Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[lars strom]

Jimbo driving a SAFFA/Molinari.

Jimbo McConnell #26 UIM OZ class Saffa/ Molinari/ Evinrude CCC V6 2.448 liter.
London GP 1977.

[Amberjack1234]

Had a Cushman motor scooter my first year in college. Used it to deliver papers in Tallahassee Florida so I could afford to stay in college. Two speed stick shift springs on the seat big fat tires and would probably run about 45 mph. Canvas saddlebags That could hold about 60 papers. I also witnessed my first snow in Tallahassee and the winter of 6768. Wanted to go home to Miami and quit school, but the thought of possibly being drafted and going to Vietnam made me maintain my low C average.

[2us70]

So Cushman was an OMC brand too? Or were a bunch of companies owned by Briggs & Stratton?

[Rotary John]

So Cushman was an OMC brand too? Or were a bunch of companies owned by Briggs & Stratton?

B&S was small engines only till recently. OMC had several companies outside of marine engines. Cushman, Ryan Turf, Pioner chainsaw, Trade Winds campers, OMC boats, Lawnboy, Gale Products. I'm sure I missed some also.

[lars strom]

Fun racer, friend and a pretty tough businessman.

Cees Van Der Velden.

[lars strom]

Cees and the OMC V6 fuel injection

[WaterZebra]

Fun racer, friend and a pretty tough businessman.

Cees Van Der Velden.

Can you elaborate on his business dealings? I've heard bits and pieces on S&F about what he was involved with. Everything from electronics stores, diamonds, cigarettes, etc.

[2us70]

I recall being at a race in the mid 70s and there was an OMC powered tunnel boat with "Lawnboy" on the cowl. Now that makes sense.

[John Schubert]

I recall being at a race in the mid 70s and there was an OMC powered tunnel boat with "Lawnboy" on the cowl. Now that makes sense.

Yup that was me. The boat was painted up Lawn Boy colors & called “Lawn-Boy Superstarter” for a distributor meeting at Lake Tahoe. I had to make several passes by the pavilion dock where they were having outside coffee after breakfast. Lake Tahoe is on a bowl, so when I saw them waving for me to start up the noise echoed all around the lake. One thing that I forgot about was the elevation & attempting to plane as I had our normal club gear case prop on the motor. I had to walk the Jack Leek designed sprint boat built by McDonald up over my wake & finally got her going. At the time I lived in Winter Haven, FL doing some OMC special project. The race was at Lake Hollingsworth, in Lakeland. Jeff Titus beat me with his 16’ Scotti.

[STEVERINO]

Wow..I received this picture from Italy yesterday. Means a lot to me.
My first F1-OZ class race at Idroscalo, Italy in September 1978.
Its me and Renato Molinari in the two Saffa/Molinari OZ class boats.
Renato used #165 and Evinrude CCC V6 power. My #29 used a Johnson RS V6 racing outboard.
This was a race for me to get used to OZ class racing and prepare for the Paris 6 hour race in October 1978.
Me and my Racing Hero Renato in two Saffa boats cant get any better.
R.I.P. Renato.
Thanks to "Archive Agazzi Claudio" for the picture.

I think they are the same 18 ft Molinari OZ boats that were used at the Bristol race then the same boats were used in the Thames race driven by Jimbo and Bob Hering who submarined his in the Thames race.Ron Hill posted on his Fast on Water site the 18ft Molinari that won the Parker race drive by Ron and Fredi Hauenstine in 1979 had been submarined in a earlier race so i think that could have been Herings boat.

[lars strom]

Can you elaborate on his business dealings? I've heard bits and pieces on S&F about what he was involved with. Everything from electronics stores, diamonds, cigarettes, etc.

Well..I have heard and read some stuff about Cees doing business outside his racing business in the early seventies . Not sure what is correct or fake.
He left us long time ago and its not nice to speculate when we can never get his side of the story.
I have NEVER seen Cees doing anything of that.
Cees started his own racing boat factory 1975 and sold lots of brand new racing boats around the world. For the UIM SE, OE, ON and OZ class. Also a few inboard Veldens.
He also leased ready to race racing boats and traded in used boats and sold.
Cees was also selling OMC racing engines and parts. Rigged new boats for customers.
When I say tough..I mean he told you a price and you could never beat him up on his price. Take it or leave it.
I really liked Cees Van Der Velden.
He did a lot to promote racing in Europe.


Picture shows Cees Van Der Velden in his Boxtel boatyard in the Netherlands.

[2us70]

Yup that was me. The boat was painted up Lawn Boy colors & called “Lawn-Boy Superstarter” for a distributor meeting at Lake Tahoe. I had to make several passes by the pavilion dock where they were having outside coffee after breakfast. Lake Tahoe is on a bowl, so when I saw them waving for me to start up the noise echoed all around the lake. One thing that I forgot about was the elevation & attempting to plane as I had our normal club gear case prop on the motor. I had to walk the Jack Leek designed sprint boat built by McDonald up over my wake & finally got her going. At the time I lived in Winter Haven, FL doing some OMC special project. The race was at Lake Hollingsworth, in Lakeland. Jeff Titus beat me with his 16’ Scotti.

That was the one. Jimbo McConnell was there also I think. I had a good day and won SD class. To this day a picture from that race is my computer wallpaper.

[John Schubert]

That was the one. Jimbo McConnell was there also I think. I had a good day and won SD class. To this day a picture from that race is my computer wallpaper.

Nope, Jimbo wasn’t there. Titus won, I was second & Burt Ross was third with the Allison tunnel with the front wing.

[Lake X Kid]

Can you elaborate on his business dealings? I've heard bits and pieces on S&F about what he was involved with. Everything from electronics stores, diamonds, cigarettes, etc.

Cees was peddling diamonds in the early 1970s. He tried to sell some to my parents. I do not recall the exact location (maybe Como, Italy, or at a race site). Cees opened the palm of his hand and had about a dozen diamonds in his hand. He asked if I wanted some, I was not into the market and declined the sales proposition.

Regarding cigarettes, a twin outboard engine boat one time motored up to the dock at the Como shop. I was told later that; the boat crew was smuggling cigarette cartons from Switzerland into Italy via boat. Lake Como northern end reaches into Switzerland.

Here is Cees and me (on the other side of the cafe from Cees). We were at Palileo's restaurant on the other side of Lake Como, from Renato's waterfront shop.

[Lake X Kid]

Those out-stretched arms in the cockpit, in racing, were the old style in Formula One cars and NASCAR.
That changed later with Darrell Waltrip in NASCAR, and probably at the end of Jackie Stewart's F1 career, where guys had the steering wheel closer to the chest for better leverage in turning.

Cees makes my arms get tired, thinking about a marathon race with arms stretched out for so long on the racecourse.

Picture shows Cees Van Der Velden in his Boxtel boatyard in the Netherlands.