Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[Mark Poole ModVP]

Am I correct in assuming that the wing, with a positive AOA and being mounted to the back of the boat, was to lift and lighten up the back of the boat?

[jackiewilson]

Am I correct in assuming that the wing, with a positive AOA and being mounted to the back of the boat, was to lift and lighten up the back of the boat?

afraid i can’t tell you that, aerodynamics were never my strong point. I never understood whether it was to lift the arse up—-or keep the arse down !!!!!!!!! Or —- if it did actually fly — was it to keep it level. I do know the boat did not stay level over 123 mph — front near sponson tried to take off. Tried all manner of quirky things to stop it —- weights in the front [which in turn created problems]. portside sponson—then in both which slowed acceleration but still lifted at 123. Never did solve the problem.
Was the boat better with or without the wing ——-hand on heart , i cannot honestly tell you .

Tested the boat at chase with the wing set up——-calm evening for a single run at Bristol- Was as fast as anything there that day [ all the JONRUDE and MERCURY factory drivers were there.] In the first heat, Third at the top buoy and spun hard. Finished fifth overall.
Wing worked its way loose damaging the threads on the rods that held it and it fell into the water after the race was over . Boat had been set up to run with the wing, but we ran the rest of the meeting without it .
Record was set with the wing. Intended to run the wing at Parker, but due to GG and Duckworth changing the gearing in the lower unit without telling me, i did not have a single prop that would even get the rig on plane.
Bob Hetzel worked his butt off, shaving nearly an inch from the diameter of an old Rolla i had in the box.
Cosworth had worked the lower unit— i had both pressure and temperature GUAGES in the cockpit . We were due to swop GEARCASES half way through or four hours . Never happened —- despite the best efforts of GERRY GILBRAITH and a dozen Parker enthusiasts.
Upon post race examination, even after seven hours, the original gearcase was in perfect nick and as Malcolm Tyrell said at the time “ would have run another seven hours”.

Cosworth only had one season and was a one off experiment for Cosworth Engineering.[KEITH DUCKWORTH] This was after MIKE COSTAIN—-KEITH DUCKWORTH and myself had spent the whole afternoon at Keiths very own ski lake discussing the possibility of running a DFV in a tunnel.
Only three people ever drove the boat. Myself,—BRETT MAY and BILLY SEEBOLD .
Hodges and i talked and the boat was born—— was at least two feet too long [on reflection]
Lot of good came out of the experiment ——- Cosworth Engineering and Mercury did a lot of work on pistons and cranks —— BENTZ got to race [and kill the KT CLASS] at the MIAMI MARINE STADIUM.
There was an attempt with an offshore rig and a pair of COSWORTHS but i was not privy to that.
BEDFORD DAVEY was a good friend who was responsible for the boat being at Parker . I introduced him to GG and a lot of good racing came out of it.

[2us70]

Do you recall when Your Cosworth boat was raced at Miami?

[jackiewilson]

Do you recall when Your Cosworth boat was raced at Miami?

WASNT MY BOAT —-Garbrecht had learned a lot from my effort and put a Seebold together with a cosworth and a new gearcase designed for a KT ———- had BENTZ run it with strict instructions which went out the window . Think that was the only time it raced as a KT and successfully managed to kill a good class by lapping the whole field at the Miami Marine Stadium. Was 1968.

[Rotary John]

WASNT MY BOAT —-Garbrecht had learned a lot from my effort and put a Seebold together with a cosworth and a new gearcase designed for a KT ———- had BENTZ run it with strict instructions which went out the window . Think that was the only time it raced as a KT and successfully managed to kill a good class by lapping the whole field at the Miami Marine Stadium. Was 1968.

Jackie: Merc and the KT ran for many yrs. after that. They were the hot thing to try to be the rotaries in '73; but didn't.

[jackiewilson]

Again you will have to allow me a few mistakes —THE YEAR WAS 1978 ——-NOT 1968 !!!!!Surprised you never picked up on that Johnno —— rotaries were confined to the history books long before the cosworth was conceived ——- KT’s were never in the same league as the cosworth !!!!
This was the time of the V8’s !!!!!!!!! I think the rotaries never ran again after the 72 Windermere race . Cosworth ran for less than 10 months . Dont think the rotaries ran for much longer did they ?

[Redbirdman]

There was an attempt with an offshore rig and a pair of COSWORTHS but i was not privy to that.
.

Unlimited--

Only thing OFFSHORE----sponsored by ARONOW

[jackiewilson]

Unlimited--

Only thing OFFSHORE----sponsored by ARONOW

I DO KNOW IT WAS A PROJECT OF GARBRECHTS——think Freddie and Jimmy hauenstien were involved ——- Aronow probably wanted to get to know Duckworth ——— who had the ear of ROGER PENSKE—-A.J.FOYT——ANDRETTI——and just about every car racer there ever was.
this was around the time of BEDFORD DAVEY —-he was a very rich boating enthusiast [vaseline],
WILLABEE — is probably the best person to ask—- he was Mercury crew chief for all ​HI-PERF BOAT PROJECTS. UNDER GARBRECHT.

[Amberjack1234]

Still love this column Jackie ever since I stumbled upon it last year. It’s some of the best discussions of any form column and having met you personally just makes it all the better best always Amberjack.

[jackiewilson]

Still love this column Jackie ever since I stumbled upon it last year. It’s some of the best discussions of any form column and having met you personally just makes it all the better best always Amberjack.

Best site on scream and fly by a country mile is WILLABEE and “HOT SINGLES AND HOT MULTIS”
Be careful though Charlie —-Welch knows exactly what he’s talking about !!!!!!!

[jackiewilson]

Finally finished the two offshore tunnels —-one with a pair of those ridiculously powered “ outboards“
You know the ones i mean —— you will need a fork lift or a crane to stick it on and take it off a boats bum.
T’other is a twin inboard with a pair of stern drives .
Anyway-they are both done and dusted and fit for human consumption!!!!!!!!!

[FUJIMO]

...very nice. simple designs always do look nice don't they?...

[powerabout]

There was an offshore boat in Europe with f1 engines, I think Cosworths, somebody decided if they were 750 hp at a bazillion revs that would compete with a Chev..oops no nosubforci

PS Jackie I need you iban
Damn bank software wont let me go to the next page till I fill all the boxes.
Might your your hat size later..

[Amberjack1234]

On the subject of K tease and inboard tunnels. Some of my fondest memories are going to Parker with Gary peacock and watching him race full tunnel, small block MerCruiser powered KT I can’t remember if it was a mercury boat or it was something that Cardozo peacock and Al Martin put together but I believe it was done up at Lake x and I also think it Gary led the first lap at Parker with that boat. I’m not even gonna take a guess of the year because I know I’ll get it wrong maybe mid 70s. lotta fun racing with the Miami racers going out west just a kid back, then working in the pits.

[jackiewilson]

On the subject of K tease and inboard tunnels. Some of my fondest memories are going to Parker with Gary peacock and watching him race full tunnel, small block MerCruiser powered KT I can’t remember if it was a mercury boat or it was something that Cardozo peacock and Al Martin put together but I believe it was done up at Lake x and I also think it Gary led the first lap at Parker with that boat. I’m not even gonna take a guess of the year because I know I’ll get it wrong maybe mid 70s. lotta fun racing with the Miami racers going out west just a kid back, then working in the pits.

Peacock and Megs were fun to be around—everyone had the hots for Meg
Last time i saw them was PELICAN HARBOUR——-ALONG WITH “SCREAMING YELLOW ZONKERS”——MISTER RICKEY was strutting his stuff that day , with BIG DEE in tow .Man was she ever top heavy!

was ‘72/3.