Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[powerabout]

an outboard like no other

[jackiewilson]

an outboard like no other

Aint that the truth Pilgrim !
When the project was under way at Cosworth’s in Northampton, the people involved were the royalty of the car racing world.
Keith Duckworth.
Mike Costain.
Dick Scammel.
Ben Rood.
Malcolm TYRRELL
Ian (Hawkeye) HAWKINS .
Gloria on the switchboard always knew where to find Keith and became a great friend.
When you have the might of the Cosworth Family getting to grips with a special project then you’re living the dream. It was amazing how many of the team used to spend evenings and weekends until the whole thing came together. From memory, I think it took six weeks from them receiving the boat from Chris Hodges to the first tests.

[powerabout]

We need a short history timeline of boat racing with Cosworth and Jackie Wilson...

[jackiewilson]

We need a short history timeline of boat racing with Cosworth and Jackie Wilson...

The Cosworth venture into boat racing goes much further than me Pilgrim———- Keith always thought the Seebold would have suited his engine much better than the Hodges did.
Problem was, I didn’t have the financial backing or sponsorship, so I had one crack at it, then the pot was empty.
Keith always wondered if it was the boat or the driver that was not up to muster( could not possibly be the motor———— that had a conservative 400+ horsepower in Le Mans trim and would (and did) run forever).
He asked Billy to take it round for a couple of laps at the 1978 world championships Was much relieved when Billy couldn’t even get a tenth extra out of it———— must confess, I went round the pits with the biggest grin on my face ever.
Bill Petty commisioned a Seebold with a DFV . Bentz drove it at the Miami Marine Stadium and successfully wiped out KT racing in the USA after lapping the whole field twice in the first heat.
Mr. Rickey (Vapour Trails,) swore he would get the Cosworth banned from the USA for ever..
Cosworth and Duckworth had a long and close relationship with Mercury of which I had nothing at all to do with.
You need to get Malcolm TYRRELL and Ian HAWKINS to tell you about The unlimiteds and all the other stuff that went on afterwards.

[jackiewilson]

World Championships Chasewater 1978- Saturday Night Fever was coming outa the tannoy system and I was running the big Cosworth. Didn’t have a mechanic——— my long time friend and engineer Chas Shooter had gone to work with Tom Percival and Bob Spalding——— left a big hole that never really mended. All the fun went out of racing when Chas left!
I did a couple of races with Mark in 1979, but I knew it was time to quit. Paris ‘79 was my last race ever,
Marks mother read the riot act to us both after the race——- told us never again could we both race together. Told Mark he could have the boat and I walked away. Never ever got my bum in a raceboat again.

[jackiewilson]

Cobbled together a nice compact “SURFACE STERN DRIVE” must confess it does look neat——- surprised Fred K hasn’t come up with this before———— they have something like this in the Far East——— usually a big block V8 in a twenty foot canoe with a tiller and a drive shaft straight off the crank.
Very interesting concept.
One of my long time friends Michael Buerrer is a stunt driver working for Remy Julian who does all the James Bond movies for Cubby Brocolli told me that driving one of those canoes was the hairiest stunt he’s ever pulled.
Show you a piccy over the weekend!

[Rotary John]

Jackie:
Your new postal service isn't working either. Have not received it yet
RJ

[jackiewilson]

Jackie:
Your new postal service isn't working either. Have not received it yet
RJ

I do have a tracking number somewhere Johnno——— they haven’t sent it back to me, so I live in hope.——— Things ain’t what they used to be.
Postal service is about as reliable as a chocolate fireguard.
This new service was supposed to herald in a new era in postal parcels systems——— looks like it’s just as crappy as the old system .
Give it another week Johnno——— then I’ll start throwing the dollies.

[FUJIMO]

[jackiewilson]

Question at the top begs”Torrigia race catamaran”——- can’t see anything there that even came out of Italy ! Think that was either a Velden or an early Seebold——— yellow boat I think is Jenkins Cougar..

[STEVERINO]

Question at the top begs”Torrigia race catamaran”——- can’t see anything there that even came out of Italy ! Think that was either a Velden or an early Seebold——— yellow boat I think is Jenkins Cougar..

The yellow Cougar no 24 is Bill Badsey Evinrude from South Africa.I still have a race program for this event only the fastest 4 boats from each country would Qualify to race in the main event the others could race in the Perno Grand Prix which was a support race.

[powerabout]

I'm still amazed a MCM 1 drive top box could handle that Cosworth, or did it get rebuild every day?

[jackiewilson]

I'm still amazed a MCM 1 drive top box could handle that Cosworth, or did it get rebuild every day?

Once Cosworth swopped that stubby Little Merc drive shaft for the little quill shaft, we never had a problem.nor did we ever lose a gearcase.

[jackiewilson]

Duckworth was full of no confidence with the gearcase. We took two of them to Parker, both had pressure gauges with dials in the cockpit, he fighured that would give us a fighting chance to get back to the pits if we experienced a problem. Fact is, due to the fact that the combined might of Cosworth, Mercury and GERRY GILBREATH could not release the gearcase———— we had no choice but to run it for the whole seven hours.
When the gearcase was opened up back home in England, Malcolm TYRRELL declared the item to be as near perfect as it could be, with zero sign of wear.

[Bob V]

9 days and counting.....

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