Black Tornado

Backing to the thread;
Here the red Mona Lou Bertram 31' and the next Boss O'Nova.
Note the little changes on the race numbers passing from the Lewis's #70 to the Wishnick's #23....

Black Tornado

The Bertram 31' of Sirois in 1967-68; the yellow-white Sternwinder.
Before the Miami-Nassau of 1968 Balestrieri after the sinking of him Tornado in the CTC bought from Kiekhaefer the boat renamed it Yellow Tornado,but leaving the old race number and name on the stern. Don Pruett drove the boat in the last race in Key West.
In 1969 the boat became the Red or White Tornado.

7xchamp

Mrco: I am sure you notice the size of the numbers both on the sides and top deck, they were always very big for Kiekhaefer`s benefit, to make his boats easy to spot from the air. The rules never asked they be that big. Also another interesting thing that happened during the Lake X factory days, was that at some point Kiekhaefer made everyone name there boats after there wives or girl friends, like Odell had done with Mona Lou his wifes name. I was racing with Gene Wagner in a 21` Seacraft at the time, and we went from a cool name MILKSHAKE to his wifes name JOAN E, I ended up driving that boat with same name. I think the rule only applied to married guys to recognize their wives putting up with their racing. I think there were only a few who had to do it, but you will see some in the Crouse book and some old pix.7XCHAMP

Black Tornado

Here the triple powered that Richie spoke in post #10;
Ronda Lee of John Bakos that Odell Lewis drove in 1968's Miami-Nassau.

7xchamp

Marco: Somwhere, I think maybe I saw it on HORBA site is a picture of the triple Mercruiser yellow and white 31` It`s a transom shot and shows the six exhaust pipes and I think shows the drives they were # 2 speedmasters, it was a really cool boat, but I don`t think it was very fast and broke down a lot. Try and find that pic. 7XCHAMP

Black Tornado

Richie,You are right,I noted the big numbers on the decks of alls Mercury Team's boats like those Bertrams,Maritimes and alls Memcos or Magnums outboards..303,404,444.....
I knew the story of the names on Searace,and it's very interesting to know the world inside the Team Mercury those years,like you tell to us in your posts.

Black Tornado

Sorry Richie,I left on the "Manage Attachments" the pix.
Was that?
You spoke of two stern drives,then two engines was in a single sterndrive?

7xchamp

Marco: You are really good/great with history, That`s correct about the triple engine Bertram and Johnny Bakos, and how about the name, as I was saying. I was in the race with my own Merc. factory boat, I got lost and had an embarrassing DNF I was just a kid, my compass went out, I panicked, and they had everyone out looking for me. When they found me, they dropped a new compass and chart to get back to Lucaya. I was so embarrassed, Kiek didn`t think much of the deal either, never the less he gave me a boat for the next race we all went to, so he had faith. 7XCHAMP

Black Tornado

Here the Old Yellar II of Sirois in 1966.
Is that you spoke in post #10 Richie?

Black Tornado

Here the stern of the Bertram31' White Tornado with the stern drives.
Richie was the mould of the Bertram 31' changed in the stern to host the stern drives units instead that originals cleaned sterns of the straight shafts inboard?