Jersey Devil
 

Anyone know what kind of boat the Jersey Devil #50 was in the 1968 Bahama 500?

Its at 20:39 (and my boat is at 24:38)

That was Ed Sims from Atlantic City in the Nova 24 "Sprint". You know Mark, my faves are still the Nova 19's. 8'6" beam, they're just very fat!

https://books.google.com/books?id=sP...rownie&f=false

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...24da519549.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...762c0fb8e0.jpg

24 Nova.

Was it outdrives, inboard? Looks to be a factory boat with the cockpit covered with plywood. Very different from the race boat.
PS, Lars, the 19 is 7 feet, 11 and 7/8 inches wide so it can be towed without special permits (wink wink) but one thing I do know is its wider then the 24's transom by a few inches.

Was it outdrives, inboard? Looks to be a factory boat with the cockpit covered with plywood making it real hard to get to the motors. Very different from the race boat.
Lars, the 19 is 7 feet, 11 and 7/8+ inches wide so it can be towed without special permits (wink wink) but one thing I do know is its wider then the 24's transom by a few inches. ….I like big butts and I can not lie....
Those 24's aren't all bad,


Took almost 45 years but it has the same motors O'Dell had in his boat in the 500. I wonder how it turn out today?

"PS, Lars, the 19 is 7 feet, 11 and 7/8 inches wide so it can be towed without special permits (wink wink) but one thing I do know is its wider then the 24's transom by a few inches."

Mark

Yes Mark, I remember reading on your site that the Nova 19 is a couple inches wider at the transom though 'Brownie' has said he used the transom from the Nova 24 on the 19 and he also admitted that the Nova 24 is 8 feet 2 1/2 inches at the transom. Now I can see that the Nova 19 has almost a 'delta' shaped hull a la Sonny Levi's designs, as she's so short, and that might mean that she's got a beam that's narrower than her transom? 'Brownie certainly created something very unique with the Nova 19 and the ride in the 24 got to be remarkable. Never seen either one myself, but we got plenty of 70's Wellcraft Nova's here on the 'Left Coast'. It's so unfortunate that the economic downturn made 'Brownie' and Bill Wishnick decide to unload Nova Marine. Maybe 'Brownie' spent too much money on ammo to be able to keep Don at bay. ;) Their attention to detail seems to have been in a class of its own and the build quality was probably only matched by Cary Marine. I wonder what Brownie's next model would have been like? As far as Ed Sims' boat goes it sure looked like a twin I/O, but only 'Brownie' and a few others would remember. If I'm not mistaken I believe I read somewhere that Ed Sims eventually concentrated on sailing and became quite an accomplished sailor.

P.S. Can't help posting two more of Your images from your fab website Mark: link SuperNova 24 D.S.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...c1f05afe4f.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9f27f11c73.jpg

http://supernova19.com/269e1290.jpg

Even with a stainless rub rail it would be cool as $hit.

Yes, Jeff's Alpha Z 23 was quite a project. Bet Brownie got a few gray hairs from that one. Never seen it in person, but saw Jeff's Van Dam built 1998 Alpha Z several times at Lake Tahoe. He finally had to sell her and she almost got wasted on the French Riviera, but finally found her way back to California again. After a refresh at Van Dam, she's now in a boat collection at a winery here in Northern California. Here's a great article about a test of Alpha Z 23 back in 1992: Boating Magazine Alpha Z 23 test.
Alpha Z idling: Alpha Z at speed:
P.S. Don't know the whereabouts of Alpha Z 23 nowadays, but she's probably still back in Florida. Here are a few current photos of Alpha Z by Van Dam and lastly what must be the prototype/plug for the Alpha Z 23? D.S.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...d0b7867688.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...72f6103a59.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...81b4929df2.jpghttps://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...c6ddea0b28.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...692d2b9da9.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...96aa05ab66.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...462f1b6d6b.jpg

What did Billy Wishnick of Nova, Bobby Rautbard of Fino and Elton Cary of Cary all have in common ?
The obvious answer explains the why and how Billy and Bobby 1st became involved in offshore racing and how and why all three entered into the powerboat production game.

They all had Don Aronow as a friend and mentor .........on how to start a boat building company.

Brownie

Hello all, I am Ed Sims son . My father passed in 1985. I actually found the 24 nova in question and purchased it in the late 80's or early 90's. It was in a fire and in rough shape. I was starting a family and could not swing a restoration at that time and then someone saw the boat and made me a stupid offer. Anyway enjoy reading the old stories and if anyone has some pictures of his old race boats i would love to see them. I was young at the time but as far as i remember he had the nova than a triple engine boat with 606 on it. After that the 34 cigarette numbered 747 with first 4 then 6 towers of power on it. These were all Jersey Devil boats. The last was a 40 foot Gara named Rum Runner with the number 10 on it. Thanks

Thank You for Your response Mr. Sims. Your Father and all his pals must have had an amazing time back in the day. Not for the faint at heart racing real offshore in the 60s and 70s. The Cigarette 34 footer must have been one of the most remembered boats of its time due to the quads and sexts Mercs.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...2bfaa0436b.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...4e35fd0b54.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...86d7d1c0ea.jpg

Was the 34' cigarette a "one off" build?....never heard of it before this post.

Two Cigarette 34's claimed to have been made.
 

They were 2' blocked wide beam 36 boats according to the fellows that raced those days. This Jersey Devil boat supposedly left The U.S. for France in the mid-'70s.

I like how the two outboard motors don't turn. that's crazy. Can only imagine how long those 2 outboard engines lasted its like the center motor on the old prostock cats

I have seen an old advertisement where they painted the cowlings to make them appear newer than they were. It was an early attempt at photoshop i guess. Anyway thanks for the pics of the boat and please post anymore if anyone has them

Its called an Alpha Z

http://supernova19.com/56fe6810.jpg

Where did the other one go? I don't recall another Cig outboard. I think Juan Fernandez had a big multi outboard Magnum at one point.

1973 Cigarette 34 'Mustard Tornado'.
 

Correct. The second 34 Cigarette was raced by Vincenzo Balestrieri in 1973 and was not an outboard. He had problems with his motors and the boat was a little heavy and not well balanced according to Richie Powers, so in 1974 and 1975 Balestrieri went back in his Cigarette 36 'Black Tornado'. He then quit racing and the 34 Cigarette became his personal boat, the only one he kept. It's sometimes referred to as Balestrieri's 'Mostarda'(mustard) Tornado, due to its color. Portrait of Balestrieri, with Don Aronow, Jim Wynne among others, courtesy of Magnum Marine.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...7945353632.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...09f27e579c.jpg

Thanks for the great information and reply. I was not aware of the Cig 34 that Balestrieri raced. Interesting that he kept it as his personal boat and that both 34's were basically yellow. Great stuff.