Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[Rotary John]

I found a mention of their debut in Mel Zikes column in the January, 1974 issue of Powerboat. The magazine didn't cover the race, but Zikes mentioned a few of the things that happened at the 73 event. My issue is a bit tattered and some of the sentences were incomplete, but what I got out of what is left is that the V6 did debut in Paris and did have a major steering torque problem. Zikes said one was on the Molinari/Hering entry and they were switcing drivers every twenty five minutes ..... but remember, Zikes also exaggerates a bunch! I don't know if they had four drivers assigned to that entry, but Steverino is correct about the torque problem and the big lower unit.

Dick Lanpheer, race engineering Mercury, said the torque was due to a new four shaft gearcase developed for the power they anticipated would come from the V6.

Going back to Parker 73, here is a shot from the early morning driver meeting. I think that Jack Leek, Director of Racing for OMC (white shirt), is asking the Trophy Queen if she had a special prize for the head of the Race Team that had the boat that leads the first lap. He knew his rotarys wouldn't be around to collect the winners trophy, but was hopeful of receiving a treat for the thirteen mile dash!



In the second shot from the drivers meeting I think I see Mr. Ricky (Ricky DeMontrond) of Vapor Trail talking to Gary Garbrect. He's probably telling Gary that, for a big bottle of Chivas, he won't even mention that the rotarys were here. Like Provo, this is another of the special events where you got to see rotarys, KT's, multi's, inboards, Stranglers and Twisters on the course at the same time ..... very cool.

In the back right center in the white hat with glasses is George Miller, head of the OMC rotary program at the time. This was the race that had all the people at merc saying "Oh *hit"

[Rotary John]

Both OMC and Merc made their V-6 debut at Paris in '73. Merc made the race officials go under the tarp covering the engines to check the ignition kill switch so OMC couldn't see the engine. What Merc didn't know was OMC had the Merc blueprint of the engine block an knew it was a 2 liter 60 degree V-6. As the press headlines has said "OMC annihilated Merc" at that race. Merc ran their V-6's the next week also at Windermere and lost to the Rotary again.

[John Schubert]

Bill,

I can remember all the talk about the longer cowlings on the V-6 as many speculated that it was an opposed cylinder 3 & 3 which some thought might have been a good idea but would have difficulty starting 2 large bore cylinders at the same time

[willabee]

Both OMC and Merc made their V-6 debut at Paris in '73. Merc made the race officials go under the tarp covering the engines to check the ignition kill switch so OMC couldn't see the engine. What Merc didn't know was OMC had the Merc blueprint of the engine block an knew it was a 2 liter 60 degree V-6. .....

R.J., I've talked about this before on S & F, but apparently you missed the posts. Merc did know that OMC knew about the new V6 long before one was even built. I was attending a meeting at Merc Racing when Charles Alexander, Merc President, entered the room. After a few "Hello's", he tossed a set of blueprints on a table and invited all to take a look at what he had just received from Charlie Strang, Outboard Marine President ..... the very prints you just mentioned they had!

What I never found out was whether or not Merc ever found out who sent them to OMC? The point is, they weren't under the tarp to hide the V6 from anyone, they were just sharing some naked pictures of ...... nevermind.

Question ..... what was the displacement of the rotary? Some said the RC was 122", some said 244", what is the real number?

[Rotary John]

I was aware Charlie sent Charlie the prints. That was after Nerstrom and the boys marked them up a bit. The prints came from the sand caster that both Merc and OMC used for prototypes It was a mistake on the casters part; not intentional. But as you were aware, any time either Charlie could stick it to the other Charlie, it happened. I'm told Strang had his picture taken standing in front of the Merc blueprint and was part of the package sent to Alex. The 122 is closer to the real number as it is the displaced volume per crankshaft revolution; same as a 2-stroke. There were various people and taxing agencies that wanted to double that figure to be comparable to a 4-stroke, as a rotary is actually a 4-stroke cycle even though it has 1 power stroke per revolution. Some even wanted to triple the displacement. The actual displacement was 129.8ci or 2112cc; 4 snowmobile rotors stacked on top of each other.

[jackiewilson]

I was aware Charlie sent Charlie the prints. That was after Nerstrom and the boys marked them up a bit. The prints came from the sand caster that both Merc and OMC used for prototypes It was a mistake on the casters part; not intentional. But as you were aware, any time either Charlie could stick it to the other Charlie, it happened. I'm told Strang had his picture taken standing in front of the Merc blueprint and was part of the package sent to Alex. The 122 is closer to the real number as it is the displaced volume per crankshaft revolution; same as a 2-stroke. There were various people and taxing agencies that wanted to double that figure to be comparable to a 4-stroke, as a rotary is actually a 4-stroke cycle even though it has 1 power stroke per revolution. Some even wanted to triple the displacement. The actual displacement was 129.8ci or 2112cc; 4 snowmobile rotors stacked on top of each other.

Not that the capacity really mattered ROJO, THE ONLY CLASS IT EVER RAN IN WAS THE UNLIMITED 'oz'. Six or was it eight times in all?
But if it really is a four cycle stroker as you state, then by my very simple reckoning is it was close to 229.6 cubes.
just a case of having your cake and eating it.?
Or we're you just like the rest of us and didn't! Know how the hell to measure the damned thing?

[Rotary John]

Not that the capacity really mattered ROJO, THE ONLY CLASS IT EVER RAN IN WAS THE UNLIMITED 'oz'. Six or was it eight times in all?
But if it really is a four cycle stroker as you state, then by my very simple reckoning is it was close to 229.6 cubes.
just a case of having your cake and eating it.?
Or we're you just like the rest of us and didn't! Know how the hell to measure the damned thing?

Jackie I know it may be difficult for you to add and subtract, but a rotaries displacement is measured just like all other internal combustion engines; max volume minus min volume. Been that way since the beginning of time for ALL IC engines.

[jackiewilson]

Jackie I know it may be difficult for you to add and subtract, but a rotaries displacement is measured just like all other internal combustion engines; max volume minus min volume. Been that way since the beginning of time for ALL IC engines.

if it's that simple Johno, how come you had all those battles with the establishment to try and get it rated? Just asking!!!!!

[Rotary John]

if it's that simple Johno, how come you had all those battles with the establishment to try and get it rated? Just asking!!!!!

The only battle we had was with Merc. They didn't want to have it in a race with them because they would get beat. Besides as you said OZ was unlimited. So was ON back then. The only requirements were 17' min boat, a vertical crank and the motor had to be designed as an outboard.

[2us70]

I have never seen any of OMC's rotary motors run but I have seen one airplane and several race cars powered by Mazda's rotary engines. The one thing they all had in common was a very unpleasant exhaust sound when running with open exhaust systems. Did the OMC motors sound much like the racing Mazdas?

[Rotary John]

I have never seen any of OMC's rotary motors run but I have seen one airplane and several race cars powered by Mazda's rotary engines. The one thing they all had in common was a very unpleasant exhaust sound when running with open exhaust systems. Did the OMC motors sound much like the racing Mazda's?

Your correct about the cars and airplanes. They were not only unpleasant, they actually hurt. The race engine had all of the cooling water dumped into the exhaust area so the sound was totally different. It was unique, no question when you heard one.

[SCT]

R-John, is there any video of the OMC Rotary running with sound? I've always wanted to hear one.
Thanks-

[Rotary John]

R-John, is there any video of the OMC Rotary running with sound? I've always wanted to hear one.
Thanks-

The only one I know of is on the rotary story but the sound is dubbed in and is not real.

[Rotary John]

The only one I know of is on the rotary story but the sound is dubbed in and is not real. You got to remember this was 40 yrs ago and we didn't have the technical equipment then we have now.

[jackie wilson]

The only battle we had was with Merc. They didn't want to have it in a race with them because they would get beat. Besides as you said OZ was unlimited. So was ON back then. The only requirements were 17' min boat, a vertical crank and the motor had to be designed as an outboard.

Wrong again Johno the designation of the ON class-----Whilst the hull is free , the motor shall have a maximum capacity of 2,000cc. and where on earth did you get the "vertical" crank from, over 50 years in boating and that's the first time i heard that one.
The designation of an outboard according to the UIM is-------It shall be removable from the hull, complete with it's drive----end of.
6 wins in the whole of it's life---That's the wankels claim to fame is it------shudder to think just how many wins the Merc has had----impossible to count but i know it's in the thousands-----even i had more wins than that, and i'm just one of the hundreds of satisfied customers. But then Johno you wouldn't know about those kind of folk---OMC never even sold ONE.

You were lucky--you only had to battle with Mercury----i had OMC on my tail as well as Mercury.