Credit to Ove Torkilsen.
Printable View
Credit to Ove Torkilsen.
Attachment 56492
This is the bottom floor –rigging area- of Renato Molinari’s race boat shop, in Como, Italy during the early 1970s.
At the bow of the race boat in the foreground is Giorgio Molinari (Renato’s younger brother) looking at Steven Ridgell and Dave Brier. The guy looking at the camera, at the race boat behind the foreground boat is Bob Hering. The big guy with his back to the camera, at the other race boat is Rick LaMore.
The other three gents in the photo, I cannot identify, sorry.
Renato in Como last year..(2013)
Picture by Nino Molla
Boat racing meeting at Lake Como 2014
Angelo Vassena to the left and Renato Molinari to the right.
Mercury debuts the big stuff in Bristol 1979. The F1-T4 for the OZ class.
http://svera.se/blogg/mercury-debuts...-the-oz-class/
I believe the boat in the picture was built to be a twin engine rig for Renato to run in special events, I think it was about a 20'er. The brain trust at Merc decided to use a different approach for the 71 Paris race. The year before we ran all sprint type setups, boats were propped out for speed. We learned that as rough as the River Seine gets, we couldn't use all of that speed in the race. For 71 the thinking was good bite, acceleration and stability over top speed. Propshafts were set below the boat bottom rather than above! The big boat was also entered as a single, as you can see Renato added a third transom in the center. We couldn't make it competitive with a Twister I on the tail, but got enough more out of it with the C6 doing the pushing that they put Billy Don Pruett in it for the race. It was the slowest of what we took to Paris, about 85 mph, but was in fact running third deep into the race when the engines coil mount broke and ended it's day. The pieces of lumber you see in front of the original two transoms were added to eliminate the "air brake" effect that the transoms created when it was rigged as a single.
Yes, I think I can give you a timeline .....
Team Mercury started running the Twister in the later part of 1970. The Twister was really just the 1350 direct charge powerhead that they had been running in 69 and 70 with water injected stacks. The "silo" exhaust system not only took the noise away, it got the boats around a course faster because it had better low end punch. The entire team ran them in Paris. Several more were run at Havasu with the full silo log as well as the shorter, open exhaust log nicknamed the "cowbell". The Twister (red decals) was made available to the racing public in 1971 with a McI SSM lower unit.
In 71, engineering added a third transfer port, scalloped reed blocks and made some exhaust log modifications to the Twister. This new combination was called the Twister I, still a 1350 direct charge motor with three Tillotson carbs. The TI (blue decals) was made available to the racing public in 72 as a complete engine or as an update kit for the Twister.
The C6 made it's first appearance in Berlin in 1970. It was used sporatically during 1971. Sometimes it ran with a single pipe exhaust system, sometimes a two pipe system and usually with a closed system. The C6 was the 1400 block with six rectangular carbs. They were referred to as Morgan carbs, named after the engineer responsible for it's development. It got better and better, won first single finishing fourth overall at Havasu, and all team boats were running it at the beginning of 1972.
As good as the C6 ran, the carbs remained a problem as they were very tempermental. Utimately a six Tillotson carb system replaced the Morgan carbs in 1973. The 1400 block received some porting changes and the TII was next in line to be made available to the racing public in 1974.
Hope this answers your question, but I would have thought that you already knew most of this just from reading the decals on the powerheads as they motored on by your Johnrude over the years. :D
Oh, I should add that I quit ordering soup with extra protein after our "swimming" meal in Spain!
Here is a pic of a C6, a TII and a 'Cowbell' Twister.
I can remember in the 1971 Paris race looking around that large Molinari in the pits before the race and we discussed with Don Pruett about how large it was and showed him round the two Shakespeare outfits my team had brought to race these were grp boats and both were over 19ft but that was the year they stopped the barges running so the race wasn`t as rough as usual I drove one of these outfits it ran a stock Johnson stinger would barely manage 80mph it was so big and heavy but I can remember Georgio Molinari running alongside of me with a 89cu inch Mercury special engine fitted with a silo he was keeping up with me no trouble till my engine expired `that same 89cu engine Georgio used Jackie ran 2 weeks later at the Windemere 3hr race.
This rig sits in the show room at Dockside Marine in Galveston, managed by Keith Scotten who
bought it. He says that Renato brought it here for a race and then left it in the U.S., and that
Tommy Posey drove it afterward. I guess the race could have been Havasu 1979 but don't know.
The boat was later sold to someone in Austin who ran it on Lk. Travis and blew the powerhead,
according to Keith. If it was Tommy's rig then I've seen it run multiple times in Tx.
On the long boat (with the three-engine transoms, on Post# 255) when Don Pruett drove it at the Paris 6 Hour, Carlo Rassini was teamed-up with Don. Size wise those two drivers, Don and Carlo, were two of the bigger race drivers. I was told it was Gary Garbretch idea to pair an American with a European driver. In retrospect it seems to have been a good idea with potential team crossover-cooperation.
Other pairings were Renato & Bob Hering, Cees & Bill Seebold, Pellolio & Mike Downard, as I recall. But I do not remember who Tom Stickle shared seat duty with, when he came to the Paris 6 Hour. Bob Spaulding and Tom Percival always seemed to be teamed-up together in the same endurance race boat.
Regarding after-hour activities, when Don was in town, be it Paris or Como, Italy, he was the ringleader. Don even knew this cab driver in Paris (from previous visits) who took us on an interesting Paris escapade.
I cannot contest the notion that Bill Welch is not better looking than Dave Brier. :)
But Dave did come over from the States to the European circuit. See the attached photo taken in Europe with Dave hitching a boat ride with Roy Ridgell. It looks like they are wearing the blue racing jackets (maybe the year1973).
One year (maybe 1973) I believe Dave was the fuel man at the Paris 6 Hour. Rick LaMore and I were the catch guys on the refueling dock. With the catch-pole, I was slowing the race boats to a secure stop, and one time as I am holding one of the boats, by the engine steering bracket, against the dock, I looked toward the race course and saw another race boat coming-in for refueling. So what do I do, but yell (or speak loud enough) to Dave as he is straddled over the gas-tank-cowling refueling, that we have another one coming. It’s not like Dave could have been any faster, but it was a heads-up to everybody on the team. That fuel nozzle and hose had to be a least 2.5 inch diameter, if not 3 inches. This was the year that Gary Garbretch and Roy Ridgell were standing on the elevated platform behind us and looking down at the pit action.
Previous to that year, I do not remember with accuracy if Jim Emerson (from Lake X) was coming over for the Paris 6 Hour to do the race refueling.
Permit me an anecdotal that relates to Dave. We are caravanning to –or from- a race (maybe Paris). We stop at an Italian eatery for breakfast, and Dave wants eggs. So Dave starts flapping his arms like a bird, and makes a chicken clucking noise, then stands up from his chair and imaginarily pretends that he laid an egg (you can see where this is going). Then Dave does, the universal pantomime language, of cracking open the egg over a fraying pan, and then demonstrates flipping the egg over with a spatula. Dave can be a character when he wants to be.
Attachment 57393
Attachment 57394
try again
Not sure what this is..??..but it says Angelo Molinari on the sides.
Attachment 58062
In observing some photos of the past, I saw a trend which I did not recognize in real time. Renato has a pre-race trait –when and if time, and the situation presents itself. He seems to like to squat on the boat, next to the cockpit, before the action starts.
Knowing how committed Renato was to the business of winning boat races, I will venture to say (in sports parlance) that Renato is preparing himself to get into the zone.
I think you are absolute right Lake X Kid.
Renato always raced top equipment for Merc and OMC but was also one of the best drivers ever.
He was never up late party with others in the bar. Did only drink a glass of wine for dinner.
Renato was one racing machine focus on only one thing..win races and sell race boats..
A Molinari and a Stradivarius Violin have much in common. Did Molinari ever build a composite outboard boat???? Glastron/Molinari's were fiberglass. What I think would be WAY COOL is a 21 foot "HIGH RIDER" Molinari with a sing 300XS OptiMax. Those "High Riders" could probably race in the ocean if need be.
A "NEW" wood Molinari was the greatest to drive.
I actually heard that from a OMC race mechanic, hard to prop as they never had 2 boats the same, I guess that was DAH trying to overcome that?
DAH did some good prop work. I personally ran Records and Mercury props, usually. Jimbo had his own prop man. Renato used Rolla. Scotti won Havasu with Rolla props.
The great.. Renato Molinari and Scott Gillman.
OK Lars, What'e the story behind Scott's different shoes???
Lars I just read you have become Evinrude's Ambassador. WOW!!! You offered yourself to APBA and they never answered. Maybe BRP will bring outboard racing back to the level it once was.
I was in Needles last weekend (July 26-29, 2014). On Monday I was talking to Jimbo. Jimbo has a bit of a handicap, his right arm doesn't work very well and therefore working computer is difficult. But as we looked at this Molinari thread, he said I could tell a story about evey boat posted. I believe him.
What I have decided (Jimbo is working on a book, slowly)...I'm going to print out one picture at a time and time him he need to talk for one hour about that boat and I will take notes. The notes will be posted on BRF, but he will have the notes for his book.
Jimbo was there when it all happened and his memory is very good.
I will say this, JIMBO enjoyed your thread Lars... How do Jimbo and I become EVINRUDE ambassadors???
Thanks for your posts on BRF, Lars!
Ron..that was a very nice post. Thank you very much.
First..you are right.. APBA did never answer back to me a few years ago. I do not know why.
I am so proud to be one of five Evinrude Ambassadors. I am the only one with racing background. As you know fishing tournament is the place for selling outboards today so the other four are in to fishing.
Jimbo McConnell is and have always been my #1 racing hero and I have been to Needles to visit him with our motor home a few years ago.
Please check this short video produced by Evinrude about me as a Ambassador..I did not say Jimbo by name but he was one of the Evinrude racing hero's I was talking about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZPD...ature=youtu.be
Ron: Checkout Facebook. I shared a post from Lars about Paris race history. Both you and Jimbo are talked about.
Ric McChesney is in the beginning of the video. He still works for Evinrude..
To the right of me..
Carina to the left.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZPD...ature=youtu.be
Facebook is a big place??
Oh, found it: https://www.facebook.com/john.sheldon.73?fref=ts
Ron: Picture of Jimbo in the Black & White Scottie. Lars;
screwed up. It was Rich McKinley.
Referring to the picture of Scott with Renato on Post# 300.
Attachment 58319
I retrieved this Scott Gillman racing tee-shirt from my storage bin. A pretty blond on the Gillman race team gave this shirt to me, in the race pits at Puddingstone Lake, California. Unfortunately I do not remember her name, and sense it was over 25 years ago I will use that as my excuse.
Well Ron..
BRP-Evinrude is doing more for this old loyal boat racer. Born overseas..
There was a lot of fun going to Columbia, SC and watch the FLW winner collect $500,000 for the biggest fish.
I wish there was a boat race that have a $500,000 check for the winner.
Please check the new Evinrude/Lars video.
Click here..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGOu...ature=youtu.be
The World ON championship race 1972 was in Skokloster, Sweden.
Here is some info from the race. Renato was the winner and I was there racing the SE class.
A link for more including race program and other info.
http://svera.se/blogg/smorgardsbord/...plett-program/
Special "Wing" Molinari /Merc Boat
Driver Carlo Rasini
Italy 1969
Thanks Stefano Rancati
Renato Molinari in his Saffa / Evinrude 3 liter V6 looper in the Pavia to Venezia marathon race 1978.
A 415km long river race and average speed of 187 km/h
Picture by Stefano Rancati
Thank you
Check the distance..average speed of 187 km/h is pretty good..by boat..;)
Think of all the rescue boats to cover that distance, or not as the case may be....
As you know, the early single engine Molinari's were blown over quite frequently. That was primarily due to two factors, they rode high in the nose and were driven by a bunch of guys that had just climbed out of a V bottom. In addition, I should mention that they were not equipped with power trim. In the summer of 1969, I was running some tests on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh in an 18'er with power trim when I saw a strange looking object coming towards me. Turns out it was an identical 18'er with that exact same wing attached to the nose.
Dick Snyder's engineering group had borrowed the boat from the racing division and were trying to solve the "blow over" problem. Elmer Nord was driving the winged machine and said he thought it worked pretty well. I believe that he added it took some getting used to, but after he blew it over, he got much better at running it into the wind!
If I remember correctly, they had installed a small electric motor to change the wings angle of attack. It moved the wing quickly and they thought they might be on to something. Think they sent it to Renato for his evaluation and apparently Renato figured it was a good thing to let Rasini use because he was sticking with his power trim. :D
Yes..well my first SE class Schulze/Evinrude did not have power trim and many close calls..!!
I think we all have tried different types of wings on a tunnel boat without very much success.
If I remember right the UIM rules for outboard tunnel boat racing says you can use a wing but it can not be adjusted when racing..(must be fixed)