The Bahamas 500 was a great race in all meanings of the word and this thread is equally great.

Thank you Seeroy, Brownie, Charlie, Richie and others for your contribution.

The only problem is: more, please.

Phil.

Yes agreed, what a great job guys...

:drink:

As I said before priceless stuff in this thread,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, After seeing a couple shots of Odell and Mel Riggs,,,,, It just reminds about how damn tuff those guys were,,,,,,,,, Afriaid of nothing and if MrK. said run the boat through a brick wall they would be warming up the engines,,,,,,,,,, A couple cold winter nights in FDL actually went bowling with Riggs Have never,ever seen a bowling ball go so fast,, That dog also explained that every frame was a beer frame,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Who would argue with the guy????????????

Wonderful pictures and stories. Thanks for taking the time to share.....

Let me step back to a year before the 1st Bahama 500 and a race that was won by Brownie in the Big Broad Jumper, 32’ Maritime at the blazing speed of 37.8mph through monster seas. It was the 1966 Gateway Marathon which ran from West Palm Beach to Freeport (Grand Bahama) and return for a total of 194 miles, and it was my first ride in an offshore race. Gene Berg was a Wisconsin guy (Appleton to be exact) and another of those fun guys to be around. He and I were teamed together for what would prove to be both the beginning and end of his career as a race driver. This was the '60s and the sophistication of our rigging was not very pretty. We were assigned a 19' T-craft with twin outboards to rig and run that was much like the picture below that I shamelessly snatched from HORBA. The T-craft might have had a little vee in the bottom but it was without a doubt the hardest ride I have ever experienced. Every bump would jar your teeth. All we had for protection was a series of aluminum stanchions and railings to hang onto. We had what was probably a 100 gallon gas tank held in place by aluminum angle and poured foam. It was another of those days when small craft warnings should have been flying. We made it through the Lake Worth inlet and into these huge seas. Gene was driving and I was hanging on for dear life. The second or third bone jarring monster that we encountered sent us both to our knees (everybody ran Offshore standing up in those days). I managed to regain my feet and looked over at gene. The entire inside of his helmet visor was covered with blood. He managed to barely regain his feet. He raised his visor and spit out several teeth. At that point I thought he had just eaten the steering wheel and would be OK. Unbeknownst to me he had also clobbered his left knee on the gas tank frame. I asked him if he was OK and he nodded yes and slammed the throttles forward. The next wave was not quite as bad but it was still nasty. Gene came down off of a plane and told me I would have to take over. I asked him if he really wanted to continue in his condition. He said yes, so we changed places and I got it back up on a plane and off we went. It only took one more monster before he screamed in pain and went to his knees again. It was obvious that he just could not go any further. I headed back in at idle speed and radioed that I had an injured man on board. Mr. Kiekhaefer met us at the dock with an ambulance and Gene was lifted out of the boat. Later Mr. K visited him in the hospital and made sure that he had the best of care and that the bill was fully taken care. Several broken teeth had to be surgically removed and his left kneecap was removed in 14 pieces. Mr. Kiekhaefer asked him what he wanted to do and Gene replied that he had always wanted to be a truck driver. And so, from that point on he was a Kiekhaefer Corp. truck driver. I have no idea what ever became of Gene but I will always remember him standing there with blood all over his visor, spitting out teeth and saying to me, "Let's keep going". At that point we had only gone about 5 miles of a 194 mile race. We were all young then and we thought we were invincible. Somebody once asked me what it was like to race offshore in those days. I told them to place a ladder against their house, climb up on the roof, jump off, and continue to do that for several hours and they might understand what the physical part of it was like. I stand by that explanation to this day. But, damn, it sure was fun! -Steve Sirois

Seeroy,

Just one word (unfortunately used too often out of context these days):
RESPECT !!!

Seeroy, that 1966 Gateway was a monster. We had 427 turbo Daytonas in the Big Broad Jumper, and it took me an hour to get the rhythm of anticipating the throttle setting in time for the turbos to spool up to get over some of the waves. Odell carried some poor SOB in a tiny boat, and made it all the way. When he reached the dock in Lucaya, Aronow and I jumped down to the boat and picked the kid up. The dock was tall, and I had one hand on one cheek, and Don had the other. We pushed him up to Odell, and it was like he didn't have any bones. 24 guys went to the hospital for one thing or the other after that race. That was the last race not called for Small Craft Warnings. Later, I was having a beer with Odell, and he said "Hell, every time he came by, I put my foot on him"! On another matter, I guess I have told everyone but you that I consider your brother, Bill, to be the greatest overall boat racer in history. His accomplishments in all forms of racing are legendary.......

Amen to that........... This is one where Brownie and I are in total agreement.

I have often wondered that with the thousands of boat racers in the world, over all the years and years of the sport we love.

The two best boat racers of all time both shared the name Bill S............

Rest in peace big guy.

T2x

Agree with T2x and brownie,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Bill was a machine and very easy on equipment,,,,,,,,,,,,,Kudos to Johnny Bakos and Odell Lewis and of course Mr. K Seeroy was right, it sure was fun,, BTW who would take a 19 foot boat out to a ocean race today?????????????????

Gentlemen - Thanks for the kind words about Bill. While he may not have shown it, he would have appreciated them. I'm not sure that you realize how much he respected many of you and how much he learned from you. Attention to detail, have a plan, have backup plans, and as someone in this forum always says, "Never Give Up". That was true to the very end. I talked to Bill on the telephone the night before he died. In a raspy voice, his last words to me were, "I'm going to beat this thing"..........Sorry if I get a little emotional at times, but I usually tend to say what I am thinking at the moment. Sometimes that tendancy is good...sometimes not. 37 Years ago I left boat racing to do other things. Unfortunately, I didn't keep in touch. As I look back, writing about those days, and more importantly the people, it is an incredible release for me. As I told Richie in a recent post, sometimes I ask myself, "Did I (We) really do those things?". The answer always comes back to me..."Yes". I don't want to take anything away from the current crop of offshore racers. Doing 160+mph in an Offshore Boat has got to take balls of steel, but so did doing 60+mph in 12' seas with no land in sight. "Back in the Day" you did that, and you "Never Gave Up". Respectfully - Steve Sirois

Glad I could help stir some memories, your story above pretty much floored me.... man I love those kind of story's... uncharted playing fields.... all for the adventure.... thank you for that, that alone was worth my OSO memberships seince 2003 ;)

Here's another unseen image from my library for the cause.....

wow great pictures that is all we have left so please keep those stories and pictures alive!!!

Hi guys!
I get in me in this marvelous forum full of great stories making you notice a detail.
Donzi38ZR in the post #35 have put this very interesting photo:
Has nobody noticed nothing in this inusual The Cigarette?
Only the #2 instead the traditional 1?
The Italian flag behind the Star and Stripes?
Or?
The lenght,gentleman!
It's clearly a Cigarette 36'!
The first ever builded 36' ready to receive her new master, Vincenzo Balestrieri, that will change the boat only the number (#4) will remove' the American flag and he will change the name in.......
you can imagine it now I hope.

You will have soon news of this boat!

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/244...rlk2hx7.th.jpg

P.S. A Great Many Thanks to Donzi38ZR! You made me a Great Day!

Damm, your good and your avatar fit's perfectly.... no problem tornado, it's always great to make someones day alittle brighter... buy me a drink next time i'm in Italy well call it even ;)

was hoping some of you guys would follow the lead and release some of those images you have stashed away in those vaults!!!
(I specially like Donzi History!!! Wink Wink ;) )

Not only a drink but a fish dinner in the harbour of Viareggio.
Please call me if you will come in Italy Donzi38ZR!;)
I like the Donzi story too!
In this pic we can see Balestrieri and House with in the background the 32' Black Tornado,the real former The Cigarette!
Have you another pics of Balestrieri and him Black Tornadoes?!

This stuff is pricless................

Ahhh you up the ante my friend!!!!! I call your drink and fish dinner in the harbour with a shot of Balestrieri and Aronow coming in from testing on her...

A good friend of mine Giancarlo Cangiano current P1 Evolution World Champion owner/driver of team OSG Donzi is based out of Naples, so I'll take you up on that offer hopefully soon!!!

Here ya go! She's got the #4 now ;)

This kind of stuff is why i stayed in my garage all winter and restored my magnum...........

Went from pic one to pic two.......


I must say the expieriences you guys have and the stories you pour out make me wish i grew up 30 years earlier......Thanks again for sharing..

this has to be the MOST significant thread ever on OSO.... history in the making, right here in front of our eyes... keep it up, i'm mesmorized..

JH

Wow - another great shot!! Thanks.

Screaming Yellow Zonker
 

I remember seeing that boat years ago... I just can't remeber where in Detroit.

Wannabe

What ever happened to Mike Gordon? I moved out of Miami back in the 70's and I think he had just sold his restuarant on the 79 Street Causeway. Does anyone know what happened to Dave Craig who owned Skyway Marine?

Mumper1

I have a question: In the 1968 500 there was a yellow 33 foot formula which I believe was actually numbered "33". The driver's name was Rusty [can't recall his last name]. Does that ring a bell with anyone who might know Rusty's last name.

mumper1

Mike died 8 or 10 years ago. I went to his funeral. 150 seats, 1500 people................ I don't recall the yellow 33' Formula. For that matter, I don't recall how many beers I had last night.....

Brownie- Thanks for the info on Mike Gordon.

mumper1

Thanks guys this stuff is amazing! I had the pleasure and privelage of running out of the Bay through Government Cut yesterday in MiamiBoys 28 Pantera race boat (potato chip with three man bolsters and a blower motor). We turned left out of the inlet and ran a few hundred yards off the beach.

Charley's story of running down the beach (inside of some swimmers as I recall) on his way back from the Bahamas popped into my head and as it did, I was struck with an overwhelming sense of history. I was re-tracing the tracks of so many of the greats (in an appropriate machine no less!). I really felt a great sense of pride and privelage to be able to do what I was doing and I felt a sense of appreciation for all you guys who really did it, who are willing to share your stories and pictures with the rest of us.

(What an amazing day and an amazing ride by the way. Thanks again to Albert for taking me out!)

I also followed it up with a visit to Pantera where I got to see a real live offshore legend... The Nunez family and that office are like stepping into the pages of SeaRace. Big thumbs-up!

Dave Craig
 

Dave is doing great..lives near Titusville..He and his quite lovely wife spent the weekend with us at the Mt Dora show..I even took him for a ride in a Raveau..He is the same as he ever was, with gray hair..

If you bring that to Polk City, can I bum a ride.... I luv those Rav woody's...

WOW !!!!!!!! Talk about memories. My first boat was a 14` Raveau utility. As a kid I used to help Marcel sand the boats, when he was building them at Dixon`s Marina on Siesta Key, My family lived in one of the cottages in the Marina. Marcel taught me about cupped propellers etc.
As for my friend Dave Craig, please tell him I say hello and send my regards, we also have some good Kiekhaefer stories together. Dave should be listed as one of powerboat racing legends as well, and characters for sure.
Quick story, while I was racing Offshore with Martini and Rossi in Europe 1972-1973 era, I was at a race in Port La Rague near Cannes France, I was on top of the deck of the race boat on the trailer, I looked out into the little harbor and saw a Revaeu, with two elderly people in it, and yes it was Marcel and his wife. He was living on a sail boat close by, we had dinner together and recalled some great times together, I won the race and dedicated it to them, they were at the awards ceremony etc. He was one of my first mentors. Remember the old cats 1960`s era, Powercats, reveaus etc. Bakos, Odell etc. racing them, God how I loved those boats. When I was a test driver for Merc. on Siesta Key I ran a 15` powercat ex-race boat with merc 500`s and really scary 650`s as in 50 and 65 hp motors for the younger crowd.
Well you sure stirred the cells, thanks 7XCHAMP

Thanks for the info and photos of Dave. I've often wondered what he did with that Excalibur he used to run back in the late 60's.

mumper1

Raveaus
 

Hi Richie, I think a lot of us owe our start to Marcel..he and Lucy were wondeful people..and Bob Walwork still builds them, with a bottom of his own design..They are fantastic..The one in the picture belongs to Frank Vidal from Sheridan Lumber..he is in the front seat..
Dave asked about you, and I told him you were still around..his home phone is 321-269-7244, and I'm sure he would to talk to you..You can also check out the Raveau website..

Butch

http://hometown.aol.com/raveau/walwork.htm?f=fs

I think I may have posted this progression on here before but in any case....

Marcel Raveau started on Long Island and had two employees, Bob D'Argagnon and John Ives, who stayed behind after he moved to Florida....... and met Richie P.

Bob and John started Eltro boats after Marcel left and pioneered the "non constant vee" bottom quite by accident on their 16 to 22 foot plywood hulls. (some of which are still plying the waters today as Fire Island ferry boats). in the 60's George Linder, Gene Bianco, Sonny Werner and I all raced Eltros (see picture below for example), and the hulls did quite well in early marathons and offshore races. After an initial aborted effort to take Eltro public fell through, John and Bob retired to Florida, and Linder incorporated the non constant bottom and designed the Challenger/Shadow 21 ( see second picture below).

Later, When George and I created the Shadow and Conquest cats a lot of the Challenger/Eltro vee technology went into the sponson designs as well as the respect for wood that we gained during our days in the Eltros.

(Continued below)

So ................

Ultimately this.........

was the great grandfather of this

In 1974, El Diablo a 28ft. SS Cigarette won the Bahamas 500...sport class. Bobby Garr (17 year old) was driving.

Regards,
Col. JCG
USMC (Retired)