Top Five Tunnel Boat Drivers of All Time

**jackie wilson** · 10-25-2008, 09:37 AM

Don't ever remember a Carniti ON motor.
Time to call on the historians, this one beats me.

**Mark75H** · 10-25-2008, 10:05 AM

120ci opposed 6

**jackie wilson** · 10-25-2008, 11:26 AM

Never heard of one ever starting a race ,let alone finishing and winning to boot.
when Carniti's ran they were like sh-t off'n a teflon shovel, but like the Konig, if the set up was off key they were a stone bitch to fire up. I won the British Championship with a Carniti in 1966, in the final race on the final lap. the damn thing threw the flywheel through the cowl, bounced clear to the clubhouse at Chasewater just after the chequered flag. God was good to me that day.!!!!!!

**f.panzera** · 10-26-2008, 07:38 AM

Angelo Vassena corse con CARNITI 2000 a Milano nella primavera del 1970, ma ebbe dei problemi.
Dopo il motore venne montato sulla barca di mio padre, un SICILGEREMIA, e nell'estate del 1970 corse e vinse il Gran Premio di Jugoslavia a Maribor, vincendo il trofeo "Elica d'oro" e battendo Dieter Schulze. Quella fu la prima ed unica gara in cui un motore italiano vinse nella classe ON. In agosto, sempre del 1970, corse a Pavia il Gran Premio d'Italia, vinse la prima manche ma fece un brutto volo nella seconda che mandò mio padre in ospedale in coma e con 12 costole rotte. Credo che dopo quella gara quel motore non corse più, ma io ero troppo giovane ed i miei ricordi sono incompleti. Vorrei trovare più notizie di quella gara e trovare quache foto.
Filippo Panzera

**f.panzera** · 10-26-2008, 07:43 AM

Angelo Vassena raced with a CARNITI 2000 outboard to Milan in the 1970 spring, but it had some problems.
After that competition, the motor was climbed on on the boat of my father, a SICILGEREMIA, and in the summer of the 1970 runs and it won the Gran Prix of Yugoslavia in Maribor, winning the trophy "gold propeller" and Dieter Schulze beating. That was the first and only competition in which an Italian motor won in the class ON. In August, always of 1970, raced to Pavia the Gran Prix of Italy, it won the first manche but it made an ugly flight in the second that sent my father in the hospital with 12 broken ribs. I believe that after that competition that motor not raced anymore, but I was too much youth and my memoirs they are incomplete. I would like to find more news of that competition and to find some photo.
Filippo Panzera

**jackie wilson** · 10-27-2008, 04:04 AM

Worked with Vassena translating the Carniti workshop manuals to English in the early '60's then lost touch with him 'till the mid '70's when my daughter moved to Oggiono [home of Carniti]. He was very poorly with the big C . Lost all contact with him since then.
You mention your father raced a 'SICILGEREMIA' ----- would that have been built by Geremia Cetti of TORRIGIA.???
In 1970, the boats ran full tunnels, the Pavia race was run on the river PO and was prone to wind currents like no other race, combine this and an exoerimental 2 litre motori, you would have to be very experienced and lucky to bring it home in one piece.
Your best chance of finding out the full story is to contact Rolla in Lugano , I can guarantee he made the props for Sergio Carniti.
I never even knew the motor existed, so i'm about as much use to you as a chocolate fireguard.

**TomAprilsswitzers** · 10-27-2008, 04:15 AM

Originally Posted by T2x

BK you're probably right.....................For instance, Lee Sutter didn't have a long career in OPC....but man could he drive! He single handedly started the revolution that left every thing from washers to driver's suit buttons on the beach to save weight.

One other name lost in all of this.................... Sirois......

And how good would either Briggs brother have been....if they lasted?

Another guy...........Sherlock.

La Grand Canadienne.................... Spencer Dunn

It goes on and on.

T2x

Anyone ever heard of a guy by the name of Jimbo McConnell....I would say he was up there with Billie...

**Mark75H** · 10-27-2008, 05:53 AM

He's first mentioned on post 28 of this thread (we are now over 150)

**f.panzera** · 10-27-2008, 06:35 AM

In the 70’s Geremia of Torriggia moved to Sicily, to Palermo, where a little group of sicilian drivers wait for.
From that period his shipyard changed its name in Sicil-Geremia, following its tend of victories and leadership in FT class European Championship, <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com

ffice

ffice" /><o

></o

>
My father built with Geremia three tunnel boats called SICIL GEREMIA <o

></o

>
With the first one, nicknamed BATMAN, raced and it won the first world title in 1970 to Luino, with Mercury 1000BP engine, then runs to Maribor and it finally destroyed in Pavia using the Carniti ON 2000 6 cylinders engine, as I have already told. <o

></o

>
It was indeed enrolled to Paris in 1970, but because of the accident in Pavia not raced. <o

></o

>
With the second runs in Paris in 1972, coequiper his nephew Joseph Sicuro, arriving 2° in the class OI and 12° absolute. They lost the victory of class for a restocking of fuel to 10 minutes from the end but it got the good absolute time on the single lap. <o

></o

>
With the third it participated in the Championship of the World of Windermere in 1973, without getting great results. <o

></o

>
In 1975, after the death of Cesare Scotti, it acquired from his wife one of his boats with which raced and it won the 1976 World Championship (always class OI) with motor Mercury, that raced to Syracuse. <o

></o

>
I am hardly able I will send some of the photos that I possess.<o

></o

>

**jackie wilson** · 10-27-2008, 08:33 AM

Geramia had the best facility on lake Como with the Torriggia Factory as anyone who ever went there in the late 60's and early 70's will confirm.
Had no idea he went to Sicily. He was a beautiful woodworker, and set the standard for all the other Italian builders, ie, Molinari, Scotti, Abbatte. He was on a par with Riva for craftsmanship and finish.
Is he still alive today.???

**minto** · 10-27-2008, 10:41 AM

F.PANZERA

Please check your Private Messages.

I have sent the contact details of a friend in Italy who may be able to help you.

**f.panzera** · 10-27-2008, 01:21 PM

Geremia is dead years ago. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com

ffice

ffice" /><o

></o

>
His child continues his job, but he has returned to work on the lake of Como of drawers in the ex factory of Renato Molinari. <o

></o

>
I enclose some photos: <o

></o

>
1 - Paris 1969, 1° absolute on Molinary/Mercury. my father didn't belong to the official Team, but he raced from private. After the competition the Mercury tried everything to be able to insert him in his publicities as official driver. <o

></o

>
2 - Paris 1972, 12° absolute, 2° class OI with the second tunnel boat SICILGEREMIA and motor Mercury. <o

></o

>
3 - Windermere 1973, the third tunnel boat SICILGEREMIA to the Championship of the World class OI. Any good result. <o

></o

>
4 - the third tunnel boat SICILGEREMIA modified in the winter 1973. <o

></o

>
5 - Syracuse 1976, the victory in the 2° Championship of the World class OI with a boat SCOTTI and motor Mercury. <o

></o

>
6 - Sicily 1979, The Tunnel boat SCOTTI modified by Geremia. <o

></o

>
7 - Sicily 2008, the tunnel boat SCOTTI today, we are beginning to restore it.