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Thread: Gold Coast Marathon
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04-02-2009, 03:05 PM #1
Gold Coast Marathon
I Recently Came Across A Big Silver Platter That Says "ray E Dodge Award Gold Coast Marathon 1951". I Googled It But Didnt Get Much, Anybody Know Anything About It?
Why does everyone keep calling me Richard Noggin?? My name is George!
Just bring some aloe.....ima tan that hide.......
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04-02-2009, 10:43 PM #27000 RPM
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The Gold Coast was the main event for most racers in South Florida. It was a 2 day race which ran 60 miles from Miami to West Palm Beach then back again the next day.There were classes for just about any boat you could imagine. I was fortunate to have run the Gold Coast several times. It was one of great experiences of my racing life.
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04-02-2009, 11:01 PM #3
Same for Me
I grew up in Fort Lauderdale. My Dad would take us down to the Intracoastal on one of the Marathon days, and I can still remember Dave Craig coming down the water in his Switzer Wing. Or the year that Craig (?) Stella cut down a North American S22 to a low profile, 18' boat powered by an I/O and won.
When I was 13 or 14, we put steering in my Dad's 14' fiberglass skiff, 18 hp pressure tank motor, my brother and I put on our Soap Box Derby helmets and ran in class 1. Little did we know that most of the other boats in the class were little kneel down runabouts half the size of our boat, and way faster.
We finished 9th out of 21 boats in class just by virtue that we finished, and were given an award by Ross Bennett for being one of the last 5 boats to finish. I think around 250 started that Saturday.
Unfortunately, that was the last year the race ran up and down the Intracoastal--a cruiser ran across the course up in Boca Raton, Dell and his then teenage son Duff Daily in an E or F Service runabout (Oh Mona) hit the wake, broke Dell's back and burned Duff--end of permit for the race.Per Rock:
"Once I bought my first Hydrostream boating changed forever for me."
Per my hero Instigator:
"I try not to let common sense interfere w/my boat buying decisions."
Pat Gent
cell 954-249-3246
'78 Hydrostream Vandal (being rebuilt)
'86 21' Eliminator Daytona, 300 OMC V-8 (Li'l Toy III)
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04-04-2009, 01:17 PM #47000 RPM
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I was in a flat bottom Curtis Craft with a 50 Merc in that same Gold Coast. Ran out of gas and had to bum some from a pleasure boat to finish. Here is a picture of my finish at Pelican Harbor.
Last edited by 2us70; 04-04-2009 at 02:18 PM.
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04-11-2009, 11:10 AM #5Member
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I think what is being failed to be mentioned here..... is the fact that this race was run on the inside of the Intercoastal.
Imagine from Miami to Palm Beach with the wildest and fastest boats of the day long before there were any kind of good navigation or channel marks ..... you get the picture.
Sam Griffith started it and once drove a 3 point hydro in the race.....but as already mentioned before....... the Switzer wings were the class of the event and stand out in everyones memory.
Many drivers who were new to the area, would find themsleves turning into dead end canals at speed and then trying to return safely to the main intercoastal..... while others were going by at full speed.
Many boats sank due to hitting floating coconuts.
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04-11-2009, 06:08 PM #67000 RPM
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We will never see anything like the"Gold Coast Marathon" again. Too many pressure groups would line up to prevent it today.
I am just glad to have been a small part of this great event.
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04-12-2009, 02:49 PM #7
Gold Coast
Actually the 266 hydros were the class of the event..UNTIL Dave Craig unleashed his Switzer..It was a GREAT EVENT, the likes of which we shall never see again..
Thank the lawyers..
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09-11-2011, 02:18 PM #8Member
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Any LYC members that ran this race?
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09-11-2011, 06:13 PM #9
And they're off 200+ boat with shotgun start
The only time I ran GCM, there were over 200 starters. What an incredible experience
Every time somebody posts about GCM, I have to post this photo of start at Pelican Harbor Yacht Club - Steve Sirois
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09-11-2011, 06:22 PM #10
I don't know if this is GCM photo. But I do know that this funny looking kid sometimes posts here and that he did run the GCM a few times
NO, It's not me.
Last edited by seeroy; 09-11-2011 at 08:02 PM.
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09-11-2011, 08:19 PM #11
The Gold Coast, 9 Hour, 6 hour OPC and the Sandy Shoes marathon were the races to win in S. Florida during the 60's. All of them had several hundred racers.
The Sandy Shoes was the same format as the Gold Coast.
The GC went from Miami to West Palm Beach on Saturday and West Palm to Miami on Sunday. The Sandy Shoes went from Palm Beach to FT Pierce on Saturday and Ft Pierce to Palm Beach on Sunday. Both had huge parties on Saturday night for the racers.Charlie
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09-11-2011, 08:59 PM #12
OH, there was another funny looking kid running around in a Reveau that also ran his share of GCMs.
He also posts here once in awhile.......Once again, It's not me.
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09-11-2011, 10:56 PM #13
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Tx Guy thanked for this postLake X Kid liked this post
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09-11-2011, 10:59 PM #14
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09-12-2011, 09:22 AM #15