DeSilva brothers

[Mark75H]

Bill, what class would this have been for?

[bill boyes]

Most likely a C service or C racing runabout.

[Mark75H]

That makes sense, and you would be right, it doesn't need a forward cockpit to be before 55

[bill boyes]

Stocks needed the forward cockpit with a seat. Alky's did not.

[bill boyes]

Triva
Bill and Ralph built a design for a Pro Runabout.It was deemed not legal by the then Pro Commission. The brothers named the boat after the Pro Commissioner who was behind the drive to outlaw the boat.
What was the boat name and who was the Commissioner?
I forgot the facts so I will ask Ralph.

[Danny Pigott]

I remember when that happened, seems to me the boat had lifting rails to pick it up by.The Pro Comm. called them air traps, De'Silva called them lifting rails. When this boat was not allowed to run, i was told it kind of knocked the wind out of there sails.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

I think Ed Thrilby was the force behind the proposed banning of the boat after the PRO Commission had approved it the previous winter meeting. I seem to remember a petition that was gotten together for that purpose. Don't have any idea how many signatures it got.

The only name I ever heard it called was the "Delta Runabout". Never heard the story about being named after anyone specific but would like to hear the story. Obscure facts like this make any history of anything interesting, especially our sport.

Todd Brinkman Jr. has one hanging in the rafters of his business, B&B Electric. It was run just a few times, probably not more than a half dozen, and I don't believe it was ever raced in anger, just tested. His comment at the time and again many years later (just a couple of months ago when we were talking about it) was that it was absolutely no faster than a standard boat that they were building, but was MUCH safer to drive, and had almost none of the bad habits that existing runabouts of the time had running the speeds that were becoming common place because of advancements in engine design. Speeds were approaching and exceeding 90MPH with the 500 and 750 engines of the day, and folks were either getting hurt and quitting or just quitting before they busted their butts.

I remember that the DeSilva's were very disappointed and frustrated with the decision to overturn a decision that had been made previously by the Commission and ban the boat after the previous approval. Several had been built and sold and those purchases were made worthless by this action, especially as the reason for the design and seeking approval for it was primarily for safety reasons. I also seem to remember that the DeSilva's did not build any or very few strictly PRO runabouts for anything except the Antique classes after that as they felt the decision to ban the boat was ill-advised and not good for the sport. Can't say I blame them as I would have been plenty upset myself. In fact almost the very same thing happened, with some of the same folks involved, with the "Radio Rule" just a few years ago.

Fortunately, Ken Krier came along a couple of years later with a newer design that accomplished making the runabout classes much safer, and did not change the bottom of the boats as radically, and in the opinion of some, saved the 500 engine class as an enclosed cockpit was not required for Runabouts along with the associated cost of that device.

[Mark75H]

Yes, safety was their goal with that design. It was raced everywhere except the US.

I can imagine being very disappointed if I spent a lot of time, effort and material on a safety design improvement and it was turned down ... especially if there were no other manufacturers offering any safety design improvements.

[Steve Litzell]

I think Ed Thrilby was the force behind the proposed banning of the boat after the PRO Commission had approved it the previous winter meeting. I seem to remember a petition that was gotten together for that purpose. Don't have any idea how many signatures it got.

The only name I ever heard it called was the "Delta Runabout". Never heard the story about being named after anyone specific but would like to hear the story. Obscure facts like this make any history of anything interesting, especially our sport.

Todd Brinkman Jr. has one hanging in the rafters of his business, B&B Electric. It was run just a few times, probably not more than a half dozen, and I don't believe it was ever raced in anger, just tested. His comment at the time and again many years later (just a couple of months ago when we were talking about it) was that it was absolutely no faster than a standard boat that they were building, but was MUCH safer to drive, and had almost none of the bad habits that existing runabouts of the time had running the speeds that were becoming common place because of advancements in engine design. Speeds were approaching and exceeding 90MPH with the 500 and 750 engines of the day, and folks were either getting hurt and quitting or just quitting before they busted their butts.

I remember that the DeSilva's were very disappointed and frustrated with the decision to overturn a decision that had been made previously by the Commission and ban the boat after the previous approval. Several had been built and sold and those purchases were made worthless by this action, especially as the reason for the design and seeking approval for it was primarily for safety reasons. I also seem to remember that the DeSilva's did not build any or very few strictly PRO runabouts for anything except the Antique classes after that as they felt the decision to ban the boat was ill-advised and not good for the sport. Can't say I blame them as I would have been plenty upset myself. In fact almost the very same thing happened, with some of the same folks involved, with the "Radio Rule" just a few years ago.

Fortunately, Ken Krier came along a couple of years later with a newer design that accomplished making the runabout classes much safer, and did not change the bottom of the boats as radically, and in the opinion of some, saved the 500 engine class as an enclosed cockpit was not required for Runabouts along with the associated cost of that device.

Question was who was the commission member that did not like the "Lift rails". It was Homer Kincade (SP) and the boat was the KR Runabout or Kincades Revenge as I always was told. The boat Bill Van was talking about was from a loose rule book at the time regarding runabouts. I tested a boat for the DeSilvas that was to be for the New 45SS class. After a couple of drinks with Ralph Donald, I pointed out that this tri hull type design was a legal Runabout according to the rules at the time. I wanted to run this boat through the traps at Morehaven Fla that year as a CRR ( 500 runabout) and Ralph and Bill Desilva aske us not to as they were making a boat for this that would not upset the natives so much. bruce Nicholson was the guy with the protest/ petition going around. In retrospect I should of said screw it and run the thing through the traps as at the time i was reading a 100+ MPH before the boat that Bill Van was talking about. Anyway, the answer is KR. Steve

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

I had the wrong boat, but I'm pretty sure about the story surrounding the "Delta Runabout", the one I did reference. Looks as though the DeSilva's were not strangers to controversy, as is generally the rule when something is introduced that a lot of folks think might hurt the value of their past investment, no matter the reason (safety).

Steve, I'm glad you chimed in. I never knew before now there was a "story" about the KR Runabout, and it's introduction.

After all these years, it is hard not to appreciate the irony of that story, if Bruce was with one with the petition. I seem to remember he had the one of the first ones, or at least the first one that I can remember , and was unbeatable for a number of years with it.

It (77T) probably had one of the longest winning records of any runabout based on the number of years it was raced, as it won races for a very long time, probably several decades. Do you still have it??

ADD: I think the reason I was thinking about the Delta was because of the term "lift rails" If you ever saw a Delta, especially from the back, you would certainly think of that term if it were used about describing the looks of that runabout. I always thought it looked more like an OPC Mod VP Class boat than anything else, but of course much smaller.