Big news..but HORBA needs your help
 

As many of you know, HORBA was started a few years ago as a non profit organization with two goals:
1. Save the old race boats before they are cut up and thrown away.
2. Try to get real open ocean racing started again and get the boats off the beach.

Well thanks to California HORBA members, we have just been notified of a most generous donation for our someday to come museum.

Everyone remembers Don Aronow's 32 foot Cary that he called The Cigarette after the famous Brooklyn rum runner of the 30's.

He built that boat in secret and actually had three of those boats built for himself. There was also a boat made for Peter Rothschild, Thunderballs and an outboard version for Willy Meyers, Cigarillo and another outboard for Bob Magoon, Andrea. Six boats in all.

We have just been notified that the owner of Thunderballs, the 32 Cary originally owned by Peter Rothschild has been donated to HORBA.

As far as we have been able to tell this is the last remaining 32 Cary race boat built in 1968 from those original 6. I asked the owner what the boat looked like now. He said the only difference is someone added a windscreen in front of the instrument cluster on the deck, but it could be easlily removed and the boat would look just like it did when it raced in 1969.

Incredible. It has rare number 2 Speedmasters and two sets of, the then cutting edge, 2 blade racing propellors. It has the open front bolster that was used at that time. It has the same tri cornered fuel fills and low air vents on the rear hatches.

Our intent is to restore the boat to look exactly like...The Cigarette. It is the last of that 1/2 dozen and is so original as to be an example of offshore racers of that period.

HERE IS WHERE YOUR HELP IS NEEDED

The boat is in California, Napa Valley. We need to move it to Florida for the restoration.

Would it be possible for any teams coming east to LOTO take an extra truck and bring it there....and then if any Florida teams could bring an extra truck and bring it back to Florida. It is sitting on a triple axle trailer that is currently registered in California.

If that is not possible could we arrange a Pony Express transfer of the boat. Somebody in California bring it to Arizona. Someone in Arizona bring it to New Mexico. Someone in New Mexico bring it to Texas..etc etc until we get it back to Florida.

Everyone who helps along the way will be named and acknowledged as part of the permanent display and in all the literature re the boat in the future.

This is the past of the sport of offshore, it is important, please help.

Thanks

awesome news cant wait to see pics! Sorry i cant be of any help with the transportation.

Charlie I will donate my truck from Texas. Let me know if you need me.

(I just thought of something; the pony express will likely go I10 through Houston so someone down there will take it).

I'd offer some help, but I could only get it from Florida to Well...............Florida:grinser010:

Seriously, if ya get it this far I will help, maybe get someone to tag it from N. Florida to Orlando, then I can head up the turnpike and get it from there.

Charlie,

I'll be going to Florida from Houston to pick up a boat and trailer here in the next month or so. When do you estimate it will be running through Houston?

We will have to wait to hear from the west coast members to see when we can get it out of California to Texas....stay tuned and thanks so much.

I think he'll need more than a solar powered VW microbus to pull it.:evilb:

That's my commuter vehicle. :evilb:

That's great news, Charlie. Can't wait to see how this project turns out...I'm sure it will be something to be proud of!

if it comes north i can haul south a bit from chicago

It would probably be easier to hire a transporter and see who could donate $ to help out with the cost. Just my opinion

We are open to any and all suggestions. We just want to get it back east.

Maybe we could come up with some HORBA items we could put up for auction....and try to raise funds that way and outright donations.

It would be great if we could get it back for the OFF racers reunion in October at Cadilac's place in florida.

I second the idea for whats it gonna cost and taking donations, I'm in for 50 towards it :)

Congratulations HORBA and Mr. McCarthy.

When you change Thunderball to look like The Cigarette the boat will not be the original anymore and the "restoration" will be a destruction of an original state. The changes will not be according to ethics of the National Heritage Conservation agencies. Those professionals would only clean the boat, remove the windscreen and use a minimum of clear paint without colour pigments there where it is needed in order to protect the material and the original paint during the next decades.

http://www.heritagepreservation.org/...ms/TASKFER.HTM

Great news, the former owners obviously new the ethics of conservation and did not try to change too much.

Good point and one to consider. There are no pictures yet so we are not entirely sure what she looks like - I am skeptical that she is really in that great of shape - but who knows??

Lets see what she looks like....in my opinion, either color scheme will be a significant contribution to our offshore history. Its not like we want to cut off the deck and make it into a center console...

OKAY.....it looks like we have a workable situation.

Bobby Sheer has agreed to move the boat and trailer on top of one of his rigs so even our trailer won't get any more wear....Fantastic.

Now we need the good people of offshore to help out here with donations for the fuel and tolls that Bobby will have going from..... San Diego to Napa Valley and then back to Florida.

All donations may be sent to:

HORBA
PO BOX 8625
Warwick, RI 02888

Everyone who helps will be part of the record of the restoration of this boat.

Any donations of $500 or more will get a special signed copy of SEARACE.

I still have a few of those around that John signed before he died. Any extra money left over will go towards the restoration of the boat in Florida.

Thank you for your help with this project....it is all of our sports history that we are trying to preserve for the next generation.

The first part of the project is done......THANK YOU CATASTROPHE !!!!!!!

Our Canadian friend has agreed to pick up the entire cost of the move of the boat from California to Florida with Bobby Sheer.

He has encouraged us to move ahead with the drive for donated funds and help with the restoration......I will start a new thread for that. HORBA RESTORATION PROJECT