Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[Lake X Kid]

Mark and Me collecting the new Molinari—— very first Molinari to come into the UK.
We dined at the Molinari table for lunch that day—— Renato made the pasta from scratch—— he’ s the one in the middle!
Never realised at that time the impact the Molinari would have on the boat racing world!

What year did you buy the new Molinari? Why were you so inclined to purchase a new Molinari, had Renato and others already demonstrated its speed & handling on the race course? It must have had an impact on the race circuit for you to go all the way to Como. Your money (maybe a large down payment) had Renato hugging & smiling.

In the photo (I say it with polite humor) Jackie you look like the guy who just built the boat, and Renato's dressed like he is coming to pickup his new boat. Okay maybe Renato's dressed as the salesman.

Pasta from scratch, now I have a better insight into why Renato was so choosy, about which restaurant he preferred to dine out at. I remember one time asking Giorgio (Renato's younger brother) after he returned from the states, did he like eating Italian food in the USA. Both Renato & Giorgio embrace halfheartedly Americanized Italian food. I personally like pizza from both continents, and all the other Italian dishes too.

[jackiewilson]

What year did you buy the new Molinari? Why were you so inclined to purchase a new Molinari, had Renato and others already demonstrated its speed & handling on the race course? It must have had an impact on the race circuit for you to go all the way to Como. Your money (maybe a large down payment) had Renato hugging & smiling.

In the photo (I say it with polite humor) Jackie you look like the guy who just built the boat, and Renato's dressed like he is coming to pickup his new boat. Okay maybe Renato's dressed as the salesman.

Pasta from scratch, now I have a better insight into why Renato was so choosy, about which restaurant he preferred to dine out at. I remember one time asking Giorgio (Renato's younger brother) after he returned from the states, did he like eating Italian food in the USA. Both Renato & Giorgio embrace halfheartedly Americanized Italian food. I personally like pizza from both continents, and all the other Italian dishes too.

Now that’s a lot of questions, and a lot of statements ROY.
I’ll take em one by one and see if I can come up with the answers.
Price of the new Molinari was exactly £1,000 ! Don Ross and I paid £500 apiece!
The year was 1978.
Inclination to buy a Molinari???
I had already brought the first tunnel boat into England with the Jeremiah Cetti built Torriggia from what was to become later the Molinari Factory in Torriggia.
Then I brought in the fist Schultze from Saltsburg in Austria . 1967
Yes , I had raced against The Rasini’s and Dieter Schultze at the Idroscala in Milan and Paris —— think it was 1978 before Renato was old enough to race!
At this moment in time Renato was a lovely kid working in Angelo’s shop in Como—- along side brother Giorgio. They all lived above the shop in a beautiful huge apartment.
His mother would do all the cooking——- but Renato made the pasta which he did in a huge saucepan—— beating the crap out of it with a wooden ladle—— no machinery at all !
It was a great typical Italian Family with Angelo and his wife as Matriarch and patriarch at the head .
Pellolio’s wife was a great cook and ran a restaurant further up the lake, but on the other side—- she was also one hell of a looker. Rolla and the Rasinis would often have dinner there —- I was invited a few times.
Renato was very picky about where he ate and who he ate with—— liked his wine, became quite a wine buff too. No idea what he thought of American food!
Me myself still think there’s nowhere in the world do they make a Pizza like they do in Italy.

[jackiewilson]

OK— So you’ve seen it before—- well look at it again—— that’s my first Molinari.

[jackiewilson]

Yes, I do know that this sitting in the boat would not be allowed today—— but in those far off days, it’s what we did !!! Chances of getting dropped from a dizzy height were zilch !
We went from wearing a flat cap and Spitfire Goggles to Safety Capsules— Space helmets with oxygen—state of the art life vests——Fireproof race overalls with matching boots and gloves and the competence to exit underwater vessels —- with a certificate to prove it —- but only if you didn’t suffer from wearing a hearing aid or specks—— flatulance or walk with a limp !!
There are times when I think maybe the rules and regs have gotten a little out of hand——
Safety cell and oxygen in a 10’ boat with a ten horsepower motor—- next generation of racers could turn out to be a bunch of “Nancies” ?
I went boat racing for a touch of excitement and adventure—- today’s kids could get more of that walking the dog in an environmentally policed park than racing a boat!

[Rotary John]

Jackie: check your dates. I don't really think you paid that much for that boat in 1978

[jackiewilson]

Jackie: check your dates. I don't really think you paid that much for that boat in 1978

April 1968 ——( did I really say 1978) I hid the £1,000, in with the pull cord inside the plastic pocket in front of the Mercury 1100 ——- took over a yellow plastic Levi I had paid £300 for brand fire new! Took it on a carnet—— customs men didn’t know any different——- it was a yellow race boat!
Left it with Renato to sell, told him I’d split whatever he got for it 50/50, never did get a red cent out of the deal?.? Must be an Italian thing!!!

[powerabout]

Attachment 463638

Mark and Me collecting the new Molinari—— very first Molinari to come into the UK.
We dined at the Molinari table for lunch that day—— Renato made the pasta from scratch—— he’ s the one in the middle!
Never realised at that time the impact the Molinari would have on the boat racing world!

What engine went on the back, thats a hood way to work out when it was?

[jackiewilson]

What year was that?

That was 1968 Pilgrim!

[jackiewilson]

OK— So you’ve seen it before—- well look at it again—— that’s my first Molinari.

Yup —- motors definately a 1967— red band 1100 Mercury!!!

[ron54]

Jackie can you remember what the big logo was on the front?? It may have been on there when Don bought the rig back to Bristol but I don’t recall.

[STEVERINO]

OK— So you’ve seen it before—- well look at it again—— that’s my first Molinari.

The first time I saw it race was in the 1969 Chasewater 500 mile race it ran a Mercury 1250sbp engine the same as in the picture

[powerabout]

That was 1968 Pilgrim!

Crikey pre power trim as in towing boats with Vauxhaul 30/90's and blower Bentleys...

[jackiewilson]

Crikey pre power trim as in towing boats with Vauxhaul 30/90's and blower Bentleys...

When I bought the Southwater Garage—- the owner was a man called Bill Short—- he was Bentley Race Team manager in 1938/9 . The original BERKINS BENYLEY” was under a tarpaulin—— could have bought it for a thousand pounds !!!!!!
Engine was in bits——- it had a cracked head—— Blakey’s welders at Dial Post told me they could fix it, but it would be expensive!
I took over the Jaguar franchise , but there was no way I could afford that. I wanted the space to sell boats and engines!

[jackiewilson]

Today I lost another best friend—-Reed Eller, met him in 2001 a year after we moved to Avignon !
He was an accomplished fixed wing pilot He had a Cessna in Atlanta and another quite rapid plane in France.
Worked as European representative for Motorola until he retired .
I had more pure fun with him during my time in Bouzigues than any person I ever met before or since!
He was on his way to Bouzigues but felt Poorlie in Brussels—— Went to Hospital and caught the bloody Coronavirus bug——- .
He lived in San Francisco and Bouzigues France, one of the best men I ever knew. R.I.P. Reed my friend .I will sorely miss you!

[GENE LANHAM]

Roy Ridgell stopped in my shop on one of his rare visits to S Florida--left me his card--1973/74?

Taped on my toolbox for about 40 years---------------