Jim Stone

[scscuba1]

As I said earlier, I spent more time out of the boat than in it. I remember a race in Ocoee in the middle 70s. I got a good jump on the start. I was in first place on lap one coming into turn one Jim past me on the outside like I was sitting still. Still in 2nd place coming into turn one I believe Trevor past me. Still in third going into turn one final lap I was pushing hard. Some how I caught the left sponson and was thrown from the boat. I failed to release the steering wheel and my shoulder was ripped from the socket. I sat in the water unable to raise my arms and I thought I was drowning. Out of nowhere Jim comes screaming to my rescue. He jumped from his boat and swam to me. He grabbed my right arm to see if it was broken. Of course I let out a scream. Jim stayed with me until the rescue boat arrived, put me in the stokes litter and did not leave my side until I was put on the ambulance. While I was at the hospital he made sure my boat was retrieved, trailer loaded and taken to the hospital. Jim was a true friend. Damn I sure miss him!!!

[D-44]

Just discovered this forum, and need to add a few facts. We attended High School together and there discovered a common interest. His first boat was actually a 12 foot homemade wooden scow, powered by a V-4 Johnrude. At the time, I was playing with an Ashburn AB runabout and a KG9. I 'graduated' to the OPC side, Sports D and E. For those who are not familiar with this class, at the time these boats were basically a D Racing Runabout with 'dad's stock fishing motor', complete with the huge lower unit. Jim discovered the Merc Hurricane and tiny hydros. We spent many Sundays at the Jacksonville Outboard Club's races. I have a short Video of he and I testing, Christmas Day 1967 if my memory is correct. Me keeping the runabout from hitting the judges' dock, he trying out a D cab-over which I think he got from John Dressel. Taken by Ben Perry (another story, he had one of a very few genuine 75-H lower units). He and I competed a few times, but he had a weight advantage over me. Still enjoyed driving against him in the BU class, and later in 250 runabout. At one point in the late 1960's, I talked him into driving a OPC boat in the Marine Stadium. His comment was something like "I feel safer in my canvas-decked 10 foot Carlson 3-point with a B looper, at 85 MPH, than in your 13 foot pleasure boat doing 50...". For those of you with a really long memory, I was stationed in Texas in the early 1970's. Came home on leave during Lakeland. Jim borrowed a C Stock motor for me, and loaned me his AB runabout. Kinda small for the rules, but the judges let it pass for the CU class. They knew I was suffering from race withdrawal. Naturally, I ran last but there was no CU class in Texas, so I suddenly became the C Utility Champion for the Texas region.... by default ... ouch! Remember the San Antonio Nationals? He, Shirley, and Adam stayed with us, and we had a wonderful week. Introduced him to Artie Lund and some of the other Texans. Just lots of fond memories, we stayed very close friends right up to his untimely death.

[D-44]

Just discovered this forum, and need to add a few facts. We attended High School together and there discovered a common interest. His first boat was actually a 12 foot homemade wooden scow, powered by a V-4 Johnrude. At the time, I was playing with an Ashburn AB runabout and a KG9. I 'graduated' to the OPC side, Sports D and E. For those who are not familiar with this class, at the time these boats were basically a D Racing Runabout with 'dad's stock fishing motor', complete with the huge lower unit. Jim discovered the Merc Hurricane and tiny hydros. We spent many Sundays at the Jacksonville Outboard Club's races. I have a short Video of he and I testing, Christmas Day 1967 if my memory is correct. Me keeping the runabout from hitting the judges' dock, he trying out a D cab-over which I think he got from John Dressel. Taken by Ben Perry (another story, he had one of a very few genuine 75-H lower units). He and I competed a few times, but he had a weight advantage over me. Still enjoyed driving against him in the BU class, and later in 250 runabout. At one point in the late 1960's, I talked him into driving a OPC boat in the Marine Stadium. His comment was something like "I feel safer in my canvas-decked 10 foot Carlson 3-point with a B looper, at 85 MPH, than in your 13 foot pleasure boat doing 50...". For those of you with a really long memory, I was stationed in Texas in the early 1970's. Came home on leave during Lakeland. Jim borrowed a C Stock motor for me, and loaned me his AB runabout. Kinda small for the rules, but the judges let it pass for the CU class. They knew I was suffering from race withdrawal. Naturally, I ran last but there was no CU class in Texas, so I suddenly became the C Utility Champion for the Texas region.... by default ... ouch! Remember the San Antonio Nationals? He, Shirley, and Adam stayed with us, and we had a wonderful week. Introduced him to Artie Lund and some of the other Texans. Just lots of fond memories, we stayed very close friends right up to his untimely death.

I finally put some related stuff on-line, a few screen shots of the afore-mentioned video and a link to the movie. It is 3 minutes long, and 30megs. Download and use QuickTime if you have trouble viewing it. Enjoy. I have many fond memories of the times we had together from 1963 until 1980.
http://www.world-net.net/~crash/tom