Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[jackie wilson]

Morning William, Just to remind you that Merton ran my little black sprint in Havasu after GG took it back at Windermere.
He moved the batteries well forward and rebalanced the boat----years after i wondered why i never tried that, took a lot of the skitishness out of the boat. Won more with that boat than any other i ever ran, but it was a tidy handful.
Don't remember where Mert finished ---but feel sure you are about to tell us all.

[willabee]

Morning William, Just to remind you that Merton ran my little black sprint in Havasu after GG took it back at Windermere.
He moved the batteries well forward and rebalanced the boat----years after i wondered why i never tried that, took a lot of the skitishness out of the boat. Won more with that boat than any other i ever ran, but it was a tidy handful.
Don't remember where Mert finished ---but feel sure you are about to tell us all.

Do you want me to respond to your post #1859 or 1860.....just want to make sure I get it right?

Do you want me to respond to your post #1859 or 1860.....just want to make sure I get it right?


Anyway Sir Jackie, I believe you have achieved another No...No ...No! Wrong guy, wrong place and wrong boat.

Merten drove the Wet & Wild Wing there in 68. He missed 69 because of the Galveston accident. If he drove the lil' 16' sprint at Havasu in 1970, he did it with a pair of Cowbells sitting on the transom! 1970 was the year he finished 2nd in the new reverse 'S' twin Molinari. While testing in Oshkosh he stuffed that boat once and was having one heck of a time keeping it on the water at speed. He did move the batteries up to the nose and that turned out to be a huge help. He retired from racing after Havasu 1970.

Three shots of the lil' sprint (according to Wilson).....the first two as it looked when Jackie drove it in Europe and then as it appeared when Mert ran it at Havasu.

[jackie wilson]

There must be something about you that i used to like but even my photographic memory can't get anywhere near as to what it was. Groucho Marx could have learned how to use a smart mouth from you and become really famous.
Granted i'm getting old---and forgetful-----but i still say Merton set MY boat up in Havasu it had to be 1971 because the last race i did for mercury was windermere '71.---------he may not have raced it himself--------but he did set the boat up for somebody.
Give me a little credit here Willa ----------even ME -----on a bad day------with a 20 mph tailwind would not and did not mistake a Lolloping Twin Molli for a 16' sprint-------------Jeeze---give me strength.

Have to tell you William -------Mert did not retire in 1970-----He was still racing in 1971.
Storm clouds overhead ----------bit of a MISTRAL about to blow ---methinks.!!!!!!!!

[willabee]

I don't think this is the boat I ran. The front cowl looks too long and I removed the Ride Guide steering and put rope and pulley steering in it. When I last ran the boat, it had a different rear cowl.

You have to be right. No one would have pulled the cable steering in favor of the ride-guide in 1972, there were plenty of reliable cable systems available by then. I also think it looks longer in the nose. I'll just have to think harder about who had that boat originally.

[T2x]

You have to be right. No one would have pulled the cable steering in favor of the ride-guide in 1972, there were plenty of reliable cable systems available by then. I also think it looks longer in the nose. I'll just have to think harder about who had that boat originally.

Downard?

[willabee]

.....Granted i'm getting old---and forgetful-----but i still say Merton set MY boat up in Havasu it had to be 1971 because the last race i did for mercury was windermere '71.---------he may not have raced it himself--------but he did set the boat up for somebody.
Give me a little credit here Willa ----------even ME -----on a bad day------with a 20 mph tailwind would not and did not mistake a Lolloping Twin Molli for a 16' sprint-------------Jeeze---give me strength.

Have to tell you William -------Mert did not retire in 1970-----He was still racing in 1971.
Storm clouds overhead ----------bit of a MISTRAL about to blow ---methinks.!!!!!!!!

My apology Jackie me boy, you punched the keys of response a week ago and I'm just now getting back to you. Did try to comment the day you clicked in, but messed it up so I couldn't post then and have been wrapped around the axle since.

Anyway, if you're still breathing, I've got some of the ol' good news and bad news.....

Good news.....you are not gettin' old & forgetful
Bad news.......you have been old & forgetful for a couple of decades now

As for the lil' sprint at Havasu 71.....I have no recollection of that boat coming back to Oshburg. I know that doesn't mean it didn't, but I simply have nothing in the memory banks about it. Question.....is there enough time to get a boat from Windermere to Merc, rerig for fast running and pull across the country in time for the clash in the desert? Question.....isn't that boat a tad small for the water that Havasu offers?

I do know this, if it was there in 71, Mert didn't run it. About a week after Merc's dominating performance at Havasu in 1970, the brass in Fond du Lac were in a mood to celebrate and reward.On the reward side, Garbrecht was promoted to Director of Racing. That meant Offshore and Stock Outboards were added to OPC under his guidance. A week or two later, Merten arrived at work wearing a new suit and tie and it was announced that he had been promoted to Manager of the OPC Racing Team (Gary's old job) and that he had run his last race. He did continue to test and, as you know, set the single engine outboard speed record in 73, but didn't race again.

One final thought.....after all the hot air that has been blowing from the south of France, I'd sure think a mistral would be a bit refreshing.

As always, look forward to you setting history straight.....again.

[willabee]

Downard?

I think I remember all of the boats Mike raced while at Merc and with the exception of the 18' rocker in 69/70, they all had cable steering. The one I'm thinking it might be was driven by Stickle & Seebold at the Long Beach Invitational in 1971. It was a smaller, sprintish Molinari and had ride-guide steering, had the arrows on the front of the non-skid stripes and twin gas fillers. It fits the description of the one David showed us in his photos. I don't remember where that boat went after Long Beach. I'm pretty sure Stickle got a Paris 17' marathon after this Long Beach sprint.

Downard's #251.....new orange 17' in 72 @ Miami, white e.t. 17' in 71 @ Parker, white 17' @ Havasu in 70 & orange 18' @ Miami 70.....also the #254 sprint Stickle ran @ Long Beach in 71.....maybe the one that went to David

[jackie wilson]

My apology Jackie me boy, you punched the keys of response a week ago and I'm just now getting back to you. Did try to comment the day you clicked in, but messed it up so I couldn't post then and have been wrapped around the axle since.

Anyway, if you're still breathing, I've got some of the ol' good news and bad news.....

Good news.....you are not gettin' old & forgetful
Bad news.......you have been old & forgetful for a couple of decades now

As for the lil' sprint at Havasu 71.....I have no recollection of that boat coming back to Oshburg. I know that doesn't mean it didn't, but I simply have nothing in the memory banks about it. Question.....is there enough time to get a boat from Windermere to Merc, rerig for fast running and pull across the country in time for the clash in the desert? Question.....isn't that boat a tad small for the water that Havasu offers?

I do know this, if it was there in 71, Mert didn't run it. About a week after Merc's dominating performance at Havasu in 1970, the brass in Fond du Lac were in a mood to celebrate and reward.On the reward side, Garbrecht was promoted to Director of Racing. That meant Offshore and Stock Outboards were added to OPC under his guidance. A week or two later, Merten arrived at work wearing a new suit and tie and it was announced that he had been promoted to Manager of the OPC Racing Team (Gary's old job) and that he had run his last race. He did continue to test and, as you know, set the single engine outboard speed record in 73, but didn't race again.

One final thought.....after all the hot air that has been blowing from the south of France, I'd sure think a mistral would be a bit refreshing.

As always, look forward to you setting history straight.....again.

"ere we go again------------you and i both know ,when something was wanted back in Oshberg in a hurry-----from one end of the earth to the other in Mercury logistics ---ANYTHING-----could be moved from -----ANYWHERE -------in 24 hours, so there would be no problem getting the boat back there.

That black little mother with a 1000BP was the only one that could outrun the 1250's and GG knew it. He also knew there were faster drivers than me that did not have the survival instinct i had. So he shipped it pretty damn el pronto--like NOW baby over to Wisconsin.

Havasu, later the next month, came across Mert standing in the cockpit with all the covers off [ a very rare occurrence ]-----Was with Kathy Smith at the time, and wanted to show her MY BOAT, that's how come i remember it so well, and noticed he had shoved the batteries well forward.

Hi- Perf were well known for throwing in a wild card--against all logic -----and reasoning, and i figure they MIGHT have thought that on a nice day with no wind and a crazy driver, that little 16' just might make hay. If they had asked me-----like they ever did ???? i could have told them ---if a fairy farted on that expanse of waterway ------that boat would head for heaven.

Mistral usually blows either 3----6----or 9 days non stop---depending.

[jackie wilson]

My apology Jackie me boy, you punched the keys of response a week ago and I'm just now getting back to you. Did try to comment the day you clicked in, but messed it up so I couldn't post then and have been wrapped around the axle since.

Anyway, if you're still breathing, I've got some of the ol' good news and bad news.....

Good news.....you are not gettin' old & forgetful
Bad news.......you have been old & forgetful for a couple of decades now

As for the lil' sprint at Havasu 71.....I have no recollection of that boat coming back to Oshburg. I know that doesn't mean it didn't, but I simply have nothing in the memory banks about it. Question.....is there enough time to get a boat from Windermere to Merc, rerig for fast running and pull across the country in time for the clash in the desert? Question.....isn't that boat a tad small for the water that Havasu offers?

I do know this, if it was there in 71, Mert didn't run it. About a week after Merc's dominating performance at Havasu in 1970, the brass in Fond du Lac were in a mood to celebrate and reward.On the reward side, Garbrecht was promoted to Director of Racing. That meant Offshore and Stock Outboards were added to OPC under his guidance. A week or two later, Merten arrived at work wearing a new suit and tie and it was announced that he had been promoted to Manager of the OPC Racing Team (Gary's old job) and that he had run his last race. He did continue to test and, as you know, set the single engine outboard speed record in 73, but didn't race again.

One final thought.....after all the hot air that has been blowing from the south of France, I'd sure think a mistral would be a bit refreshing.

As always, look forward to you setting history straight.....again.

"ere we go again------------you and i both know ,when something was wanted back in Oshberg in a hurry-----from one end of the earth to the other in Mercury logistics ---ANYTHING-----could be moved from -----ANYWHERE -------in 24 hours, so there would be no problem getting the boat back there.

That black little mother with a 1000BP was the only one that could outrun the 1250's and GG knew it. He also knew there were faster drivers than me that did not have the survival instinct i had. So he shipped it pretty damn el pronto--like NOW baby over to Wisconsin.

Havasu, later the next month, came across Mert standing in the cockpit with all the covers off [ a very rare occurrence ]-----Was with Kathy Smith at the time, and wanted to show her MY BOAT, that's how come i remember it so well, and noticed he had shoved the batteries well forward.

Hi- Perf were well known for throwing in a wild card--against all logic -----and reasoning, and i figure they MIGHT have thought that on a nice day with no wind and a crazy driver, that little 16' just might make hay. If they had asked me-----like they ever did ???? i could have told them ---if a fairy farted on that expanse of waterway ------that boat would head for heaven.

Mistral usually blows either 3----6----or 9 days non stop---depending.

[GENE LANHAM]

"ere we go again------------you and i both know ,when Mistral usually blows either 3----6----or 9 days non stop---depending.

(Jackie----only a rhetorical question. You are the only person that I know that lives in France. You and I were less than 13 years old on that historical day---) Gene

June 6, 1944. 67 years ago today. Did any one in France make the trip to Colleville-sur-Mer, to lay a flower on one of the 9387 American graves??

[willabee]

(Jackie---- You and I were less than 13 years old on that historical day---) Gene

Hey Gene,

Just for the record, Jackie was never 13 years old.....he came out of the chute old and grumpy (talking too I bet)!

[jackie wilson]

Gene i have to tell you that the French take their war memories VERY seriously indeed----there is not another country in the world that has the compassion and reverence as seriously as they do.
In my small village we have a ceremony at the monument here in the church square on June the 6th and have done for the last 67 years----there is even a street named Rue June the 6th, and if you have ever been to any of the memorial cemeteries here in France you will agree---they are kept up to Arlington standards.
So in answer to your question Gene 'ALL OVER FRANCE millions of people remember JUNE 6th and yes there would have been quite a number at 'COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER'.
.

[jackie wilson]

Gene i have to tell you that the French take their war memories VERY seriously indeed----there is not another country in the world that has the compassion and reverence as seriously as they do.
In my small village we have a ceremony at the monument here in the church square on June the 6th and have done for the last 67 years----there is even a street named Rue June the 6th, and if you have ever been to any of the memorial cemeteries here in France you will agree---they are kept up to Arlington standards.
So in answer to your question Gene 'ALL OVER FRANCE millions of people remember JUNE 6th and yes there would have been quite a number at 'COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER'.
.

[jackie wilson]

Hey Gene,

Just for the record, Jackie was never 13 years old.....he came out of the chute old and grumpy (talking too I bet)!

That statement cannot be true--------i remember my first kiss with the girl next door when i was 12-------whacked my first overseas visitor [Belgian] when i was 10---------and came across a miserable old fart from across the water called Willabee when i was 11--------so coming out of the chute grumpy is just a fallacy.

[jackie wilson]

Hey Gene,

Just for the record, Jackie was never 13 years old.....he came out of the chute old and grumpy (talking too I bet)!

That statement cannot be true--------i remember my first kiss with the girl next door when i was 12-------whacked my first overseas visitor [Belgian] when i was 10---------and came across a miserable old fart from across the water called Willabee when i was 11--------so coming out of the chute grumpy is just a fallacy.