Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[seeroy]

Did someone say catamaran Raveau?
Marcel & Bobby did some neat things. - Seeroy

[lilabner]

Did someone say catamaran Raveau?
Marcel & Bobby did some neat things. - Seeroy

Didn't work..I'm pretty sure Bobby said it was chopped up..

[Bob V]

Did someone say catamaran Raveau?
Marcel & Bobby did some neat things. - Seeroy

Could this have inspired the Switzer brothers wing ??

[lilabner]

6/12/1961-----

That's Craig DeWald and wife in that boat. Craig was my co-driver in the first Six Hour Race in Kissimmee. He drove the first two hours then got in Richie Baiz's 700 Raveau for the middle two hours. My four hour stint was not boring. My left front steering pulley pulled apart so I had to tie it back together with rope. It broke because the swivel pin broke, my first of many. I had to tie the motor to the clamps. Then one of the long ss bolts that held the throttle to the side broke, I had to wedge my calf under it so it would work. Finally I ran out of gas last lap after the Six hour mark was over. Mr Kiekhaefer called the officials attention to the rules that stated the race was over and to be scored where the boats were at the Six hour mark. A Boston Whaler had just passed me while I was finding enough gas to cross the line. So i was ahead and won. Craig and I set the APBA 1,2,and 6 hour records. That was Jan 7, 1961. Mr K looked at my boat after the race and said he would take care of it. Next day were the Kilos at Lake X. He put a 500 on the boat and I set that Kilo record also. For a reference to the Boat House Bulletin, the next year Treasure and I won G Class with a 700 Speedmaster, and I set a Kilo record with an ailing engine, same style 16 foot Bomb Craig is running, at 58.104. A couple weeks later I had it running 65 and planned to go upstate to another Kilo but the weather called it off.

[jackiewilson]

All you have to do is stir the pot-------add a few unknowns--------flavour it with piccies------amazing results-------thanks to all you old farts for sharing your photos and facts of long forgotten happances and events. Keep it up guys.

[jackiewilson]

Been haulin the the mail today ------head down , arse up, beavers can only wish for this sort of day.
I have five planks of 150 year old elm------ been in store for thirty years., thought it was about time I started using it.
Cut of a metre length, it's a full two inches thick and has some fantastic figuring -----hard as nails but should polish nicely------put three coats on the hull but am undecided on the lump. Big engines are as ugly as as stack of assholes on a mud fence, I can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear as the sayin goes!
Had a crack at the 25' -----wondered what it might look like with a 3/400 HP four stroke, was never going to be a pretty sight!

[2us70]

I love that golf cart.

[jackiewilson]

Goodwood "WOODY" carts------must be around fifty of 'em. Only way to play the downs course------takes you to the top of the downs, right next to Glorious Goodwood Racecourse, said to be the most beautiful race course in the world. The park course is a lot flatter, but if your an old fart like me, you still ride a "WOODY"

[jackiewilson]

LilAbner and Oligator can do battle to their hearts content-------needs either Schubert or a finishing expert to do the paint job on these------I tried my hand at one of them, failed miserably-------both boats got a coat of epoxy-------to seal the wood------wood is old English oak from an old gate post that had gone rotten at the base, top half was ok. I got three feet of 6"X6" usable timber out of that sucker-------damned stuff knocks three sheets out of the spokeshave .
Should have all the numbers for both boats later in the week.

Both the boat and engine on the big Raveau are made out of ELM. Not much of that around any more----in the early seventies, we had a bad case of "DUTCH ELM DISEASE" that pretty much wiped out all the English elms--------was always used for kitchen chair seats, but it's as rare as rocking horse droppings these days, and I got shed loads of it !

[jackiewilson]

Been a pottering, experimenting, tidying up sort of day-------don't much like the shape of the big motors these days-------as my sainted mother used to say------"Looks like an overripe tomato that's been chewed, spit out and trod on" ------while the modern motors aren't quite that bad to look at, they're neither one thing or the other------not ugly, not pretty, so I suppose "pretty ugly" just about sums it up.
Made a couple of "concept" motors-----one in Elm -----one in aluminium ------undecided which one is right for the big Raveau-------shut the shop at four and spent time with the little'un.

Been told that she is to be called Fleure------not Betty------so we compromised --------it's "FLORRIE" from now on.

[jackiewilson]

Went across country to have lunch with a couple of my oldest friends, Ken and Jill Taylor from Bexhill.
Managed to get a couple of hours in the shop and made the best part of a stonking gear case.
Will fit this one to the metal top, then see how it looks on the big boat.
Bloody Thursday again tomorrow-------reckon that's the third time this week it's been Thursday ------roundabout of life is spinning ever faster-----time to get off and smell the roses again.

Roger, your parcel finally left yesterday, you should have it by the end of the week, this carrier is less than half of what the big boys charge, three and a half kgs for under $30 -----if you get it ok, it will be a hell of a result.
Nearly time to start packing up all the stuff out of the shed into the trunk for Tavares ----took far too long to get there last year, so I'm packing it up early.
Trunkful of trophies and concepts cost over a thousand dollars last year to send------hoping I've found a lot better deal this year!

[lilabner]

Jackie,
I love that V8 motor you made. I ran V8's on my 33 foot Oceanhawk for years. Fast as hell. My buddy talked me into 250 Fichts, Lost 14 mph. My heart was heavy. Tried ETECS next, and got the same results even after Gordon ported them. Finally got it to run 59. The 250's were amazing on gas, and never gave a problem like the V8's did, but I had about six of them so the fix was cheap. Got a 22' Velocity and put one of my better V8's on it. Too fast for me. Chine walked. no plates either and I was tired of throwing money at it so I sold it.

[jackiewilson]

Jackie,
I love that V8 motor you made. I ran V8's on my 33 foot Oceanhawk for years. Fast as hell. My buddy talked me into 250 Fichts, Lost 14 mph. My heart was heavy. Tried ETECS next, and got the same results even after Gordon ported them. Finally got it to run 59. The 250's were amazing on gas, and never gave a problem like the V8's did, but I had about six of them so the fix was cheap. Got a 22' Velocity and put one of my better V8's on it. Too fast for me. Chine walked. no plates either and I was tired of throwing money at it so I sold it.

Now I am assuming you mean the V8 outboard------not the Cosworth ------what's puzzling me is the "250 FICHTS"-------I have to confess to not knowing this one, couple of piccies would help here Dave!

Oceanhawk must be a Vee bottom------59 mph about right for a pair of big assed clamp ons, even ETEC 'Rudes would run that------so I gather it was quicker with V8 Jonrudes .

Packing all the alluminium outboards in the trunk to Tavares ------hope to have a fun type auction there in November------would be nice to have the event in the tent-----but if not I'm pretty sure we can hold it at Bill and Betty's Bar-B-Que after the golf tourney !
Hope to have about 30 "concepts" there to auction off, most of them will be of a nautical theme.

[lilabner]

Now I am assuming you mean the V8 outboard------not the Cosworth ------what's puzzling me is the "250 FICHTS"-------I have to confess to not knowing this one, couple of piccies would help here Dave!

Oceanhawk must be a Vee bottom------59 mph about right for a pair of big assed clamp ons, even ETEC 'Rudes would run that------so I gather it was quicker with V8 Jonrudes ..

Yes I do mean the outboard..My boat was much quicker with V8 Jonrudes..My friend a couple doors down was a OMC service dealer. I had just bought the Oceanhawk and had 5, 3.4 Mercs, 2 of which were Cosworths. He said I should put on V8's since they out ran me in the boat I just sold. And since my new best friend was the OMC Field Service Manager, He gave me 11 broken V8's. Seems OMC didn't want them back. I was able to make 5 good 4.0L engines out of them, and had two sets ported with the bigger carbs. I was a happy man..Of course. Cigarette built the same boat, had leased the molds, but with V8's they never got over 64mph.

Fichts were the last engines OMC produced. They were pretty good, Fuel injected, and never broke.
http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/om...250-hp-barrier.
V8's, 330 hp, ran 72-74 with a full load of fuel and people at 6700 revs. Only 57-59 with the V6's.

Velocity ran about 90. Engine was 350hp.
Engine pics are Ficht 250's

[powerabout]

Efi and a sportmaster and v8 omc's go forever.
Some porting and they are over 400 easily.