Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[jackiewilson]

Wow is the wind ever howling-----sun came up like thunder-----sky was red as a sore baby's bum that's sat in a Ferrari, all gone now and is overcast and threatening waiting for the juice.
Don't have a project in mind at the moment, but that don't mean a thing, will have to re-arrange the shop now I have a bit of space and then create a masterpiece. (Maybe).

[jackiewilson]

God must have been drinking Guiness orCarlsberg in large quantities , seriously contemplated work on the Ark.
Dont want to get into it with Rich over a missile, was all a long time ago and I wouldn't bet the farm on my knowledge and memory.
catch up with you later.

[jackiewilson]

Told you the shops in chaos, 'twill be better once I get the dross moved out.
Was asked why I didn't want to go to Key West in November seeing as how it was only a week before the Old Farts and the rest of the clan would be down there. Simple really-----Jilly's birthday is on the 11th of the 11th-------last year I was in Tavares missing the said celebration, was told in no uncertain terms to better not miss it this year. Now I suffer from a rare disease, it's called "Scaredicatitus" and I can have the fear of God put up me on some occasions----------the 11th of November is one of 'em. That's the whole truth and nothing but etc, etc, etc, ------there's another 364 days to play------only ONE where I have to obey. Bottom line is I CANT PLAY BOATS ON THE 11 Th.
Its finally stopped raining. Tomorrow set fair, after that summers officially over.
Sam takes the trophies for shipping tomorrow , think it would be cheaper to just hire a Learjet for the week, but that's not on the wish list.
Thats it 'till morning, enjoy your bed, I will, MYGGWY J.

[jackiewilson]

Day dawned nice-n-bright and the three foresters who come once a year to trim the hedges, prune the fruit trees and lop the deadwood arrived about 8am.
Borrowed one of their tall stepladders, clambered up on to the garage roof and proceeded to saw and lop all the overhanging branches, took about half an hour, struggled my way back down, put the ladder back then discovered I had lost My hearing aid SOMEWHERE.,!!
After some outstanding heated exchanges with her who cannot possibly be wrong and a solid hour searching for said device ----SHE walks out the house with the damned thing in her hand-------This what you're looking for Sweetie? Found it by your computer!!!

[jackiewilson]

Ok peeps, have any of you been following the "MAGNUM MISSILE" thread in Outboard and Racing history? Been doing a bit of silent chuckling to myself-----even Stavros has missed the plot here.
There was a boat in the 66/67 Cowes Torquay race called "Maltese Magnum" -----did rather well if I remember rightly, then they went on to Toulon where I first met Billy Don PRUETT. There was a race in Isle -Des-Embiez with a bunch of all night partying. PRUETT went back to Italy with Ballesteros ---Aronow went back to Florida -----me myself went on to CASABLANCA to partake with a few other unknowns, now this is where the interesting bit comes in, there was an outfit racing there that looked a lot like a Torriggia to me-----the pilot was a a guy called Humph BO-Gart, mechanic was
Lorre Peters and the crew chief was a huge guy called Sid Greenstreet ----on closer inspection the boat turned out to be called "The Maltese Falcon"------whaddya think? Should I put this information on the Maltese Magnum Missile thread? Nah, I don't think so, I would probably get lynched at Tavares .

[jackiewilson]

Well, that went down like a turd in a punchbowl, wasn't worth the effort, or you must have heard the story before. Won't even tell you the Casablanca race results . Will mention a few of the participants -------just those I remember
JC turned up with "Ring of Fire"------WS Holland was crew chief but had a tummy bug "Casablanca Crappers" is what the Moroccans called it.
DEANO M. was there with a stepped lay down Big Dee called AMORRE and a four pot Konig, crew chief a MR J Lewis and mechanic was a certain Foster Brooks. The boat was running pure alcohol and looked like he was a sure-fire winner but faded at the last.
Red Adair and J Wayne featured in the program somewhere, but my memories shot.
At the celebration dinner ( was always held at ricks place, same old Hoagy at the joanna) Prizes were presented by a blonde good looking kid, Lauren something or other---I forget.
Anyway, you don't want to hear any of these old boating tales----you all heard em a hundred times before. Restful and peaceful evening to you pilgrims, MYGGWY .J.

[jackiewilson]

It rained all night and more besides, played about with a couple of carvings, if they turn up ok I'll post a piccie, if they don't I'll bin 'em.
S&F site's been down since I awoke and now it's time to rise and shine.

[jackiewilson]

Good day in the shop, things went right for a change ---was happy with a couple of pieces I did, Just need three or four more coats of polish.
Did what I said I wouldn't -got involved with a couple of sites-----just leads to arguments and rows
I'm retired and happy----why rock the boat!!!

[jackiewilson]

Jackie

In the summer of 1965, after seeing me race in the West Palm Bch area, a couple guys showed up where I worked with Bill Critchfield. He introduced himself as Mr. Carniti. He showed Bill and I some pictures of some boats they were running in Italy with Mercury 50hp engines like I was running on my Vee. Only thing was, they were running tunnels. I don't remember if these were his rigs or just what others were running at that time. 2 questions? When did he start building engines? Do you have any idea what make boats these may have been? If I had only known I would live this long, and these questions would come up, I would have paid better attention. Thank you for any help with these questions. Hope to see you soon.

Hello again Jim, can't believe it's nearly off time again.
Do you remember which Carniti it was you met? I would think it was Sergio, he was the active one, brilliant skier -----ran the motor works, Angelo Vassena was his ramrod.
1965 I brought one of those 14 foot tunnel boats back to England along with the most beautiful 15 foot V bottom and the 17 foot Tunnel. Put the little tunnel on top of the camper and the V bottom on the trailer with the big tunnel piggy backed.
Left the Torriggia factory in a blizzard which lasted all the way through the Alps, didn't stop till I reached Calais. Anyway back to the 14' tunnel, bought it because it was so pretty, it looked like a small RIVA all wood and see through varnish.
Put a 500 Mercury on it and entered it in a club race at Iver ( London club) it ran like on rails but a good 15' Bristol was a shade quicker, when the water roughed up and the wind started to blow it left the Vee bottoms for dead.
Was very short of cash at that time and sold it to Mike Rose up in Lincoln -----sold the V bottom to Freddie Miles------he ran it all over Europe with a 55Carniti and won every time out.
Sold the 17' tunnel to a guy who let me race it a couple of times both at home and abroad, again it just had the legs on a 16' Levi, but could run the slop much better, I never ever could get more than 62 out of it, no matter what I tried-------any old prop would touch 60 all day long, was only after working with Rolla I managed 62.
Jerimiah Cetti and Sergio Carniti were very close friends so I imagine the boats he told you about were Torriggias.

Thats your lot for tonight MYGGWY.J.

[jackiewilson]

Jim, Welch has all the pictures of the 3 boats.

[jackiewilson]

Just read through your questions Jim, Carniti built sewing machines before they built outboards, Sergio raced hydro's and built very competitive race engines, he must have come across Angelo who also raced hydro's.
Factory was in Oggiono, my eldest daughter Sandra lived there for a couple of years, husband Steve worked for BOOTSY for a couple of years.

[jackiewilson]

Went and did it again ----got involved with Rich Luhrs in tunnel design discussions, am I nuts or what-----I know nothing about design-----only what works and what don't,.
Chucking it down and it's the car boot sale . DAMN AND BLAST IT.

[powerabout]

Went and did it again ----got involved with Rich Luhrs in tunnel design discussions, am I nuts or what-----I know nothing about design-----only what works and what don't,.
Chucking it down and it's the car boot sale . DAMN AND BLAST IT.

Didnt every boat designer start as an artist?

[jackiewilson]

Didnt every boat designer start as an artist?

Hodges was the builder with the pencil, wonderful craftsman, wouldn't listen most of the time but was a true carpenter, joiner, boatbuilder and designer. Was him that said " the eye is the most accurate of all measuring devices", to illustrate the fact he would stand you ten feet either in front or behind one of his boats, kneel down and say "look down that deck/gunwale / line, perfect ain't it, not a machine known to man that could measure that". Was before computer images.
ALL tunnel boat builders flew by the seat of their pants, if they were pilots like ,Scotti, Molinari, Seebold and Velden, they could raid their own brains, if they were like Hodges, Burgess etc. They had to rely on what they were told.
Typical of this is an example. I can give you, when Seebold extended the tunnel by a couple of feet beyond the sponsons, I said "Billy what are the after planes for, what good do they do" his reply was pure boatbuilder--------"Damned if I know Jackie, but they must do something".
That just about sums up tunnel boat development, hit and miss, find the C of G and take it from there, cardinal rules were no rocks or hooks, keep it honest. But that was back then, any of the new school will tell you -------in the old days, they didn't have the technology.
Well, I have to say from where I'm standing, it don't look like the new breed travelled very far in the last forty years.

[jackiewilson]

C'mon wheelman where are you when I need you, PRUETT would have even been in my corner on this one. If your gonna take on T2x you need friends . ,!!