Found an old 36 Cigarette raceboat today.
 

I am over in Italy with my girlfriend for the past 6 weeks.Anyways we are staying in Lugano Switzerland for the stay and today we took a scenic drive from Switzerland over the border to Lake Como Italy .

Well we come up over the hill in the middle of nowhere and there is an old 36 Cigarette sitting by the side of the road like some left it out for the trashman.

It is painted all white and is stripped of everything but the gelcoat underneath is red.

I took a bunch of pics that i will post just need to get them resized.

:food-smiley-007:

Cool, I thought directly of the aeromarine IX Red Vengeance or Blonde IV, wasn´t Fino Monza red also?

I have been searching the 36 thread looking for pics that might give a clue to what it might be.From the pics i have looked at the Lady Nara has the fresh air nacelles that are similar to the ones on the one i saw today.

The pics are on my girlfriend compute iand i need her to resize them but she thinks a romantic night of me making pizza and sitting around the fire and watching a movie is more important.

Silly girl.

Might first thought was the Aeromarine also.

Here's the pictures.

More pictures...

wow, is someone going to save her............

Are you sure its a Cig. Didn't the 36 have a V shaped windshield and an extra wide side step or walk area around cockpit?
Jim

Engines staggered......?

Transoms are filled.

Marco you got any ideas.

There is the name CHARROS on the rear hatches which is an old clothing company from the 80s, but i don,t believe the hatches belong on the boat because the rear corners are radiused and dont fit the 90 degree corners of the deck.

what ashame, To bad its so far away:(

cool find,about six months ago someone mentioned "lady nara" was coming to the U.S. and was for sale at $150,000.

Sport is and has always been in Primatist’s DNA. It’s a passion which has been passed down from one generation to the next of the Abbate family. Sports concepts find their maximum expression in various events which involve both the nautical world and the wider world of sport… From the Trofeo Guido Abbate to the Primatist Trophy passing through the Motomondiale, the Ferrari Challenge, the Off-Shore, the Inshore of Speed-boat Racing and the Rally.

It appears that the name ABBATE is famous in Italy w/ motorsports. Great find!

Check this thread. It may be one of the two boats mentioned here.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...145574&page=12

You are in paradise: I used to live in Torino when I raced with Carlo Bonomi, and Martini & Rossi racing. The town I lived in was called Borgaro, close to the airport, Ceasare Fiorio was our team mgr. and at the time was director of the Lancia Rally team when they came out with the Lancia Stratos cars. We had all the engineers from Lancia working with us, we had an incredible shop with Dyno cells etc. Bonomi thought the Italians could improve on the simple stupid Chevy motors, as they built some of the most exotic motors in the world, Guess what in the 1970`s chevy 482`s just could not do the 7,000 rprm the Italians thought. We blew every engine they built, They ground their own cams, we even did overhead cam heads etc. Bottom line is I continued with Kiekhaefer Aero equip. and won two consecutive UIM world championships, also Italian and European championships.
I used to take Bonomi`s Honda 500 and drive to Lugano/ Lake Como to visit my friend Renato Molinari, I used to stay at the Villa Del Este, which even then was Royal to say the least, with the swimming pool in the lake etc. Some of the best times in my life.
Are you going to stop in Viareggio, if so that is the Yacht building mecca of the world and a beautiful place to visit. Try my favorite restaurant, Bounomicos, incredible Spaghetti ala vongole, and Sole ala grillia.
Wish I was there, I could show you around. Viareggio is also steeped in racing history, Viarreggio to Bastia and back, To the Italians that was like their Indy 500, they all wanted to win it.
Enjoy yourselves, and keep the posts comming, are you going to Naples?????? 7XCHAMP

I BELIEVE ALL 33/36'S HAD A FLAT WINDSHIELD.

dannnng!! never seen a cig laying on it's side up in a italian mountain range before!!!! :eek:

That boat found in North Italy by tommymonza is the first 36' ever builded by the new founded Cigarette of Don Aronow in 1970.
It was builded togheter the Doc Magoon's Aeromarine I,the second 36' that came out the Cigarette.
The owner was the second time World Champ Vincenzo Balestrieri in 1970,but didn't raced before the 1971,probably the Dauphin D'Or near Nizza in August that won,after that he had problems with him lightened and shortened wood decked Black Tornado 31'in the previuos race at Viareggio.
That new first Black Tornado 36' back in Usa the same year and became the boat used by Balestrieri in the american races during the 1972 and 1973 seasons,meanwhile he drove a second 36' Black Tornado for the European races for the same two years,togheter the old 32' and a 34'.
In 1974 the fleet of the race boats of Balestrieri was reduced to only one 36',because the roman decided to abandon the World Championship competitions. That 36' was the first one of 1970.
In 1975 after the Viareggio-Bastia-Viareggio he decided to retire from the competitions and sold the boat to the friend-rival Giulio De Angelis.
That 36' became the race boat preferred of the roman builder for four years from 1975 to 1978,winning two of the three editions of the Viareggio-Bastia-Viareggio that De Angelis scored in him offshore career; the 1976 against the new 35' American Eagle of Gentry and Powers and beating another best racer 35' in 1977,the Limit Up of the British Michael Doxford in very rough seas,demostrating the superiority of the 36' in hard seas.
In 1979-1980 the boat was drove by the Napolitan surger Tommaso De Simone winning the Italian Title in 1980,and in 1981 was sold to the builder Renato Della Valle of Milan.
Again in rough seas that 36' bring the rookie Della Valle to a
incredible victory in the him first race,the Viareggio-Bastia-Viareggio of that year.
After that the boat was abandoned for several years before came back in 1986-87 in some races in Italy,after over fifteen years from the building.
That 36' is the record holder of victory in the offshore history togheter another famous 36': the third Dry Martini builded in 1973 for another two time World Champ,Carlo Bonomi well coadiuvated by Richie Powers.

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/794...rlk2uw6.th.jpg
testing the new boat of the newcome Cigarette. 1970 the 36' prototype with aboard the Aronow's mechanic Knocky House and the engines wizard Carl Kiekhaefer. Note the double flag of USA and Italy and the name The Cigarette,but ready to became Black Tornado.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7...ckiayf4.th.jpg
Usa race in 1972-73 season.

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/862/ctc78bjk8.th.jpg
CTC 1978: with Cosentino-Wilson in Alitalia Team version.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/192/btubq4.th.jpg
The boat in last August in the same site where tommymonza have discovered it.

WOW , Nice story


Mike

Here is an old Black Tornado.

LS

I tried to speak with Abbate shipyards for that boat, but so far nothing..
Was thinking of speaking at the Genova Show but due to job overload i haven't been able to go this year (going every year since i was 10 ).....
Will contact them Asap, it's such a waste to let her go !
Will try to do something if i can....

Wow, good find & history!

I should have known that Black Tornado had already found the boat.Good luck with it Marco hope you do well with it.I was down by you a couple of weeks ago but i had no way to contact you.May be later in the week?

Ciao from Italy 7xchamp.

Yes it is paradise here.I was waiting to reply because i was going to post some pics but those will have to wait till tomorrow..My girlfriend and i went for another nice drive to Como lastnite to buy some pepper flavored Gelato that is sooo good.It is was yet another beautiful drive.

We had a stunning drive through the Swiss Alps today where we drove to Lake Luzern for lunch and than back through the tunnel to Lugano.The Alps and the lake was breathtaking.

We rode through Viareggio a couple of weeks ago on our way to Firenze.The town was pretty much shutdown for the season and we we had a schedule that we had to catch in Firenze so it was a quick tour.

Heading to Paris for a few days to visit a friend of ours on Tuesday.We will not make it to Naples but i am definitely coming back, either for skiing in the Dolamites or in summer for the lakes.

How long did you live here for and what did you get to see besides the bilge of a boat?

Gotta go

Tommymonza

P.S. Thanks for all the great stories Richie.

[QUOTE=tommymonza;2312591]I should have known that Black Tornado had already found the boat.Good luck with it Marco hope you do well with it.I was down by you a couple of weeks ago but i had no way to contact you.May be later in the week?

Sorry but I was not informed in which days you would have been to Viareggio.
If tasks to return you can call to me to this number:
+39 347 9346083
you will be able to taste the specialties that Richie still remembers therefore well.

Marco

Right lucky strike,
That 36' was the second Black Tornado that Balestrieri drove in Europe in 1972-73.
Then the boat come back in Florida made unusable until 1977, when Joe Ippolito drove it in the two first races of APBA Championship that year,renamed it Baccarat.
Note the italian flag still on the side.

I would like to see other pics in this Ippolito version.

Marco

Tommymonza: I lived in Italy for approx. three years during the racing season, then in Miami in Off season. Our racing started for the UIM World Championships in Jan. in South America with three races. Mar Del Plata, Argentina. Punta Del Este, Uruguay. And finally Santos to Rio De Jenaro. Incidentally under UIM rule all races had to be a minimum of 180 Nautical Miles in length, and generally were approx. 200 statute miles. From South America we went to Europe where we raced approx. two races in France, Italy, England, Spain, Sweden. Yugoslavia, Cape town, S. Africa, Australia and America. Most countries had additional races for Italian, South American, and European championship points similar to running for a USA championship, so our seasons were packed with plenty of racing, sometimes as many as 15 to 18 races in a season. Most hectic week was always Viareggio on Sat. Atlantic City on Wed. and France on Sat. When I raced with Martini and Rossi we had a total of four boats stationed around the world, we had close to 30 engines with drives all over the world in various stages of rebuild, which we did after every race. Every time we raced a boat the engines, drives etc. were pulled and and fresh installed. I was the team mgr./throttleman etc. As professional`s we earned our pay, which was very good. To answer your question, yes I did see much of the world, and was able to enjoy the travels. I managed to fly the Concorde four times, Always stayed in the best Hotels, and flew in a lot of Lear jets. I attended the Formula One race in Imola, and was a guest of Enzo Ferrari, I was in the Ferrari pits during the race, and actually talked with Enzo about offshore racing. Did the same thing with Jackie Ickyx and Collin Chapman at the Formula one race in Argentina, Flew from America to Argentina with Mario Andretti, and Mark Donuhue who were racing in Formula One at the time. Collin Chapman was trying to figure out how to put four Cosworth engines in the race boat. I have met many famous people and traveled in the life style of the rich and famous. It was great, in Europe we were stars and heros, kids used to chase us for autographs, pictures etc. the Europeans had a true love and respect for offshore racing, and there heritage of the Sea. I think the Americans took it for granted, and still do. We really have no history of Offshore, sorry to say. Enjoy your travels, imagine having the responsibilities of traveling and racing in Europe and all the logistics, it will give you a taste of what we were all about.
Incidentally, I am the general Mgr. of Motion/Monza. I worked with Eloy for 2.5 yrs manufacturing and selling Monza`s and now back again. 7XCHAMP Richie

Very cool!!!!!!!

This is the hull( not the exact one) that Midnight Express INC. Used for their 37 I believe.

I like that flat deck. Very very cool.

Great thread... Thank you guys for sharing your history.

Incredible stuff

Hey Marco

Sorry to not meet up with you.I ran out of time ,kinda running on my girlfriends schedule and she had some old friends that came to Milan so i was not able to get back down south.
I will definitely be back again.If you are ever coming to the states let me know.Private message me an Email address so i can contact you to see how the old Cigarette is progressing.

7XChamp

Thanks for another great story. Those must have been some incredible times.I didn't know racers were paid so well back then to be able to stay at the Villa D' Este?

I assumed you had a rich Italian girlfriend.

I thought that i read something a while ago that you were working with Aeromarine on a new design of engines.

Leaving for Florida in the morning.

Gotta go.

Thanks for the history.

Sounds like you were living the life. I agree w/ you. There are no offshore powerboat professional racers now. I think JT was the most recent professional racer and Tres M. It's all fun and games now. No Hall of Fame , nothing marketed , etc. Allweiss had it going in the right direction but it got ripped away. I don't see it ever getting back to the days of professional racing.

Any news on the 36 MARCO?

Speaking of which Cig 36'?

The one in Switzerland.The Cigarette

anyone here know how to contact Walter Ragazzi ? if so - please PM me -

PHIL

I know the first 36' built former Black Tornado but it is not in Switzerland.
Even if they miss few kilometers to the border the yard of Abbate it is always in Italy.
Do you speak of that?

That is the one

Unfortunately I don't have news of that. I have not been anymore to the yards Abbate.
I strongly hope that someone buys that boat and he restores it in the original livery.
It would be a serious misfortune that a so great piece of history of the Offshore is goes destroyed.
You think that it is the first hull of 36' built by the Cigarette in the 1970.
Him anything else other than it was the hull #2 it was the Aeromarine I of Bob Magoon but that unfortunately it was cut and lengthened some years ago from the BAM Marine and it won't return more original.
I fear however that also this of Abbate must be lost because I have noticed a total indifference.
To think that the price must be very low.
The more expense must be the restauration.
But still the hull was under good conditions.
But the time passes....
:mad:

P.S. the boat is that of my avatar