Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[willabee]

There was also an ON class race in Skokloster, Sweden 1971. Dont remember if it was a World or European championship race.

Lars, thanks for posting the photos ..... several great memory makers, enjoyed them all. With the photos you mentioned a number of championships including an ON, a World and an European. I went to Koblenz in 72 to help Roy Ridgell. I thought that race was for all of the marbles, the title of European Champion. What was the difference between all of these 'championships'?

PS: I believe the 72 Koblenz race was the debut of the Molinari picklefork. Renato won, sometime later the boat was sent to the US and campaigned by Bob Hering.

[Mark75H]

An other Swedish friend Rolf Jansson and his Schulze copy/Merc 1000BP around 1970.
Is that a right turn 2 blade prop..??

Attachment 429606

Both rotations were available and 2 blades were the most common for inshore.

[lars strom]

Lars, thanks for posting the photos

I have one more picture from Skokloster, Sweden 1972. Not sure whom #554 is but the Italian flag.. Molinari/Merc T-ll I guess.

[Bob V]

I have one more picture from Skokloster, Sweden 1972. Not sure whom #554 is but the Italian flag.. Molinari/Merc T-ll I guess.

A good guess...

[lars strom]

For the following season 1974 Molinari introduced a new Picklefork design boat with a Dyhedral tunnel Mercury had around 7 all brand new entered for the 1974 Amsterdam 3 hr race in August all with the new T3 engines and I think they were running fuel injection by now maybe Willabee might confirm this. I remember Tom Percival had a boat like the ones in this picture but it was T11x powered and in the Amsterdam race he swopped outfits with Bob Spalding at the fuel stop who had one of the new boats with T3 power so they both got to drive the new boat.Mercury only had 3 or 4 boats left at the finish of this race most got wrecked and Molinari was flying home before the race finished he only had 5 weeks to build Mercury more new boats for the Paris 6 hr race in October.I think Lars might be able to post a race report on this race for us to see.

Thanks STEVERINO,

Not 100% sure but I think this is from Amsterdam 1974.

[lars strom]

Cees Van Der Velden in his #1 Molinari/Merc..(not sure what model so I call it a fat 6)
Skokloster, Sweden 1972.
I remember this weekend was sunny, but very windy. The race was delayed for hours.
You can see the negative trim on Veldens boat.
(Sorry for the ugly boat, with a Volvo Penta outboard in the picture)

#3 is James Beard and #9 Ceasare Scotti. This was a sprint World Title with 4 heat races.
The OMC drivers did not have the power to run with "the fat Merc in line 6 engines" Molinari and Cees used.
Molinari won the race pretty easy.
Skokloster, Sweden 1972.

WOW..I was wrong.
Just by a coincident I found the final result from the ON World Championship race in Skokloster 1972.
Renato did NOT win, it was Cees Van Der Velden coming out on top. Not because he was the fastest boat, but Renato did not race the last heat because it was to windy/rough for him. He also jumped the gun in the second heat.
Yes, Renato was for some reason using #554.

[lars strom]

The Swedish text above with the result from the ON World Championship race in Skokloster, Sweden in June 1972 also says "Molinari (#554) was racing a new prototype boat" for the first time.
I guess that's the pickle fork design..??

[lars strom]

Some media speculations after the ON World title in Skokloster, Sweden 1972.

[willabee]

I have one more picture from Skokloster, Sweden 1972. Not sure whom #554 is but the Italian flag.. Molinari/Merc T-ll I guess.

The #554 was Renato's APBA assigned number. I think the system of a racer being able to keep his/her number started in 1970. There is a #554 in the line-up at Miami in 1970, racing at Havasu in 1971 and in the line-up at Miami in 1972.

This first picture is labeled 1971, but it is 1970 .....

[lars strom]

Thanks willabee
I love to get answers explaining things I did not know.
Next is from Stockholm 6 hours GP 1968. This was the race that got me really interested in boat racing. I was 15 years old and was watching this Italian racer "going wild" on the rough water downtown Stockholm. I think you can guess who.
I remember thinking..one day I like to bee like him..!!
Coming here soon..!!

[lars strom]

The Stockholm 6 Hour GP was run July 13-14 1968.
3 hours Saturday & 3 Hours Sunday
A perfect location in the center of Stockholm
Here is the starting/entry list for the OI & ON class.
More coming soooon..!!

[STEVERINO]

Thanks STEVERINO,Not 100% sure but I think this is from Amsterdam 1974.

That looks like the Amsterdam race I have just read the full race report on your Molinari site of the 1974 Amsterdam 3 hr race if you scroll down to Mark Rotharmel the next report below is in the yachting and boating weekly just below.It says the race winners were Bob Spalding and Tom Percival T3 powered and the third place Bob Spalding and Tom Percival T11x powered now that result takes some beating same drivers 1st and 3rd.

[lars strom]

Continue.. Stockholm 6 Hour GP July 13-14 1968.

I was standing in the pit watching the Saturdays 3 hour race. Here is a picture of the OI class #51 Carlo Rosini of Italy in his Molinari /Merc 1000BP. Very nice boat back then.

[lars strom]

Renato won the 3 hour race on Saturday and if I remember right Renato was the overall winner Sunday.
This is from the Swedish newspaper.
Not sure what type of Merc he is sitting on but the 3 hour race was hard on the driver according to the paper.
Renato was using #34 here..Maybe willabee know why??

[willabee]

WOW..I was wrong.
Just by a coincident I found the final result from the ON World Championship race in Skokloster 1972.
Renato did NOT win, it was Cees Van Der Velden coming out on top. Not because he was the fastest boat, but Renato did not race the last heat because it was to windy/rough for him. He also jumped the gun in the second heat.
Yes, Renato was for some reason using #554.

I see from the result sheet that Renato won the first of four, but didn't get any points for the last three. He either didn't race or didn't finish those last three heats. Something had to be wrong with his equipment? There is no way that Renato would say it's too rough to race if the other drivers are continuing, especially if he had just won the first heat. I'm guessing something went wrong and he saw that he had no mathematical chance of winning the title so he decided to save the boat to be one of three he had to ship to the U.S. for the OWC. The paint scheme looks very similar to the hull Billy Seebold ran at Havasu that year.


Seebold, Havasu 1972 ..... It has the Italian colors on the rear of the cowl, so this boat definitely ran somewhere in Europe before running at Havasu (sorry, I thought I had a colored picture) .....