Champion AU/BU

[JoS]

Hi, anybody here who could help me with pictures of the original 1953 Champion AU/BU?
Or maybe you know someone who still owns an original Champion AU/BU? Thanks a lot!
Jo

[Ron Hill]

I will look through my old magazines to see if I can find a picture of a Champion Boat...Somewhere on BRF is Danny Morehouse with his Speedy Twin and a Champon "KIT" boat.

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...anny+Morehouse This is Johnny Craven's Champion BU with a Champion Hot Rod motor on it, but this is not the "Original" Champion AU-BU Runabout.

[JoS]

Thanks Ron! First I thought that the Champion (Hot Rod) motors and the Champion hulls were produced in the same company, until I found out that the boats came from Southern California and the motors from the Minnesota / St. Paul area. Is it right that the two manufacturers hadn't anything to do with each other?

Another thing which also astonished me is that no Champion boats can be found in the result lists of the Winnebagoland Marathons. I only found a Champion boat taking fifth place in class AU (in the 1952 or 53 marathon, as far as I remember). First I thought that the big distance to Wisconsin was the reason. But on the other hand the Sid Crafts were manufactured in California as well and many Sid Craft boats ran in Winnebagoland. Do you have an explanation?

[Mike Schmidt]

Sid Craft and latter Sid Son were all built in New Jersey (on the East Coast). In my 40 + years of racing I have never seen a Champion boat. I have seen hundreds of Sid's. I think Sid just built a bunch more boats.

In the day, they were a very good boat. I won a bunch of races in AOH (250 hydro) and BSH in them.

Michael D-1

[JoS]

Sid Craft and latter Sid Son were all built in New Jersey (on the East Coast)

Sorry, my mistake... I mixed up Sid Craft and De Silva! So the geographic distance might be an explanation... I also didn't find a mentionable number of De Silvas in the Winnebagoland race results, although they were highly competitive boats. Winnebagoland mainly was a game between Sid Crafts, Speedliners, Switzercrafts and Raveaus.

Go to this site.

Thanks, John, I've already seen this site. What really interests me are photos and some details of the AU/BU utility, especially a rear view of the transom and the construction of the frames.

[Ron Hill]

See, when "THE DAMN MERCURY" came along, "REAL" racers were burning alcohol. The alcohol burners were called "ALKY RACERS". Most of them, probably 95% hated thos "DAMN MERCURY MOTORS. Alky Racers raced DeSilva boat. Those "DAMN MERCURY" guys raced home made "KIT" boat like Champions.

In 1954, at the DePere, Wisconsin Nationals, there were probably 4 DeSilva boats (Ronnie Loomis's CU, Red Thomas's AU-BU, and Bob Parrish's A-B Hydro and AU-BU...(Loomis ws from Santa Barbara, Red was a Major in the Marine Air Force and Parrish was the son of rich Cotton farmers and oil well owners in Bakersfield. Evreyone else bought cheap boats or built their own.

My dad was the motor inspector at the Winnebagoland Marathon in 1953,54 and 55. I'm surprized there were any DeSilva boats in the Winnebagoland Marathon.

In 1954, the LASA (Los Angeles Speedboat Association) and "Alky Club", voted to "KICK OUT THOSE DAMN MERCURYS" My dad, who was Race Chairman of LASA quit LASA over this vote. No one in our family ever joined LASA after 1954, thought my dad was a ccharter member.

So, FYI, Kit Boats were for the guy with NO MONEY!!!! And owned A Damn Mercury!

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Hi, anybody here who could help me with pictures of the original 1953 Champion AU/BU (not pics of a replica)?
Or maybe you know someone who still owns an original Champion AU/BU? Thanks a lot!
Jo

Go to this site. You'll find the original Champion brochure as well as many other race boats from the 50's racing era, which was great. http://www.pfs-ware.com/50s/50s_page12.htm