Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[lars strom]

There was me thinking i could get away with all my own efforts—-now you have gone and blown the whole deal Phil. It came out of a bucket —- is solid resin — no fibreglass anywhere and weighs in at over ten pounds . Before i even start mounting it on a french boule and chucking a four pound all aluminium JONRUDE on its bum. It’s closer to twenty ponds now —- postage will be a nightmare.
It‘s a lot more accurate „“MODEL“ than i would ever have done , but dont worry —i will charge Lasse top brick off the chimney anyway.
Which reminds me Lasse still owes me a dinner — i bought him dinner in Tavares eight years ago. [ i never forget where my next meal could come from]

Hi Jackie,
First I did write on my S&F thread my plan was to get back to you after Havasu.
Well..I do it now at a lunch break at Nautical Beachfront Hotel instead.
I am sorry but that was not what I was looking for..my thinking was something made by you Jackie..not a repainted model.
Yes, I understand..that is way more work/money so please dont do it.
As you can see I already have o model and a painting of the #8 Burgess/Aspen/Evinrude.
The third picture is Carina next to the London Bridge today.

PS..Talked to Mr. Bill a long time today at the dry-pit.

[jackiewilson]

Hi Jackie,
First I did write on my S&F thread my plan was to get back to you after Havasu.
Well..I do it now at a lunch break at Nautical Beachfront Hotel instead.
I am sorry but that was not what I was looking for..my thinking was something made by you Jackie..not a repainted model.
Yes, I understand..that is way more work/money so please dont do it.
As you can see I already have o model and a painting of the #8 Burgess/Aspen/Evinrude.
The third picture is Carina next to the London Bridge today.

PS..Talked to Mr. Bill a long time today at the dry-pit.

HAVE TO TELL YOU IN ALL HONESTY LASSE—— THAT IS ONE PISS POOR STUBBY LITTLE APOLOGY FOR A CONCEPT —— it has no soul !!!! Looks like one of a batch of five thousand dinkies . Came straight out of a bucket and into the mould . If thats what Floats your boat Lasse then good luck
One i offered you was a superb replica of a BURGESS.
I didn’t paint it —- i stuck grey tape across it [just in case it wasn’t exactly what you wanted ]
Although i have to tell you its much more accurate than anything i can do .
Not a problem to make you my idea of your boat —- but i have a feeling it would never make the grade . Done a lot of race boats for a lot of drivers —- all were concepts —- not models —- over fifty at the last count —— never fell out with anyone . Main reason —i enjoy doing them— im 90 in January and i will go down arguing and generally disagreeing with fellow humans .
in 1969 when Don Ross and i paid our first visit to Havasu . London Bridge was a pile of stones —— Carpenters were playing at the English pub —— Scottie won —- one of the prizes was a Waterfront plot of land . He offered it to Don and me for a thousand bucks .
There were more containers than houses at that time . Carina looks very well against the London Bridge . Glad Billy took time out to talk to you . Watch out for Jonesy—- he dont take prisoners !!!!

[jackiewilson]

Spent a lot more time on fernagling the JONRUDE V8 than was ever intended. Doesn’t matter about a concept being deadly accurate , you just have to take a cursory glance and instantly recognise the fact its not a a Mercury or a CARNITI or König but a RUDE !!!!!! Better still if you can cobble a craft that’s easily recognised by it’s name or colour or general shape and of course the jockey .
As i grow more into seniority i get to thinking i might just do classics —- good example was RON HILLS TWIN RUDES ON A JONES TUNNEL . No mistaking driver ,motor or boat , or the TWISTERCRAFT /MERCURY AND SEEBOLD .
Switzer craft with piped Mercury motors . Black with KITSON —- RED with GENE LANGHAM—-
I’m sure you get the idea —— all metal takes a hell of a lot longer than a wooden boat .
Last all metal concept of Garbrechts MACH KARELSON [ which i have just finished ] is one of the best examples .
might just surprise Lasse before the weekends over —— watch this space .

[Bob V]

[jackiewilson]

Southampton 1967 .

[FUJIMO]

...you sure? the engines a '69...

[jackiewilson]

...you sure? the engines a '69...

Three of those motors came to SWMF the Mercury distributors in Poole — One for Veldon— one for Shakey, and one for me —- im sure .

[jackiewilson]

JUST OCCASIONALLY AT THE CAR BOOT SALE—-you come across a treasure ! Yesterday I did just that .inside the fly leaf were a number of press cuttings —- cut carefully from various newspapers . The attempt on the record ——the fatal accident ——the recovery. As well as a MINT edition of
BLUEBIRDS, THE CAMPBELL DYNASTY. Cost a whole £2-00.
i feel the book was owned by either a close friend of the family or an enthusiast who kept a close record of events. I did look very carefully for any other tell tale items but found none .
You just never can tell what’s around the next corner .!

[Rotary John]

Jackie: Talk to Tech Team about Bluebird.

[jackiewilson]

DIDNT even know TECH TEAM were English until two weeks ago.
I’ve done Windermere and Coniston museums . Know a hell of a lot of people from the northern clubs.
Always did the Windermere speed week —- might be i know the tech team?????

[STEVERINO]

Southampton 1967 .

I first saw that boat at the 1969 Chasawater 500 i am sure it was new you and Rossi ran it with his 1250sbp engine and Rossi later that year won the 1969 Thames race in it.The three engines you mentioned were Twister 1 engines in 1970.

[jackiewilson]

I sold my share of the boat to Don the night before the London race —-
1970 Rossi and i ran the 17’ red molinari —— just about won everything we entered with it . Don blew it over in Amsterdam — had a three lap lead on the second boat . Pruett ran the boat in Paris —was running third before losing a blade off the best prop i had .

[FUJIMO]

...flashback friday...

[jackiewilson]

...flashback friday...

That was September of 1970 at the TORRIGGIA factory—- a lot of mercury personnel were there for the build up to the Paris and Berlin races .
Rossi had flipped the boat In Amsterdam so was not able to race .
Garbrecht put me with Renato, and Pruett was using my boat which was much quicker than the one Renato and i used .

[STEVERINO]

That was September of 1970 at the TORRIGGIA factory—- a lot of mercury personnel were there for the build up to the Paris and Berlin races .
Rossi had flipped the boat In Amsterdam so was not able to race .
Garbrecht put me with Renato, and Pruett was using my boat which was much quicker than the one Renato and i used .

Hi Jackie it will be interesting to see if Willabee sees this picture and has a comment to make about what year that picture was from?.