Wayne Baldwin's Amazing Story: Baldy's Eual Eldred Baldwin

[Master Oil Racing Team]

While we were in the middle of preparing for and racing the OPC race at Rockport, I was still working on our alky stuff. Mostly stripping, sanding and painting. Having never done any of this type of work prior to getting into boat racing, I was getting experience through reading directions and just doing it. Directions in those days seemed much simpler. It didn't take a lawyer to tell you not to get soaked in solvent, or breathe the fumes.

We got the boat trailer expanded for more runabouts, and had picked up a 13' DeSilva runabout from Bryan Marine. We also got rid of the Sid-Craft and bought a Marchetti hydro. It was 11' or 11-2. I can't remember. Baldy did all the deals. I just tried to make all the boats look neat. I still didn't have much in the way of mechanical skills, but I wanted things to look good for our launch into the 1967 racing season which was coming up soon.

Mark and I were two skinny kids, but I had two good white shirts lettered on the back with "BALDWIN RACING TEAM" across where the shoulder blades are, and below that "T-73" It was done professionally with fine stitching in that same brown color of our old paint scheme. Then after we got our "cool" racing team shirts, we ripped the sleeves off. We wore those sleeveless shirts to the beach where surfing was all the rage in 1966-67.

Whenever I hear Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell singing "It Takes Two", I think of those days of sanding, painting, etc. The am radio was always on while I was working. Here is a photo of the trailer after adding the tandem axles, boat supports, and the new wood, stained and varnished added to the box. Still working on the 13' DeSilva at the time the pic was taken.

ADD: Until I found this picture, I had thought that I had done the rounded flowing type lettering. This was again the Navy style stencil. I guess those letters were on the next trailer.