can anybody help?????

[gazzer]

Gazzer, Yes i am which was why i was so tempted to buy that boat and pleased that someone has rescued it. I was over at my parents the other day and i found some pictures of bristol monohulls and cats (tunnel boats). The pictures might help you get and idea of the layout and instruments. Are you planning to restore it to original spec? Although i expect you'll have trouble finding a running carniti as i hear they were brilliant when they were going but when they stopped that was it...

Hi Jere well its a pleasure to meet you.
yes any pics would be great thank you.
I intend to restore pretty much as original. but obviously I am hopeing to use it in t850 and so will run a modern motor.
right now i have three major things i could do with some info on.
1) buoyancy there is none and i need to know what is best and how much to fit put it and were i should put it.
i presume it was foam blocks in the front nose area only. but could do with knowing for sure.
2) the dash and control layout. obviously steering wheel is in the middle and i reckon it was speedo on port and rev counter on starboard side of wheel. i also guess she was foot throttle and a hand gearshifter mounted on port side but again would be noce to know for sure.
3) seat base fixing . i know its in the middle but i cant really see any fixing points in the boat. i assume it may have been adjustable too . .
hope you can help or anyone else.

[gazzer]

Hi Gazzer,

These days they only run the T850 class, the T750's vanished from the national scene a few years back. I have a friend who located a 20 year old wooden Blufin in Scotland a few years back. He restored it and has been competitive in the national T850 series ever since, just goes to show what you can do in an older boat. There are a few 80's built Bristol hulls that have also rolled back the years and proved competitive right up to 2007.

I have heard stories of one or two others restoring Bristols and even Morellis. Maybe someone should organize a classic (20 years or older) monohull series.

Hi Minto
ah ty so T850 it shall be then, i see Jere has just asked you and i was looking at other race boats that race now and especially the tornado which i assume is a modern boat (but cant find any info on them) they do look very similiar in shape to the bristol.
so perhaps the bristol set the standard ?.
yes a classic would be great.
also great pics ty for taking the time to help out

[robert j garner]

Hi Gazzer

There are 4 or 5 bristols and blufins running at exmouth club.

Try a sailing dinghy buoyancy bag under the foredeck.

Rob

[Jere]

I didn't even realise there was an Exmouth Club. as Robert says a bouyancy bag would do the trick and can i suggest you try and find one from an Enterprise sailing dinghy

[Jere]

Gazzer have a look at http://boatmad.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10018 there's some pictures of Bristols on there

[gazzer]

Hi Rob many thanks for the info great hopefully thats got the sinking problem sorted. and nice to hear theirs a few bristols stomping about.

[gazzer]

Hi Jere thanks for the tip i shall keep a look out for one.
just looking on your link thanks

[minto]

Hi Jere,

Good point about the design remaining very similar all these years. For sure it is partly due to the Bristol being such a good boat, but I think it is also due to the sport dragging it's heels over bringing these classes up to date. The Yamaha 70 short shaft has dominated the T850 and F4 classes for over 20 years now. Considering these motors are no longer in production drivers are finding it increasingly difficult to find spares. If touring car racing had the same problem Team Ford would still be racing the Sierra. Once the motor situation is sorted then long shaft 4 strokes will probably be the future and designs will have to change more dramatically.

Not sure of the exact spec on modern day T850 concerning weight, lenghth etc, but traditionally the motor should be standard production (no modifications), and I notice they still don't use trim. There was 1 boat last year running a long shaft 90 Yam on a Tornado, not sure if this was just an experiment but it was almost identical in performance to the short shaft 70's.

[gazzer]

hi Minto
for give me if i am wrong as i am just getting into this racing scene but I have read on lobmcb website that trim is now allowed for seniors which i guess means T850.
ty for talking about the yam 70 as it seems most use it.and i now know its been around a while now but presumably it has trim /tilt fitted or it can be fitted.
still waiting for my rya circuit racing guide to arrive perhaps that will help me understand more.
but can you tell me what engine names or types can be used in the T850 class ?.
the lobmcb say yamaha, johnson,evinrude on their classes page. is that just what people are using or the only engine makes you are allowed to use.

[minto]

Hi Gazzer,

Trim is not a problem as I know the S850 catamarans run identical motors and are allowed it.
Yes I think other motors are allowed but simply don't match the Yam for performance, hence the reason why everybody runs them. Only other motor I recall seeing in recent years was an old Johnson stinger, but sadly it finished well behind the rest of the field.

Would advise you to fit adjustable steering and seat if possible, as it would allow you more flexibility for trimming in various weather conditions or to suit different circuits. Not sure if it's mandatory but I've seen additional buoyancy fitted either side just to the rear of the driver, I'm fairly sure your boat would be slightly heavier than it's more modern cousins so might be a thought. Will try to find a pic to give you a better idea.

[minto]

Gazzer,

Forgot to say, although an official company does not exist for the Tornado boats, I believe someone at the LOBMBC club has access to the moulds and builds the occasional one to order.

[gazzer]

Hi Minto
once again ty for the wealth of info.
so it looks like i gotta find me a 70s yam then,
my racing circuit handbook has come today .
it gives T850 national series specs. hull min diamention 4.25 mtrs,width 1.4 mtrs, depth 0.40 mtrs, boat weight 250 kg, boat with driver 330 kg
i assume the 250 kg must be with engine etc as my bristol brochure says 131.431 kg for the boat.
back to engines you would have thought mercury/ evinrude/suzuki would of had an engine to go up against the yam .
i should think the long shaft 90 yam needed a jack up plate.
yes i am going to have an adjustable seat but steering ? i hear what your saying but i really want to keep the boat looking original as in wheel mounted on the dash
i take on board too your buoyancy remarks yes i was thinking more than one i am no expert but i assume you want the same bouyancy if not more than the overal weight of the boat.
and so an enterprise dingy one is not enough as its 158.7 kg and the boats gonna be over 250kg with engine.
so the tornado roughly how old are they ie when were they first built ?.

[minto]

Hi Gazzer,

Glad you find some of the info useful although my knowledge of the up to date stuff is a bit limited, still trying to get my head around all those metric figures.

Checked a few old programmes and it seems the Tornado first appeared either late 90's or year 2000. In between the Tornado and Bristol there was the "Hustler" which looked extremely similar to the later built Bristol boats.

Hats off to you for wanting to keep things as original as possible, was the seller able to tell you much about the boat's history?

[gazzer]

Hi Minto
yea i hear you on the metric front lol.
ty for checking out the tornado so its pretty new then compared to my sixties boat.
yea i do want to keep it looking original but with suttle modern changes
such as engine , controls, steering pulleys, etc
although i want period steering wheel and gauges.

[gazzer]

Jere still waiting for those pics you said you would show me of bristol boats