"Letters from Heaven" Miami 1960's

**2us70** · 06-23-2016, 11:41 AM

Fond memories of racing at Key West Outboard Club. Won my first race there, won a divisional and set a one hour record as well. Good place for me. Out of all the times I

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raced there this is the only picture I have from Key West. This is from the one hour record day

**FUJIMO** · 06-23-2016, 11:51 AM

**FUJIMO** · 06-23-2016, 11:52 AM

...Great shot 2us70. Reminds me of the Hauptner Craft days...

**lilabner** · 06-23-2016, 12:28 PM

We loved racing there also. I remember during the Cuban Missile crisis we were told not to break down or touch land in the channel next to Boca Chica NAS, My first race was there also, Aristocraft Torpedo, about 12 feet, Mark 30 jacked up too high. I fried it. My first meeting with Tommy Sheldon, Bugger Red and Chink, Bob Deeson, Marty Handshaw, Jim Watkins, Beep Walker, and Herb Reeves. We went there maybe 3 times a year. I got better.
This had to be the most fun race of my career. My best friend Richie Baiz and I had identical boats and setups. We put on a great show for the fans. We stayed even the entire race switching spots each lap. He beat me by a bow eye. We were banging sides at the spectator turn every lap, laughing and carrying on each lap. Phil Young, who owned Richie's boat, was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He didn't know it was a setup. We never told him.

**FUJIMO** · 06-23-2016, 12:37 PM

**FUJIMO** · 06-23-2016, 12:39 PM

Click on the bar above each photo...(if there is one).

**lilabner** · 06-23-2016, 12:44 PM

Thank you FUJIMO, you have great editing software.

**willabee** · 06-23-2016, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by lilabner

I'll bet the tunnel boat guys that raced with Gary Peacock never knew he had a racing brother named Pete. Pete ran a Power Cat with 800 speedmasters. He was the opposite of Gary. I liked them both. We lost Pete way too soon.

I was just going to ask if that was Gary's brother. I remember attending the APBA meeting in Cincinnati in about 73. When the convention was over I was heading for Lake X. My work at the meeting was done and I decided to leave a day early. I called Gary and told him I was heading down, he suggested I spend the night at his home and we'd do something "fun" the next day. That morning I saw a big airboat parked in the driveway. I'm pretty sure Gary said he borrowed it from his brother Pete who was a conservation warden (or something like that) in Florida, primarily worked the Glades. What a day that turned out to be, we went deer hunting!

Don't recall Gary ever mentioning that Pete used to race boats.

Sure wish I could make big pictures again

**FUJIMO** · 06-23-2016, 01:03 PM

willa...this is as large as they will expand...

**FUJIMO** · 06-23-2016, 01:04 PM

**lilabner** · 06-23-2016, 01:04 PM

"What a day that turned out to be!" quote from Willabee

Going with Gary, that is the perfect line. I grew up next door to his one time wife Meg. Didn't know he had married her for about 20 years. She and her brother used to play with my brothers. Her older sister was a real beauty. No stories will follow..

Pete was a real gentleman. He got hit in the face with a mullet while we were racing from Riviera Beach to Ft Pierce. He looked terrible.