Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[jackiewilson]

Shooting the tube —— another of my early efforts using stainless steel only.

[jackiewilson]

First switzer wing i ever attempted —boat - was at one of the very first OFF meetings along with Kenny and Jim Hunt.

[jackiewilson]

Attachment 495350
THINK THIS WAS SKYWAY 700 TWIN OF 70 WHICH IS STILL UNDER THE BENCH SOMEWHERE
Motors were even made of wood in those early days.

Skyway 700 ———there is another white skyway still under the bench somewhere number 70 i think

[FUJIMO]

[jackiewilson]

NOW HERE‘S THE THING——- SOMEONE MADE GOOD USE OF AN OLD JONRUDE V8.
GUY USES IT FOR HILLCLIMBS ——- FOUND SOMETHING USEFUL FOR IT DO????
Just kidding—

[jackiewilson]

Sold the tower to a well known personality—- did a quick check on it. Found it had a couple of windows missing , a few nuts and bolts —— did sign it and tidy it to bring it up to muster .
Have had that damn Miles boat for years —- used it for target practice , and venting spite .
Finally found a way to get it out of my sight forever ——- atop the tower .
That was the first of the cosworth engined boats —- had a 2 litre BDG lump —- i had Freddie Miles design it and Dave Burgess build it . Was a joint venture between Bill Brown and myself —- went belly up when Bill nailed the CARLSBERG deal.
Friendship wasn’t helped any when he ran over me and sank the boat during a record run on Lake Windermere ——- then had the feckin audacity to say i „“INADVERTANTLY CROSSED HIS PATH“!!!!!!
Well he was an RYA official and a UIM commissioner so he was never going to be blamed .
Bit like The prince running over a chap on a pedestrian crossing——- what the dickens was he doing on the crossing in the first place ??????????? SH-T HAPPENS !!!!! Some days you eat bear !!!!!!!!!!!!

[jackiewilson]

Another attempt at a SWITZER WING — sponsons are in solid walnut, wing is in English oak. Simply polished it as it was beautifully matured joinery grade timber , came out quite well. Even made the motors out of English oak. Never did Put it on a mount .

[powerabout]

NOW HERE‘S THE THING——- SOMEONE MADE GOOD USE OF AN OLD JONRUDE V8.
GUY USES IT FOR HILLCLIMBS ——- FOUND SOMETHING USEFUL FOR IT DO????
Just kidding—

New project coming, a few photos in a few months I guess.

[jackiewilson]

New project coming, a few photos in a few months I guess.

Done with projects for all time Pilgrim—- just Concepts. ——-nothing but Concepts !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FUJIMO]

[jackiewilson]

Made enough worktop space to continuay—- uncovered far too many old original concepts for comfort will just throw another blanket over the lot for another ten years —— if anyone sees anything they take a fancy to just let me know everything is up for sale —- pretty close to 100 concepts.

[Lake X Kid]

I think it was a Roy Ridgell idea to use that 90 cu. powerhead to build an OI Twister for Giorgio Molinari. Pretty sure Giorgio won that class with it in 71. I think Roy took one of our spare TI's and swapped powerheads. Think I even remember a young Lake X Kid grumbling about having to scrape all those gaskets from the exhaust plates.

The exhaust Log.
Maybe it isn’t polite to talk about the decease. However, here are my assumptions, of why it is now a relic dinosaur (and also Jackie, didn’t even create a fabricated model of it).

Weight – Weight Placement –Cost.

Weight, the thing weights too much. I don’t know the poundage, but I remember picking up that cast aluminum, and it was not light. And a bad analogy is it’s, a pregnant woman trying to compete in a foot race. The single exhaust pipe would be a better option.

Weight Placement/Location – is it’s a leaning Tower of Pisa. In a high G corner all that upper flag pole weight is moving the center of buoyancy more apt to barrel-roll the boat. You would have to eliminate the engine’s mid-section, to compensate for all that top heaviness.

Cost – the hot-bulky Log would never be incorporated into a production model. And that is why, I think, upper management decided this is only a racing toy. Cut the funding!

Maybe my Dad had, like many of you, have/had nostalgic leanings to the protruding hunk. But my memories are scraping off gaskets and not gouging the Log’s aluminum gasket surfaces. For me, it was more a chore, than a contribution of satisfaction.
If any of the exhaust logs survived and made it to the vintage circuit. Well good for them, and its legacy.

This photo is Roy Ridgell at the Como Shop, posing with an infamous Log Exhaust Engine.

[Lake X Kid]

Mike Downard at Parker with the Single Pipe.

I do not know the specs between the Log Exhaust versus the Single Pipe, but I will venture if put on the same powerhead, the SP engine is creating more horses at the prop shaft.

Photo courtesy of Willabee's Hot Single site.

[jackiewilson]

The exhaust Log.
Maybe it isn’t polite to talk about the decease. However, here are my assumptions, of why it is now a relic dinosaur (and also Jackie, didn’t even create a fabricated model of it).

Weight – Weight Placement –Cost.

Weight, the thing weights too much. I don’t know the poundage, but I remember picking up that cast aluminum, and it was not light. And a bad analogy is it’s, a pregnant woman trying to compete in a foot race. The single exhaust pipe would be a better option.

Weight Placement/Location – is it’s a leaning Tower of Pisa. In a high G corner all that upper flag pole weight is moving the center of buoyancy more apt to barrel-roll the boat. You would have to eliminate the engine’s mid-section, to compensate for all that top heaviness.

Cost – the hot-bulky Log would never be incorporated into a production model. And that is why, I think, upper management decided this is only a racing toy. Cut the funding!

Maybe my Dad had, like many of you, have/had nostalgic leanings to the protruding hunk. But my memories are scraping off gaskets and not gouging the Log’s aluminum gasket surfaces. For me, it was more a chore, than a contribution of satisfaction.
If any of the exhaust logs survived and made it to the vintage circuit. Well good for them, and its legacy.

This photo is Roy Ridgell at the Como Shop, posing with an infamous Log Exhaust Engine.

Roy always looked dapper and well dressed wherever he went with his trademark “docksiders” or something very similar . in Europe we called that the SILO — had the ugliest steering bar contraption ever cobbled anywhere .
UIM in its wisdom put a decibel limit on all motors used in competition, we had to have a rubber flap stitched over the exhaust To quieten it down a tad .
Giorgio took the Paris boat to RABONDAGES —FOR THE WORLD OI CHAMPIONSHIP- I HAD MORE POINTS THAN ANYONE COMING INTO THE FINAL HEAT .
Sun was very low in the sky for the final race—- i was first out of the traps and had a healthy lead in the little black Molinari. About mid-race going into the top turn i saw a boat where it should not have been —- damn near ran over TULLIO ABBATTE . Turned round and picked him up as he stood a good chance of getting minced because nobody could see him. Lost a bunch of time and finished way down the list. Points showed i had finished second . Conditions were flat calm water with no crosswinds —ideal for a small boat with lots of top end — i walked away with a dozen trophies but not the world championship—— but i had a friend for life in TULLIO ABBATTE. Yes, of course i would do the same thing all over again !
My great friend Chas Shooter collected BP’S and gearcases——- i have no idea what happened to them when he died .

[jackiewilson]

This was the little Molinari was just under 16’—- was a tidy handful on anything other than flat calm.
Really was unbeatable in the day with the right conditions . Hated crosswinds and waves . This one went to canada — Mark Rathermal had it for a while .