Oh! Oh! Oh! did you spoke with Jack?!
Have Jack a e-mail address?
I would like to speak with him about the old time with Vincenzo Balestrieri when they won in Viareggio two times with the BlacK Tornado!

However in 1993 the sea was rough really in that sunday. I think was not possible run a shortened and inshore course even too.But in the next day the race could be runned.
But instead the boss of the new Class 1,Mauro Ravenna,wanted to cancelled the race.
It was a political decision.
That race was the only one across the sea,not a cicuit in the Class 1 World Championships.
The only direct contact between the offshore old era and the new one.
There was the all the champs and the best boats,cats and mono, of the World,like the Douglas Spirit of Norway-Brooks,the Victory,Molinari,FB Design,Cougars,Peters designed CUV cats....
The biggest battle across the seas!
What a shame! The biggest chance losted.

Jack with Niccolai raced a Viareggio-Bastia-Viareggio shortened to a Viareggio-Isle of Gorgona-Viareggio because the rough water in 1981. Jack was in the new Dry Martini,Picchiotti 35' and he was not happy a lot to race with that little boat in those rough waters.

Marco

Hi Marco -

Sorry - I dont have Jacks email address- maybe others here on OSO might have it - you might post a question on the main page - asking for information about Jack . or contact Brownie - he would know -

PHIL

Just thought you all would be interested to know that I personally rigged and throttled all the Dry Martini boats from 1972 to 1974??? we had a total of 4--Three 36`s and the latest 35. I was also the one who invented with Mr. K. the throttles and shifts pictured in one of these threads, along with flap accumulators, big tabs, front gear drives, trannie plug in`s, rear steering rams, Billit trim pump bases with adjustable pressure valves, etc. etc. etc. Many more stories. Also the cockpit pix still showed the two pressure gauges in front of me on bulkhead to indicate loads on tabs during a race. we saw 8,000 psi spikes on impact, therefore the nitrogen charged accumulaors, the acorns on the tab back, in case anyone ever wondered. the original 36` Aeromarine IX AKA dry Martini is a pleasure boat for sale in Enland, #2 was sold to K Kassir AKA Yellowdrama. Red Vengence I don`t know, and the 35` is the current. The whole time I raced with Bonomi I missed two races with him, Geneva Switz. and Key West. He got hurt in Geneva along with Suchi, and did not finish Key West, he then retired and tryed small Tunnel boat and almost got killed in a Molinari on lake Como. Much more to tell, not much time. 7XCHAMP Richie

Richie,
You beeing a walking dictionary for the era, I am restoring the 36' Aeromarine 3 with its original KAM motors in Norway and I have a couple of questions:

1) Any reability issues with the different stroke setup 4" versus 4,25" on the 454/482 tall block engines? I assume the bigger motors made more hp, and what was the most you had in your rigging ?

2) On the FI system, any good tip as to where I can get hold of any maintenance/setup papers or company in the US doing a refurbation? Rumers clame the setup was from Crower?

Best regards Joern

Hi Richie!
You speak of three 36.'
The first one was in 1972 the Aeromarine IX, new. With this you have raced the whole European season.
Then for the last two American races, Bonomi bought one of the two Fino from Rautbord and he call it Red Vengeance.
In 1973 with the sponsor Martinii the two 36' was called Dry Martini.One was white and the other one was red.
Then you have told me that to Viareggio you have raced with a new 36' Dry Martini white. Why' Bonomi has still bought another 36?'
In 1974 then it arrives the new 35.'
In 1975 you race the CTC and then Bonomi sold that Dry Martini 36' white to Cassir as Yellowdrama.
This then it become still a pleasure boat still on sale today.
That red former Red Vengeance I have also worked there to turn it into another pleasure boat and now an Italian has bought it and he wants to restore.
But of the third one 36' Dry Martini I don't have any news.

Hi Marco: The first Aero IX was a very heavy boat, and we needed another boat as we raced for Italian, European, and world titles. The second 36`was lighter, and rand a little better, I started rigging the boat at Bob and Jacks then ran out of time and had to finish rigging in our shop in Torino, first race was Viareggio, we led most of the race against Shead then broke 5 min. before finish line. Red boat from Rautboard was meant to only try for 1972 world title Miami Nassau race, we broke a drive completly off the transom, almost sunk, another story to tell. the last is the 35` We fabricated the windshield with the blue Plexi. as per Bonomi, I hated it, but the boss is the boss. we shipped it to N.J. for Atlantic city race and installed it on the 35` Pain in the Butt. That windshield shows in pix in one of the threads, story also behind it. Most hectic week in racing UIM Sat race Viareggio, Wed Race Atlantic City NJ Sun race Dauphin Dor France all in one week. Used to race Italy to Croatia Sat. for world points in one boat, then race other boat back Sun. For Italian and Europe Championship, Bottom line WE USED TO RACE. 7XCHAMP we earned them the hard way.

Joern: I have a lot of time in that boat and a lot of stories behind it, many hours on the boat as test bed for first FI. engines, many stories to tell. To answer a question about 454 opposed to 482 is really mute as the 482 was phased out in favor of the 454 and 468 motors. The FI system is the same used by Mclaren in Can Am race days. It`s Lucas timed injection. The latest KAM motors had KAM injection manifolds with built in coolers for fuel or oil that were never used, also latest had Stainless butterflies instead of alum. Kinsler FI tech. is who I worked with in Detroit. Cobra Marine has tons of old Manifolds and parts from Kam and Merc. Don`t mix Merc with KAM original, can be done but not Authentic, Randy at Cobra may even have front gear drives etc. he has a lot of stuff. I`ll stay in touch as you progress. You can e-mail me at work [email protected] All the best 7XCHAMP

Marco,
I think Richies explanation above is correct and validates the rumors we heard in England when we bought Aeromarine 3. Rumors were: The Dry Martini was also for sale at this time 1984 and we were adviced not to buy it due to beeing heavier than Aero 3 and they could not supply any papers on the hull. Maybe the 36' for sale in England converted to pleasure craft is the heavy one ? And if so maybe there are several other 36' hull we do not know of and several chapters of your 36 overwiev must be rewritten? God thing guys like Richie is still around to tell the stories, God I love them!

Regards Joern

Hi Richie,
In which parts of the boa it was more' light that 36' of 1973 in comparison to the "old" Aeromarine IX ?
You should remember that in 1973 you raced some competitions from Italy to the coasts of the Yugoslavia (now Croazia) and return proper with that red ex Fino and that it brought the colors of the Martini and it also called Dry Martini.

Hi Joern,
I don't absolutely doubt this' that Powers says. He was there!
On the fact that also the Aeromarine III was "heavy" I am instead more' doubtful because' Magoon to that time was the official driver of Kiekhaefer like Bonomi and the his 36' Aeromarines were around the best.
I believe that Magoon switched from the Aeromarine I the to the proper III for this.
Rather nobody knows about the existence of an Aeromarine II?