Molinari Racing Boat History and Information

[Lars Strom]

Molinari´s F1-V8 aluminum boat 1982.

This boat was extremely nice built and very expensive.

I remember other drivers was worried about the advantage Renato had if he touched
a wooden boat on the race course.

Lots of F1-V8 drivers did not want to go down the same road with very expensive
aluminum boats.
OMC stepped in and asked Renato to drive a similar boat (wood) to the one he sold to his race customers.

The same year David Burgess built a very good F1-V8 boat for Roger Jenkins
and he later won the World Championship that year..(1982)

All the pictures is from the F1-V8 race in Como 1982 when Renato won with the aluminum boat (#165)..and the maestro himself.
1982 was also the last year Renato used his famous #165..1983 and after he used #18.

One more thing..I was there in Como 1982 racing the F-3 class...dreaming of one day race F1-V8..

[Lars Strom]

I raced a Saffa sponsored Molinari for Renato with a 2 liter Evinrude V-6 looper 1978 at Idroscalo..Finished second after Renato in a similar boat but ahead of all the ON Mercury drivers.!!
This was a test race for me to get ready for Paris 6 Hours 1978.
I drove the Saffa OZ Molinari/Evinrude2.4 liter team boat for Renato there, together with Angelo Vassena.

Working on this story and it is ready pretty soon..

Not the boat I raced but same paint job.

[Lars Strom]

Bob Hering and Renato in the late seventies. I guess between 1977 -79. That was the time for the Saffa paint job.

[Lars Strom]

Renato in the Stockholm GP 1983..My hometown.
This race was a enormous success..hundreds of thousand spectators showed up for the late Saturday afternoon race..I think the start was 7 PM..

Here is a very good racing video from Swedish TV..sorry for Swedish..Some is filmed omboard my F1-V8 Aspen/Burgess/Evinrude.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UylWSQjJYw

[Lars Strom]

Renato changed the design on his F1-V8 boats 1983 when he also started to use #18.
The main sponsor was Martini and many boats was in his team..Most of the time three.
Bob Spalding drove the #11 and Kicco Vidoli drove # 19..

Some said that Porsche helped Renato design the 1983 and -84 look..I know for sure Renato drove a white sporty looking Porsche 911 Turbo at that time..
More pictures soon..takes time to dig them up..

[Lars Strom]

The list of F1-V8 drivers in the Stockholm GP 1983

More here:..http://svera.se/blogg/f1-v8/stockhol...-race-program/

[Lars Strom]

Back two years..Nottingham 1981..

This was the first year of the Evinrude/Johnson V8 racing engine..I can see Renato have the Italian distributor for Evinrude as a sponsor..Italmarine did many good things for racing.
Renato used #65 here and his teammate I think his name was Columbo #61

Here is a link to a long story about the Nottingham race in Powerboat & Waterskiing..Yes..you can also read about the Swede winning the F-3 class there..
http://svera.se/blogg/the-winners-ar...ttingham-1981/

[Steve Pinson]

Bob Hering and Renato in the late seventies. I guess between 1977 -79. That was the time for the Saffa paint job.

1977 Bristol Embassy Grand Prix was the first time i saw the saffa boats race i got to watch it that year because my engine failed in practise and OMC Brugge didn`t have spares.The race consisted of two races on saturday and two on sunday Molinari himself had a good weekend he won in the OE 3cyl class but did run his engine on nitrous? in the OZ class he won three races Hering followed him round and finished in 2nd place in all 3 races the last race on sunday Hering was in his boat ready to start when Molinaris crew physically lifted him out of his boat with all the spectators watching. Molinari had decided he had enough points to win the race overall without running the last race` now was Hering paid by Molinari or OMC?

[Lars Strom]

Molinari history: Bristol 1977

Yes Steve..I remember Bristol very well..My first race with the Molinari/Volvo Penta/Konig F3/OE and Renato was extremely upset with me..He asked me to give the Molinari boat back to him.. the one I paid big bucks for..!!
I was also slowly understanding that the engine build in West Berlin was pretty
unreliable

http://svera.se/blogg/racing-histori...g-racing-1977/

[Lars Strom]

Well..Renato wins the 1980 Rouen 24 Hours in is Molinari/Evinrude CC this time.