Gold Coast Marathon

[GENE LANHAM]

wasn't this boat used as the mold for the fiberglass ones which followed????

Ted---I believe that is correct---Switzer wing #1--Bob Switzer told the story of the boat being returned by Olney and having a new bottom in exchange for taking a mold---this story is in your 'Switzerwings'---but I can't find it!!!

[GENE LANHAM]

The last wooden wing I remember seeing run in competition was Bill Olney at Parker, 1968---and that boat had been back to Crystal Lake and had a new 'glass bottom'

Bill Olney was a L.A. cop--finished 7th at Parker, 1968---

[shadowcat]

in #6 place was-Lonnie Todd -in what was your boat -Redbird???

Bill Olney was a L.A. cop--finished 7th at Parker, 1968---

[shadowcat]

-switzer wings were 4 of 5 top outboards if I read this correctly

[GENE LANHAM]

in #6 place was-Lonnie Todd -in what was your boat -Redbird???

Lonnie Todd was actually running an Offshore race that day---Bill Sirois and I ran the boat--it soon became Red Bird--

[willabee]

.....The last wooden wing I remember seeing run in competition was Bill Olney at Parker, 1968---and that boat had been back to Crystal Lake and had a new 'glass bottom'

Pretty damn sharp memory you got there Redbird ..... Olney @ Parker in 68 ....

[velox]

All in all, I think the wood wings were faster with 80 HP engines that the first fiberglass ones were with 100's.
I believe the wood ones did do well over 100mph. Richie and I ran a Powercat with 100s that would go close to 75 and we were not even close to the Switzers. George Grilley , Richie Baiz and I ran a Glastron in the 9 hour when the fiberglass Switzers showed up with the very first super speedmasters and 100 HP engines. We were ahead of them until the last part of the race and we were getting slower from taking on water. When I was driving the first 3 hours The Mandella driven by Buch Peterson and Joe Mandella slightly bumped me on a turn. I thought nothing of it, but when we pulled the boat out of the water we drained about 50 gallons of water out of it. I doubt the early FG Switzers could do much over 70 MPH in that debut of the SSMs as we could only do 65MPH in the Glasstron. Once the bigger engines came out the FG Switzers came into their own.

[GENE LANHAM]

All in all, I think the wood wings were faster with 80 HP engines that the first fiberglass ones were with 100's.
I believe the wood ones did do well over 100mph. Richie and I ran a Powercat with 100s that would go close to 85 and we were not even close to the Switzers. George Grilley , Richie Baiz and I ran a Glastron in the 9 hour when the fiberglass Switzers showed up with the very first super speedmasters and 100 HP engines. We were ahead of them until the last part of the race and we were getting slower from taking on water. When I was driving the first 3 hours The Mandella driven by Buch Peterson and Joe Mandella slightly bumped me on a turn. I thought nothing of it, but when we pulled the boat out of the water we draind about 50 gallons of wager out of it. I doubt the early FG Switzers could do much over 70 MPH in that debut of the SSMs as we could only do 65MPH in the Glasstron. Once the bigger engines came out the FG Switzers came into their own.

Good Morning, Leonard!

Seven months after that 9 hour--Odell and Roy had the Glass Switzers running pretty good----

Results of the 1965 Gold Coast Marathon---

[GENE LANHAM]

Ted---I believe that is correct---Switzer wing #1--Bob Switzer told the story of the boat being returned by Olney and having a new bottom in exchange for taking a mold---this story is in your 'Switzerwings'---but I can't find it!!!

Good Morning, Ted!!

I found it!!!

[GENE LANHAM]

Pretty damn sharp memory you got there Redbird ..... Olney @ Parker in 68 ....

Good Morning, Bill!!

--not that sharp--the picture (with the stiff rope) was at Elsinore-- your pic at Parker, thanks to 'tinypic' is not that sharp either--

[GENE LANHAM]

General GCM question: What year did Jimmy Stough win the GCM? I have the newspaper clipping of the results for the top 25, but there is no date with the clipping.
Of course the reason, I have the clipping is because my dad was fifth overall with a second place on the southern run. Odell Lewis and my dad were running identical Switzer Wings - the only difference was the paint scheme: one was Black and Gold, the other Black and Silver. The black and white photo doesn't exactly tell me but I think Dad's was Silver (just cannot remember). Looking at the photo the 'switzer' did not like calm conditions. Was there powertrim available in the early to mid-sixties?
Attachment 247369Attachment 247370
Mr. Poole thank you for the dealership info, which raises another question, did Mr. Kiekhaefer give his dealerships advertising space in the early years?

Looks like 1100's on Roy's boat---

[GENE LANHAM]

The 802 and 804 Wings were used as 'test/endurance' boats at the Lake--The 804 was called 'Odell's Boat'-----

I got to drive 'Odell's Boat' at the Lake in 1967 with the new 'studs down BP'-

--in 1968 it was rigged as a race boat again and taken to the Parker 9 Hour---

[GENE LANHAM]

I got to drive 'Odell's Boat' at the Lake in 1967 with the new 'studs down BP'-

--in 1968 it was rigged as a race boat again and taken to the Parker 9 Hour---

This picture clearly shows the 'new studs down BP'

[T2x]

Good Morning, Ted!!

I found it!!!

I wonder how much speed it lost?

[GENE LANHAM]

I wonder how much speed it lost?

Good question, Rich. But like so many of the wings that went 'out West'---there are lots of questions--not many answers--

The next time I saw Olney--he was driving this 18' at Parker '69