"Letters from Heaven" Miami 1960's

**velox** · 07-26-2007, 09:24 AM

BTW Gene,
My very first race was in the D OPC class and I won my very first heat against Oliver.
I beat him by .01 of a second.
The second heat he beat me by .02 sec.
He got first and I got second overall in the 2 heat race.
I still have some photos of that race take by Jim Scott.
That was probably in 1961!

**A_LoneWolf** · 10-04-2007, 11:52 AM

Ah, Miami in the 60s. In the mid 60s (Jr. High) I lived three doors down from Fuzzy Furlong. I was on Barbarosa, his house was on the corner one block off LeJeune <layer id="google-toolbar-hilite-0" style="background-color: Cyan; color: black;">Road</layer>. Loved checking out the boats in the driveway before the races. We used to run an 8' HP up and down the Coral Gables Waterway. A couple of years later while living in the Grove, a couple of friends and I built and raced a 'Tornado' Stock car at Hialeah.

Bottom Line: There just wasn't a better time or place to come of age.

**velox** · 11-12-2007, 08:58 AM

A friend and I attended the 2007 River Ranch get together.
I was amazed!! I have not been around the really fast outboards for years and could not believe my eyes.
Next year all of the old Florida racers should get together at River Ranch.
Its a great venue, central to a lot of Florida guys and I am sure the young fast boat drivers would love to meet everybody.
These newer boats and motors are simply amazing. Back in the old days the fast boats would go 80. The Twin Switzers could go over 100, but there were only a couple of these. Now days everything goes over 80 and a lot over 100!!!

**velox** · 08-22-2008, 10:54 AM

Got a call from Lil Abner on a Friday at noon a couple of months ago telling me to get my butt down to the Offshore reunion.
I grabbed my son and drove down. Most of the guys were inboard, but a handful of OB guys showed up. It was pretty cool to see some of the guys like Gene Lanham, Butch Stokes, Roy Ridgell, Dave Craig and Odell Lewis.
We even had some "Girls Gone Wild" moments!

**BobbyR** · 08-22-2008, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by lilabner

We South Florida old timers have lost another Icon..Clarence Earl Wahl, known to his friends as Bugger Red, passed away on July 20th, 2007. He was 85 years old and had suffered from a lenghty illness. He was a survivor of the D-Day Invasion in Normandy, and received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He was one of the first to receive a Mark 75H when production began. He raced runabouts mostly, then bought the number 40 PowerCat from Chuck Mersereau, complete with Merc 800 stackers..the next year he bought Chucks PowerCat Hydro with Merc 1000's..had a disagreement with Mr Kiekhaefer, and put on Mac 630's..He would help anybody who asked, and was a great friend to many..RIP Bugger..
Service is Wed at 11 am in Pembroke Pines..

Bugger and i raced together a few times and I had the pleasure of Bugger as a co-polit for the Miami-Nassua race somewhere around '64. ( His only offshore race I believe) The Scott motors he had on the cab over where rotary valve engines and when you got everything timed just right they would run....
he was a good racer and would help anyone.....RIP Bugger

Bobby Ridgell

**BobbyR** · 08-22-2008, 02:35 PM

Charlie,
You have all the pull maybe you can find the article in the Miami Herald '62-'65 when Carl was thrown out of his Cat on the round the beach race..It started circling around him, he swam to it worked his way down the side ( keeping away from the props) caught hold of the back of the motor, worked over between the motors and up the transom.

Finished the race... There was pictures of this whole thing taken from a helo in the paper. I think that was the year that George Thompson exploded the 18' Ted Jones, that he had won the ob divison of the Miami-Nassua, in Bakers Haulover....I rode with Thompson to Nassua but that's another strory...I ran that round the beach race two or three years....

Bobby

**lilabner** · 08-22-2008, 04:02 PM

Hi Bobby,

I've been searching for you for about 3 years now..Saw your post on the Raveau site..Wanted to get you to the Old Timers Reunion..Glad to see you found your way here..I'm sure you have a lot of great stories..Old Seeroy seems to be running out..

Butch Stokes

**lilabner** · 08-22-2008, 04:07 PM

Bobby,

I've got those pictures..

Butch

Carl, Jeanne, and Odell

**lilabner** · 08-22-2008, 04:10 PM

And here's George

**BobbyR** · 08-22-2008, 07:33 PM

Thanks Butch,
I was in the back seat of that cat (18 Ted Jones fitted with twin 100's and twin 70 gal tanks) had the ole porto power jack tied to the plate in the tunnel..( I can't speel but you've caught that by now) Not too long before this picture for 187 miles to Nassua...George won the first outboard and third over all... Odell in a 25' Moppie was first and Don Arronow was secound in a plywood boat with three GM motors..My first ocean race .(green as grass -I was along for the ride)..got to break in some time.....That's another story..anyway this was the Around the Beach (Miami) race... out Baker's haulover down the beach-back in g'vment cut -down the ICW --twice....
I don't know if this was the same year that Carl did his trick or not another story.........
Anyway I had a 16' foot Aluim ( George Bloomberg's boat ) with a 100 Merc (stock) . When I came throught the Haulover (the waves were standing stright up with no pattern) I took off a wave and right up to a helo that that was down close to the water looking at or for George...It's a thrill to run a race boat ...but when your close enough to see the pilot's face

...That's a thrill!!!!!!!
Circled the boat George gave me the high sign and off down the beach i went...Won the class ....stopped by the judges stand (not at Pelican Habor).... got back in the boat and found that I had sheared the crank right below the flywheel....Someone pulled me back to the boat ramp

My Thanks to Brian W here in Texas who found the web page and called to tell me about it and you guys for doing it and keeping it rolling.
If I make a mistake in any of the stories please help me ...my memory wasn't good when i was young....Don't expect too much now.
Bobby Ridgell -- Son of Roy ---brother of Roy Jr.

**BobbyR** · 08-22-2008, 07:58 PM

I just stopped and looked at the picture of Carl, Jeanne and Odell it brought back several memories.... Odell was the only one that could come into the slip at the Lake wide open turn and stop at the gas pumps...Tried it one night sure was glad that it was before we put in all the seawall....I thought I could handle a boat.....
Carl and I were testing before the Miami -Key West race in a cut down 21 Seacraft w/twin 100...We had been out by Fowery Rock and were coming back down the ICW when a water turkey that had been sitting on a ICW marker decided to fly... If you have ever watched them they don't fly well..anyway Cral said something.....oops I forgot to tell you I was riding in front of Carl....and I turned my head to see what he said....woke a little later after the turkey hit me....glad carl said something ...Could have been like Billy Don "Mullet" Pruitt with a broken nose after hitting a flying mullet in the Marine Stadium....but that's another story..
I'll get off the web now... I've babbled enough.... When your around people that have not experinced any of this they kind look at like reeeeaally... and thats where I have been for the last thirty years...

Bobby

**BobbyR** · 08-23-2008, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by velox

BTW Gene,
My very first race was in the D OPC class and I won my very first heat against Oliver.
I beat him by .01 of a second.
The second heat he beat me by .02 sec.
He got first and I got second overall in the 2 heat race.
I still have some photos of that race take by Jim Scott.
That was probably in 1961!

Did I miss the pictures????

**lilabner** · 08-23-2008, 10:27 AM

Bobby,

Here are the pictures you asked about. That is the same boat he pulled Dave Craig in when Dave's Power Cat ran over him and sliced open his stomach..He just grabbed Dave and pulled him up the slope in the back..

Butch

**Powercat** · 08-23-2008, 12:17 PM

Butch:
That gives me chills just thinking about climbing in the boat between 2 running
outboards.. still amazes me...
Danny Leger

[QUOTE=lilabner;1442053]Bobby,

Here are the pictures you asked about. That is the same boat he pulled Dave Craig in when Dave's Power Cat ran over him and sliced open his stomach..He just grabbed Dave and pulled him up the slope in the back..

Butch

**BobbyR** · 08-23-2008, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by lilabner

Bobby,

Here are the pictures you asked about. That is the same boat he pulled Dave Craig in when Dave's Power Cat ran over him and sliced open his stomach..He just grabbed Dave and pulled him up the slope in the back..

Butch

Butch, Thanks---you're good I don't where you are getting all this info but you are good... july 62 I believe this is the same race that George

did his number..If you look at the picture you will see all the foam all over the water. - Remember the boats were not foamed at that time it was new. Roy and I almost blew the bottom out of a pair of 14' Crestliners @ Dave Craigs place on 36th street by the airport... we had run a one hour race in them and EC decide that we would run them in the Miami-Bimini race. (another story) It was late @ nite and we had the boats proped up in the bow(high)
where we had one opening. I was in the boat pouring and Roy was doing the important stuff - mixing.....no lite -couldn't see - I would pour a bucket inthe hole and Roy would ask "see anything yet?" noo would be the answer and another batch would be mixed and poured--well any of you that have worked with foam are way ahead of me right now...I believe we had two 5 gal buckets of part "A" and the same of part "B"
When we stopped the floor were crowned as well as the sides and the bottom...We were in the water 5am for the start the next morning...14' boat 110 sterndrives 55 miles to Bimini...
Thanks again... Do you have info on Carl and Odell???
send me an E-mail if you do .......

Bobby