Names from the past.

[Norm Coote]

Regarding the Calkins runabout and it being a Vee bottom, there is only about 1/4" vee in the bottom as George Calkins claims a vee is faster than a flat bottom. There were about two dozen A/B built and maybe five of the C/D model. The boats don't run on one side but do turn with the outside down or at least pressure is put on the outside or they won't turn well. I am pretty sure of this as I currently have one and race it regularly. I have built two of the A/B models and rebuilt the bottom of Paul Woodruffs' D as I lived with George in the 50's and worked with him.
Neat to see that photo of John Sangster who by the way in the 1955 nationals at Devils Lake ran away from the field in the first heat but couldn't restart for the second.
Norm Coote

[Tomtall]

Taking this thread a little further. This post has names that were listed in Tim Chances Hydroplane quarterly magazine back in 1970. The article is off the Boatsport web site http://boatsport.org/. which has many new magazines and manuals added over the past year. (great site)

Do you recognize any names from these 1970 races?

[Skoontz]

and, living in chicago Geraldo's carrer ending vault fiasco was too stupid for us to watch. We all knew he was in the Lexington, where we had snuck into un numerous occasions...We also knew, those vaults he would focus on, were the coal bins that were used to stoke the furnaces to heat the steam....Capone had no vaults in this hotel....Most of his stash was kept on a boat that he always had out in the middle of the lake under paid guard.....

Dan Rather comes to mind of recent days, when someone used false info to fill air time.....

[Master Oil Racing Team]

You had me confused at first Skoontz. I had to go back and find Miss BK's post to figure out what you were referring to. If I can find them I'll post some pics of Al Capone's boat. From the inside. Along around 1974 Jimmy Storm, owner of an offshore drilling company, Marine Drilling, bought that boat. He brought it in to the marina at Corpus Christi. A couple of weeks after he brought it in, his niece Becky gave me a personal guided tour. There was some kind of certificate or memento that the previous owner had mounted in brass and screwed to a wall in one room that referred to Al Capone. I forget what it said, but seems like there was something on that boat that referred to a monkey. Jimmy Storm has passed on and that boat was such a familiar sight for so long, I haven't paid any attention to whether or not it is still there.

[Skoontz]

Very cool, Wayne....Now keep in mind that Capone was supposed to hang all over various places where it has been confirmed he had never been...What comes to mind is "The hideaway" in Valley View Illinois, an awesome steak house that wa sa '20's speak easy...Big all all over the place, even a pair of consecutive serial numbered cast/machined Thompson model 27's hanging under glass....

Rumor is that he loved this dish or that dish, fact is, he never set foot in the joint!