Not sure what year but this is Renato´s shop around 1970 I guess.
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Not sure what year but this is Renato´s shop around 1970 I guess.
Steve...I don't know if you remember this, but 1978 was the year the U.S.A. was awarded the OE World Championships and UIM immediately , without regard to their own rules of a two year moratorium, banned of methanol. I have a whole file folder that someday I will post regarding all the correspondence, notes etc. Molinari was at the race in Dayton in 1978, but Bob Hering won the first three heats convincingly, I think John Hill was second and Terry Leatherby finished third. They were all three cylinder OMC's The final heat was won by Jeff Hutchins with a Konig running methanol. It was the first and only time my Dad was involved in cheating, but it was really a protest rather than cheating. He did not do this for our team to win. He thought the undue influence OMC had at Brugge caused them to violate their own rules and make the fuel rule effective immediately. Might this prop situation have somehow been a factor in OMC pressuring UIM in the rule change. I don't recall for sure, but it seems the only Merc entry then was Michael Werner. Their big concern were the alky hydros on a course with wide sweeping turns. I only heard about this prop problem here on BRF and am interested in what you and others know that may have influenced racing schedules and other stuff.
Edgar Rose was Don's boss and Edgar was (and is) very much interested in making better props. We tried an OMC prop
in Mod-VP but always used Mercury cleavers, then choppers. I bought OMC props for EP and reworked them
myself in Baumann's prop shop 1978-79. One of those props set a kilo record that was never broken. That one originally came from
Don but I modified it far from the original pitch distribution. My other props were nearly identical to that one, and I reproduced two for our son
Hans' restored Allison EP boat 2 yrs. ago. Question: who made Jimbo's props? I don't know but can easily find out.
I have no memory of OMC propeller problems those years and we run methanol in Europe up to 1982 in the OE-F3 class.
Paul Kalb was after Konig big time but he was not successful to get UIM to ban methanol when he was in charge in Brugge, Belgium.
I think he went back to USA late 1979.
Here is a picture of my OE Burgess/Evinrude CC from Idroscalo, Italy late September 1982.
I installed an extra fuel tank on top of my regular tank to hold more methanol because it was a two mile long race course there.
A really big prop. and a special one pinion gear case made my boat extremely fast at my favorite race place.
Flat smooth long two point race course.
PS..I remember Renato checking out my funny looking fuel tank and shaking his head..;)
Lars....Paul did get methanol banned, but for one race only. It was apparently not enforced anywhere else, but we did have to collect fuel samples during the 1978 OE UIM World Championships. Since the wind was blowing too hard for the alky hydros to compete for the first three heats, nobody asked for samples to be collected. not until the final heat when the wind had settled and Jeff had the only alky hydro on the bank stilled rigged up. He won by a large margin. I don't think Bob Hering went back out since he had already won. Jeff just went out because he was a Pro racer. He never quit. We all cheered him on It was not about the racing...but all about the powerplay.
I had a crate with four ounce plastic bottles fuel samples for a few years that were never tested. no reason to. Finally I threw all of them away except for Jeff Hutchins' last heat sample which contained a castor oil/methanol mix and finally tossed about twelve years ago...just before we built our music and boat racing room. Kept them in my darkroom, and was afraid the plastic would get bad and lead to a fire hazard.
Paul Kalb was a big problem for many OMC race drivers, (except Willie Perman).. Roger Jenkins left OMC because of Paul for Volvo Penta/Konig OE racing 1976 and 77. Well 1977 Roger also started to race 2 liter Merc in a Cougar and Gordons Gin as a sponsor.
Roger wrote something really funny about Paul Kalb a few weeks ago on my Facebook page.
I don't want to copy that..Roger must write that himself..;)
I didn't know Roger, I only took some pictures of him at a race in Berlin because I knew who he was. We talked, and he was very friendly. You can tell him that I can e mail him some other pictures I took, or he can contact me here at BRF.
Roger is not very active in the cyber world Wayne. He lives in Spain winter time and I have some contact with him.
He is still the same old Roger and pretty good at giving old boat racers a hard time..!!:D:D
Roger Jenkins and his wife last weekend in Spain.
Alberto Fioretta in his Molinari/Merc 1983
Steve..
Roger Jenkins was over here a few years ago. He is racing a 16ft Hobie cat in Spain and are winning every weekend..according to him..;);)
Bristol 1977...Renato and his brother on the back of the boat.
Photo:fastonwater
Not sure who the driver is of this Molinari..looks like the V8-F1 engine is from 1983
Renato Molinari 1984.
Something or someone has given him a headache!
Picture from Fast on Water
Mark Rotharmel from Toronto, Canada.. Race is Milan, 1984. Second Effort provided Barry Woods, Gene Thibodaux and myself with three similar Molinari's for the final two races of that season - the German and Italian Grand Prix's. Michael Werner replaced Thibodeaux at Milan.
Attachment 52945
Thanks for your info Watermark 11.
Renato took me for a spin in his white Porsche 911 Turbo up in the Como mountains.
Here is a picture of one of Renatos boats 1984. The -84 engine cowling was rounded in the rear. Molinari made his own and OMC made one to, but Renatos was nicer.
The second picture is from 1983..You can see the square rear of the Evinrude cowling.
Interesting reading.
Spalding/Percival won Amsterdam 3 hours 1974 in a Molinari..
Well..Velden/Seebold came second in a Molinari and Percival/Spalding third in a Molinari.
Bob Holloway´s Molinari/Mercury Twister 2X ..1975
Beautiful restored Molinari/Evinrude V6 CCC 2.4 liter.
More info later.
Attachment 53075Attachment 53075Attachment 53075Attachment 53075I really like this thread Lars. You keep posting photos, stories, articles, and things many have never seen. Just like your Super Swede thread, you are putting out some very good history. You have gotten to the point where you are drawing out information from many of your friends that want to add to what you have started. I would like to add this one (Many more never seen) to this thread about Renato Molinari. Lots and lots of photos of Molinari, and no smile. Everyone knows that. You had one where there was a little bit of a smile. What about this one? I actually developed this one in my darkroom with chemicals in 1978 for part of the story that appeared in Powerboat covering the 1978 OE World Championships. I didn't submit this photo however, but I kept it. It is in a collection I have been keeping on boat racers waiting and anticipation before the gun fires. I have a number of them, and when I think I have enough I will post them on BRF. Until then....Here is an advance preview for your thread here Lars. Molinari waiting.
ADD: I am sorry that there are four pictures in a row of the same thing. When I first started posting pictures on BRF I could see when the pictures were downloaded. I'm not used to this dragging photos, checking the boxes, etc. I did each thing to confirm that the photos were loaded, and when I could not....I just punched the DONE button. When the post came up on BRF...all the photos were there. I will figure it out eventually, but I wonder how many out there cannot. And now I will try to figure out if I can delete the other three photos.
ADD: I used to be able to delete photos, but it appears that all photos are all in one attachment. If I delete it, I guess all will disappear. Sorry for all the extra photos Lars. If you want, I will delete this post and start over.
I deleted it Lars. I thought four identical pictures in a row was not good. So I am going to try again this morning. I knew you would like this picture of Molinari. Kind of a rare angle I think.
OK Wayne..but all the nice reading is gone to..;)
EDIT..Well..looks like Ron fixed that. Thanks Wayne.
Please help me with more of your Molinari history. Memory and pictures.
Here is one more restored Molinari/Johnson V6 in the USA.
One more picture of the two Molinari boats above.
Jimbo McConnell in his Mod 50 Molinari/Evinrude CC.
Did see Jimbo race this boat at Miami Marine Stadium in the late seventies.
I also know Jimbo was a big friend of Mod 50 racing.
Keith Scotton - #484 Molinari Johnson RS
1985 -Werter Morelli - Scafo Molinari.
A smaller Molinari boat..looks like a stock Evinrude 75..(SE Class)
Thanks Keith,
Do you have any more pictures??
998 Bill Sirous, 21' Molinari, dual 1350 BP DC Stackers!
Winner of 1970 World Championship
Renato after he crashed out in Rotterdam Grand-Prix 1975
Pinuccio Todeschini in his Molinari/Mercruiser racing 1982
More SE Class Molinari boats..This is from 1984
It is from the beautiful lake next to Auronzo di Cadore in the mountains North/East Italy.
I have been there racing a few times.
About a mile above sea level. Great place.
Photo: Marcello Curioni
I guess you could buy a Molinari boat and race the Merc 2 liter class when Renato was under contract with OMC..
Renato was really upset with me when I installed a Volvo Penta/Konig on the F3/OE boat I purchased from him 1977..
Ha Ha Lars. When I saw that picture I knew exactly what you were going to say. And it just occurred to me why I didn't have a picture of you in 1977 when you came to Dieter's factory.
My first article in Powerboat appeared in the Competition Issue in 1974. Since then, I had photos and articles published of the major Pro races in the U.S. In 1976 I had a story about the UIM World Championships for OA, OD and OF published in Powerboat, and in it was maybe the only picture ever published in a magazine of the "King Kong Konig" as Powerboat editor dubbed it. It was the six cylinder opposed motor that had the same rotary valve arrangement and carbs that you and Roger Jenkins both ran the next year
My first trip to Berlin, and to the Konig factory was unannounced. I spent thirty days in Nigeria, and had a six week excursion fare. If I left sooner or stayed later, big bucks would kick in. My ticket was open for anywhere I wanted to go for the next two weeks so I flew back to London where my original flght took me to Nigeria. While in London, I thought "Why not go to Berlin?" I didn't know Dieter well. He knew my Dad and me being the driver. So I went. I just showed up at the factory and told him who I was. It was a moment or two for him to put it together, but he knew me. Then he let me take pictures of anything I wanted. I wandered around all of the plant below and took photos. We had a great time together and during that week I met Kurt Mishke, Hans Krage, Karl Bartel and Jerry Drake. I took pictures of all of them a the Berlin Boat Show in 1975.
Back in Berlin again in 1976, David Westbrook and I raced in the Weltpokal (World Cup). Again I had no restrictions on taking photos in and around the shop, including the few photos I took of Dieter's motorcycles. It was after the pictures of the "King Kong Konig" appeared in Powerboat that Dieter sent me a letter that he did not want the photos published. He never said anything to me about it, and he never told me not to take pictures again. The next few years I went to Dieter's, I was not restricted from taking pictures.
I can't remember exactly how this came about because it was so fast. I don't remember Dieter telling me not to take pictures, but in those days I never even walked anywhere without one or two cameras slung around my shoulders. So either it happened so quickly or I was told by Dieter, not to take the photo of Lars with a Konig, I can't remember.
This is what I do remember. I was there on my "Honigmonde" with my new wife Debbie and she was painting white stars on a blue background of sticky vinyl to make our flags for the boats. I was rigging up a couple of brand new Danisch Propriders Dieter had gotten from Bernie Danisch in East Berlin. Suddenly Dieter came over to where I was mounting hardware on one of the new propriders and said we need to help move some boats out of the way. I think Dieter's nephew Joachim Mareth was rigging up a boat also.
We ran to the side of the shop and manhandled several boat out of the way. It was very narrow and we had to push the other boats all the way back to make room for a vehicle to pass through. I was kind of put out about it because I had to stop what I was doing, then we had to wait. I was wanting to get back to finish rigging the boat, then get back to my new wife painting stars on our flag, then cutting the red and white stripes to stick on the boat.
It was supposed to be quick, but seems like we waited about twenty minutes. Then, here comes a car. I comes down the narrow lane by the factory we had just cleared out. Makes a sharp left and stops. There is a door at the back of the factory and close to where the dyno room is. That is where the Konig Penta motor with the three carb rotary valve motor is loaded into the car. I did take a couple of photos of Lars's helpers's beside the car, but not one of Lars. I am sure I was introduced, and I am sure that Dieter told me NOT TO TAKE PICTURES. Dieter always was a gentleman and introduced everyone. This was a quick in and out meeting. I have a vague recollection of being introduced to Lars in Dieter's office or maybe on the line where many assembly's took place. One thing I am sure of though is that Dieter told me not to take a picture of Lars Strom and he came in the back and left with a Konig/Penta.
Haha Wayne..that is so funny..we where doing everything in our hands to keep my switch to Molinari/VP/Konig 1977 a secret..and you just happen to be at Dieters place at the right hour..
Here is the two pictures you took and I am really happy you did..
Few people believe I raced Paris Six Hours with a Molinari/VP-Konig but I did..Here is the story..
http://svera.se/blogg/paris-6-hours/...ix-hours-1977/
Renatos new Evinrude cowling.. first race 1984 Lyon, France