So what was the story on this one...
 

http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.c...o20752-en.html


It looks as if it were to be a SeaHawk boat by the number and the colors.....It's been for sale for years....were they going to rig the motors ontop of the tunnel like the innovation / caldwell boat? Or was it to be like the POPEYES 6 OB boat??? Who knows the real story on it?

i think that is a Don Shead, like "Gold Rush", but without the movable sponsons.

It`s possible it could be a Gentry Cougar project boat we did, Maybe Brownie will remember. T.G. had a 42` center motor position boat built. We were going to run it with Donavon Alum. small block motors mounted in the tunnel. I ran the boat a couple of times with Dick Banks in Calif.
I believe it was tom`s idea to put flats on the keels, I think they did the work in Calif. cutting the original sponson keels off and welding flat running surfaces. If you look at the pics. it looks like the flats at the transom I am talking about. The boat was also center cockpit, and really looks like that boat, especially that it`s a 42`. The boat was low cut etc. I would be 85 to 90% sure that`s the T.G. boat. With the flats on the keels the boat was a disaster, She would spin out at about 80 mph, could never get it aired out, no steering etc. real spooky boat, you never knew which way it was going to go, but when it went in a direction it was quick, instant spinout. I don`t think the boat was ever painted, and it may have had the rivits replaced with flush type. It was basically a Freddy Miller project, I don`t think it was ever run after I ran it last, Maybe Sammie James worked with it, and could be the reason it was back in Fla.

I believe that that cat was built for Sal Magluta that then not drove never.
It was a sketch that it took sprout from the preceding Goldrush that had the movable sponsons to facilitate its transport in the roads of Europe but like said right Brownie it haven't that same carateristic.

Gentry center cockpit cat
 

Richie,I think you refferred to this cat of Gentry with central cockpit.
There was another tin cat built by Cougar that Gentry brought in Viareggio to the World Finals in 1984.
It was Michelob Light and there was Sammy James and Dick Banks.
About Banks have you info about him? I remember very well of Dick. We spent a lot of time together in Viareggio that time. I would like to greet him!

Mystery Cat
 

Oh dear.it`s finally surfaced. I can tell you exactly what it is about because I drew the bloody thing. I have related this to `Black Tornado` in the past but requested it was kept under wraps as it was not one of Don Shead`s most successful boats.Thanks Marco for sitting on it. Now it has appeared I will relate it`s history.
Jack Stuteville saw `Goldrush` the OPII cat do rather well in a rough Viareggio-Bastia race and mentioned to his boss Sal Magutta why not have a OP I Shead cat.It had tranverse mounted KS & W engines with the transmission shafting running via right angle boxes,the thinking being it would reduce transverse rocking of the boat.The running surface did not work out as well as was hoped and while in the process of getting this modified it was supposed to have hit a bridge on trials.At the same time Maguuta was apprended,so it all came to a sticky end. I will try and sort out some pics of it.

Seahawk Pics
 

Seahawk in fit out.

Another Seahawk Pic
 

Pic No 4 of Seahawk

Seahawk Again
 

Just dug out a couple more taken at the builders in UK. I remember the builder receiving a wad of cash to build,and when putting it into the bank,the counting machine came to a grinding halt because the notes were stuck together with blood. Maybe the writing was on the wall even then.

wow what a story......Awsome pics.......Man did they spend a lot of money back then...( i love the pile of headers laying there..