Quote:
Originally Posted by Black Tornado
CAM 2 the name of that 40'(not a 39') of Roger Penske that in Key west 1976 became Really Ridicolous for D. Smith with the sides in red and then in 1977 it was renamed Diamond Don.
After I haven't other info about it.
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Sorry Marco incorrect: The 40` Cig for Diamond Don was a bare hull 40` that Kiekhaefer had laying around the barn in Fondulac for several years the original gelcoat was the colors of the Diamond Don boat. I did the first test and set-up work with the boat, which I stated in other posts?? This boat had the prototype Kiekhaefer drives on it, predesesor to the # 6 we know today. The upper housing was fixed straight and the lower unit steered, wish there was some documentation for them, I`m sure there is maybe Nigel could get some pix????
anyway: when the boat was first put in the water Dick Schwartz tryed to drive it with the new drive system and it was out of control. I was with Bonomi at the time and was on my way home from Europe when Mr. K. called and asked if I would test the boat for him, I did and encountered the same thing, boat was uncontrollable, the more I tested I finally figured out that the steering helm ratio was wrong, it was two turns lock to lock so any input in the wheel exaggerated the steering at the drive almost double. We changed the helm and slowed the steering and the boat could now be driven wide open hands off the wheel. This is what many racers today don`t understand that it was guys like me who had to figure all those things out, things that were new and experimental, guess that`s why we were called test drivers, we had to relate what was going on to the engineers then it was up to them to come up with the solution. As for the Sunoco boat, not sure where it ended up, also FYI Mark Donahue rode in the boat as well, and I think Barry Cordingly, who was Don`s test Driver.
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