Last time I saw the LOVE IT Again boat it was out back of Marin Machine with a reall funky canopy thing on it. It looked like it sat outside for awhile. That was probably 3 years ago.

The Yogi Berra of the Offshore world. :D:D:D

Nah......... My quotes make sense (sorta).

Although, I love Yogi......

My first baseball game....My Dad took me to Yankee Stadium..in the 50's..... I was very young and just as we sat down on the first base line..... Yogi got up to bat...(We were obviously a little late for game time)...... Anyway.....bang!////right out of the park....... Man! What a way to be introduced to a game.

My favorite Yogi quote......... and it explains a LOT in my life.

" When you come to the fork in the road....... Take it."


T2x

Ryan I remember seeing at least one 35 motion with a single canopy Kinda dumb looking on that wide of a boat. I don't the guy in the back could see very well.

Does anyone have a picture of him other than wearing a helmet.

Frank is a good guy, he did a great job on the bottom of my boat a few years ago.

The keel delaminated out on the ocean, and we almost sunk comming into Pt. Pleasant. He basically cut a whole in the bottom and started fresh, even put some extra stringers in for added measure. I was in a rush to get the boat home for the winter and he got it done on time.

While the boat was in the shop, he let me take the hook out of the bottom and gave me a lot of pointers.

I recommend Frank to anyone I know who needs work done.

There were a few single canopy 35's. Motion/Notorious/Little Richard, Loco Motion, Costa Azul were three of them.

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THE SHADOW THAT WILLIE DIAZ RACED WHICH WAS SOLD TO PETE HILDALGO AND NAMED AMERICAN DREAM IS THE SAME BOAT THAT WAS MISS PUERTO RICO AND WAS FOR SALE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO BECAUSE MY FRIEND PURCHASED THAT BOAT AND CONVERTED IT TO 1/4 CANOPIE W HUGE 1200 BLOWER MOTORS........

I remember seeing that boat (Miss Puerto Rico) in the Fla boat trader and thinking that would be a cool poker run boat, had canopies if I remember right, T2X, thanks for your insight about El Boss...Matt

The boat was a 30' Shadow. El Boss then United Racing Engines then American Dream then Spirit of Puerto Rico. It was always VERY fast.

As far as I know.....That boat is El Boss.

T2x

Are any of the original race boats you guys built at Shadow or Conquest still in top shape running around?

I BELEIVE LOVE IT AGAIN WAS THE FIRST SHADOW CAT WITH I/OS BACK IN 1981 I SAW IT IN POINT PLEASANT
BENI HANNA RACE I WAS 16 AT THE TIME AND I REMEMBER THAT BOAT SOMEWHAT.EL BOSS 38 CIG
WAS IN THAT RACE AGAINST DAMM CARRERA,EL OSO
COUNTRY BOYS,BETTY COOKS 38 MICHELOB LIGHT
DAM CARRERA WAS THROTTLED BY HUMBERTO PICON
THE CARRERA BOAT BUILDER.SAL MAGLUTA AND WILLIE
FALCON WERE RACING IN TWO DIFFRENT BOATS AND I COULD REMEMBER SALS BOAT BREAK DOWN ALMOST AT THE END AND HE WAS PIST.THOSE WERE THE DAYS I WISH I COULD RE LIVE THE DAYS OF THUNDER.

You're almost correct....The first I/O Shadow you remember at The Benihana was Love-it (they won)...... owned by Chuck Jepson and Davey Gilmour....... Love it Again..was the third boat in that group, built after El Boss, Erickson, Luv-it II( which became Ohh-la-la Sassoon), and others.

Love it set a lap record at Detroit...(faster than the Open boats) .....and the APBA immediately raised the length limit from 30 to 35 feet in Open Class. They lowered it for Chris Craft 3 years later to allow Tim Ciasulli to campaign one season only in the Chris Cat, Maxon.

Be patient...The "Days of Thunder" tapes will soon be available on DVD.

T2x

A lot of pleasure Shadows are around......... One Conquest , The triple engined "What -A-Package", now called Doubles Pizza or something,... shows up now and then.... but it wasn't our best work(design changed in mid stream following Mark Lavin's death)..and now is simply an old boat.

T2x

How many Shadow cats were actually built?

Ron:

When we left (after two years of production)there were over 30 built or under construction. After that, I don't know how many more were constructed...but it was probably under 20...So I would guess 50 or so...... From what I know most are still in use or, at least, in existence.

Remember, soon after we walked out...George was selling Chris Cats( I think about 100 of those were made)...and we started building Conquests. The choices for buyers were greater over time.

T2x

Willie is on the right side of the picture.

T2x

Thanks Cash and T2x. Is that the cockpit of El Boss they are standing in?
Funny, Willie looked the most sinister of the three before even knowing which one he is.

Lowblue,

Yes, that Shadow ran under all of those names, and Rolled over in Key West, in 1991. Sadly, the driver Peachie Prez died from complications.

The boat he was Killed in WAS NOT the Shadow. The were racing a 33/35 Express cat that was the old Motor City Magic boat. It was a boat that they Beaked so that the could put the big motors in.

Sorry Ryan, I did not know that.

You know Gary Balogh told me that I had more knowledge on the history of offshore racing then you, but even the most knowledgeable people learn something new everyday. Right T2x? Thanks Ryan.

I think you know alot more of the older history than I do. I think you and I are close in age though I am 28. Most of my racing memories are from 1984 and later.

Oh really! I'm 25, and my history starts from 1975 to the present.

I was actually there in a chase boat..and started timing when the divers went down...... as my watch approached 10 minutes, I knew it wasn't good.... He tried to dive under the deck.....with his life jacket on..... The divers found him wedged in. His nose was only a few inches below the bow air bubble.

On board oxygen......... another good idea.

T2x

Willie isn't sinister...He's just a very tough guy who survived a very tough business.........

T2x

thanxs guys i guess my friend ownes that shadow here in south florida...you guess might have a chance to see it launched at keybiscayne sundays marina or eliott key on sundays mostly.....its white with a checkered flag in the rear and has 1/4 canopies with teal interior,deffinetly an impresive boat to see the way it sounds and sits in the water ....the boat is not dialed in yet still looking for props it seems to cavitate just little over 130 and has a long way to go on the sticks...

From MY Archives.
 

American Dream Michigan 1987.

I'm sure he is. I wasn't disrespecting him.

Brownie,

You and Peter should send the checks directly to ME so that T2x doesn't have one of his "FINEST MOMENTS IN OFFSHORE..." and burn the money too!:p ;) :D :eureka:

Justin,

This may have been before your time. My father spent his summers on Nolan's Point and grew up with and raced with Dick O'Dea and Ritchie Sutphen. His name is Roger Mahieu and was buddies with Elbie and the gang.

This thread is absolutely incredible. Growing up in teh shop of Dick O'Dea as he and my father have been friends since child hood and raced hydro's together, and going to Atlantic City and Point Pleasant to see the offshore races (and Lake Hopatcong to see the hydro's and skiffs) I specifically remember seeing a boat there that was blue and black and sponsored by TRUMP HOTEL and CASINO. It was also sponsored by the Boardwalk Restaurant in Lake George, NY. At that time I was a little tyke (grade shcool) and still living in NJ with my parents. It caught my attention because we used to camp on Lake George. To this day I SPECIFICALLY remember saying to my mother that some day I will race one of these and have my own. Well in 1996 I got my start as a rookie offshore racer in that VERY SAME BOAT only now it was called PENNZOIL! It turned out to be the winningest boat in offshore history and was a 30 Shadow Cat.

At the time I had NO IDEA that I was driving a TRUE LEGEND built by the two people who could arguably be credited for having some of the MOST SIGNIFICANT impact on the sport and hobby we all enjoy today. Even more important to me is that now I am so EXTREMELY proud to call these two fine gentlemen FRIENDS! Okay, GJL is a gentlemen, the jury is still out on T2x;) . In all seriousness, everytime I speak with T2x, GJL, and Philip I feel I am TRULY blessed to be friends with such inspiring, free thinking and technologically advanced minds in the sport. These 3 guys along with a few others set the standard by which today's boats are built. Another INCREDIBLE bonus to all of this is the blessing I have in knowing Darren US1. This guy is a human encyclopedia on offshore and truly inspirational human being.

T2x, GJL, Philip, DARREN US1, you guys are the best. Your friendship is a blessing and one of the best parts of being involved in this sport. I have learned more form the 4 of you about offshore boats and racing than from any other source, and for that I am truly grateful. I look forward to seeing you ALL at the LAKE HOUSE this coming summer. You too Miller!

Shane

P.S. Hey Darren are any of my races in the 30 Shadow in 1996 gonna be on your tape?;)

I have a question.....
 

How did Shadow/Shadow Cat, Conquest, Challenger etc get their names?

Man that was long!:D

I didn't even have to breathe either!:D :crazy:

ttt

Shane, Thank you But!
 

Shane, I am very flattered that I am included in the same paragraph with Rich Luhrs and George Linder, but my only connection with them is as a long time friend and huge fan of their accomplishments. I am always in awe when either gentleman starts to contribute to a thread. I know that you have made many good friends on OSO and I am lucky to consider myself one of those friends. Thank you, But Rich and George are MY Heros also.

Philip

Wasn't the first I/O Shadow called Marlboro, later known as Town and Country and currently Pipeline?

Also, the El Boss in the photos was actually the second El Boss, with just the deck from the original?

I would love to see step by step photos of some of the Shadows being built from scratch!! :D

1. Absolutely not.... Town and Country was built two years after Love It, and Erickson Racing, and a year after El Boss.

2. ........ El Boss threw a fly wheel which cut the back end of the first hull all the way through....... That happened at a race in Michigan. and the quickest fix was a new hull..... but it was not a hull failure. The replacement hull was ready for the World's that year ...about 8 weeks later.

T2x


T2x