Boat Racing in South Florida before The Dolfins

**lilabner** · 11-28-2017, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by John Schubert

I see at least 3 in the foreground that are Sid-Crafts!!

Right on. Ribikee built from Hal Kelly plans. Lots of his boats ran here. He also built an F Hydro for Big Red Wilson from Joe Michelini's Plans. Big Red weighed about 200 and was around 6'5". My boss got his boat running great, but with me driving. What a thrill at 16. It ran about 85 with a 75H and a 66ci powerhead. Red was so happy, but when he got in it was a toad again. He didn't seem to understand weight vs power especially in a cabover. I ran it once at Pelican Harbor and qualified for the Nine Hour race in 58. There were hundreds of coconuts in the water on the back side of the island. I just kept the lower unit away from them and the boat flew over the others. Water was dead calm back there, but go under the bridge and it was pretty rough. Only had a 39 mph average. We decided not to run.

It was great meeting and talking with you at OFF John.

Butch

**2us70** · 11-28-2017, 09:29 PM

This was when running a F hydro for 9 hours seemed like it might be a good idea.

**lilabner** · 11-28-2017, 10:55 PM

At 16 what could be better? Or go wrong? It was Bob Waldo’s idea. He was my mentor.

**2us70** · 11-28-2017, 11:26 PM

As I have said before. It seemed perfectly reasonable at the time. In those days I never used a relief driver unless the race was longer than 3 hours.

**GENE LANHAM** · 12-05-2017, 11:05 PM

**GENE LANHAM** · 12-15-2017, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by GENE LANHAM

Before the DOLPHINS??

Before the STADIUM??

A lot of these boats built by Sam Holton

Before the Stadium, 1958---Racing on the South side of Rickenbacker--

**FUJIMO** · 10-23-2022, 05:11 PM

**Amberjack1234** · 10-13-2023, 12:56 PM

Anybody have any old pelican harbor pictures to post would love to see some. Amberjack best always.

**velox** · 11-05-2023, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by lilabner

were you in Miss Bud or Pay and Pak

Neither
somehow the photo got changed. It was a photo of me in the 9 hour driving the twin Glastron.

**Amberjack1234** · 11-07-2023, 05:39 AM

Some little conversation about the Miami Marine Stadium at the OFF meeting last weekend a few tears shed over its current state of disrepair! But it’s like everything else in our throwaway society a monument to what used to be! Miami was one of the centers of boat racing back in the 50s 60s 70s and early 80s. Yes I know a lot of you guys from other parts of the country will see that your region was the best for boat racing and I’m not gonna disagree. I’m just commenting on Miami I guess that’s what this column is for and by the way, the dolphins are a factor again and a it’s funny I used to look forward to the tourist season when I was a kid back in the 50s the town would wake up around November 1 when all the snowbirds came down all the motels got full Christmas in Miami and New Year’s with the orange bowl festivities the place was rockin. Now the tourist still come down, but it’s just kind of seamless. The traffic gets a little heavier, but the big events are spread out over the whole year. The Formula One race down here is absolutely awesome. The Miami boat show is getting back its stature after Covid. We have great concerts, and great artists. Just showing my age but I sure remember Gloria Estefan and her husband in the Miami sound machine at the airport in in Miami Springs!

**Amberjack1234** · 12-24-2023, 08:21 AM

Christmas time in South Florida. Well, it’s been kind of a stormy rainy December one little cold snap that got us down into the 50s but that’s about it. The Dolphins are gonna make the playoffs. It looks like but how deep they go is yet to be seen. I guess they gotta get by their nemesis the Buffalo Bills in Kansas City, hope everybody has a merry Christmas and a happy new year. It’d be nice if we had the nine hour and the six hour and the Miami Marine Stadium with the close course races, the Orange bowl Regatta to look forward to, but that’s ancient history like most of us.

**GENE LANHAM** · 12-30-2023, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by fujimo

built by sam?

**Amberjack1234** · 02-28-2024, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by GENE LANHAM

built by sam?

Well just like the Miami Marine Stadium racing. Legend, Sir Jackie Wilson has passed into history. They’ll be no more races in the Marine Stadium in Miami and they’ll be no more races for a good friend Jackie Wilson it’s just a shame that time changes a lot of things that we love. Sincerely Amber, Jack

**lilabner** · 04-13-2024, 02:39 PM

didn't have a camera and couldn't afford film.. all money went to going to or coming from a race

**lilabner** · 04-13-2024, 02:46 PM

South side of Rickenbacker, that was the first race I ever went to by myself.. Holt BU with a 20H. When I got there it had been really rough and windy for testing. Tommy Davis had already flipped 2 boats and his dad was mad. I put mine on the saw horses and they called it off. Loaded it back on the trailer and drove my 52 Chevy home.