This is my Dad's old Checkmate, at Galveston in 1973. He led the SJ class for most of the race, until Jimbo McConnell passed him in one the experimental OMC Rotaries, and the roostertail shorted the kill switch. I'd love to find this boat. Any of you Checkmate guys ever seen one?

Another

And another...

i am sure this will bring back memories from our founder mr bill combs!!! thanks for sharing this moment of days gone bye!!

WW, I was only twelve, but I remember it like it was yesterday! Dad bought that boat from Corky Palmer, and I thought it was the most exotic thing I'd ever seen. I spent many hours with a can of airplane wax and a rag! Here's a shot of Dad and Corky. Dad was in his old boat, on the left. His cowl was lost the week before when he blew over in practice. A week later a shrimper found the cowl and returned it!

the first person i would check with is Sharkey from here. he seems to have a lot of knowledge about things of this nature.

I've never seen this particular boat but there are a couple of em in Georgia still. There's one in Augusta that showed at an ODBA drag race last year with a 1500XS.

I think the timeline is off a little somewhere here though. I don't believe the Rotary OMC's were around in the early 70's. It seems to me like it was 80's, but I'm not positive of that.

Thanks Raceman! I'd love to see some pics, if you see one of them again!

As for the timeline: I remember it like it was yesterday. (I still have the cloth patch!) I actually put my hands on one of the rotaries. And spent hours watching them in practice. They made a sound like no other outboard, before or since. Here's a quote from a Wankel site:

OMC 1970's Rotary Engines
OMC (Outboard Marine Corporation) bought a sub-license for the Wankel engine from Curtiss-Wright, announced on March 2, 1966.

OMC 4 rotor outboards raced about six times summer and fall of 1973, winning every race in U class (unlimited). For example, at the Galveston Speed Classic, they placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, lapping the entire field three times (a fourth rolled and smashed). Displacement was 122 cubic inches. Power was estimated at 330 hp.

That was the race Dad was in.