and then gave it to Freddi they ran in the 1970 Paris 6 hr race with the same engine and had Camel cigarettes as sponsors.They used the same boat and engine in the 1971 season and at the 1971 Chasewater 500 race too.Freddi never had a T11 Mercury offered i have no idea why so he ran a Johnson for the 1972 season.In 1973 Garbrecht gave Freddi the first Twister11x to race in the UK he raced his first picklefork boat and won the 1973 Chasewater 500 mile race with the new engine but i think that one went back to the US after that race.Veldon Spalding Percival were Pis-----ed they still had Twister 11 engines.and couldn`t keep up with Freddii i think they had their new T2x engines a short time after.Dave Burgess would be able to tell you much more than i can remember.

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Steve, normally i agree with everything anybody says about anything, im just all the way past disagreeing and arguing any more .
Freddie and Wilf were laps ahead of everyone in the 1969 Liege race —— That was when Wilf came into
the pits a tad too hot and shortened the nose somewhat, boat was all wood —- it splintered like matchwood. GG bought the boat “as was” and shipped it back to Oshberg.
Both Jeremy and Shakey went over the weir —- Bill broke both wrists—- Jeremy ran out of luck that day. He never made it.
One and only time i raced Liege !

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

. .... Freddie and Wilf were laps ahead of everyone in the 1969 Liege race —— That was when Wilf came into
the pits a tad too hot and shortened the nose somewhat, boat was all wood —- it splintered like matchwood. GG bought the boat “as was” and shipped it back to Oshberg. .....

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Don't recall a Miles, splintered or otherwise coming to Oshkosh in 69. Do remember the boat Miles drove in Paris and Havasu in 1970 .....

Attachment 483913

[QUOTE=willabee;3270983]

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

. .... Freddie and Wilf were laps ahead of everyone in the 1969 Liege race —— That was when Wilf came into
the pits a tad too hot and shortened the nose somewhat, boat was all wood —- it splintered like matchwood. GG bought the boat “as was” and shipped it back to Oshberg. ..... [/QUOTE

Don't recall a Miles, splintered or otherwise coming to Oshkosh in 69. Do remember the boat Miles drove in Paris and Havasu in 1970 .....

Attachment 483913

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Hey Willa—- glad to hear you’re alive and well and twice as cranky!!!!
Reason that you don’t remember a MILES being shipped to you in 69, was because they were still “SHAKESPEARE” at that time . Burgess was still building them.
Dave Burgess is still very much alive and kicking—— he built boats for Shakespeare—Miles— and finally under his own label—- BURGESS— and very competitive boats they were too, beating the Molinari—- Seebold —- VELDEN and Hodges regularly. John Hill, Jon Jones . Both won world titles in a Burgess. All good boats.

In January 1971 , Colonel Peter Tejera—- the Naval attaché at the Venezuelan embassy asked me to talk with GG about the possibility of him providing a new Molinari . He was nearing the end of his stint at the embassy and was an ardent boat racer . He had managed to acquire a New Shakespeare , and a CCC JONRUDE {from Cougar marine } . GG was anxious to get his hand on the latest JONRUDE so he agreed , he could have a new molinari and a cowbell in exchange for the Shakespeare and the CCC.
I drove Peter a new AUDI and a trailer through snowstorms and blocked motorways to Como. . Renato and Peter got into an argument about what the final amount should be , Peter won hands down. Brought the whole rig back to England. Peter asked that we drop it off at the cougar factory in London . They were to ship it to Venezuela on board the only submarine the Venezuelan navy had . I delivered the Shakespeare and the CCC to SWMF in Poole . I never heard what happened after that,

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

In January 1971 , Colonel Peter Tejera—- the Naval attaché at the Venezuelan embassy asked me to talk with GG about the possibility of him providing a new Molinari . He was nearing the end of his stint at the embassy and was an ardent boat racer . He had managed to acquire a New Shakespeare , and a CCC JONRUDE {from Cougar marine } . GG was anxious to get his hand on the latest JONRUDE so he agreed , he could have a new molinari and a cowbell in exchange for the Shakespeare and the CCC.
I drove Peter a new AUDI and a trailer through snowstorms and blocked motorways to Como. . Renato and Peter got into an argument about what the final amount should be , Peter won hands down. Brought the whole rig back to England. Peter asked that we drop it off at the cougar factory in London . They were to ship it to Venezuela on board the only submarine the Venezuelan navy had . I delivered the Shakespeare and the CCC to SWMF in Poole . I never heard what happened after that,

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It's good to be alive and well and ..... cranky!

Can't help you with the tale of the Shakespeare/CCC, never heard that one. I don't know much about OMC's, but I think the CCC was a mid 1970's motor? Nonetheless, it was an interesting story. Just the right combination of Ian Fleming and Walt Disney ..... mystery and imagination. :D

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

In January 1971 , Colonel Peter Tejera—- the Naval attaché at the Venezuelan embassy asked me to talk with GG about the possibility of him providing a new Molinari . He was nearing the end of his stint at the embassy and was an ardent boat racer . He had managed to acquire a New Shakespeare , and a CCC JONRUDE {from Cougar marine } . GG was anxious to get his hand on the latest JONRUDE so he agreed , he could have a new molinari and a cowbell in exchange for the Shakespeare and the CCC.
I drove Peter a new AUDI and a trailer through snowstorms and blocked motorways to Como. . Renato and Peter got into an argument about what the final amount should be , Peter won hands down. Brought the whole rig back to England. Peter asked that we drop it off at the cougar factory in London . They were to ship it to Venezuela on board the only submarine the Venezuelan navy had . I delivered the Shakespeare and the CCC to SWMF in Poole . I never heard what happened after that,

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I can remember Peter Tejera having a blue fireflake 15ft Shakespeare grp boat with a 1000sbp engine in 1970 if as you say he purchased a OMC engine I think it would be a 99cu inch V4.OMC did make that engine available to private customers like myself we had a Johnson and Tom Percival had a Evinrude these engines ran a much lower compression than the factory race engines that also had powertrim and up and down movement.I think the cost of a customer OMC engine was around £1200 pounds at that time.