Mercury Through The Years...

**willabee** · 10-04-2016, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by FUJIMO

Fred Miles - Burgess Tunnel - 1971 - Mercury Hi-Performance Twister One - This same boat, utilizing one of Mercury's first V-6 T-3 V-6 outboards, Fred clocked a top speed of 128 mph in France...

Freddy Miles was building his own boats back then, think this is a picture of his Milesmaster.

Jackie probably remembers when Burgess started building his own boats. I'm thinking he was building for Cougar or maybe even Miles in 71?

**willabee** · 10-04-2016, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by olboatman

What would be the fastest speed obtained with Twister One and an inline six ? Thanks Gary

The fastest recorded by an inline six would be 136 & change - Merten in a Ron Jones hydro with a modified TII.

Barry Woods set an "S" class record in mid 73 at about 116 in a Scotticraft with an Evinrude. I'd bet the record he broke was set with a TI, I just don't remember who or the exact speed. I'll try to find it in an old Powerboat. Seems like Barry went three or four MPH faster than than previous record?

Bob Hering quickly took the record away from Barry by running 118 in a Molinari/TII.

**STEVERINO** · 10-04-2016, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by willabee

Freddy Miles was building his own boats back then, think this is a picture of his Milesmaster.

Jackie probably remembers when Burgess started building his own boats. I'm thinking he was building for Cougar or maybe even Miles in 71?

Freddy Miles was never a boat builder he had a young Dave Burgess building boats for him Burgess had built all of bill Shakespeares racing boats so Freddy offered him a better job and he started working for fred at the end of 1969.The first boat ran in 1970 the picture of the Milesmaster with a Twister 1 Mercury looks like the same boat Freddy turned up with at Windemere for the 1970 powerboat record attempt week after his first run he scared himself a little he had too much lift and had to move his fuel tank and batteries as far forward as possible his fastest run was around 92 mph in fact all the outboard boats including James Beards marathon Evinrude powered Cougar picklefork which he ran at Paris 2 weeks before ran between 88 and 92mph.The only boat that ran faster was Bill Shakespeares OMC V4 boat which had a stepped hull running a 1to1 lower gearcase recorded 118.9 mph one way he ran his 2nd run with a failing engine his average was 104mph for both ways to get his record.

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**willabee** · 10-04-2016, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by STEVERINO

Freddy Miles was never a boat builder he had a young Dave Burgess building boats for him .... Burgess had built all of bill Shakespeares racing boats so Freddy offered him a better job and he started working for fred at the end of 1969.The first boat ran in 1970 the picture of the Milesmaster with a Twister 1 Mercury looks like the same boat Freddy turned up with at Windemere for the 1970 powerboat record attempt week after his first run he scared himself a little he had too much lift and had to move his fuel tank and batteries as far forward as possible his fastest run was around 92 mph i

Thanks, I couldn't remember who Burgess was building boats for in 1970. When I said Miles was building his own boats back then I didn't mean he was sawing wood. I just meant he had his own design and wouldn't be driving something other than a Milesmaster.

I also should have mentioned that running 128 in the hull pictured would have been a real challenge. It's a full nose, bow high craft that probably would have been dangerous at 100!

I think this is the first Milesmaster (the yellow #5) to come to the states. Freddy ran it in Paris, 1970 and then Havasu the same year. It was what was used to create the Zonkercraft. Unless Freddie had two of them at the same time, this has to be the same boat that you saw at Windemere.

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**STEVERINO** · 10-04-2016, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by willabee

Thanks, I couldn't remember who Burgess was building boats for in 1970. When I said Miles was building his own boats back then I didn't mean he was sawing wood. I just meant he had his own design and wouldn't be driving something other than a Milesmaster.

I also should have mentioned that running 128 in the hull pictured would have been a real challenge. It's a full nose, bow high craft that probably would have been dangerous at 100!

I think this is the first Milesmaster (the yellow #5) to come to the states. Freddy ran it in Paris, 1970 and then Havasu the same year. It was what was used to create the Zonkercraft. Unless Freddie had two of them at the same time, this has to be the same boat that you saw at Windemere.

. Freddy first used this boat with a 1250sbp Mercury at the 1970 Chasewater 500 mile race Mercury had only supplied 2 Twister 1 engines to the UK Jackie Wilson had 1 and Bill Shakespeare had the other but Bill Shakespeare also had a Johnson V4 and turned up for the race with a 2 boat team with both engines the Twister 1 failed after a short time and Garbrecht had it removed and it then went to Freddy Miles.