Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[jackiewilson]

Been raining all day------grass ain't gonna get cut this week .
Got the Gardner to swop over my old bench press for the new one I bought at the car boot last week.
Just have to put in a new switch and clean up the base and the wind up table and it's all systems go.
Pottered about in the shop for an hour or so this morning but the Poorlie Paw protesteth and ballooned again, discretion the better part of valour-----called it a day . Give it the weekend and I'll try again Monday.
If it's like this in the morning I'm going to have a long lie in. No way am I going foraging amongst the depths of dead cars, old machinery, mountains of alloy and stainless. I really do have enough material to last me at least two lifetimes.
Most of the Wilson clan are gathered in San Francisco for the wedding of my grandson George which takes place tomorrow the 29th July.
Told 'em right from the off I wouldn't be there--------round the clock flights are something I just don't do any more.
Going out to dinner tonight with my ex next door neighbor Dickie------try to do it once a month, mainly so we don't lose touch.

[jackiewilson]

Now theres a cheapo interesting project that won't break the bank!
One of the old Glastron/Carlson tunnels with a 66 1100 Short shaft for $1500. And a "LITTLE RED" crappy trailer thrown in.
You seen this Butler----- you should buy it just in case you ever find an old twistercraft or the goat?

[ron54]

Jackie as you probably know it's the 50th anniversary of the Cosworth DFV....Was the DFV ever put in any type or make of boat other than yours?

(Obviously I don't mean your particular motor).............Phill.

[jackiewilson]

Jackie as you probably know it's the 50th anniversary of the Cosworth DFV....Was the DFV ever put in any type or make of boat other than yours?

(Obviously I don't mean your particular motor).............Phill.

Yes it was Phill.
Bill Petty had a KT boat that Bentz drove in Miami------effectively killed off the class after he lapped the entire field over ten laps !
Then there was the multi engined Unlimited effort-----afraid you'll have to ask Hawkeye or Malcolm TYRRELL about that.
Maybe Willabee could fill in the details a lot more accurately than me.

[jackiewilson]

Finally stopped raining-------I may just wander down to the airfield (Ford) after all !
My sister Ange and Fish are coming for late lunch today------Jilly has had a whole leg of Butterflyed Lamb marinating overnight ready for me to put on the barbie along with the giant prawns for a starter.
Lifes a bitch Somedays.
See WARBY'S boy got a shakedown run last week.
Now while I'm not a devout believer I do think the odd prayer here and there for the boys well being would not come amiss-----we all know that at the kind of speeds he'll be travelling, you can't have anything going wrong.

[powerabout]

Re Cozzy
There was an offshore boat that had 2 in it in the 80's I remember, until they worked out that you need some torque for offshore work and we all know what engine that is

[jackiewilson]

That's what they said before we got the Cosworth up and running Pilgrim-----just needs the right desIgner with the right configuration and the right set up and voila, horse power and. " thrutch"gets you torque.
Look at today's hi---perf engines in any field, there's no shortage of performance------they just squeeze it out of the lump------call it what you will------all that matters at the end of the day is what sort of effort /thrutch/horse power/ performance is delivered?

[powerabout]

But when the rules are no torque convertor no gears etc it does away the high reving car and bike engines

[jackiewilson]

David Parkinson called me today and we got to talking about the FONDA series-------the great races we had all over the world-------Penang and Singapore.
Then there were the ones that got away-------Rio-------Canada------Sydney Australia !
Amazing how once we were up and running, the UIM suddenly wanted to be involved, but most of all they wanted the F1 title.
We were so successful that first year. We had more countries lined up wanting races than there were weeks in the year------it was impossible to cater for them all.
Thats when the politicians stepped in. No way could a jumped up little outfit like FONDA show the governing body how races should be organised .
Now there's a whole can of worms waiting to be opened here, not least the runaway success of a two litre formula and the 750 OE/ SE formula.
Time to bring in the politicians and the big bucks----- start of a saga!

[powerabout]

How much of the FONDA management processes did they use when they stole it back?

in other news..
looks like the Royal Yachting Association doesnt do offshore powerboats any more
http://www.raceboatinternational.com...crdas-success/

[jackiewilson]

How much of the FONDA management processes did they use when they stole it back?

in other news..
looks like the Royal Yachting Association doesnt do offshore powerboats any more
http://www.raceboatinternational.com...crdas-success/

Cees and San Germano had nowhere to go when the V8 program went tits up, that's when the UIM and Rolf Fraulin started to make life untenable for Fonda. Parkinson was nearing retirement age and didn't want any more hassle--------he had been fighting the RYA and UIM for a fair deal for years.
Rya never had much interest in circuit racing-----was never worth the effort they had to put into the paperwork, with no big money sponsors involved.
They much preferred "Offshore" with its Royal patronage, well heeled participants , big money companies and of course access to "THE SQUADRON".
Circuit racing was always a no brainer for the RYA.
As far back as the early fifties there was dissent between inshore racing and the governing body, so much in fact we broke away from the RYA and joined forces with the RAC which was a much more powerful organisation --------- we bacame the BDC-----BRITISH DRIVERS CLUB. Cyril Benstead was the man behind it all.
Ive seen all this in house fighting before, and can tell you the only way this can ever be settled is by dialogue.
Rya has always thought itself "Holier than thou" and tends to throw its dollies out of the pram if any club or individual questions its authority.
Sponsors do not like unrest in the camp and tend to shy away from "problems"
Its Sunday morning dammit-----I can do without all this , I'm off to get the Sunday Telegraph and do the crossword over my Sunday breakfast!

[jackiewilson]

Had a quiet weekend with little Lizzie staying over Saturday night whilst mum and dad went to see ".Dunkirk"
Then they went down to see the "THE GEORGE W. BUSH" , moored off Portsmouth for a week or so.

Read about the accident between "MISS GEICO" and " AMERICAN ETHANOL" resulting in the death of Keith Holmes,------will learn more about it when Gary and Mark get back to Florida.

Booked the tickets for the Osprey 50th anniversary dinner------should be a great gathering of all the old drivers still left standing!

[Bob V]

http://www.wxyz.com/news/accident-at-st-clair-powerboat-races-kills-one-man



Courtesy of the Grand Haven Tribune:

The Miss GEICO Facebook page earlier posted this:


“The Miss Geico Race Team was involved in a tragic racing incident in St Clair, MI, today. Driver Marc Granet and throttleman Scott Begovich, were not injured. The entire Miss Geico Race Team extends its thoughts and prayers to the American Ethanol Race Team, family members and friends.”
Nicole Hayden, a reporter at the Times Herald in Port Sheldon reported the following:
The St. Clair River Classic offshore powerboat races came to an abrupt stop Sunday after two powerboats collided, leading to one fatality.
The two boats involved in the crash were American Ethanol CatCanDo and Miss GEICO, both from the Extreme division, said St. Clair County Sheriff Marine Division Lt. Paul Reid.
Reid could not confirm the name of the deceased racer though. Reid said the man was transported to St. John River District Hospital in East China Township where he was pronounced dead.
Reid said other racers had minor injuries but were not transported to the hospital.
St. Clair County Sheriff Sgt. Scott Jones said the crash happened around 5:30 p.m. Jones said the race was black-flagged, or cut short, following the accident.
Reid said the crash occurred in the north turn of the race, but does not yet know what led to the crash. Both boats were removed from the water and loaded on trailers to allow investigators to start analyzing the events. As of Sunday evening, investigators were interviewing boat drivers and taking photos of the involved vessels.
St. Clair Police Chief Rick Jefferson said the crash happened during one of the last races of the day.
The incident is still under investigation.

[jackiewilson]

I always thought in my own mind that the only reason the crowds gathered in such huge quantities at Bristol was in case there was an "Accident"
Yes, it was a spectacular event-------but four deaths ? That's a heavy price to pay !
I didn't race there for the first five years-------was Scotti that talked me into it. Told me it wasn't as bad as it looked, I tried it another couple of times, but was never comfortable with the course, nor did I ever get " used" to it. Unreadable water and twenty feet high walls was not my idea of the ideal circuit .
My son Mark loved the place----so did Seebold, but I think I had a better sense of self preservation than they did.
Fortunately you don't get many Mondays like today in our sport-----there will be many questions left to answer. There will be criticism--------and blame.
This will not be the last accident, but let's hope lessons can be learned that reduce the accident rate in our highly dangerous sport.
My heartfelt condolences go out to the families of all those involved.

[jackiewilson]

Two seaters started to get popular in the late seventies!
First one ever was used in the Disney Film "CONDOR MAN"------was actually a Hodges, ex FONDA boat and was a three seater------- had a Gatling gun mounted on the back------a huge wing ----a centre seat for the rescued heroine----was Mercury and rocket propelled .
Rolla made us a thirteen inch prop--------brilliant acceleration out of the hole and a maximum of about fifty.
FONDA had the first "Two seater"ever--------OMC got theirs much later
Dont have any pickies of the CONDORBOAT" sent them all to Willabee years ago!