Jean Claude Simone
 

Hello to all - I'm trying to piece together the history of Chris Craft's Stinger line of boats. I'm looking for any/all info on anybody that helped in creating these boats. I understand that Jeane Claude Simone designed some hulls that were used for the stingers as well as excaliburs and banana boats. I was wondering if anybody had any info on Mr Simone, or anybody else who might have worked on the stingers such as Roy Rogers, Don Westerman, etc.

Thanks in advance.
www.chriscraftstingers.com

I think Simon's involvement with the Stinger line was limited to the 312 Stinger (which was derived from the 31' Excalibur). He also designed the 33' Powerplay (at least the bottom) if I am not mistaken, which was derived from the 32' Cobra. I think they are all similar, if not the same, bottom design.

JC designed the original cary 33 which became every Cigarette there after (and apache along with many others). He also designed the Cobra line which then became the Coyote line(32 became the 33 powerplay)... then a 38 Coyote was used to make the first 33 Sonic and every 33 + sonic there after.

Truth be known, JC has personally made the largest design impact on deep-v offshore powerboats.

Oh, I almost forgot, the Excalibur which was used to make the Fountain... get the picture?

Mid Ocean, could you deliver a ton that stuff to my yard and spread it around. World record BS! JC didn't design s++t.

Alan,

Okay, I will give a few more some credit. Harry Schoal (28 Cigarette, 50 Cary) and you... your hand in just about everything. But give JC his due.

T.

Harry drew the 28', 23', Magnums, the 32' Cary. These boats became 100 other boats. The27' Magnum became the 28' Cigarette It became the 26' Cary, which became the 29' Cary. MSV 44' got shortened, and became the other boats. If you look closely, all the Beep Beep raceboats had a sign on the deck that said "Conceived by Jean Claude Simon". He is a good friend of mine.

brownie - anyway I can get in touch with JC? As I said, I'm looking for any/all info about the Stingers, and his name shows up in the brochures.

thanks,
Han
www.chriscraftstingers.com

lol, I was going to say Brownie...none of the MidOcean info sounded very accurate. Simone didn't design any hulls. He was known for deck designs only. Decks like the 29/32 Cobra, 34/38 Coyote, 31 Excalibur/Chris*Craft Scorpion deck, etc... Some of his designs were heavily "influenced" by another existing(at the time) european designer, Renato "Sonny" Levi.

Ed,

I respectfully disagree

T

That's a nice site you have there :) Great job!

Jean Claude Simon are designer of the 260 and 312 Stingers.
I Believe the 311, 312,313 and 314 are just a splash of the 31/32 Excalibur Marine (Not to mix up with Wellcraft). And if I'am not completly way out the first Fountain 10M are based in the same Excalibur hull. Also the AeroTek 32.
All is JC Simon-hulls what I can understand.

The 39 Stinger would be intresting to know the history on. It's very simular to the 40 Excalibur Hawk , but where did the 40 Hawk come from?

But Chris Craft Stingers are NOT built for any kind of hardcore offshore use. I know!! Been there done that with resin bucket and glass... haha.

You have one of my old Stingers in the gallerie, red/white one and it's a 1989, not 1986.

Regarding JC Simon designs Banana Boats, boardmember "TopBanana" (Charlie McCarthy) will know's all about it and prob correct some of my info.

Keep up the good work!

Mange