Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[lars strom]

Where did Renato get all of the development $$$ from? From his own pocket?

Renato was extremely wealthy. Lots of sponsors like Saffa, Martini, Magneti Marelli etc.
Mercury Marine paid him lots of money and than OMC.
He sold probably thousands of tunnel boats over the years.
Later I guess the Italian IRS asked him for a lot of unpaid taxes but that’s a different story most people only guessing about.
I was invited to his house up in the Como mountains for dinner and it’s was an impressive place.

[powerabout]

Falcon 22, is this boat a 22 footer?
Why are the engine cowlings different?

RH prop on there, could be powerhead or in the gearbox?

[lars strom]

We all know Renato spent to money to do this right.

[lars strom]

Started the Labor Day weekend by boating yesterday.

[lars strom]

[lars strom]

Roger Jenkins UIM OE class Burgess/Johnson.
This was one of two OMC OE class engines in Europe 1975.
I drove the other one with an Evinrude cover.
The mid section was similar to the Evinrude SS 1973 but a racing gear case with no reverse. I can not remember the powerhead but maybe an early/prototype FT-19S.

I crashed my factory Burgess during testing in Brugge, Belgium and hurt myself pretty bad.

http://svera.se/blogg/racing-historier/lars-mega-crash-at-the-omc-factory-1975/

[lars strom]

The first race for the OMC FT-19S in the UIM SE class was July 24/25 (14/15 in the magazine is wrong) 1976 in Nora, Sweden.
Bo Nilsson & Lars Strom was the pilots. Finished first and second.

[lars strom]

The first race for the OMC FR-19S in the UIM OE class was August 28/29 in Auronzo, Italy.
Angelo Vassena & Willi Permanne was the pilots. Finished 4th & 6th

[Lake X Kid]

The pathway to becoming a future F1 driver, did not get to showcase at Long Beach this 2020 year.

Covid 19 and the political environment in California, kept the up and coming drivers from entering the water.
Race cancellation, and we can only hope and pray 2021 will be a banner year for racing and life.

Here are past photos of Long Beach racing.

[Lake X Kid]

I will assume the Thunder boat guys did not appreciate the reliable outboards, coming to their events and taking valuable heat points from the back markers.

I would not be surprised if the multiple outboard rigs, in the future somehow got banned from the Unlimited Hydro class.

Renato on the inside at the Unlimited Hydroplane race Clear Lake, TX 1983.

Attachment 472664

[lars strom]

I will assume the Thunder boat guys did not appreciate the reliable outboards, coming to their events and taking valuable heat points from the back markers.

I would not be surprised if the multiple outboard rigs, in the future somehow got banned from the Unlimited Hydro class.

Yes..I think you are 100% correct. This was the only race OMC was involved in the Unlimited Hydro class. Renato got penalized for his driving in the race and no more outboards after.

[lars strom]

The first race for the OMC FT-19S in the UIM SE class was July 24/25 (14/15 in the magazine is wrong) 1976 in Nora, Sweden.
Bo Nilsson & Lars Strom was the pilots. Finished first and second.

You can see the FT-19S decal on my engine cover.

[WaterZebra]

Yes..I think you are 100% correct. This was the only race OMC was involved in the Unlimited Hydro class. Renato got penalized for his driving in the race and no more outboards after.

Unlimited people have no concept of overlap / cockpit-to-cockpit racing. When you are driving something the size of 2 Chevy sized station wagons "holding your lane" fills the menu for challenges alone. Only thing the unlimiteds got a taste of tunnel boat racing in turns was when they started to use skid fins. LOL

Unlimiteds never did a thing for me. It was like stealing grandma's Lincoln caddy and flooring it on a highway somewhere.

[STEVERINO]

The first race the OMC FR-19S in the UIM OE class was August 28/29 in Auronzo, Italy.
Angelo Vassena & Willi Permanne was the pilots. Finished 4th & 6th

The no 6 boat is Alfi Bullen on the back of his Hodges he only ran it a few times then went back to his old Burgess.

[lars strom]

Yes @STEVERINO Alf drove his Burgess to the overall victory in Amsterdam a few weeks later. (1976)

Amsterdam was always an interesting race. I was racing the OE class and broke down. Remember watching Alf Bullen driving really hard under the very rough Amsterdam conditions.
Alf was using the new Johnson RS V6 2.448 liter cross-flow in the OZ class.