Ask

[Ben Mazur]

and you shall receive

From Ciao


'I have noticed that some UK “old timers” are posting on boatmad.com regarding the old, old stuff.

Having “trawled” through some of the US forums, I see that they have been doing it for a few more years!

Could we set up a thread, whereby historians, ex-racers etc. could post their memories, stories, and then "write the stuff up" to make the Classicoffshore.com website to be a “'virtual' offshore powerboat racing museum”?


and Rupert

"it could easily be done on here - ben could add another sections headed, say, Racing Memoirs or something, would be an amazing resource to keep hold of the old stories"


Thanks site admin!

[Ben Mazur]

Anyone out there have a favorite/most memorable race story from the sixties, seventies, eighties?

[ciao]

and you shall receive


Thanks site admin!

Cool! Many thanks!

[ciao]

Anyone out there have a favorite/most memorable race story from the sixties, seventies, eighties?

Uh Oh! Where do I start?!!!

[Ben Mazur]

At the beginning.

[Rupert Munro]

and finish at the end.

[littlenige]

We're waiting...................

[ciao]

I don't remember the race particularly well or the boat I was navigating in, but it was on the Thames Estuary in class 3C, 1984 ish, there were 20 plus boats in our class and we finished second to last.

We finished the race and put the boat on the trailer, when we noticed an almighty row going on between our competitors and the race organisers.

Apparently all but 3 boats had missed a mark.

Going to prize giving that evening and receiving our third placed trophy really “drummed home” to me that Offshore Racing is more than just speed!

Wish I had been that good as a navigator in later years!

My navigation errors cost me a UK Championship, and a World Championship!

[ciao]

I get a phone call to tell me that Richard Branson was going to celebrate his “Atlantic Challenge” on the HMS Belfast.

So lunchtime comes, and I said to my boss, “fancy a bit off lunch?”

We make the the walk across to the HMS Belfast and are met by the usual security, fortunately because the Virgin Atlantic Challenge was run by the Offshore Powerboat Race organisers of the time, I get recognised and we are ushered in!

After sitting down and enjoying a great buffet lunch, It's time to get onto the Virgin Challenger, drive up the Thames (Westminster) to pick up the Prime Minister!

Margeret Thatcher drove the boat for about a mile, and then if I remember right Branson took the controls and delivered her back to Westminster,

I was in the cockpit all of this time, with my boss, who by this time, was totally “gobsmacked”!

We then went back to the HMS Belfast, when Chay Blythe suggested to us we should buy him a drink!

That is another post!

[ciao]

P.S. I have got loads of photos from that day taken by Colin Taylor, must scan them in at some point, the 5 pics of me and Maggie are just so 80's!

[Ben Mazur]

What a great story!

[littlenige]

A bit from me. I have never had the privilege of racing - much as I'd like to! So my tales are shoreside.

I know I am not alone or unique in my love of offshore - but here is a brief story of my love affair with the sport.

As a kid I grew up in Cowes. I loved every August - the CTC felt like my reason for living.

I have vague memories from the races of about 1971 on - I remember seeing Lady Nara crossing the finishing line (would have been 7 years old then), and a vague memory of watching Aeromarine IX off Cowes Promenade. But my first memorable tale is from 1974. I was now 10 years old and spent every moment possible at Groves and Gutteridge during the event. I was sitting on the harbour wall next to Dry Martini when a girl started talking to me about the boat. She asked if I'd like to sit on the boat which I duly did - she later told me that she was the sister of Richie Powers. Her name was Susan Schafer. I was lucky enough to receive a t-shirt from her which was a thrill. I watched the race from Gurnard Green and have a tape recording of it still! I reeled off the names of every boat as they came past with my mother heard to remark in the background - "we may as well not bother with the book" referring to the entry list. I knew them all. We then went home for dinner as the boats disappeared for their long ride to Torquay and back. I returned to the marina at some point and was gutted to realise that the winning boats were already home! I met up again with Susy in the marina and she asked "Where were you? We were looking for you". That was like being asked by Ron Dennis why I missed the McLaren party. I also received a poster from the Martini team and was also taken to dinner by 2 of the italian mechanics at the Fountain Hotel! Don't remember much being spoken!!

1975 came and went.

In 1976 Richie Powers returned with American Eagle. In that long hot summer I more or less became team mascot - running errands for the crew, cleaning the boat, and generally hanging around and loving every second. I loved the smell of race fuel and fibreglass - very intoxicating!! At one point Carl Kiekhaefer turned up with footage from the latest event (Bahamas 500?) that the crew had won in the US - the team and I went to the Beken of Cowes shop for a private viewing. Wow! I still have the poster from the crew, and also received a number of iron-on decals in order to create my own American Eagle tee-shirts!!

In 1978, I and the only two other racing fans I knew of went towards the Needles in order to watch the Needles Trophy race. We were joined by the driver of British Buzzard - Roger Allen, who suggested after having watched the first lap, that we all go to Yarmouth and jump in a Crusader sports boat and go watch the rest of the race! This we did - fantastic!!

In 1981 I think it was, I met Vivienne Wilson, wife of Davey who was over racing the Martini boat with Guido Niccolai. I kept in touch with her through the mail. Imagine my surprise when after telling her that I had left college early, she contacted me saying that there was a spot for me if I wanted it at the Cruise Master Marine factory in Fort Lauderdale - where such people as Dick Schwarz and Mike Thomas (TNT Marine) worked. It was owned and run by a guy named Leonard Codomo. Bob Latham's workshop backed onto the Cruise Master shop.

I went to the US and worked for a short time only with the company. But in that time I enjoyed some great experiences!

I remember going to the Cougar yard in Miami and seeing Steve Curtis there amongst others. Not sure what he was working on, maybe the 38 cougar that was in the yard upside down being extended in time for the '84 Round Britain event.

I also got to travel clear across the US with Angelo Meli in the truck towing Surgin (ex Arneson cougar cat) for the 1984 Marina del Rey race. It took 5 days to get there! I went up in a light aircraft to watch the race with the crew's partners - Cathy Latham and Doc Spergel's girlfriend Susanne. We watched the Surgin team BEAT the Nordskog machine. That gave the Doc much pleasure.

In my time I have watched many a race - from the Solent 70 to the Needles trophy, and have also watched races in Malta, Key West.

The closest thing I have come to driving when it comes to fast boats is a 6.5m delta rib with a V6 yamaha on the transom. Great boat!

In more recent times I have slowly become disilusioned with the sport as it has become less about the big boats and more about RIB's. Nothing wrong with that of course - but it's just not the same for me. And having been to Key West a few times in the 90's - well that just blew me away. Nothing compares............

The current crop of events in P1 and the class 1 championship are still no doubt quite spectacular, and each time I hear of an event I have missed I regret it big time, but I guess as I've got older my life has changed and other priorities have taken over. But thanks to such sites as this my passion is re-kindled! I now just have to pull my finger out and get to more events! I was hoping to get to Cowes this year after a long absence, but am holding out for a ride in the 35 cigarette that was Benihana (Rocky Aoki) at this years Key West events if it's finished in time. I recently entered the HORBA tee shirt design contest - it was a poorly supported contest but as I had supplied four designs the very kind Charlie McCarthy suggested I get my backside over to the US for a ride in his newly acquired piece of treasure.......watch this space!

[Ben Mazur]

Just goes to show that you don't have to race to (this will sound stupid) "live" offshore.

What a wonderful story. Thanks.