Molinari Racing Boat History and Information

[jackie wilson]

Ron i think your first Paris 6hr race experience was driving a Shultz Hydrocat let us have a few of your comments about how it drove in the rough water i bet it was a real handfull especially with the barges running.I think your last drive at Paris was in a Scotti boat now that would be a good running boat at that time lets have your comments too on that drive?Paris 1970 would be the year Jackie drove with Molinari 43yrs ago this coming weekend would be nice to have a few words from jackie about his drive in that boat it looked a smooth running outfit?

Every time that damn 1970 Paris 6 hrs rears it's ugly head it brings back a wealth of good and bad memories.
Until that race, I had been friends with Renato for over 5 years, I had sat down at the dinner table in Angelo's
House in Como many times and young bro. Giorgio and his wife were close friends too.
Rossy and I had won damn near everything we entered all over Europe in 1970, the marriage of my " Monday Molinari" and mighty Merc was one made in heaven, perfect boat that was exciting to drive and a powerhouse with an unbreakable heart, the combination was every boat racers dream, then we prepared for Paris????????
As usual Renato had built a new boat, and had persuaded G.G. That he wanted me as co- driver, I was none too happy about this, as I knew I had the Paris winner in my own boat.
We tested the nuts off'n the armchair sedan that Renato had built for the race------I kid you not, that boat was an armchair ride------my old granny could have driven that boat for 2 hours while she was doing her knitting, it never got out of shape, or did anything other than circumnavigate at a tolerable rate of knots.
My own boat was light years quicker than Renatos and I told him so, he wouldn't even try my rig himself, would have lost face or some such tripe was the excuse.
I got all pissed off and up tight, in a mad fit of depression I told PRUETT he could race my boat,he talked to GG and 'twas decided he could run it.
History tells us that Posey and Sanders won the race------by no less than 3 laps if you please, Well here' s the strange thing, NOBODY ever passed me in the middle 2 hours-------Renato swears blind nobody ever passed him, therefore he came to the conclusion that I cost him the race.
Rolla had kept all the lap times and it turned out the times were identical.
Pit stops by Mercury were always better than O.M.C.s, so no time was lost there.
Maybe you will understand why that race was not my favourite.
PRUETT was not the best by any means, and he weighed in a good fifty pounds heavier than me, but at the2 hour mark he was classified 3 rd behind Sanders and Posey. He threw a blade which cost him dearly.
Paris timing was always suspect and was done with 3 stop watches 2calling birds and a pillock up a pear tree.
43 years later-----------I'm still pissed over it all, wasn't just the race I lost but something far more valuable.