Hey Richie, I seem to recall one occasion where within sight of the finish line at Cowes Aeromarine IX suffered steering problems. What year was that?? 73?? Allowing Shead through to win?

Many a time the race was won by those who took the longer but calmer route inshore - nothing wrong with that!! Tommy Sopwith in the tiny Telstar beat the mighty Surfury by doing the same. And Richie, how come Gill and Cassir snuck by in 76??!! Did you go directly across the bay and they went inshore (my mind is fading these days!!). By the way, I have somewhere a recording of you guys with Mr K discussing in the Groves and Gutteridge shed after the race the outcome of the race. History!! I shall have to try and find it!

Thanks Phil for the pics, and Joern - can´t wait to see the restoration pics.

Merry Christmas one and all. And God bless the Cigarette 36. Too beautiful for words...........

Richie,now are you to being controversial.
It goes well that six 7 times champion of the world but to say that Balestrieri was little intelligent mean to say that all the offshoreman it were. In the CTC of 1972 probably he committed an error of chosen of route, but its palmares' speaks much clearly: as Bonomi has gained 2 World Titles. It was the first European to run and to win in USA.He continued to run for beyond ten years and would have continued to make it if its doctor had not advised to it to stop because its dorsal thorn were going to pieces.
Sure in the last years the costs in order to compete in offshore were go up a lot and it did not have a sponsor as the Martini to the shoulders for being able itself to allow the best engines from Kiekhaefer. However what he had to demonstrate in offshore it he had demonstrated and it was right the moment that the young people as Bonomi took its place with honor. Single sin that the from Milan champion stopped to compete after 4 years of contests otherwise would have become itself probably the best one in absolute. This is history and not personal opinion Richie.
Marco

Phil,you are right about the first pic in post 25 but it was well know to me instead the second one.
About the CTC I think that the CREW that fought against all odds really was in the 1971 edition when to win was the other Cigarette 36' the Lady Nara (I) with a sea of 7 in the Lyme Bay. After the millionth fallen back violent from a wave two of the three members of the crew they endured such physical damages to force anyone to abandon the contest, but they want to continued again.The only one "survival",the Commander Attilio Petroni, than Richie he knew well, bring nearly alone the boat and all the crew to the goal in the last miles, winning. That crew was composed from Attilio Petroni, Ronny Bonelli and Franco Statua.

Marco

P.S. We have the same years probably. My first offshore race like spectator,was the Viareggio-Bastia-Viareggio in 1973 at the age of thirteen.

Come on boys, history is history and results are the same. Europe-USA 1-1, call it even . No need to heat up the fires again!

Let us use some of the expertice from the guys actually participated at the era we are interested in. I assume several of the drivers or throttlemen did make a number of misjudgements, no need to call it less smart or other. And I don't for a minute believe they can remember all details, it is 30 + years ago.

Some did travel all over the world to race, some other stayed in the US only, like Magoon. Thats a fact.

But I would also like to know from Richie what happened in CTC 76 when Charles Gill with "I like it too" ex "Aeromarine 3" snubbed the victory from "Dry Martini" ? (without getting all fired up...) ?

Reg Joern

Marco: I`m finished with this, sorry to have gotten involved, I can see it`s a no win situation with you, and what I say continually is taken out of context. I won and that`s the end, Im not going to do it all over again. 7XCHAMP

Joern: I was with Tom Gentry in 1976, and had nothing to do with Martini. We won the UIM world championship, South American Championship etc. Bonomi racing was from mid 1972 to 1974 we missed the 1972 by just a few points and only ran a partial season, Magoon actually knoked us out of the championship, how about that. 7XCHAMP

Joern: Ironically it was with your boat, Kiekhaefer gave us the choice, Red Vengence our ex-Rautboard boat or the new Yellow and Red Magoon boat, we tested with Jacky Ickyx on board the Magoon boat and almost lost it going out of Govt. cut in Miami, The boat basically scared us, and we decided to run Red, we led the entire race until we lost a complete drive off the transom, when I opened the hatch I could see right through the Gimble to the ocean, I nailed it wide open to stay on plane, radioed ahead to have slings in the water, pulled straight in and saved the boat. Magoon passed us right after we broke, If I remember right, I think most everyone broke, it was the last UIM race on the circuit, I think we missed by 2 points, If Magoon didn`t pass us we would have won, guess it`s the same thing Marco says, coulda, woulda, shoulda, bottom line Rautboard was the world champion, guess we could say he didn`t deserve either. 7XCHAMP

Good this explaines alot Richie, but do not get out of this thread or others to come due to a "language barrier", others and myself need all your experience and knowledge!

My basic interest along with alot of the rest(I assume) is to undestand the history of the Cigarette brand..

If I can manage to set up a web site on my restoration project I would like it to include:
a) The history and origin of the Cigarette Racing Team
b) The history of my boat, and the records of it with the rest of the 36' hulls
c) Pictures of the restoration progress

So far I have got alot of help from Magoon,Lanham and yourself on details. This forum has also contributed to alot, lets keep up the good work!

Reg Joern

I never said "woulda,coulda,shoulda". I well know they are words that gone to the wind.
However stop here!
Merry Christmas to you Richie and to all those of the forum!

Oooh, keep digging in your memory Richie, this is the stories we are interested in !

Joern