Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[Bob V]

That opc and inboard race at the pier was really rough quite a few boats had hull breaks and sunk. They actually called the offshore race one year since it was too rough but the ran the rest of us in the bay.Get Freddie to tell you what happen when the course buoy float away it almost became a demolition derby. Bob we met at Freddie's shop.
I met Pruett and Felder at Stowaway Cove in 76. I remeber he had this weird little Monkey that would crawl accross the floor but I never saw it upright. Those two were funny as hell.

I am trying to remember who you are? Dancinbear does not give me a clue...?

'76 was the year that I ran a Rabco Streaker with a T2 in the Hurricane Classsic at the Pier. It was so rough that the gas pedal pulled out of the floor and that was it for me. Nancy Stoller was driving the "Sorry 'bout That II and she could not go any further, so we tied together and then shortly after they called the race. It was in fact like driving in a Hurricane with three to four foot swells.

Here I am in the Olsen Classic in the 61 - Magic Twanger II This was also a rough water race because of the seawalls. I had a twenty gallon aluminum tank and a seam split because of the pounding, but I ran anyway and got a second place in unlimited. This was the same race that Kenny Olsen ran his SST-120 "1010" through a cabin cruiser.

[dancinbear]

I am trying to remember who you are? Dancinbear does not give me a clue...?

'76 was the year that I ran a Rabco Streaker with a T2 in the Hurricane Classsic at the Pier. It was so rough that the gas pedal pulled out of the floor and that was it for me. Nancy Stoller was driving the "Sorry 'bout That II and she could not go any further, so we tied together and then shortly after they called the race. It was in fact like driving in a Hurricane with three to four foot swells.

Here I am in the Olsen Classic in the 61 - Magic Twanger II This was also a rough water race because of the seawalls. I had a twenty gallon aluminum tank and a seam split because of the pounding, but I ran anyway and got a second place in unlimited. This was the same race that Kenny Olsen ran his SST-120 "1010" through a cabin cruiser.

I was working at Bay Pines Marina at that time Royal Travis and Denise owned 2 Tunnels built at Freddie's one a Sport J and one sport E. I was watching Ford work on one when I met you.My name is Bill Mitchell we met briefly so I am sure you don't remember me. I do recognize your streaker. The orange vee drive in the fore ground is one of Lou Brummets old boats driver was Jim Hedjedus he was former indy car crew chief in the 60's lived in St Pete. Yah those races were pretty rough especially in a 13' vee bottom. I don't remember Kenny hitting a cruiser but the was a guy from Crystal River, Zeb Matthis' took an old Glastron Molinari and turned it into a vee drive. Zebs rudder broke he jumped out just before it went all the way through the bow of a cruiser, I have picture somewhere. I think Kenny was driving a Schultz Hydro cat with a Strangler back them I worked for Kenny in 1974 when I went to USF. I remember there were several streakers that had problems that day at the pier.

[Bob V]

When I knew Kenny all he ran was Mercs. Did you know Jack Withrow as well? Seems that wherever Kenny went, Jack was not far behind. Did you know Kenny's significant other...B.C. Bonnie Clayton ?


Does this boat ring any bells? I bought it from Kenny who was selling it for a friend. The friend turned out to be Jan Widdon from Miami. I never was able to get much history on the boat other than it was a Zonkercraft. It was powered by a T1. I flew it twice and it landed face up both times and that was my clue to part company with it before the third strike. The pictures are from the Caribbean Club in Key Largo.

[dancinbear]

When I knew Kenny all he ran was Mercs. Did you know Jack Withrow as well? Seems that wherever Kenny went, Jack was not far behind. Did you know Kenny's significant other...B.C. Bonnie Clayton ?


Does this boat ring any bells? I bought it from Kenny who was selling it for a friend. The friend turned out to be Jan Widdon from Miami. I never was able to get much history on the boat other than it was a Zonkercraft. It was powered by a T1. I flew it twice and it landed face up both times and that was my clue to part company with it before the third strike. The pictures are from the Caribbean Club in Key Largo.

Kenny started out running a Glastron Molinari with a Merc about 1968. He then bought the 2 Hydro Cats from Mac McCune in Colorado. He drove them for a few years than got the black boat you were referring to. Kenny could not get the speed out of that boat so Mike Seebold flew in to check it out. Mike took it out on Lake Maggorie and set some blistering laps. He got out smiled and told Kenny the only thing that he found wrong with it was Kenny needed put his damn foot in it , I tried not to laugh. Jack was my high school drivers ed teacher and football coach great guy knew him well back them. I went to school with BC. Kenny liked them young she wasn't the only one he took care of. That is definitely Jan's old boat he never seemed to fit in withe the OPC crowd at the time. I enjoyed talking to him. That boat was a handful you had to fly it pretty high. I know Jan had similar problems I don't remember the history either.I believe Jan was killed in the Bahamas when his plane crashed . The Caribbean Club races put on by Joe Colt were the best one hell of a party. One year the bridge went out before we got to the club. We all had to put the boats in the water and drive down to the site.

[Bob V]

Bill - You are a wealth of information. It was probably around 1975 when I first met Kenny and he had changed to Mercury by that time. I always enjoyed time with Jack Withrow. Jack was always a very down to earth kind of guy and liked by everybody. He always tried to keep Kenny on the right track, which was a full time job. I think when we met at Freddie's, I had just blown over my SJ tunnel and was waiting for Ford it to get started on it, but there were a few in front of mine. Ford was a real craftsman with wood. After Ford rebuilt it, I sold it to a guy at Inlet Marine in Jacksonville and bought a Raysoncraft GN boat that Ford had been working on.

[dancinbear]

Bill - You are a wealth of information. It was probably around 1975 when I first met Kenny and he had changed to Mercury by that time. I always enjoyed time with Jack Withrow. Jack was always a very down to earth kind of guy and liked by everybody. He always tried to keep Kenny on the right track, which was a full time job. I think when we met at Freddie's, I had just blown over my SJ tunnel and was waiting for Ford it to get started on it, but there were a few in front of mine. Ford was a real craftsman with wood. After Ford rebuilt it, I sold it to a guy at Inlet Marine in Jacksonville and bought a Raysoncraft GN boat that Ford had been working on.

Ford was a master craftsman I love to watch him work. One day he told me that Freddie could actually build a tunnel better than him. I found that hard to believe. Was the Rayson Craft a wood deck? I remember seeing one at the shop a guy in Tampa had wrecked about this time. You would have enjoyed the races in the late 60's and early 70's at the beach. We had a lot of boats back then opc , inboard and offshore. I remember when Bill Sirois ran the first magnum missile for the factory it had a 125 he won that year.

[Bob V]

Ford was a master craftsman I love to watch him work. One day he told me that Freddie could actually build a tunnel better than him. I found that hard to believe. Was the Rayson Craft a wood deck? I remember seeing one at the shop a guy in Tampa had wrecked about this time. You would have enjoyed the races in the late 60's and early 70's at the beach. We had a lot of boats back then opc , inboard and offshore. I remember when Bill Sirois ran the first magnum missile for the factory it had a 125 he won that year.

Yes, it was a wood deck and when they got done with it, it was drop dead beautiful. This one had a narrow cockpit - about two feet wide that ran from the dash back to the transom. There was a centered driver's seat and a removable jump seat directly behind the driver's seat. Other than the cockpit, the deck ran from the front to the transom, similar to a tunnel boat. It was painted the "Van Wagoner" yellow and natural wood. I think Freddie ran it at some time as "Long Gone." When I got it, it was "Hot 'n Nasty." It was a lot of fun, but it was really hard to get it to take a set. The cavitation plate was not adjustable from inside the boat. A few years ago there was an employee of Freddie's (Ben, I think) that posted a lot of Freddie's pictures and that boat was in the pictures. Unfortunately, that thread has expired.

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