Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[jackiewilson]

OMC only do fishing motors ( That go racing)
Mercury only do race motors ( that go fishing) ?

[powerabout]

OMC only do fishing motors ( That go racing)
Mercury only do race motors ( that go fishing) ?

your confusing Johnson with Evinrude..lol

[jackiewilson]

A few more of Little Jeff’s pictures.

[jackiewilson]

your confusing Johnson with Evinrude..lol

That was straight from Jack Leek.

[jackiewilson]

Had the ultra scan last night.
Was informed ALL the tendons in my upper arms had been severed——- only time that could have happened was when I tried to knock the snot out of Terra firma whilst missing the little white ball completely. That was seven months ago.
Im sure you all remember the saga of the “Poorlie Paw”——- damn thing looked like a donut on a stick for six months. Well, it has gone completely in the hands and wrists——— but the neck and arms have not been good .
Because I ve had gout and arthritis and all the aches and pains associated with an 85 year old, I think the quacks just assumed it was simply that old bastard “ARTHUR” giving me a hard time.
Theres hope on the horizon——— better watch out —— I could still become a real pain in the arse nuisance on S & F for some time to come.

[rckid74]

did the fuel pump get swapped from stb to port at a later stage?

I think you're referring to the two pump pads you can see on the st'bd side of the reed housing in the picture of Old Blue. Those were never used. They were intended to have the I6 pump which was the only pump available when I first designed the engine. But the newer square pump became available so we used it and put it on the port side with the rest of the fuel stuff.

[FUJIMO]

OMC only do fishing motors ( That go racing)
Mercury only do race motors ( that go fishing) ?

[jackiewilson]

Who am I to argue with Steve Mc Queen——- was my life for thirty years——— and a goodly proportion of it for another thirty, right up to the present day with my son and grandson still carrying on.
As time goes by, famous people of today become the forgotten people of Tomorrow.
Before Molinari, Scotti, Velden, Schultz and Koenig——- I was racing people every bit as “famous” in their day. Shakespeare, Melly, Merryfield, Ross, Holmes, May, Sabberton, Sutton, Derrington and hundreds more whose names I often forget, but their faces are as clear as crystal.
Because nobody ever bothered to put together a “HISTORY OF POWER BOAT DRIVERS” most of the names will be lost in the annals of time.
lets go back to the thirties, apart from the winners of a few international races, I wonder how many “Famous” names will be remembered, those who came in lower down in the finish positions.
For sure, at the moment I could tell you hundreds of people who raced from all over the world——- most of you will never even have heard of, some names will never die, but names like Alberto Fiorretti from Casale Monferato ——- Johnny Bloch from France———- Hans Pelster from Holland, plus all those that even I can’t remember.
Today, in the age of computers and digital cameras, events. Can and will be remembered much more.
Wonder if we will be forgotten, or maybe in a hundred years some old fart will point to a faded foggie of a tunnel boat and say to his grandkid proudly———— I used to know that man.

[powerabout]

There was a thread on an aussie boat site that listed the racers who built and raced their own boats.
Had the list I expected then it went back into the 60's and was just as big
There were lots back in the day.

[jackiewilson]

There was a thread on an aussie boat site that listed the racers who built and raced their own boats.
Had the list I expected then it went back into the 60's and was just as big
There were lots back in the day.

I started racing mid fifties Pilgrim———- I was a new recruit at the LMBRC
THERE WERE FIFTY RACING MEMBERS at that time. The club had just moved to Iver from Bedfont, which was a mainly hydro club.
So there were already plenty of race boat drivers around, even then!

[jackiewilson]

Ventured into. The shop for a couple of hours today———- just had one of those mad fits of depression where I get to think clearly and everything seems very clear and easy .
Seem to have had a lot of thinking time lately, which has left me with a head full of ideas———- been cutting out a couple of patterns, ready for when I get the use of my arms back. I can still wield a useful pencil without suffering too much.
Watched Odell doing his bit in the Bahamas 500 and decided I’d have a crack at his old “MONA LOU” .
I had made him one before, but it somehow wound up in MUMBAI. Figure I owe him one, so I got the mahogany ready and roughed——— should be well on with it by next week.
Just to let you know I’m not going to waste.

[jackiewilson]

That’s another week slipped under the radar without me noticing———- you sit back, waiting for Christmas———- it comes—— goes —- and before you know it , your birthday will be here and gone and I’ll be another year older.
Good thing about that is the fact I shall be 86 for a whole year without getting any older!
Still wet and windy and damned cold with it, be glad when the clocks go forward and winters been kicked out the window. Have never been a winter person ——— even as a kid I disliked the white stuff.
Must confess, there seemed to be more severe weather about when I was growing up.
I see the race promotors are getting their schedules together. Has always amazed me how North American” championships “ consist of three to five races, whilst over here in Europe it’s somewhere between ten and fifteen events.
Would appear that the power boat clubs and the organising authorities are at each other’s throats again.
Trouble we have is, one cannot do without the other——— racers need a licence, these can only be obtained through a club, clubs need affiliation with the RYA who in turn need association with the UIM.
Any break down in the chain and the powerboating side of things turns to worms.
Problem is, and always has been———— RYA represents all boating, power, sail and breeches arse steam. Sailing being a hundred times larger than power will always get the largest slice of the cake.

UIM. RYA. CLUBS. I would say there needs to be something between the RYA. and the CLUBS. that needs to be made up of people who understand powerboating.

[powerabout]

Sailing got organised
Poweboating didnt, is also a divided mess in australia even though we have the apba as the national body

[jackiewilson]

Sailing got organised
Poweboating didnt, is also a divided mess in australia even though we have the apba as the national body

Would appear to be the same the world over——— even in the USA they have problems with the APBA.

RYA says it all——- it’s a ROYAL YACHTING ASSOCIATION——- something far removed from powerboating which is just an annoying itch that has to be tolerated because the UIM says so.
THE SQUADRON was, is, and always will be top end of the sailing world, the only time it’s open to powerboating is for the Cowes/Torquay when there’s usually a couple of the aristocracy taking part .

There has been much discord over the years between the two factors ———- much money has changed hands, with very little to show for it.
Maybe it is time for powerboats and sailboats to go their separate ways. God knows they’ve been separate for years, it’s just the fact no one would admit it.

[powerabout]

apba in the USA does well as its based on regions, lots to complain about but its still the national body with one agenda.
The Uk should have split this up years ago
Was never in the same building in Australia or ever dreamed of being