DeSilva Boats: John, Billy and Ralph

[Ron Hill]

Growing up in Southern California, the name DeSilva was a common as Safeway. I never knew John DeSilva, the father, but I always knew that Bill (Billy) and Ralph were called "THE KIDS". I never really spent anytime thinking about their boats, seemed to me they built them SLOWLY and that the designs didn't change much.....

As the years past I realized how much both Bill and Ralph loved boat racing. They worked hard to produce a QUALITY boat. Ralph was ALWAYS working on new designs....a small change her, a slight change there. Things, that as I kid, I never noticed. Ralph made new designs that everyone noticed, even me...

When guys like the great Bud Wiget drove DeSilva boats, it really never entered my mind that he drove DeSilvas because they were the best boat anywhere...

Bill and Ralph were always very good to me and complimentary about my driving. In my early years I ran Morehouse boats and frequently beat their DeSilvas. I never felt they were angry with me when I won, they often seemed to take real pride in seeing me win. I assumed it was because they knew me long before I was born. I was like family.

Ralph reminded me, last year, that he gave my dad radiator water on the way to Needles, May 3rd, 1947....I was three.

Ralph gave Bill Boyes quite a few of his personal pictures to post, I've promised to post them and return them to Ralph, as Ralph says he has more...and I want to post them all.

First picture:

J.A. "LON" Stevens one of the great engine men of our time, and Ralph on the right, at DePue........I thought 2008....

Second picture:

Bud Wiget, December 17, 1938, Long Beach Marine Stadium, John DeSilva hull.

[jrome]

Thank You Ralph Ron And Bill. This Great History. I Am Looking Forward To More Pics.

[Ron Hill]

The picture says Bert Ball, Glendale, California, Herb Rimlinger, Jr. and Herb Rimlinger (Culver City, CA). This C-84 is an early DeSilva, probably built by John DeSilva. My dad's boat, Forever Amber, looked just like this one...

I wasn't born until 1944, but the Rimlingers were great friends of my dad and so was Bert Ball. Herb Rimlinger had a place at Elsinore Lake, like our family.....He always called my dad a reprobate...and of course I had no idea what that was...I heard "BAIT" and thought it must have something to do with fishing....A reprobate, as I relearned later meant a morally unprincipaled person...I assumed now, that Herb didn't like my old man kicking his *** on the race course...The Rimlingers were tough on the course and Herb Sr. was tough on the kids...If he told them to tak a LAP, he didn't mean two laps...

My closest fraternity brother always called me a stumblebumb.....but I asssumed he was right...My old my, well his runabout was called Forever Amber...

Bert Ball is pictured here with a Nervous C (C Service) but I only remember him with a purple Mishey F Hydro...I could not have been more than four or five, but I recall Bert having a beautiful wife and a great looking boat. About 1947 my dad had an accident at Lake Elsinore because of a stuck throttle, and ended up with about 30 stiches in his hand...The doctor, or neighbor...Hoaksiema, gave my dad a shot of penicillin to prevent infection...My dad was alleregic to penicillin and he swelled up like a balloon and had knots on his head like someone had hit him with a ball peen hammer...For four days we thought my dad was going to die...He survived to live another 50 years...

Bert Ball, on the other hand, was my dad's best friend..He had a cold and they gave him penicillin.. HE was also allergic to penicillin, but his throat swelled shut and he died...I was only about 3 or 4, but I could tell the way my dad felt that he'd lost something special....My dad could never mention Bert Ball without choking up...

Here is a picture of Bert, 1940...

[Ron Hill]

1929, the CRASH, Ralph says three cheers for Bill, Ralph and John DeSilva...

No clue who anyone is here in this picture...

Maybe that is John DeSilva with the funnel in his mouth...

[geodavid]

Ron,
This was way too long coming. I too was born too late to have known their father. I do remember seeing some of his tools for sale in perhaps the LASA newsletter? They would be quite collectable today. "The Boys" had to be a couple of the young kids in the photo? Maybe Tim can get Ralph to take a look at it? I can remember going to their shop on La Cienega. Also with them to their foundary in South Los Angeles. They had castings of handles and such made there. Went to Sebastapol, where they were in a rustic lumber mill. They purchased one of the first Model 80 Yamatos, which they let me drive. I crashed their brand new 250 hydro in Winona coming up to the start. They never uttered a single negative word to me or anyone. Sold the boat for $50 as scrap. Ralph and Bill were an absolute pleasure to travel with. Recall a trip with them where all we drank was Chivas Regal. Ralph still talks about it! Props to two of the classiest people in racing. They have done so much to help boatracing. Thanks Ron. Great pictures!

[bill boyes]

You are correct the young kids are Billy and Ralph. I met Dad a couple of times. He built a drag Hydro at the Culver City shop and when he took it home I followed Dad and Billy home. Billy was living with Mom And Dad at the time. Pictures of the Drag Hydro has been posted on BRF. There are lots more pictures and Ron is posting them slowly.

[Ron Hill]

Ernie Milot is a name I heard all my life. Ernie had been killed in F Racing Runabout. John J. Kavacavich had been the driver that had killed Ernie. No one every blamed John but he quit racing after the accident.

Ernie's wife was named Maizzie. Maizzie later married Bud Wiget, she also raced A Hydro...

I had a friend at Northern Arizona University name Kavacavich, his family started Cirlcel K markets. I often wondered if John J. and my friend Kavk, as we called him were related...

The Hearst Regatta was larger the the Nationals, 35,000 often watched this regatta..

[Ron Hill]

Ward always raced in CLASS...Red and white striped decks on his NEAL Hydros...

I never knew Ward drove runabouts, here is Mazzie Milot and Ward, Long Beach, 1938..

[geodavid]

Ron,
These are all names that I too have heard. Thanks for posting pictures for images of these people. My Dad, George was at Lake Merritt when Ernie was killed. He said there was an anxious feeling, then the water turned red. I will never forget his account. Also heard the name Kavakovic. He was quite an accomplished racer. What I heard about him was that the family owned a large farming business in or near Bakersfield. Apparently, after the accident, he did not follow the races. Later, I heard the story of John being killed on some kind of farm equipment. The story said that a truck struck him as he was crossing the highway on a tractor?
Ron, another couple of names I heard a lot about are Bill Downey and Espy Hall. Any photos?

[Ron Hill]

Bill Downey and Espy Hall Geodavid...My brother will be here today, I'll ask about those two name. Espy Hall rings a bell, but only the name does...

Here is another of ralph DeSilva's pictures Gina Mishey....She's a great looking woman by TODAY'S standards...Well, in 1947, I was 3....

Ralph calls R.Allen Smith, the greatest Propeller Man of the 20th Century, anyway, ralph calls him Alan Smith...Which is cool...Grandpa Seebold.....

One of the unknows, black shirt, my brother says is Bud Wiget.

George Mishey looks like Paul Newman...