Morehaven, Fla.

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 05-26-2006

Morehaven kilos. Some of the photos Tim Butts sent down in the mid 80's. Probably taken by Bill Boxell. Two hydros with straightaway lower units. Don't know who they are, but they are pitted next to each other. Maybe same driver. Tim drew no. 1 and made a pass at 122, but there were foggy patches and the morning was heavy with dew and he couldn't see well enough to keep the hammer down. Especially, as Joe told me, there may be manatees lurking around. By the time his number came back up the weather changed to the point he couldn't make those kind of speeds.

Is it just me, or does the boat in the last photo look like it is starting to go sideways?

**F-12** · 05-26-2006

The 2nd, 4th, and 5th pics are all of the same boat. I would guess Danny Kirts by the way it is flying. It was '87 when I got back from the long lay-off so I'm not sure if I'm right. Looks just like Danny though................

**Jeff Lytle** · 05-26-2006

HAving been to a kilo or two myself, I always wondered why some of the guys made their pass in an arc instead of a straight line. Perhaps that's what Dan did there.

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 05-26-2006

Charley, they do look like the same boat, but one has a strut at the transom and is blue, and the other "M" boat has no strut and is a wood finish. Joe and I figured both boats are Schumachers and Lowell Schumacher and Dan Kirts are pitted next to each other. We figured Dan had the blue boat and Lowell was driving the clear finish with an M before the number. Dan set the 500cc hydro record with that type lower unit, & this may be where it was set. The boats were so small it took a lot of enlarging and loss of sharpness, but you can see the strut of the blue boat in the second shot. Lowell blew over at one of the kilos, and there are two shots of a boat blowing over, but it is such a speck, it wouldn't blow up well.

And Jeff, I never heard of anyone making their pass in an arc. If so, would it be to spill some air? And a question for Ron. Did they round off the tip of the cleaver to relieve some of the lift? I was thinking with a set up like that and a lot of lift set back so far that it might cause the tail to skitter around on a high speed run. In other words, maybe handle a little bit like a tugboat does when pushing barges.

**F-12** · 05-26-2006

You are right, Wayne............#2 and #5 are Dan Kirts...........#4 is Lowell not too long before he blew over. He didn't complete the first pas but was running so far over the recor could have paddled to boat over and still broke the record. He is an amazing designer and set up man. Lots of fun, too. Danny always had an extra bullet for these type of runs and he would 'pull out just enough to win'. I'm sure you heard that story before................

**F-12** · 05-26-2006

Sorry about the last post...........my 1 year old was helping me type.............

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 05-26-2006

Charley---I didn't realize you were a Democrat

**David Weaver** · 05-26-2006

.. That is pushing the nose to the left. Nothing is in the water, but the tips of the prop. So this boat may have been drifting. Those units had either little or no skeg.

**John Howe** · 05-26-2006

Hey David W., to bad your uncle Bobby didn`t yet have the "Lobster Boat" back in those Moore Haven kilo days!!! I have no doubt he would`ve set the record with it. For those of you not familiar with the "Lobster Boat", it was a really unique 2.5 litre inboard hydro that always flew several inches above the water. Bobby Weaver did put canards on it after he "flew it to the moon" here in Miami in 1987 while testing before the Nationals.

I have many memories of those kilo events, some good, others not so good. How are your uncles, Bobby and Tommy? I also have a lot of memories of the Raliegh N. Carolina inboard races too!

**Master Oil Racing Team** · 05-26-2006

Wind is one of the things I had in mind David. Having never driven a hydro with one of those lower units, I couldn't guess at what might occur at those speeds. I have flown light aircraft in 30mph+ crosswinds and had to fly crabwise until just before touchdown then suddenly straighten up. And once in Phoenix I lifted off the water and was 5' up, drifting sideways to the point where my Dad thought I might land on the center concrete island.

If it is the wind, he is going to have to make a little left before setting down. And having never been there, how much manueveralbility is there on a kilo run?