Quote:
Originally Posted by priceb
Mate, that just gets worse.
Is there anyone who could post a bio and pics on here for everyone to read. He sounded like a fantastic Aussie that never really got the credit he deserved.
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I am in Florida now so can't get to the HORBA archives, but I knew Arnold and raced against him many times. He was a fun guy with a twisted sense of humor. He bought many of the former race boats that the Americans raced and just carried on, not even bothering to change the names most of the time. Copper Kettle, Sabre Dance, and a couple of Tom Gentry's boats. Had some really good guys for crews too, like Mel Riggs.
At one point he even owned the famous Cigarette that Don had used to win the world championship and then sold to the Carr brothers and they were killed in it.
Arnold was a major auto importer for Australia and he also loved to fly old military jets.
He would leave his race boat in the states and fly back and forth for the race dates. On the way to and from he would often stop in Hong Kong.
He told a story of one of his stops in Hong Kong, he was seated in a very fine restaurant next to a woman from Paris. The woman was trying to make the waiter understand that she wanted some food for her little poodle that she had on her lap. The waiter finally makes an expression that he gets it and he gently takes the little poodle and with a big smile he goes off behind the kitchen door.
Arnold said that he knew was going to happen, so he quickly finished his meal and got out of range so to speak......yup, the waiter comes back a few minutes later with the little poodle on a silver tray with an apple in it's mouth....he thought the woman wanted the dog for dinner and had it cooked and prepared as they do in Hong Kong. the woman went ballistic.
May he rest in peace.
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