Don't let it fade away

[Ron Hill]

There is so much racing history that needs to be documented. All of us should send in stories and importantly photos to BRF Our history of the 1950s is fading. For example if you Google boat racing at Lake Merced San Fransisco you get the current dragon boat races but nothing about the fact that Lake Merced and Lake Merritt in Oakland were important outboard racing venues right in the heart of major metros in the US . Both Lakes hosted APBA national championships in the 50s. In this article John Alden says there were 17 BUs competing at Lake Merced. I count 14 at the start line in the photo! Anyone remember the Mariposa Boat Club that hosted the Lake Merced alky races? I think Lou Pastrone was an officer then. Is this club the same as the present Mariposa Yacht Club? The unforgettable sight of 10 FFRs with their deck riders in formation at the first turn at Merced. A paltry few photos and text exists in Speed and Spray such as the one attached but that seems to be all. At the 1952 nationals in Oakland there were EU stock outboard runabouts racing! I've never even seen or known about one of those - have you?. [ATTACH]53784[/ATTACH

In the old days classes had cubic inches. A's were 15 cubic inces, C's were 30 cubic inches.

I think EU was an Evinrude 4-60 that was "STOCK" "U" was for Utility (Pleasure). I'm pulling this from 60 years ago, but a Stock 4-60 had brass bearing on the crankshaft. (A C Service and a C Racing motor both had 30 cubic inches. But a Racing C had ball bearing on th crankshaft. A Service C had brass bushing, no ball bearings on the crank.

My Old Man, not knowing the rules or caring, took Elmo Pyle's "E" and added ball bearing to the crank and increased it's performance.

It was only later, like 1952, that my dad was asked to inspect realized that there were rules.

But EU, I think was a "SERVICE C" of the F Class. But only had one driver.

Jerry Waldman and Dean Chenowith were both in that picture of BU. Both lost their lives in boat racing.

Dean won thre Nationals in 1952 and got one second. Pappy Bowman was winning AU, and he decide to to go wide and wave to the crowd, Dean Chenowith, headed for the finishline and beat Pappy by about a foot.

As Mercury took control of Stock racing EU, went away!

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

In the old days classes had cubic inches. A's were 15 cubic inces, C's were 30 cubic inches.

I think EU was an Evinrude 4-60 that was "STOCK" "U" was for Utility (Pleasure). I'm pulling this from 60 years ago, but a Stock 4-60 had brass bearing on the crankshaft. (A C Service and a C Racing motor both had 30 cubic inches. But a Racing C had ball bearing on th crankshaft. A Service C had brass bushing, no ball bearings on the crank.

My Old Man, not knowing the rules or caring, took Elmo Pyle's "E" and added ball bearing to the crank and increased it's performance.

It was only later, like 1952, that my dad was asked to inspect realized that there were rules.

But EU, I think was a "SERVICE C" of the F Class. But only had one driver.

Jerry Waldman and Dean Chenowith were both in that picture of BU. Both lost their lives in boat racing.

Dean won thre Nationals in 1952 and got one second. Pappy Bowman was winning AU, and he decide to to go wide and wave to the crowd, Dean Chenowith, headed for the finishline and beat Pappy by about a foot.

As Mercury took control of Stock racing EU, went away!

Ron & all readers. "EU" which we also raced in Region 3 up to the very early 50's was limited to 33 c.i. These very the Evinrude Speedifour engines. We also ran "FU" no pun intended which was the 60 c.i. Evinrude "Big Four" engines

[oldalkydriver]

Now I'm really confused! For 60 years I thought the difference between 'C' Service & 'C' Racing was more distinct then that. Didn't 'C' Racing have heads (either 4 bolt or Hex Head) and a rotory valve? I remember 'C' Service with a solid cast cyclinder including the head and no rotory valve. And then there was 'C' Service II? Boat numbers; I've seen lots of numbers that have been repeated over the decades. I remember Alex Cockburn had C-172. A few years later, that was my number in 'A' Hydro. I could be very wrong, but didn't C-87 belong to either Fred H. Sr or Don Biagio? Speaking of the Biagio's, they lived in Norther California. They came to the races with a purple & white checked moving van.