how about this one? Odell and Mel having fun, what an awsome sight!

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...turbinepo3.jpg

Remember gents, the photo of Don Aronow was a Cary hull, not a Cigarette. Don named it the "Cigarette" after a pirate ship that no other ship could catch at that time.

I always thought he named "The Cigarette" after Gar Woods boat? Watching it run up and down shore in front of his lifeguard stand at Coney Island.

Here's some real classic offshore racing pics - courtesy of Bigshrimpin' from Classic SeaCraft site. I absolutely love the 1st one. This isn't any wimpy racing in a circle in sight of the marina, but racing across the Gulfstream, across the ocean, Fla to the Bahamas. The days of Carl Moesly, Frank Brown, etcetera. Before Aronow, these guys were the early nuts on the water.

BTW, these are ALL SeaCrafts.

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...bum07/43_c.jpg
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...1196424160.jpg
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...7/Horba_21.jpg
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/.../Milk_21_2.jpg

Ditto that first pic!

TopProp - is that 'Cigarette' a 36? Sure looks like a wide body 36 to me.

Don grew up in Sheepshead Bay, NY. During the 30's in that same area, during prohibition, a rum runner was built that was very fast and very narrow of beam..that boat was called The Cigarette, because it was so skiny.

Don being from that same area of NY, later remembered the stories and named 3 of his race boats...The Cigarette.

The first was a 233 Formula and the second was a 27 foot Magnum and the last and most famous was the 32 foot Cary.

But... yes Nigel.
That The Cigarette with the unusual #2 was THE first 36' ever built.
Knocky House and Karl Kiekhaefer they starting to make a test with the first 36' that already bring the Italian flag of the owner Balestrieri.
The name The Cigarette on the side perhaps reveals that Don wanted to bring to the debut in a race his new 36' before sold it.
Don brought the race number #2 on another 36' this time all white, for a competition with Jim Wynne to his side.
Probably that 36' it was then of Art Norris and it became the famous Slap Shot.

absolutely!

That´s the one and only.

the runner up might be the ad with Aronow having a lifejacket on his shoulder and I believe a 39 Cig Squadron is in the background on a lift.

Marco......if you are referring to the 36 footer that Don had # 2 on...... and he and Jim Wynne won a race in Florida with....that was many years later, not when the first 36 boats came out