36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Here is some footage of the 36 foot Cigarette racing in the Cowes Torquay race over in England.

These were the cutting edge of offshore racing back in the days.


http://media.boatmad.com/gallery/v/m...c/CTC.wmv.html

More still photos on www.historicraceboats.com

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Beautiful!!!!!! They sound awesome.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Thanks.. That makes me really miss the summer and my boat.. Great shots of the old Cigs..

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

The perfect boat.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Is'nt that the Black Tornado AKA "The Cigarette" up front :evilb: :evilb: :evilb:

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Sure looks like it

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Closely followed by my Avatar, the beautiful 36 cigarette Eraf, driven by Guilio de Angelis. Bonomi in third. I saw the start of that race! 9 years old I think at the time.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

No seahawk. That Black Tornado in the CTC 1972 short footage was the second 36' of Balestrieri not the 32' former The Cigarette.
That 36' was the same that Joey Ippolito drove in him first race in Open Class in 1977.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Nigel! We started to see a offshore race in the same time!
I remember the start in the fog of the VBV in July 1972.
Big events those!
Balestrieri beat them all bigs 36' left him 36' in the dock and raced with the old 32' former The Cigarette.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

What engines and drives were those boats running ?
what H.P. ?
and what kind of speeds in those water conditions ?
Great video !
ed

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Mercruiser 496 or Kiekhaefer 482´s. Drives I think were Merc No.3 but I stand to be corrected. I estimate speeds in those conditions to be around 65mph.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

HP was about 600 per motor. I would say that the late 60´s/very early 70´s class 1 boats had around 1000 HP, with most class 1 boats having around 1200HP from approx 1972 to 1980. I know that the Cruise Master Marathon motors that powered Renato Della Valle to victory at Cowes in around 1985 were punching out 700hp a piece. But by this time Lamborghini were just starting to make headway in the circuit.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Hi everyone,

I have just discovered this forum and I have read most messages for the past few days and I cannot believe my eyes.
This is just the kind of place I have been looking for. What an opportunity to be able to read first hand accounts from legends such as Charly Mc Carthy or Richie Powers who I remember winning twice my hometown event in Dry Martini.

Then, there are the brilliant photos, the great videos and the encyclopedic knowledge of Black tornado and Little Nige.

To all, I am grateful for your contributions. Please do carry on. I cannot have enough of it.

Phil.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Welcome aboard!
Your nickname remember to us a historical offshore event. The Deauville Trophy,usually the last race of the European season.
We hope that you can remember to us that race with some pics too!

BT

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Hi Phil, great to share stories and keep history alive!!!!!! As Marco says, if you have some shots of the Deauville races back on the hey days - we´d all love to see them!!

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Phil: also welcome aboard, thank you for remembering, Deauville was one of my all time favorites, I have tons of stories from there, it`s where I proposed to my second wife, Jenny, beautiful english girl I met in Cowes. The main Hotel and resort there used to make the best Steak au poive in the world, table side. I remember sitting in the little pub next to the seawall during all the storms. also had a tradgedy there, on the road to Deauville with the Martini boat, car hit the truck head-on, just missed me in the lead car, three people dead, rainy slippery road. I also raced after the hurricane blew through, we took major waves over the boat going out to the race. Tommy Sopwith was there with miss Embassy Turbine, as well as full contingent of hungry regulars, we had to push a boat off our deck before the start, I think I won a couple times, I`m sure Nigel can say if we did. Anyway welcome from 7XCHAMP Richie

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

You´re right Richie, you won the Deauville race in 73 and 74 and the Dauphin D´Or race in France in 72 and 73!

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Thanks for the welcome Richie.
Sorry to hear about the terrible memory linked with the event.
Here is a picture from the 1972 race which was cancelled due to bad weather. The white building in the background is the pub you are refering to.
Glad to see that we both proposed to an english girl in this resort.
Next time, I will post more pictures from the local papers of the time.
Thanks
Phil.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

And do I spy the beautiful Cary hull Cigarillo on the far left?? Great pic!! Can you post bigger?? And more??!!!! Great to see!!!

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

The original was too big to be posted and I may have reduced it too much so it could fit within the upload limits. I will send it to you directly.
And yes, you are right, the boat in the far left is Cigarillo.
Phil.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Phil, thanks for sending to me. On your behalf - the pic enlarged.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

That`s the little hotel/pub we all used to hang out in, great picture, brings back wonderful memories. I still have a special porcelin fruit bowl from Pres. Pompedeau presented to Bonomi for winning the race, I was told it would be worth a lot of money one day as it was from a private collection from Pompedeau. 7XCHAMP

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Proof, if need be, that you do not become World Champion without determination.
Here is a picture showing Richie at full throttle on Dry Martini in the Baleares Trophy 1973.
The race win was accompanied by a new Offshore record with an average speed of 82.2mph

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Welcome Phil....don't forget to join our organization where we have plenty of other stories and photos for you to enjoy.

Check HORBA out at www.historicraceboats.com

Your photos are outstanding...please show us more.

Charlie McCarthy

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Thank you for the welcome charlie.
I actually found the Offshoreonly site via the link on the HORBA homepage which has been amongst my list of favorites for a little while.

Today's photo is from the 1971 Dauphin d'Or.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Phil, that was yesterday. Another picture please....................(they are marvellous).

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Thanks Nigel,...but my stock will not last long, I am afraid.

Today, the photo comes from the 1973 Dauphin d'Or. The race was a cracker, featuring a three way duel between Balestrieri, Mondadori and Bonomi who each took turn in the lead.
Eventually, Bonomi prevailed from Mondadori and De Angelis.
Balestrieri finished 5th, having lost power on one of his Aeromarine engines.

However, the action wasn't finished once the finish line had been passed. A flury of protest ensued and the result of the race was declared void....
I really would like to have Richie version of the incident, please.

Phil.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Phil: They did award us the win, it was over the open chamber cylinder heads, It started at Cowes then Sweden and culminated at this race. That same race is when Bobby Moore and Jack Stuteville quit with Balestreri over same issue, Jack said they beat us leave it alone, they stayed in my hotel room as they were not on expense any longer, good long story, with a lot of twists That`s also when Carl Kiekhaefer came over to prove the legality of the heads, and by that time all the motors had been upgraded to open chamber including Balestreri, they hated and detested being beat by Me and Bonomi. Closed chamber heads were actually more power, as it made more compression, I have many stories on this topic and the things I had to go through to keep beating them all. 7XCHAMP

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Hi Richie,

Did you get the UIM points for the win too? One source of documentation said, at the time, that the results "may not count towards the World Championship".

Also, was Vincenzo Balestrieri the "ring leader", the same source mentions Giulio De Angelis protesting against your win as well?

And finally, did the all episode change the relationship between the various crews (I mean owner/drivers, the throttlemen appeared to have stuck together) ?
Thanks
Phil.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Phil: I am quite sure we received the UIM points in the end, as we did repeat as world champions. At that time the hot crews were the americans with the exception of Don Shead and DeAngeles. If my memory serves me correct I believe Julio used to throttle and drive himself. One of these days we will start discussions about what it used to entail to become a true world champion, with the true meaning of racing in different countries, different oceans, every conceivable condition, and against the best equipment and crews throughout the entire world, when races used to cover over 200 miles in the ocean, it was called OFFSHORE RACING. 5 to 10 teams with near identical equip. and more than capable crews, AAHHH those were the days, my body hurts when I think about them, standing in a bolster half out of the boat, no windshield running near 80 mph into a 6` sea and a 20 mph headwind. Real men real sport true world champions and now legends, thanks to these forums and people who care, and were there as kids, recognition will come to those who were there. Thanks!!! 7XCHAMP

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Back to newspaper black and white pictures today (apologies about the poor quality).
The action comes from the 1974 Deauville Trophy. Postponed 24 hours because of severe bad weather, the race took place on Sunday, albeit on a reduced and (slightly) more sheltered course.
In spite of the bad weather the race was a success with spectators who enjoyed a better view of the proceedings with the bad weather triangular course.

The race was held in brutal conditions and masterly won by Carlo Bonomi who became World Champion for the second year in a row.

Unfortunately, this was the last running of the event.

Phil.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

By the way also Bonomi detested to being beat by those rowdies south italian guys like Balestrieri and De Angelis. :rolleyes:
Bonomi was the first one to carry in offshore the sponsor and a serious concept of team in a world of gentleman drivers a little improvised.
In the first place he obtained the support total of Karl kiekhaefer in 1972, becoming the official driver for Europe. Unfortunately when in the 1975 Kiekhaefer preferred to Bonomi the Brazilian Franz, the Italian champion lost the chance to become the only one with three world title.
When in the 1973 the Mercruiser's drivers like Balestrieri, Mondadori and De Angelis decided to buy the Kiekhaefer engines did not come deal to them well and their engines often ended in smoke. From here born the dissatisfaction between they and the idea that Bonomi had of the powerful and irregular engines.
Unfortunately often in those years the world titles was decided in Florida in the respective centers of Mercruiser and Kiekhaefer before that began the contests itself.
I would like to hear the personal opinion of Richie about it.

BT

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Phil, Thanks for posting. Wonderful to see. And Marco - getting controversial!!!

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

I do not want to be controversial. Simply I say my personal opinion on basing to me on facts, as an example the strange ones and repeated problems for some drivers and not for others although both did have engines came out from the same company and that they came simply mounts on board without modifications.
I think that the World Titles of 1970-1971-1972-1973 and 1975 are in discussion.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Phil,that image wasn't taken in the Baleares Trophy because in that race Bonomi was in the old 36' Dry Martini former Aeromarine IX,and the 36' showed in that photo we can see that it's the new and lighter 36' that made it first race in the Viareggio-Bastia-Viareggio,according to Richie Powers.
I think that photo was taken in Viareggio or in the Dauphin D'Or 1973.

BT

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Can you say A REAL BOAT RACE !!!

Now look at that -- Great Boats, Great water, and Great Coverage

Oh for the old days Only thing missing was some cats to go with the V hulls

We used to promote a couple of races here a few years ago and we are talking about doing it again in 2008 (Maybe)

but our vision is more a point A to Point B and back race

This would be run in potentialy rough water

If we do this it will seperate the men from the boys in a hurry and test the boats and drivers skill It will be a true offshore race

Will they come ??? will they run???What do ya think ????

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Hi Marco,

Nothing passes your eagle eye. In this case, the location is more likely to be the Dauphin d'Or. The French magazine where I got the photo from had a comment referring to Dry Martini's newly achieved average speed record, it obviously doesn't match the picture.

Maybe Richie could tell us when did Dry Martini got its distinctive windshield during the 1973 season?

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

I think was in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes.
Maybe Richie talk about that windshield in another thread somewhere in the forum. I remember that Richie wrote that windshield didn't like too much to him,but Bonomi wanted to put it.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

I think that Richie mentioned the windshield he fabricated out of blue plexiglass and installed on the 35'. It seems that the windshield of the 36' was slghtly different. There doesn't appear to have any plexiglass involved in its fabrication.
What I don't understand is if you wish to race a lighter boat, why add more weight with a bulky windshield?
Was the protection gained as a result worth it?
Mind you, it did give the boat an unmistakeable look.

Phil.

Re: 36 Cigarettes racing back in the days
 

Phil,you are right. Richie spoke about the windshield of the 35'.
I remember that me and my friends criticized that windshield because it destroied the shape of the 36',but now to my eyes that Dry Martini instead assumes a very particular fascination.
About the add of more weight only Richie can explain to us something.