Go Back  Offshoreonly.com > General Discussion > Classic Offshore
Speeds from Offshore Racers in the '60's and '70's >

Speeds from Offshore Racers in the '60's and '70's

Notices

Speeds from Offshore Racers in the '60's and '70's

Old 04-21-2012, 09:01 PM
  #1  
Registered
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ocala, Fl
Posts: 3,066
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
Default Speeds from Offshore Racers in the '60's and '70's

This is a question for all the Legacy racers out there.

What speeds were achieved and or maintained in the offshore races in the '60's and '70's?

In the stock classes, what speeds were the Formula's, Cigarette's , Magnums, Carreras,etc running?

I remember reading a statement by Don Arronow once where he said that many talk about their factory boats that will break 60 MPH yet there are only a few that actually will.
sprink58 is offline  
Old 04-21-2012, 11:01 PM
  #2  
Gold Member
Gold Member
 
h2oboater's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NewBaltimore Mi
Posts: 3,492
Received 54 Likes on 31 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by sprink58
This is a question for all the Legacy racers out there.

What speeds were achieved and or maintained in the offshore races in the '60's and '70's?

In the stock classes, what speeds were the Formula's, Cigarette's , Magnums, Carreras,etc running?

I remember reading a statement by Don Arronow once where he said that many talk about their factory boats that will break 60 MPH yet there are only a few that actually will.
Here is my speed chart from the 1976 Michigan APBA Charleys Crab race. APBA had a speed run the day before before the offshore race on Lake Huron, here are the speeds of the boats..
Attached Thumbnails Speeds from Offshore Racers in the '60's and '70's-cc-speed-chart-1-h2o.jpg  
h2oboater is offline  
Old 04-21-2012, 11:30 PM
  #3  
Neno the mind boggler
VIP Member
iTrader: (1)
 
glassdave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: toledo oh
Posts: 13,064
Received 259 Likes on 92 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by h2oboater
Here is my speed chart from the 1976 Michigan APBA Charleys Crab race. APBA had a speed run the day before before the offshore race on Lake Huron, here are the speeds of the boats..
Man them Mirages were fast
__________________
Throttles- Cleveland Construction 377 Talon
08 OPA Class 1 National Champion
08 Class 1 Geico Triple Crown Champion
08 OPA High Points Champion
10 OPA Class 1 National Champion ( happy now Ed! )
glassdave is offline  
Old 04-22-2012, 06:14 AM
  #4  
Registered
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ocala, Fl
Posts: 3,066
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by h2oboater
Here is my speed chart from the 1976 Michigan APBA Charleys Crab race. APBA had a speed run the day before before the offshore race on Lake Huron, here are the speeds of the boats..
Great Stuff...thanks.
sprink58 is offline  
Old 04-22-2012, 08:29 AM
  #5  
Registered
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: St. Augustine, FL
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by sprink58
This is a question for all the Legacy racers out there.

What speeds were achieved and or maintained in the offshore races in the '60's and '70's?

In the stock classes, what speeds were the Formula's, Cigarette's , Magnums, Carreras,etc running?

I remember reading a statement by Don Arronow once where he said that many talk about their factory boats that will break 60 MPH yet there are only a few that actually will.
well in the late 60''s thunderbird 28 ft twin daytona turbo 427 chevys pushed us to just under 70 mph, but we could not run their very long. I was in that boat 1966, europe. thundebird race team in the 70's mercury engines and drives took over. we then could be pushed well over 70 mph and the engines were staying together.I was in the boats 36 cig race team 4 years.I worked a total of 8 years for Don on various projects. sonny miller
CAL500 is offline  
Old 04-22-2012, 01:39 PM
  #6  
Registered
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ocala, Fl
Posts: 3,066
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by CAL500
well in the late 60''s thunderbird 28 ft twin daytona turbo 427 chevys pushed us to just under 70 mph, but we could not run their very long. I was in that boat 1966, europe. thundebird race team in the 70's mercury engines and drives took over. we then could be pushed well over 70 mph and the engines were staying together.I was in the boats 36 cig race team 4 years.I worked a total of 8 years for Don on various projects. sonny miller
Sony...what drives were you running in those days...TR's or Volvo's?
sprink58 is offline  
Old 04-22-2012, 03:35 PM
  #7  
Registered
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: St. Augustine, FL
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by sprink58
Sony...what drives were you running in those days...TR's or Volvo's?
in the mid 60's at thunderbird we were running struts, outboard rudders and casale v drives set with 10 % overdrive gears and daytona marine engines, so was don on his early projects. Look on history of offshore power boats site and look at #50 or #250 you will see our running gear.I am in the boat. crew merrick lewis, buck carlton and sonny miller off the coast of north miami 1967. volvo drives on the small formula jr. and donzi's with holman moodys ford engines. sonny miller thanks for the interest.
CAL500 is offline  
Old 04-22-2012, 06:26 PM
  #8  
Registered
 
Top Banana's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Rhode Island summer, Florida winter
Posts: 3,654
Received 200 Likes on 79 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by glassdave
Man them Mirages were fast

The Mirage guys were using a local engine guy to massage their motors.....I'm not sure what he was doing, but he never popped up in offshore again...somebody said he moved on to auto racing.

I think his name was Jack Roush....anybody know what happened to him?
Top Banana is offline  
Old 04-22-2012, 07:57 PM
  #9  
Registered
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ocala, Fl
Posts: 3,066
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
Default

Good old Jack. Yep...he's done quite well for himself and has had a bit of luck...especially the day that retired Marine pulled him out of his experimental aircraft at the bottom of a lake in Alabama...but that's another story.
sprink58 is offline  
Old 04-22-2012, 08:07 PM
  #10  
Registered
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ocala, Fl
Posts: 3,066
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by CAL500
in the mid 60's at thunderbird we were running struts, outboard rudders and casale v drives set with 10 % overdrive gears and daytona marine engines, so was don on his early projects. Look on history of offshore power boats site and look at #50 or #250 you will see our running gear.I am in the boat. crew merrick lewis, buck carlton and sonny miller off the coast of north miami 1967. volvo drives on the small formula jr. and donzi's with holman moodys ford engines. sonny miller thanks for the interest.
So there was a transition period from straight inboards and v-drives to stern-drives sometime in the late '60's ~ early '70's.

As in auto racing, the recreational boating crowd (all of us) are benefiting from the things you guys learned slamming yourselves and your equipment all over the ocean. It looks like 60~70 mph was near the top of the hill at that time. What were some of the most significant changes you have seen over the past 30 years to the sport?

The cruising speeds that top of the line off shore factory boats achieve these days were top speeds guys like you were finishing races with...amazing how far the technology has evolved. At the end of the day I guess the limit is how much punishment the human body can take. We can make the equipment stronger but we are at the limit as to what we as men can tolerate. I think making it safer and more comfortable is always a goal.
sprink58 is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.