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  1. #4771
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    Quote Originally Posted by mbd29 View Post
    Chick: you are correct again, as usual, and rotary John was wrong again. Factories just did things different after 72.����
    As I meant to say. 72 was the last World Championship factory race at Havasu. I suspect 2 guys ran around the lake and call it a race after that.

  2. #4772
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    Yamaha outboards big win in Havasu Classic 1987.

    There is some interesting reading here about the history of the race..click the link for full report.

    https://svera.se/blogg/yamaha-outboards-win-havasu-classic-1987/

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by lars strom; 05-11-2021 at 04:15 PM.

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  4. #4773
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    Some of the finest crafted wooden tunnel race boats were built in this building during the late 1960’s and continuing past the 1970’s. Renato Molinari race shop.

    The Yellow arrow pointing (at the building’s south side) is where the inside boat lift was for the Como shop. Latter due to the lake low water level (the other yellow arrow points to were) the new boat lift will be constructed in the future.

    The Orange arrow pointing north from the Como shop, is where in 1973 the Molinari family took possession of another lake front building. The facility is less than 2 blocks from the Como race shop. The Orange arrow (in the Boat 165 photo with Renato), is probably pointing to the new acquisition building. From this photo angle, I am almost certain that this is the new building, were Renato took residence in the adjacent two story building.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Lake Como shop & Renato's house.jpg 
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    Last edited by Lake X Kid; 05-14-2021 at 05:48 PM.

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  6. #4774
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    Como Staff

    Quote Originally Posted by Lake X Kid View Post
    Some of the finest crafted wooden tunnel race boats were built in this building during the late 1960’s and continuing past the 1970’s. Renato Molinari race shop.

    The Yellow arrow pointing (at the building’s south side) is where the inside boat lift was for the Como shop. Latter due to the lake low water level (the other yellow arrow points to were) the new boat lift will be constructed in the future.

    The Orange arrow pointing north from the Como shop, is where in 1973 the Molinari family took possession of another lake front building. The facility is less than 2 blocks from the Como race shop. The Orange arrow (in the Boat 165 photo with Renato), is probably pointing to the new acquisition building. From this photo angle, I am almost certain that this is the new building, were Renato took residence in the adjacent two story building.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Lake Como shop & Renato's house.jpg 
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    How many people worked there? Wood workers, machinists, riggers, engine builders, fiberglass layup, liaison personnel (Merc / OMC) painters, transport drivers, etc?

  7. #4775
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    Layout summary of the Como race shop.

    Quote Originally Posted by WaterZebra View Post
    How many people worked there? Wood workers, machinists, riggers, engine builders, fiberglass layup, liaison personnel (Merc / OMC) painters, transport drivers, etc?
    Transport drivers, I did all the time and loved the adventure of traveling to other countries and going to races. Cees V, Bob S, Tom P and Jackie W, sometimes towed their race boats to the race, but I never remembered Renato ever towing his boat to a race. That was either Giorgio or me, or both of us driving together. We did have some fiberglass boat cowlings, but I do not recall it being done at this race shop or any fiberglass parts. No machinists just engine assembly and rebuild. Any machinist worked would be outsourced to an outside machinist.

    W-Zebra the working personnel changes throughout the race season. Keep in mind this facility only built race boats (that is the late 1960’s to 1973 that I know for sure). Pleasure boats were constructed at Renato Molinari’s dad, Angelo’s facility & home near the city of Como.

    There were basically four Italians working at the three story building. Renato had two carpenters working on the second floor. Renato’ younger brother Giorgio did some mechanical and rigging on the bottom floor. The bottom floor is where all the engine work and boat rigging was done. The boat painter came when needed and he also did Angelo’s boats.

    Roy Ridgell, Mercury’s European Race Manager and his multi-language secretary (a woman from England) had their offices on the third floor (which actually occupies a third of the roof). The view from the offices and the roof top is really nice.

    I was on the Mercury payroll because of nepotism (like Giorgio) and I assisted the mechanical and rigging. So that is a grand total of eight people at the Como shop.

    to be continued ...

    ~~~
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by Lake X Kid; 05-15-2021 at 08:56 PM.

  8. #4776
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    In the summer the Mercury personnel increases at different times. I remember driver Bob Hering and mechanic Rick LaMore coming over for the Bristol race in June. Driver Mike Downard came for a one-off summer race at Auronzo Italy. Jim Emerson the fuel man from Lake X, arrived in England with a truck load of parts, weeks before the Paris 6 Hour race. Dad and I drove to meet Jim in England, and they drove the Chevy truck back to Como, and I drove the VW van.


    And I seen one American tech guy (I do not remember his name) come over just to tweak the C6’s carb calibration. And another time a Wisconsin Merc guy (I do not recall his name either) just lost his wife, and they sent him over early to prepare multiple lower units for the fall races. I was told it was to help him forget the loss of his late wife.


    So on the Mercury side of the working personnel, it is very fluctuating. Late summer to early fall the Como shop is in high-season busy. Paris 6 Hour and Amsterdam are big races back then. And there were many Merc guys from Wisconsin coming over to rig. Because then traditionally most of the Merc factory fleet, competing in the Paris 6 Hour race will be in brand new boats from the second floor shop. And at this time (early fall) the American and European drivers (8 to 10 guys) are arriving at the shop.

    And in 1973 the T-3 arrives escorted and quarantined by a special engineering staff. There were three engineers and one of them was Ron Anderson. Gary G. and Roy R. and the other Merc racing team members, did not know for sure what was under the T-3 cowling. Before the Paris 6 Hour that year, Bob Spalding drove the T-3 (for its first appearance in Europe) at a race in the Koblenz area.


    I know I got long winded, but that are some of my recollections in that time-frame at the Como shop.

    ~~~
    Here is an inside photo of the rigging floor. At the bow of the boat I am standing beside Willabee, and Giorgio with his back to the camera is looking at us. Bob Hering is behind us at another boat, and Rick LaMore is attending to the motor on the other boat.
    BTW we are probably getting these boats ready for the Paris 6 Hour race, see the marathon fuel tanks mounted in the boats.

    Attachment 487031
    Last edited by Lake X Kid; 05-15-2021 at 09:09 PM.

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  10. #4777
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    ...nice merc history kid. ( photo attachment in last post not visible for some reason)

  11. #4778
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    picture Molinari's shop .....

    Quote Originally Posted by Lake X Kid View Post
    ~~~
    Here is an inside photo of the rigging floor. At the bow of the boat I am standing beside Willabee, and Giorgio with his back to the camera is looking at us. Bob Hering is behind us at another boat, and Rick LaMore is attending to the motor on the other boat.
    BTW we are probably getting these boats ready for the Paris 6 Hour race, see the marathon fuel tanks mounted in the boats.

    Attachment 487031
    the picture .....
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Molinari's shop 1971.jpg 
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ID:	487041

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  13. #4779
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    Moli Triple?

    Quote Originally Posted by willabee View Post
    the picture .....
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Looking at the stern of the boat in front......was it built to be a triple at some point?

  14. #4780
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    ...not a triple. a twin. we've been over this before.

  15. #4781
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    A triple converted to a single wouldn't get out of its own way. Even in pictures, those triple boats were huge.

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  17. #4782
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    Como Today

    Quote Originally Posted by Lake X Kid View Post
    Transport drivers, I did all the time and loved the adventure of traveling to other countries and going to races. Cees V, Bob S, Tom P and Jackie W, sometimes towed their race boats to the race, but I never remembered Renato ever towing his boat to a race. That was either Giorgio or me, or both of us driving together. We did have some fiberglass boat cowlings, but I do not recall it being done at this race shop or any fiberglass parts. No machinists just engine assembly and rebuild. Any machinist worked would be outsourced to an outside machinist.

    W-Zebra the working personnel changes throughout the race season. Keep in mind this facility only built race boats (that is the late 1960’s to 1973 that I know for sure). Pleasure boats were constructed at Renato Molinari’s dad, Angelo’s facility & home near the city of Como.

    There were basically four Italians working at the three story building. Renato had two carpenters working on the second floor. Renato’ younger brother Giorgio did some mechanical and rigging on the bottom floor. The bottom floor is where all the engine work and boat rigging was done. The boat painter came when needed and he also did Angelo’s boats.

    Roy Ridgell, Mercury’s European Race Manager and his multi-language secretary (a woman from England) had their offices on the third floor (which actually occupies a third of the roof). The view from the offices and the roof top is really nice.

    I was on the Mercury payroll because of nepotism (like Giorgio) and I assisted the mechanical and rigging. So that is a grand total of eight people at the Como shop.

    to be continued ...

    ~~~
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	3 floors of the Como shop with boats.JPG 
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    What is the building and waterfront used for today? Condos?

  18. #4783
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    ...a bit later when the new center launching doorway was created...

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  20. #4784
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    Quote Originally Posted by FUJIMO View Post
    ...a bit later when the new center launching doorway was created...
    Change in motor brands too

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  22. #4785
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    Branding At Como

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark75H View Post
    Change in motor brands too
    There was something on the S&F site quite a while ago that said the Merc/Molinari marriage ended badly with engines being tossed in the lake. Was that true?

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