pullmytrigger

Picked it up at the Toronto Boat show "wooden boat" area....2003, 160 pg "magazine size" paperback chronicals North American boat racing from 1908 to 2003.....goes through all the APBA Hydro classes from inception to current,(most of them 1930s and 40s) through the various rule changes in the classes over the years,(T,Y,L,S,A,N, E,F,J,UL,H,GP and ATA classes) discssing the popular engines in the class through the years and drivers with lots of period photos to 2003.....the movie "Madison " gets mentioned......A "drivers" section profiling such talents as Pop Cooper,Gene Whipp, Jim Kropfeld, Larry Laughterbach, Guy Lombardo, Bill Muncey, Steve David and Chip Hanauer.......75 drivers in all.....Great Book!!......I love those boats
written by Phil Kunz....Devereux books....PO Box 503.....Marblehead MA 01945.....781-631-3055.... www.devereuxbooks.com

blueamerican

Was there anything about S-79 Petti's Pet in the 60's which became S-1 after becoming the national high points champion? How about the 7 litre stock J-35 Pett's Pet which was the first stock 7 Litre to blow away all the modified/blower motor 7 Litre's in St. Petersburg in 1970 and went on to be National Champion, US 1 & recrd holder, they were my dad & my boat's in the 60' & 70's.

pullmytrigger

in the "records" section it shows in 1969 Petti's Pet driven by Cheri Petti held a US Straightaway speed record of 129.68 mph inJ/GNH stock class (stock 427 to 468 cid)with a chevy engine .......and shown as US high point champion in the same class in 1970

blueamerican

Thank you very much for the info...I will have to get the book now. That boat was restored a few years ago and was going to be displayed at the antique boat show in Clayton, New York, but during testing, another driver,Bill Sterrit of the famed Crazy Thing 7 Litres was driving it and it hit a tug wake at 100mph+ flipped and was destroyed & Bill was killed. Boat is still at the bottom of the river...

pullmytrigger

awwww....brutal!!!!......sorry to hear about that!!!

can you post some pics of the boat from back in the day??

BTW I think those old hydros are the coolest thing on the face of the earth......the one seater thing makes them a very hard sell to the wife and the rest of the family otherwise Id have one.....I can pile 6 people on the Fountain and we all get to participate and have fun .......have you ever been to Clayton antique weekend???

blueamerican

No, I never have been up there. A few of my friends go every other year and they say it is great. I will have to dig through some old pictures to try and find the "Petti's Pet", will post when I find one...

pullmytrigger

if you go to www.vintagehydroplanes.com (theresa reference to it in the book) they show Pettis Pet under restoration......cool boat

HOWE17

If you're interested in vintage hydros, another excellent place to find information and tons of photos is the Vintage Race Boat Shop in Wolfeboro, NH. The link to the regatta photos and schedules is <http://www.vintageraceboatshop.com/APBAVintageCircuit.htm>

Bill John runs the place with Donnie McLean as his riding mechanic. I've known the two of them for years and they have done a lot of work on my vintage hydro, SCOTTY <http://www.vintageraceboatshop.com/Scotty.htm>

Clayton is the one show I always try to make as it is the spiritual home for old boats due to the museum. The next best running of vintage hydros would be at Wolfeboro itself, but that regatta is held every other year and the next running will be 2007. This year's Clayton show will be 18-20 August. I highly recommend it <http://www.abm.org/Calendar/Regatta.htm>

Mark

blueamerican

Thank you so very much for all this great info...

pullmytrigger

I saw your "Scotty" boat on the race boat site......that thing is smoooooth!!

been to Clayton in the Fountain but not on festival weekend......theres a nice wood boat show up here in Muskoka/Gravenhurst.....never been.....not sure if they have race boats

Id like to find a front engine small block chevy boat that needs some TLC maybe an engine......Id love that
doug