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Thread: The A -250cc Record

  1. #1
    Team Member russhill's Avatar
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    Default The A -250cc Record

    Jeff Connant posted in Facebook item, that a new 250cc record of 112MPH was set. It took my breath away. In 1940 A's were running about 37-39 MPH. After the War (the big one) in about '47 or '48, a 50 MPH record was set. By '49, I was running about 50 in my A Hydro, and winning races.

    I decided at about age 15 that a good speed for an A was the calendar year. In about '52, a 53 MPH record was set. In about '54, Leeky Jack (Jack Leek) set a 61 MPH record. He was a few years ahead of schedule.

    I've lost track of the A-250 speed vs. calendar year until I saw this one. 112 in '11.

    What's happened?

    •In about '52 the displacement was raised from 14 to 15 ci.

    •Quicksilver gear cases came into being.

    •Loopers entered the scene.

    •Megaphone horns, then bounce pipes (the megaphones helped the cross-flows but then they really helped the loopers).

    •Boats were being built with lower frontal areas, and lower weights (like none).

    •Fuels were becoming more exotic.

    •Propellers made some terrific advancements

    •And I don’t know what the hell else has happened, but like I always say, “If you’re not pushing the state-of-the-art, you aren’t really racing.“

    My congratulations go to the guy who set the new record a few years ahead of my schedule.

  2. #2
    Team Member Jeff Lytle's Avatar
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    Default

    • Gonads got bigger!

  3. #3
    David Weaver David Weaver's Avatar
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    Default 250 Kilo Record

    I recall that a Konig FA held the record for a very long time around 97 mph. In the early 1990's, Sean McKean bumped the APBA record to 107 mph with a Yamato.

    My guess is that this speed could be increased further in the near future.

    Fewer drivers attempt to set new kilo records these days, proboably due to the risk and few available sites. Julian did a great job keeping his boat on the water.

  4. #4
    Tim Small
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    Default 250 hydro record

    What is amazing is that Julian went 112mph with a 11:15 competition Rossi lower unit. No surfacing unit or special boat. Their boats are light years ahead of ours. We need to get back to work here in the US. We heard for years that their boats were only good in rough water with tight turns. Now we know they are good in smooth water, rough water, tight turns, wide turns, and kilo runs. Time marches on.

  5. #5
    Composite Specialties
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    Default Interesting

    Quote Originally Posted by Tim Small View Post
    What is amazing is that Julian went 112mph with a 11:15 competition Rossi lower unit. No surfacing unit or special boat. Their boats are light years ahead of ours. We need to get back to work here in the US. We heard for years that their boats were only good in rough water with tight turns. Now we know they are good in smooth water, rough water, tight turns, wide turns, and kilo runs. Time marches on.
    The reason that no one here in the USA wants to "get back to work" on boat designs is because everyone here is a critic! At any given Title Series race, there are at least 5 boat experts walking around talking crap about all the boats, designs and the builders. Then you have engine dealers that claim to be boat experts that spout off their opinions and people seem to listen..... go figure. There have been a small handful that actually tried to develop Euro designs from scratch, without the luxury of having one to copy first hand. It takes an enormous amount of money and time to develop these boats from scratch, test them, redevelop, etc....

    So you tell me, why would anyone want to put any time, money and effort into getting back to work to develop boats for PRO racing only to be confronted with this crap at every race. Support and encouragement goes along way with anything in life... if you want people to devote their time and money into development of racing boat designs, then teach people to stop trashing the boat builders and their designs and show some support for the very few in the country that are left to actually build racing boats.

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    Team Member AZOutlaw's Avatar
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    Team Member Gene East's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Lytle View Post
    • Gonads got bigger!
    After watching the video, can we say, "Gonads got gigantic"!

  8. #8
    David Weaver David Weaver's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Composite Specialties View Post
    The reason that no one here in the USA wants to "get back to work" on boat designs is because everyone here is a critic! At any given Title Series race, there are at least 5 boat experts walking around talking crap about all the boats, designs and the builders. Then you have engine dealers that claim to be boat experts that spout off their opinions and people seem to listen..... go figure. There have been a small handful that actually tried to develop Euro designs from scratch, without the luxury of having one to copy first hand. It takes an enormous amount of money and time to develop these boats from scratch, test them, redevelop, etc....

    So you tell me, why would anyone want to put any time, money and effort into getting back to work to develop boats for PRO racing only to be confronted with this crap at every race. Support and encouragement goes along way with anything in life... if you want people to devote their time and money into development of racing boat designs, then teach people to stop trashing the boat builders and their designs and show some support for the very few in the country that are left to actually build racing boats.

    I know I am hard of hearing and have selective hearing as well. I have not heard criticism of anyone's boats with the excpetion of the boat that came apart at the Worlds this October. Marc's boats and those of others have PRO hydroplane racing headed in a good direction in my opinion. We are going to be able to race on more courses and the safety keeps increasing. Results speak for themselves! MJR boats won 250cc and 350cc hydro at the Nationals. What could matter more??

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    Default Euro Boats

    Marc

    You say it is hard to try to design a Euro boat without having one to copy, but I sent you complete drawings and dimensions for a Moestes 250/350 hydro. If you cannot build one to blueprints without adding something extra that you think might work, that may be why it costs so much to develop new boats. The Euro boat works for ALL racing, jetty starts, clock starts, short course, long course, etc. The Revolution boat that came apart at the World Championships was built off the same drawings that I sent you, and the boat ran very good. The problem was the boat was not assembled very well and the top separated from the bottom. Giuseppe Rossi drove the boat and said it ran and turned just like his Moestes hydro. So we can make them without having a boat here to copy. Chris Hellsten has shown that he can win in 250 and 350 on any Title Series course with a Euro boat. All I am saying is the European drivers completely dominate us when they run against American designed boats, and in most cases, they will lap us in 8 laps. We need to wake up and get on the band wagon if we are to compete at the highest levels of Pro racing. American drivers are just as good, and can be just as fast with the same equipment.

    Rex Hall

  10. #10
    Sam Cullis Mark75H's Avatar
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    Default

    Rex, aren't some of their designs illegal under APBA 60% tunnel hull rules?
    Since 1925, about 150 different racing outboards have been made.


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