Waaaaaaaaaay back to the beginning

[Mark75H]

“Monarch” model 44 a new racing model to compete in class C. The Monarch was below its maximum potential in class C because it was just 23.75 cubic inches, 6 ¼ cubic inches under the 29.99 limit for C motors. The bore was 2 3/4 by 2 stroke.

The Monarch used a single Tillotson MS21 carb, the Bosch ignition and the same tractor lower unit.

[Mark75H]

Before 1929 was over the 34 and 44 were replaced with the 36 and 46

[Mark75H]

There is a mention somewhere about another British made racing outboard using a Prestwick "JAP" 4 cylinder 4 stroke powerhead called a "Roness" making over 14 hp @5,000 rpm in 1928

No clue as to what it looked like, nor if it had its own lower unit or borrowed from something else already in production.

If anyone ever comes up with a picture of a Roness, it would be nice to see it here.

[Mark75H]

Don Salisbury's 1929 ELTO Hi-Speed Quad model #306

[Mark75H]

Here is a car with 2 boats headed for the races. The car is almost as unique as the boats, it is an air cooled Franklin. Notice both pairs of doors are hinged at the back, the hood is fairly plain, fancy hub caps, fairly plain but large grill 2 peice bumper (pretty straight) mostly flat fenders and wire wheels. Something very distinctive about the car is the rear view mirrors mounted on the front fenders and there are no louvers on the hood.

I won't have as much trouble with the boats, I think they are Cutecrafts.

[Peter Crowley]

Sam- What a great picture! I get a kick out of the trailer! The point that this illustrates is that back in the mid-to-late 20's, they were doing the SAME thing that we are doing. Just a thought when we see these photos and laugh to ourselves- they did it 75 years BEFORE we did it!
The boats aren't Cute-Crafts... similar but Cute-Craft didn't have a stepped bottom. Cute-Craft had a concave bottom like a sea-sled. This might be a pair of Hooton step hydros.

[Mark75H]

Some things just don't change. Look at these boats jammed up in the first turn in 1929 or 30.

In the second image see if you can help me identify the motors.

[Peter Crowley]

More great pictures! The racers back then were rather smart. They even had graphite bottom coatings to reduce friction. Their problem was... along with improving performance, they had to develope the hydroplane and create the sport all at the same time!
The boats "rounding the turn" almost had to be early 1929. They had the familiar "Letter"+"number" boat numbers which was a new rule in 1929, so we know that it can't be before then.... but, steering with a tiller handle which was common in 1928, gave way to the steering wheel during the 1929 season. Upon closer look- they do have steering wheels! They are in a driving position which looks like they are using tillers.... must be their driving style! At this time they didn't have throttles yet, nor were the spark advance levers locked in position! The two front boats have the mechanical tachometers attached to a special flywheel nut. It looks like second place has an engine sporting dual carburetors! I also noticed the bar that looks like it comes from the "cavitation plate" area and up to the bottom of the muffler or fuel tank. Perhaps a support for the gastank weight in rough water?
I have seen pictures of the earlier step hydros that were longer.... tiller steered. They had the "Sunkist Kid", "Bubbles" and "Black Maria". I think that the photo was in the front few pages of Rusty Rays book on the 1974 Dayton, OH Stock Outboard Nationals.

[Mark75H]

Peter, you are right about boat racers being smart ..... boat racers were the first ones to use steering wheels with outboard motors.

Here's a Johnson ad from 1928

[Mark75H]

My research has turned up 2 model numbers for 1929 ELTO High Speed Quads, 306 and 329. The differences may have been ignition or lower unit variations.