Molinari Racing Boat History and Information

[Lars Strom]

No matter what people say about Renato..He was a very good tunnel boat driver.

This is when he raced in the Unlimited Hydroplane class with 2 X F1-V8 Evinrude racing outbords on a larger Molinari tunnel boat
Take your time an watch this video to the end..click here:..http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=5Orgl0t-yGw

[Lars Strom]

Renato's change from Merc to Evinrude 1977 was very good to him..but bad for other OMC drivers..A big part of the racing budget in Belgium went south to Como..!!

His first race for OMC was Parker and Renato and Hering won..I remember getting this black/white picture as a Evinrude dealer in Sweden after the race.
See..The result from the race still said Merc..!!

I have a question..only 53 laps over 7 hours..must be a very large race course..??

[Lars Strom]

More success for Molinari boats Evinrude power in Parker. Famous Ron Hill and the soon to be Merc Racing boss..Fred..
Not sure what year..?? 1978??..but pretty sure Ron used the right propeller..!!

[Lars Strom]

This is my own notes/memory watching this race from the shoreline in Auronzo, Italy the summer of 1976..

This was also the first and only time I did see Renato Molinari "play tricks", well not really Renato but his second boat driven by Zoppi I think his name was.
Zoppi sank Cees VD Velden in his Velden /Johnson V-6 on "purpose" by running in to his boat at the start of the race.. just in front of us at the far end of the race course.
Velden sank and Molinari ended up winning both OE and ON. Well..not really in a proper way in my opinion.. (ON)

[Lars Strom]

Not my picture but very interesting..

I young group of very good drivers..Renato to the left, Cees Van Der Velden center and Cesare Scotti to the right..Looks like the AZ desert in the background..maybe not if you look at the truck..Italy??

[Lars Strom]

"Scafo" (Italian for boat) Molinari/Evinrude V-4..Ron Hill/John Schubert

Paris Six Hours 1970.

[Ron Hill]

I really didn't care if you had a Merc, a Johnson or an Evinrude, if you wanted to pass me, I wasn't going to be easy. I used to get great pleasure "HOSING" Renato, his little mustache would be drooping when he got by me. About five or six laps in, Scotti decided to take the nose of my boat off and the Statue of Liberty corner, his spray blew my goggle off, but he "HOOKED" up pretty good and got tossed in the River Seine. I drove the rest of that first hour and half leg with no goggles.

[T2x]

I'm not sure about this but I thought Renato's contract was allowed to expire by Mercury when GG decided to back Seebold and Velden hulls giving them access to boats on both continents without the cost and delays of shipping, and without the best hulls always going to Renato first..... Anyone care to confirm or deny?

[Lars Strom]

We can only guess and speculate about this T2x,

Renato Molinari is the one that have all the correct answers and I am pretty sure you will never get anything out of him for many reasons.
People that purchased boats directly from him know why..!!
I purchased one of the first OE-F3 boats direct from him after he was the new OMC boat builder early 1977.
(The black boat in the first post here)..

I also know Renato is a very good, smart business man..He speaks pretty good English.. if he have to..

Here is a interesting story in Powerboat & Water-skiing about Velden around the same time.
Just read the story and found Cees talking about my notes from Auronzo 1976..Post #16..
Made a red mark at page 2..

Please..read this long article.. it is very good reading and answer some of your questions.

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[Lars Strom]

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