Hot Multi's - Pictures

[willabee]

..... In my opinion, at the time, the 9' x 22' triple Jones was as impressive as an outboard race boat could look. A big pickle fork, sitting canted on the trailer, was just power personified. It sure turned heads when you drove it down the road or pulled it through the pits. .....

If memory serves, the triple Jones running BP lower units with a one hour fuel load was about a 95/100 mph race boat. I don't remember the exact increase when running speedmasters, but I would imagine it was at least 5 mph. It got over some pretty mean water and was a thrill to drive. However, the very best 9' x 22' Jones I ever drove was not a triple outboard, it was a KT! My memory banks tell me it was rigged by Wayne Meyer's offshore folks at their engine shop in Fond du lac. They stuck an aluminum head 482" powerhouse of a mill under the boats cowl and coupled it to a #3 speedmaster. Boob Hetzel worked his magic on a couple of new 'one of a kind' props and it showed up at Racing for testing.

Garbrecht said that this was a Mr. K special project and the boat was being readied for Bill Cooper to run at the Elsinore 500. At that time, Cooper was a Mercury favorite for these kind of projects. Long story short, the boat performed great right out of the box. Gary made the initial runs and then pulled up to the safety boat. He took off his helmet and with a big devilish grin said "you gotta drive this thing!"

What a ride it was! I ran it easy into the wind, turned and started pushing down on the throttle. Speed continued to increase rapidly until it started beeping against the rev limiter. I believe the Keller read 117 before it started beeping! I do remember thinking ..... Man, I just surpassed the T class kilo record (either 109 or 113) on my first pass - downwind!

The Elsinore 500 was run on a 5 mile course. It's a 'run what ya brung' race like Parker so you had all kinds of inboards and outboards. Cooper was 5 laps ... 25 miles ... in front of the field at the half way point when his power steering failed and he went dead in the water. It was clearly going to be a very dominant race boat and I believe rules were changed soon after that race to ban the I/O concept.

Wish I had a good picture of that rig .....

Driving past the eventual race winning triple Jones .....

[Lake X Kid]

Mr. Bill, I commend you on your achieving 117, as I, a person who never got the opportunity to surpass the 100 mark on water. Albeit you feel fortunate to have experienced those many privileges, the company and the sport offered back in those days.

I have had experiences working in the helicopter industry and the data communication field, and they are boring, compared to the little exposure I experienced with Mercury Racing. Technical advances in those manufacturing environments, are far less exciting than putting a product on the water and go race with it.

However, the very best 9' x 22' Jones I ever drove was not a triple outboard, it was a KT! My memory banks tell me it was rigged by Wayne Meyer's offshore folks at their engine shop in Fond du lac. They stuck an aluminum head 482" powerhouse of a mill under the boats cowl and coupled it to a #3 speedmaster. Boob Hetzel worked his magic on a couple of new 'one of a kind' props and it showed up at Racing for testing.

Garbrecht said that this was a Mr. K special project and the boat was being readied for Bill Cooper to run at the Elsinore 500. At that time, Cooper was a Mercury favorite for these kind of projects. Long story short, the boat performed great right out of the box. Gary made the initial runs and then pulled up to the safety boat. He took off his helmet and with a big devilish grin said "you gotta drive this thing!"

What a ride it was! I ran it easy into the wind, turned and started pushing down on the throttle. Speed continued to increase rapidly until it started beeping against the rev limiter. I believe the Keller read 117 before it started beeping! I do remember thinking ..... Man, I just surpassed the T class kilo record (either 109 or 113) on my first pass - downwind!


Wish I had a good picture of that rig .....

Driving past the eventual race winning triple Jones .....

[Lake X Kid]

The conversation, I assume went something like this between the 3 of them.

1) I built & piloted the boats, so I know who is the fastest wing driver.
2) I set up the Lake X wing boat, for speed trails and drove it.
3) Gentlemen, I was the last to drive the wing, and it had more horses.

Obviously, I was not there, but bragging rights might have been their conversation.

[GENE LANHAM]

The conversation, I assume went something like this between the 3 of them.

1) I built & piloted the boats, so I know who is the fastest wing driver.
2) I set up the Lake X wing boat, for speed trails and drove it.
3) Gentlemen, I was the last to drive the wing, and it had more horses.

Obviously, I was not there, but bragging rights might have been their conversation.

"Bob--WE have exceed the design limits--What are you going to do for us now?"

[Lake X Kid]

Bob and Rich.

[GENE LANHAM]

Wish I had a good picture of that rig .....

Bill Cooper--Parker-1969--

Wish I had a good picture too--I took two--but I got the 'Ted May' from Ron H--

Sad --Bill Cooper passed away a few months later--He was entered at Havasu--1969

And a CHALLENGE for Willabee--Joe Habay Drove his 18' Jones???

[willabee]

--Bill Cooper passed away a few months later--He was entered at Havasu--1969

And a CHALLENGE for Willabee--Joe Habay Drove his 18' Jones???

I don't think the 18' Jones, shown below driven by Cooper at Long Beach, was run at Havasu 69.

As you stated, Cooper wasn't there, Petty ran a triple Jones and Habay, now on Mercury's payroll, had the 20' Jones shown below. Looking at the picture, it's not hard to believe that Joe eventually blew this boat over. He was lucky, just broke an ankle.

[GENE LANHAM]

I don't think the 18' Jones, shown below driven by Cooper at Long Beach, was run at Havasu 69.

As you stated, Cooper wasn't there, Petty ran a triple Jones and Habay, now on Mercury's payroll, had the 20' Jones shown below. Looking at the picture, it's not hard to believe that Joe eventually blew this boat over. He was lucky, just broke an ankle.

WILLABEE: I wish we could see the number on Joe's 20' Jones--

Bill Cooper is on the entry--"#13---20' Jones--

Could this be that boat?

I don't see any mention of Bill Petty at Havasu-1969?????

[willabee]

WILLABEE: I wish we could see the number on Joe's 20' Jones--

Bill Cooper is on the entry--"#13---20' Jones--

Could this be that boat?

I don't see any mention of Bill Petty at Havasu-1969?????

O ye of such little faith .....

Cooper's 18'er was #13 ..... It's logical to assume that since he had raced it twice and won both times, that it was the boat he planned on running at Havasu. You know these printed entry lists are full of errors and I have to believe listing his Jones as a 20' was a mistake.

As far as anyone else running that 18 at Havasu, I think it's highly unlikely. Who would have been willing to make the call to say, 'sorry to hear you can't make the race, but we need the boat' ? Not me, that's for sure.

I've copied part of the Powerboat article covering the race. It has Pruett and Petty pretty much running first and second (both running triple Jones boats) until about lap 37 when the BP gearcase problem took over. Once they started failing, seems like they didn't stop. If I remember correctly, one time Pruett came in to replace a failed lower unit. That gave the lead to Petty who promptly made the right hand turn in water that was too shallow wiping out three lower units! Seems like we put a dozen lower units on those boats, horrible day.

PS: The article also mentioned some dude named Lanham finished the OWC in 14th ..... must have had the ol' girl kickin' up a pretty good tail

[GENE LANHAM]

O ye of such little faith .....

PS: The article also mentioned some dude named Lanham finished the OWC in 14th ..... must have had the ol' girl kickin' up a pretty good tail

Bill---MY CLAIM TO FAME!! (I led the first lap at the OWC on Sunday!!!)

Dick Williams and I had trailered to a lot of races in 69--including Parker and Galveston. We arrived on Thankskiving Day--Impressed with the competetion!!! Over a hundred outboads!! Dick had a brand new SBP with stacks--I had the same engines I had run all season--a pair of 'fishing motor' 1250's with SSM's--and Stacks--I saw the first 'adapter' that day--

I got a great start on Saturday--but after about a dozen laps the STBD engine started cutting out --some times nearly quitting--I pitted and checked all the connectons on the STBD battery--even used a pair of Vise Grips on the + cable-- nothing helped--Don't know how many laps I lost--

Long Story Short--I installed a new DIE HARD--

And on Sunday morning--I got another GREAT start--I came by the stands in the lead!!--Scotti passed me in the Right hand turn--
But the Old Bird ran like a train all day!!

That weekend Billy Steele told us about what happened in Fond Du Lac.--an event that changed so many lives--including mine--to this day--

[Bob V]

That weekend Billy Steele told us about what happened in Fond Du Lac.--an event that changed so many lives--including mine--to this day--

What happened....??

[willabee]

Bill---MY CLAIM TO FAME!! (I led the first lap at the OWC on Sunday!!!)

..... I got a great start on Saturday--but after about a dozen laps the STBD engine started cutting out --some times nearly quitting--I pitted and checked all the connectons on the STBD battery--even used a pair of Vise Grips on the + cable-- nothing helped--Don't know how many laps I lost--

And on Sunday morning--I got another GREAT start--I came by the stands in the lead!!--Scotti passed me in the Right hand turn--
But the Old Bird ran like a train all day!!

That weekend Billy Steele told us about what happened in Fond Du Lac.--an event that changed so many lives--including mine--to this day--

That is a great claim to fame, ain't a heck of a lot of people that can say they led at the Outboard World Championships!

FYI - Powerboat says your battery change on Saturday cost you 8 laps, Scotti completed 69, you did 61. Only 45 of 111 starters running at the end!

To Bob V ..... The event Gene is referring to is the announcement that Mr. Kiekhaefer had "retired" from Mercury (Brunswick) Corporation. To some this was kind of like 'the day the music died'

[GENE LANHAM]

To Bob V ..... The event Gene is referring to is the announcement that Mr. Kiekhaefer had "retired" from Mercury (Brunswick) Corporation. To some is was kind of like 'the day the music died'

Bill--and Bob V---

A year later 'the music cranked up again'---in Key West

[Bob V]

Bill--and Bob V---

A year later 'the music cranked up again'---in Key West

OK....educated me on who these people are. I know Carl and I am assuming that is his wife to his right and I know Gene, but who are the others?

[GENE LANHAM]

OK....educated me on who these people are. I know Carl and I am assuming that is his wife to his right and I know Gene, but who are the others?

Bob V---

Mrs. Freda K--ECK--The famous George Thompson--Doc and me--and our friend Tom Otto--Tom was our navigator for many KW races