Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[peterse90]

Okay, so far we have Jackie racing the 16' sprint in Europe in 71. After Windermere it was sent across the pond. You guys have concluded it was raced by Spencer Dunn in Canada in 72. Jackie thinks it ran at Havasu in 71, driven by Merten. I wonder if a picture of this boat at Havasu 71 has been hiding in plain site on my computer?

Picture says Barry Taylor is the driver .....
Attachment 462026

That is actually one of Mark Rotharmel's pictures, for sure that is Barry Taylor (for some reason he kept Don Clark's #177) and pretty sure that is NOT a Molinari but a Canadian built Burns Craft built by Spike Burns. Spike built a few boats in the early 70's mostly Merc powered. Also given the boats in the background that sure looks like OWC 1972.
At the risk of 'getting into it' with long time friend Mark Rotharmel, I don't think the Molinari that Spencer drove in 1972 and Mark drove in 1973 is a 16, I think it is a 17 'sprint'. Maybe it is not the Molinari that Jackie had in England ??

Spencer Dunn 1972 Mark Rotharmel 1973

[Watermark]

At the risk of 'getting into it' with long time friend Mark Rotharmel, I don't think the Molinari that Spencer drove in 1972 and Mark drove in 1973 is a 16, I think it is a 17 'sprint'. Maybe it is not the Molinari that Jackie had in England ??

Spencer Dunn 1972 Mark Rotharmel 1973

Rest assured, Peter, this is the same boat. In both Jackie's photo and the running shot of Spencer (S-73), the same windscreen is visible, as is the placement of the fuel cap on the rear cowling and the placement of the stripes. The boat was repainted twice after Jackie had it, but the design and the position of the stripes and roundel stayed the same.

As Jackie attested to, it was a great boat, earning all of us championships. I blew it over while crossing the finish line in my final drive - a kilo run in 1973. Fortunately, I landed on the right side of the line, setting a Canadian Speed Record for UI
(and beating Dick Summerfeldt's Miles Master by 3 MPH). The two photos at the bottom were taken in front of Mercury's Service Center - with my Dad, Gerry, to the far left, Oley Berkis far right, - the day after our run. It was then repaired by Spike Burns (who built Taylor's 177 above) and shipped to Mexico.
- Mark

[willabee]

If we need any more info on the Scotti outfit used by Woods in the Paris 6hr race i am sure John Schubert would know i think he drove it as well Lars should have his email maybe he could get in touch with him.

I don't think we need any additional info on that particular boat. However, talking about this has made me curious about the different boats Scotti may have built. Did he build boats for a specific course or did he build them to try to match the available power? Was the boat he supplied for Havasu different than what was run at Miami using the same motor?

I remember talking to Ron Hill about some Scotti's and believe he mentioned that he drove a black & white Scotti in Berlin. He said it was the best boat he had driven and wanted it to run in the US. I think he said it went to Jimbo instead and that Jimbo won Parker with it? If I have that conversation right, that would seem to indicate he built the best boat he could for the power available rather than building sprints and marathons.

[willabee]

That is actually one of Mark Rotharmel's pictures, for sure that is Barry Taylor (for some reason he kept Don Clark's #177) and pretty sure that is NOT a Molinari but a Canadian built Burns Craft built by Spike Burns. Spike built a few boats in the early 70's mostly Merc powered. Also given the boats in the background that sure looks like OWC 1972. .....

I agree with all of the above. The picture was submitted by the 'Ol' Hall of Famer' when we were talking about the 'cowbell'. It's a nice looking boat, but something makes it not look like a Molinari. In the blown up picture I think can see the pickleforks of Hering & Seebold from OWC 1972.

Also don't think Taylor would have had a TI in 71 .....

[Rotary John]

I don't think we need any additional info on that particular boat. However, talking about this has made me curious about the different boats Scotti may have built. Did he build boats for a specific course or did he build them to try to match the available power? Was the boat he supplied for Havasu different than what was run at Miami using the same motor?

I remember talking to Ron Hill about some Scotti's and believe he mentioned that he drove a black & white Scotti in Berlin. He said it was the best boat he had driven and wanted it to run in the US. I think he said it went to Jimbo instead and that Jimbo won Parker with it? If I have that conversation right, that would seem to indicate he built the best boat he could for the power available rather than building sprints and marathons.

It was also the boat Jimbo did the initial testing with the rotary. Rick McKinley blew it over and destroyed it. I can also tell you Scotti never built a boat for the rotary power. In fact the only boat other than V-4 Scot
i's that ran a rotary was the Goat boat at Provo.

[lars strom]

I dont want the place my pictures in this thread so here is a link to a pretty interesting picture of the Scotti-Craft boat Scotti built for Paris 6 Hours 1974..yes the one he crashed and lost his life in..

https://www.screamandfly.com/showthr...61#post3198661

[STEVERINO]

It was also the boat Jimbo did the initial testing with the rotary. Rick McKinley blew it over and destroyed it. I can also tell you Scotti never built a boat for the rotary power. In fact the only boat other than V-4 Scot
i's that ran a rotary was the Goat boat at Provo.

John you are forgetting James Beard ran a Rotary on his Cougar at Windemere Downard won the race in a Scotti outfit.

[STEVERINO]

I don't think we need any additional info on that particular boat. However, talking about this has made me curious about the different boats Scotti may have built. Did he build boats for a specific course or did he build them to try to match the available power? Was the boat he supplied for Havasu different than what was run at Miami using the same motor?

I remember talking to Ron Hill about some Scotti's and believe he mentioned that he drove a black & white Scotti in Berlin. He said it was the best boat he had driven and wanted it to run in the US. I think he said it went to Jimbo instead and that Jimbo won Parker with it? If I have that conversation right, that would seem to indicate he built the best boat he could for the power available rather than building sprints and marathons.

I would think when Jack Leek asked Scotti to build boats for him and ship them to the USA Scotti would anticipate most of the races would be long distance races so no sprint boats now if Woods had heard Scotti was running sprint boats that were good Barry would have ordered one.When boatbuilders anticipate bigger faster engines coming on the seen they sometime build bigger boats take Molinari for instance when he changed over to OMC in 1977 his first big race with the new 2.5 engines were Bristol he won and Hering got 2nd place both driving 18ft Molinaris so Jack Leek ordered 8 new Molinari 18ft boats for the 1977 october Paris hrs race now a few weeks before the Paris race Molinari won the Amsterdam 3hr race with a 17ft outfit which i would say was a far better boat.Now in the 1977 Thames race Molinari lead the race in a 19ft Molinari Hering and Jimbo both ran 18ft Molinari boats move forward to the 1977 october Paris 6hr race and the newly ordered 18 ft Molinaris arrived at OMC Brugge for fitting out. But in the Paris 6hr race Molinari and Hering chose to drive the 17ft boat he won Amsterdam with.

[peterse90]

John you are forgetting James Beard ran a Rotary on his Cougar at Windemere Downard won the race in a Scotti outfit.

I spent about 2 hours last night looking for a picture of that Cougar, I know it exists. Picture is in the pits taken from behind and I think it was a Johnson Rotary.

[lars strom]

OMC and the Rotary outboard took the overall win in Windermere 1973.

http://svera.se/blogg/omc-and-the-rotary-outboard-took-the-overall-win-in-windermere-1973/

[willabee]

Rest assured, Peter, this is the same boat. In both Jackie's photo and the running shot of Spencer (S-73), the same windscreen is visible, as is the placement of the fuel cap on the rear cowling and the placement of the stripes. The boat was repainted twice after Jackie had it, but the design and the position of the stripes and roundel stayed the same. .....
..... I blew it over while crossing the finish line in my final drive - a kilo run in 1973. Fortunately, I landed on the right side of the line, setting a Canadian Speed Record for UI. ..... It was then repaired by Spike Burns (who built Taylor's 177 above) and shipped to Mexico.
- Mark

(just wanted to wrap up our dialogue about the sprint)

Well, it looks like we won't be able to determine whether or not this 16' sprint ran the 71 Havasu OWC. We've learned that Jackie ran it in Europe in 71. Mark has confirmed that it ran in Canada in 72 & 73. It was blown over, repaired and shipped to some unsuspecting young lad in Mexico, a move that was probably orchestrated by the racing wheeler/dealer residing in Florida.

However, we don't have any pictures of it at Havasu and no one has mentioned any other drivers campaigning this rig in 71.

One thing to consider is was there enough time to get the boat to Havasu? We know the 71 Berlin 6 Hour was run on 10/17. If Windermere 71 ran it's customary two weeks after Berlin, that race would have taken place on 10/31. That means that whoever was in charge of moving it had 27 days ..... shut it down to fire it up ..... Windermere to Havasu ..... ramp to ramp. I suppose that can be done, just depends on how much money you want to spend?

[Lake X Kid]

Yes Johnnie Sanders (picture) is a very tall guy..on top of that maybe on of the friendliest boat racers ever.
All the other stuff you are trying to figure out..I have no input...well maybe..a marathon boat does not need to be longer than a sprint boat..more important is the height of the tunnel and lift in the tunnel. I found out some times a shorter boat with a high tunnel and no lift was better than a longer boat in rough water..not always but some times..

PS..the width of the tunnel is also important.

In the past I associated a Sprint Boat by its overall length or shorter than a non-sprint boat. Now its the boat's geometry (as it always has been) of flying over waves, as Lars mentions. And that brings me to Boat# 6, is it a sprint?

Cees Vander Velden thought boat# 6 was a sprint. "I don't know why Bob wanted a sprint boat" Cees said to me. This is in the pits at the Koblenz area race, in 1973. Mercury engineers brought the secretive T-3 engine to Como Italy. And I transported the rig to Germany, for its maiden European race.

Cees is not one, in not telling you what is own his mind. He made that statement about Bob Spading's boat being a sprint. And I deducted in my mind, that Cees probably thought the T-3 had more horses so better to use a longer boat. I cannot say that I did not disagree with his assessment. But Bob had been the T-3 engineers' test driver in USA. However in the photo we see Cees in the process of flipping. And I think Bob was runner-up to the overall winner, Renato Molinari in boat# 165.

So another boat joins the arguable list; is it or not a Sprint Boat. I do not recall if it was 16, or a 17 footer, or if any other person agreed with Cees assessment. And the waters are still murky, in what defines a Sprint Boat.

[Lake X Kid]

Paris Hilton hotel in the early 1970's.
Race morning and I go down to the hotel's breakfast cafe on the ground floor. Most likely its Rick LaMore and I, and I not certain who else. We are decked out in Merc garb, and I am a little shy about our attire in this high-end hotel. Coming back to the hotel the night before, I see all these suit & tie older gentlemen entering the hotel, with pretty young women.

After I enter the cafe and sit down, I see Johnnie Sanders in his OMC race outfit at another table. Now I am starting to feel comfortable, like we belong here. And then Jimbo walks in, and any apprehension that I brought to the cafe, just evaporated with the sunrise. The OMC team was comfortable being here, so I accepted the same relaxed attitude too.

I did not know Johnnie or Jimbo personally, so I did not say good morning or hello. But that morning in that cafe setting, I felt we all were on the same team. Ambassadors of Boat Racing (even though I was at the bottom of the totem pole), it felt like an inclusive team.

P.S. Johnnie was Hollywood handsome, one of the several guys in the racing fraternity that, would look good talking about F1 boat racing on national TV. And draw female fans to the sport.

Yes Johnnie Sanders (picture) is a very tall guy..on top of that maybe on of the friendliest boat racers ever..

[jackiewilson]

(just wanted to wrap up our dialogue about the sprint)

Well, it looks like we won't be able to determine whether or not this 16' sprint ran the 71 Havasu OWC. We've learned that Jackie ran it in Europe in 71. Mark has confirmed that it ran in Canada in 72 & 73. It was blown over, repaired and shipped to some unsuspecting young lad in Mexico, a move that was probably orchestrated by the racing wheeler/dealer residing in Florida.

However, we don't have any pictures of it at Havasu and no one has mentioned any other drivers campaigning this rig in 71.

One thing to consider is was there enough time to get the boat to Havasu? We know the 71 Berlin 6 Hour was run on 10/17. If Windermere 71 ran it's customary two weeks after Berlin, that race would have taken place on 10/31. That means that whoever was in charge of moving it had 27 days ..... shut it down to fire it up ..... Windermere to Havasu ..... dock to dock. I suppose that can be done, just depends on how much money you want to spend?

C’mon Willa—- when did Gary ever consider cost ? If he wanted to do it, he would . He was so pissed off with me for not winning Windermere in the little sprint that he threw all his dollies and simply flew the boat back regardless of!.

[STEVERINO]

C’mon Willa—- when did Gary ever consider cost ? If he wanted to do it, he would . He was so pissed off with me for not winning Windermere in the little sprint that he threw all his dollies and simply flew the boat back regardless of!.

Hey i have some more information here for the Windemere race Jacki was running OI class 89cu in his engine was a 1000 SBP silo engine a one off for that time built i was told by Ridgell.Two weeks earlier Georgio Molinari used that same engine in the Paris 6 hr race in the OI class i remember my class was the larger ON class motor and i remember he was not easy to pass now thats what stood out at that time.Now move on to the Windemere race Jacki did easily win his OI class but he only went as fast as he needed to i can remember having a discussion with Jacki some months later he said he didn`t want to race after Bill Shakespeares accident that same morning but he did and he did what was necessary now Garbrecht was pissed because he thought he could have gone faster.Now thats what my memory tells me.