wstultz

Where did the "AJAC" come from anyway?

NJgr8ful

Great shot .. Thanks wstultz, not AJAC HAWK boat, but HAWK nonetheless So, there were 2 AJAC boats a 35 and 37.6?? One is MYSTIFIER and that was 37.6 boat?? Charlie McCarthy concur? Do we know the whereabouts of the 35? Thanks flying fish!

tms1155

Jerry Jacoby owned a transmission shop. Ajac transmissions

wstultz

I appreciate the clarification. I've always loved the boat but always wondered where the Ajac came from.

el indio

ARLENE JACOBY = AJAC.

Phil M

Ajac Transmissions as well - that was his business back then

Phil

Top Banana

Bingo......one of the all time best ever videos of offshore racing, from the 70's and 80's, was Phil Lewis of Needle Nose Films doing an interview with Arlene on what she thought about offshore racing.

Meanwhile at the back of the camera shot is Jerry who is obviously out of earshot and is havng his own conversation with some other people......all of a sudden he notices the crowd around Phil and Arlene and they are quite amused....so he comes wandering down to hear Arlene end her interview with something like this....."Damn fools is what they all are. They are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to run around like little boys racing other little boys, to see who has the biggest ego at the end of the day.....the biggest waste of money and time that was ever created."

Big Seas has the former Needle Nose tapes now....I hope they put that one out soon.

Top Banana

Actually the first 37.6 (Boat 2) could be considered a 78 model as it was first shown to the public in December of 1978 at Mar del Plata Argentina.

Jerry and Bobby Saccenti brought the boat down to the World Championship races there and unwrapped it at the Naval base that we used for the pit area. The bottom photo that I took that weekend, shows that the "official" designation for the boat was the 37.6. This was years before it was ever called a Top Gun. Look close at the photo and you can still see the plastic under the boat that it was wrapped in for the trip.

The only boat that could hold it's own with it, was the new Scarab that Richie and Bobby Biech built for Gentry....American Eagle. Two new boats and both trend setters in their own right. One photo shows the boat being lifted off the trailer ready for launching, the other photos shows Richie, Bobby and me in the cockpit before the race.

It was a great time to be an offshore racer, it seemed like every race something new was being unwrapped for all to see.

Phil M

Charlie - Priceless words that were unexpected -Arlene was really on her game then. Speaking of Argentina- do you remember the kids with the machine guns - and remember how deep the water dropped in the Submarine Base at low tide ?

All wonderful memories - even the Hotel ontop of the cliff - overlooking Mar Del Plata - one thing I wont forget is when the plane took off from Mar Del Plata to return to BA, they over booked it - and people were standing in the asile as it took off- !

be well - PHIL

7xchamp

Hi Phil: I was on that flight as well with Bobby Beich, my wife Debbie at the time and Bob`s wife. I actually had someone sit on my lap, and yes there were people standing in the isles, riding in the cockpit etc. Aerolineas Argentinas, if I`m not mistaken I think there may have even been a couple of live chickens. That ride was scarier than any boat race, AHHH those were the days. We led that race at the start, rougher than hell, then are new boat broke and we almost sunk, we were going under just as we came to the crane, next race that boat ran was pt. Pleasant with Kieth Hazell, and the nose blew off it before the start, Guess it was fractured more than we could see. Always good to hear from you, hope all is well.