Well i'll be..........

[Jeff Lytle]

I went to my 1st race yesterday in years, the CBF Stock Outboard Nationals in Rideau Ferry Ontario. Not alot of boats, in fact alot less than I expected considering the venue and the title.

BUT!!, I met up with a pile of guys I have't seen in years, some 20+ years. Dave Dalton, Doug Overbury, Tom Utmann and his son Spencer, the imfamous bh/..Brian Hendrick, Dave Scott, and many more.

Dave told me there was a guy there on Saturday who had one of my old boats for sale, and sure enough, it was my old B Marchetti I bought off Doug Thompson. I didn't get to see the boat, cause' he didn't show again on the Sunday, but I got a copy of the flyer he was passing around. It sure looks exactly the same way it did the day she left my home in 1984. I had removed some of the hardware to save for the Pugh I had on order at the time.

The Vintage Division was there as well, with 2 GP's, a 5 litre, a couple of 280's, some E Service stuff, and a PILE of Jersey skiffs. There was a good showing of old outboard stuff as well, including a factory Konig M, an A and B from the mid 60's and a 1972 VC that I ran against when it belonged to Glenn Coates. Dave Dalton brought all the alky stuff including his Rawsoncraft Butts copy. bh/ had some neat stuff as well, including his Jones cabover hull. The real treat for me was seeing a Mark 75h stacker on a DeSilva hydro that is owned by Bud Clark.

Although no alkys ran there, there sure was some interesting odors in the air when the D mods and the FEHs were on the water. I tell you, seeing and hearing the FE's really got my left hand twitching!! :D That looks like that would be the class for me!

Here is a copy of the flyer that has my old Marchetti, I had hurt my back earlier that year and had a friend, Paul Guerin drive the boat.

[STU Racing]

It was good to finally meet you in person. For those who are interested in bringing an antique to this event in the future I would fully encourage you to do so. This event was first class and was only their first try. I can only imagine how much better it will be in the future.

[Jeff Lytle]

Didn't have a chance to tell you Spencer...........You've got that 20H flying! That was a great race!

BTW--You're Mom and I were trying to remember So-So (Southern Ontario Stock Outboard) Racing Club members from our day, but the age thing got us. Last night I remembered another racing family who were also members. How could have we forgotten the Boulters?!?

[Jeff Lytle]

What did I tell you Randy?

You spend enough time up to yer gonads in the water helping out, you're bound to get in and drive!!

Check out this link for a few good pics, including some good shots of Hunter and Dave: http://www.vintageraceboatshop.com/RideauFerry-2007Photos.htm

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Well Jeff.....I was sorry the timing didn't work out so you could come to DePue, but it looks like you had a pretty good little mini reunion of sorts.:D

[Jeff Akers]

I tell you, seeing and hearing the FE's really got my left hand twitching!! :D That looks like that would be the class for me!


Uh,Jeff,

Ya know ya want to:rolleyes: Just do it ! It's ok, realy, It Is:D


BTW: are you thinking of buying the old Marchetti back ?

[Jeff Lytle]

Not for $1500.00 I'm not!!

I sold the boat to him originally for $500.00. I know they are getting rare these days, but I'm not paying that.

[STU Racing]

Jeff,
Indeed the BCH is flying well but I doubt it will ever be competitive again. The prop I have for it (the best one left over from my father's day's in the 80's) is just too big. Maybe if I jack it up that last 1/4" it might help but it is a dog through the turns and coming out of the turns. Thankfully the rollers weren't that bad during that heat though so I could actually gauge how the rig will run. But since the rollers were unbelievably bad during CSH I guess I will have to go testing this week-end. Need to dial in the CSH, try out a new 20ssh prop and try out Brian's "new" Tec-Craft."
I'm glad that all who attended this meet sure seemed to enjoy it thoroughly.

[BRIAN HENDRICK]

Jeff; -it was sure good to see you at a race in Canada, however it was not the Cdn. 'Nats', but a Vintage o/b & i/b show , as well as some o/b racing. To encourage the old stuff to participate , the CBF proclaimed 'Nationals' status for two classes: BCH, ie; 'poppers'; and DCH, ie; M55H's(sorta?]
We were disappointed on the showing of B's, but some guys may have anticipated the rough water in that bay.
[the Utmans & Fralicks would race under Niagra Falls for a National title. :D] There are good reasons we have not raced there since the '70s, and it has not calmed down any since.:eek:
It was a great event, a lot of the old guys came out, and if I had known you were coming I would have brought the Kirtz/Schumaker 500PRO record boat for you to demo.;)
We look fwd to seeing you in FL this winter, maybe at a PRO race . Whenever/wherever they decide to run the WORLDS in FL, we will be there.

[Bob Dunlap]

Wish I could have been with you bh/ for that one, would have loved to see the old stuff and the people. I imagine it was nicer weather than we are having down South (it's supposed to be 100 today, what makes it unbearable is the fact that it only gets down to 80 at night). Kinda takes your breath away when you go outside.:eek: I told my wife we may go to Canada next August and she agreed. Have you already got the D Tec craft up there. I was hoping we could run it with my 44xs this winter in FL.

[geodavid]

I was wondering about Doug Thompson? Great to see his Marchetti. Doug was not at the DePue reunion. Although we did not run the same classes, Doug and I were kind of good luck for each other. Doug won an exciting B Hydro race in DePue in 1972, then repeated at Hinton in 1977.
Had the pleasure of visiting with Canadian driver Willy Kersges at the reunion. A very nice guy and great sportsman. Hope we can go fishing sometime Willy.

[BRIAN HENDRICK]

Bob; It was a good 'gathering' , great weather, although the bay we ran on was rough for the o/b's, , though better than running over logs on the Suwannee in FL.:eek:
Bud made the most noise with his M75H stacker. :D
We may run a Vintage show there in the off years to the Clayton Regatta, but likley not a stock o/b race, unless it is a marathon.
We have the TecCraft here[ON], and have raised the transom to try it with a DCH motor this Sunday. It has had a few mods since it set the records in the '80s. We may just have to bring it down this winter to get Cronk to look at it. It may be a bit small by present day standards for a 44xs.

[Jeff Lytle]

I was wondering about Doug Thompson? Great to see his Marchetti. Doug was not at the DePue reunion.

I have not seen Doug in over 20 years, even the day I picked up the boat and engine, he wasn't there. Bill Wanamaker, the owner of the boat and engine Doug drove told me Doug was having trouble facing the fact that the stuff was being sold........kind of like it was a part of his younger years that was slipping away. Guess looking back, with me being 47 now, I guess I can relate to how he felt.

Bill owned an Esso gas station in Wellington Ontario, and I used to stop in there from time to time on my way to Picton. On the wall in Bill's office were Doug's CBF high Point plaques, trophies and pictures. I spoke to Bill's son my last time there (again.....almost 20 years ago) and he said he often thought about going back to a race cause he missed the good times, and good racing.
I did a simple search for "Bill's Esso" in Wellington Ontario, and got no results.
I also tried Canada 411 for Doug Thompson, and Bill Wanamaker Wellington Ontario, but got no results.

[Jeff Lytle]

Douglas J Thompson
80 Paul St, # 1
Picton, ON K0K 2T0
(613) 476-7259

[BRIAN HENDRICK]

A few pix of Bud Clarke's DeSilva FSH.:cool:

[BRIAN HENDRICK]

The ASH and CSHs enjoyed the rollers coming across the course from the passing cruisers.;)
This DCH was doing well until it blew over coming off a big one.:eek:
The inboards, like this 7 litre, did not really notice. :rolleyes:

[randyrap]

What did I tell you Randy?

You spend enough time up to yer gonads in the water helping out, you're bound to get in and drive!!

Check out this link for a few good pics, including some good shots of Hunter and Dave: http://www.vintageraceboatshop.com/RideauFerry-2007Photos.htm

I was in the cold water so long, my ''gonads'' were no where to be found. :eek: :D