Yes it was for a group in Japan about 20 years ago then the boat was shipped off too AZ haven't seen it since.

Theres a video of the boat running in Japan

wow cool find, were the rest of the contents?

Orionbbs your private message box is full so you can not be messaged in private until some are deleted. I have a phone number to pass on for someone that would like to speak to you. Please call me 888-635-8712 Thanks

Sorry about that, looks like I can only have 2 (!?) private messages at a time before the dang thing says its full. Any way to increase how many messages you can get on this forum? Its crazy low number....

shaun

Same here I'd at least like a price on some stuff 918-639-0437

Membership gives you more space I believe, not sure though.

guys like I said please be patient. I've got a day job and this is a ton of stuff. I'll post more info later this summer.

thanks
shaun

Non members get 10 total - this includes sent messages. Sent messages are saved in sent message file. So check all your folders and delete unneeded ones.

Hi guys,

Some very cool news. I've found the original owner of this boat model and it is none other than Ron Jones Sr. boat builder which I'm sure you all know and love. As a car guy I had to say before finding him I had no idea of his accomplishments. He is such a nice guy and has done so much for the boat industry.

I am personally very happy to have found the owner and Ron is so happy to have found his model after 20+ years.

The abridged story goes: Ron designed this boat for Tom Gentry in/around 1993 using wind tunnel and aerodynamicist from the University of Washington. Tom asked for the model to be sent out to him for his guys to look at. Sadly Tom passed away only weeks after the model was sent and the model was lost to history and a boat was never built from it. That is until I found it in a cargo container here in California 21 years later.

There is lots more to the story and what is going to happen to this model now that it is going back home, but a few key points according to Ron

1) This was one of the first designs, designed from the get go to prevent blow-overs at 250mph+
2) It was designed from day one in a wind tunnel
3) Hint to this models future importance in offshore boating -- this boat model will be used to help make offshore boat racing safer and may fundamentally change the way offshore boats are designed and built.

Its amazing to think finding this model could have in some small part help make boats safer

Stay tuned...

shaun

Photos of the boat model in the wind tunnel and again how we found her in the cargo container:

http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...05191818_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...40844749_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...09855552_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...96042026_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...78093557_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...20785572_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...01603952_n.jpg

can you please post the rest of that report??? Thanks!!

No sorry the report itself belongs to Ron.

shaun

wow! how cool is that :cool:

Light years ahead!:Score-101010:

And just a couple of weeks short .......of preventing a tragic accident with a blowover of a cat.

Not to sound like a dick, but there will be more unfortunatly. Thats why I was hoping to have that report become public knowledge....

Awesome looking!

Nice find Shaun, keep digging in those boxes..

Phragle, there is small independent group of guys seriously working on that issue if your interested. Just not posting anything up here because when brought up last year, it was a total waste of time. That hull design is cool and likely very functional, just a bit outdated for this modern problem. Wanta see the modern version? BTW, statement holds a patent on wind tunnel tested hull they claim solved it. Great and all, if you plan to buy their new boat. We are working a couple different angles to retrofit any cat...

@phragle, my point is I am not the one to share it. Ron sent it to me to show he was the owner of the model, and its not my place to post it as I'm not the owner of the model nor the extensive and VERY expensive research which was put into its development. If he wants to share with the world (which I know is his ultimate intention) he will be the one to do it.

Stay tuned as I've said I know Ron has lots of plans in this area and the story has yet to be written.

shaun

Thanks for keeping us in the loop on your treasure fine.

Shaun left you couple of messages haven't heard back. Very interested in some of the parts you have starting a restoration on one of Tom's boats need motors and crash boxes. Please contact me asap my customer is very anxious to get some original parts for the project.

in post 140 (the picture of the car) there appears to be a handle bar of a motorcycle or something in the lower right side of that picture? is there maybe a gentry motorcycle in that storage container ? very cool stuff! some of that should be in a museum, simply awsome stuff!

Hi guys, well the model is finally going back home this week. I took some new higher resolution photos of it today before we boxed her up. Its such a cool piece. Ron Jones is so happy to have her back and I'm so glad that we found her for him.

Note the "American Eagle Racing" ship to...

shaun

http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...14238746_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...21433144_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...16117240_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...78914454_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...30012520_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...19144914_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...30691278_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...03436339_n.jpg
http://nascarimpala.com/wp-content/u...09855552_n.jpg

Sorry about that, got you in touch with Scott my crew chief sounds like you'll be coming by to check the stuff out in a few weeks.

shaun

The gentry eagle yacht that set the trans Atlantic record is still sitting in the Ventura harbor. I don't think it will ever see a restore. Motors have to be cut out of the vessel and it would need to be gutted.




On a side note, too bad that impala isn't a rag. I'm looking for one.

Thanks Shaun looking forward to coming up a checking it all out. Hopefully you have what I need for this project. Its the 46 Scarab Gentry turbo Eagle What a monster this thing is massive it needs three motors just to get on plane. But it should be a lot of fun !

I thought Sonny Miller had that boat.

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I thought so also but I don't know what boat Sonny has but I have the the 46 Scarab the Don Johnson raced in the 1988!World Championship

Very cool, that sounds like an awsome project........and to get some origional Gentry stuff from the container is just a dream come true! Is the boat at your shop in CA?

Yes we have started to repair the transom and stringers that were cut trying to fit the Seatek diesels and homemade surface drives that were never finished. We have purchased 3 sets of drives and gimbals original wet sump VI s. Now we are hoping that we can get our hands on 3 or 4 of the Gentry engines in the containers . WE are hoping to find some fuel injected models that we can update with modern computers for reliability .

Sounds incredible, can we please see some photos at some point, good luck, especially getting the 'right' motors!!!!

What I do know about the Sonny has is that its not for sale!!

Ya I no I talked to Sonny and he said he had this boat and it was NOT FOR SALE !!!!! I would love to know what boat he thinks he has ?

I just read all 20 pages of this thread, and I'm flabbergasted. What an incredible find and story as well, I hope those parts find their way into service somehow in the future!

Yeh, and to put them in one of Gentrys origional boats is kinda like a dream come true!

With out wishing to change the subject completely, here is a story which is not dissimilar and well worth a read. The boat was built in1973, helped win Bonomi/Powers win the World Championships in '74 and the curent owner has the origional Kiekhaefer Champion Maker motors!!!!

http://www.historicraceboats.com/drymartini.htm

That's what we are trying to do hopefully !

Very cool and once again, good luck!

Would really love to come and see what you have I really need some of those parts. please call me thanks Dan[ATTACH=CONFIG]530265[/ATTACH]

try again[ATTACH=CONFIG]530266[/ATTACH]

one more try[ATTACH=CONFIG]530267[/ATTACH]Finally got it right LOL I really do have THE BOAT that could those engines!