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looking for info on this cat?
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looking for some history from you old salts out there!!!!
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I think the boat was on Ebay a few weeks ago.. if its the same boat, the reserve was not met. Is it a derivative of a excalibur/wellcraft cat ?
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It is a 30' Flight Cat. One time Popeyes race boat. One time World Kilo Record Holder.
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thanks ryan...
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Neat pictures. Let's find out more.
What year are we talking? It looks like the '82-'84 Excaliburcat with the deck modified for the canopy. Once Wellcraft started making them the deck was not as high at the transom and the sponsons had pads. What power and speed for the record in what year? |
Tomcat-
You just answered a question I had been wondering about.. National has a Excal cat, I noticed that the deck was taller from the windscreen back than others I have seen.. What year did wellcraft start building these cats? thanks TC |
Any more information? Cmon you guys have got to know more...
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Thought it look like one of copelands boats .Do a search on Popeyes. Stan on will know the boat.
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/m...o&userid=10278 |
My understanding is that Excalibur Marine built them from '82-'84. Wellcraft built them from '84-'86, then quit. They only built 7 in 1986. BROWNIE knows more.
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I began my racing in a Flight Marine back in 1988 for Larry Good (Fountain PB) when he owned Hy-Tech Marine in Washington, NC. They did run good we had small blocks in it for one year and big blocks the next and we ran Arneson #6's w/ a tunnel tab. Even with small blocks it we were in the 102 - 106 mph range, which was not bad for a heavy old style cat. I'll try and did up some pictures and scan them to post.
Ben |
Re: looking for info on this cat?
Originally Posted by jbbeard
It is the same 30 foot boat driven by Al Copeland in the Halter 200 race held on March 28, 1981 on Lake Ponchatrain in New Orleans. It was Named "Flight Marine" then. Just before the start of the race while milling for position, I was Driving my 30 foot Chris Craft S11 " Kruggerand" and saw Joel Halpern turn his 39 foot Cougar "Michelob Lite" in front of Al who was not on plane and could not see him. This resulted in a collision which killed Joel and caused Halter Marine to withdraw sponsorship of this race. A sad day for offshore racing.
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Re: looking for info on this cat?
Halpern was in a wooden Cougar Cat and Copeland was in a V bottom.
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Re: looking for info on this cat?
I didn't think that the Flight Marine Cat that I raced had been in any accident to speak of. I know Al Copeland did or does have a Flight Marine as I have seen it, but our's was orange and yellow and called "Top Cat".
Ben PS: Hey Rik... |
Re: looking for info on this cat?
Here are the photos of that sad day... Halperns boat was an aluminum cougar... the boat went on to become a world champion hull in 1985 as MISTER ROBERTS driven by Tony Roberts.
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Re: looking for info on this cat?
From Crouse: "Shock of another nature hit the Americans minutes before its first ‘81 race in New Orleans as two-time national champion Joel Halpern was crushed when Al Copeland’s Cigarette Popeyes ran into Halpern’s brand new aluminum catamaan Michelob Light. Halpern died almost immediately. No one else was injured."
Thought Popeyes went with Big Cougars after that but whatever they had in 82' they held world record at 113mph. |
Re: looking for info on this cat?
Originally Posted by Ryan Beckley
It is a 30' Flight Cat. One time Popeyes race boat. One time World Kilo Record Holder.
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Re: looking for info on this cat?
Originally Posted by jbbeard
It is the same 30 foot boat driven by Al Copeland in the Halter 200 race held on March 28, 1981 on Lake Ponchatrain in New Orleans. It was Named "Flight Marine" then. Just before the start of the race while milling for position, I was Driving my 30 foot Chris Craft S11 " Kruggerand" and saw Joel Halpern turn his 39 foot Cougar "Michelob Lite" in front of Al who was not on plane and could not see him. This resulted in a collision which killed Joel and caused Halter Marine to withdraw sponsorship of this race. A sad day for offshore racing.
Wrong.... Al Copeland and Billy Sirois were in a Cigarette Vee bottom that day......and that is the boat that hit Joel's aluminum Cougar ....any Chris Cat...did not exist in 1981 as that was the year we rolled out the Shadows which pre dated the Chris Cats by 2 years....... I was in the race throttling the first Black Duck Shadow Cat with Pete Aitken on the wheel. I also believe that Al and Bill did not finish the Flight cat until at least 6 months or so after that race. T2x |
Re: looking for info on this cat?
Hey Rich,
Do you know anything about the old Flight Marine cat, named "Top Cat"? It was orange and yellow with this wild painting of a hot girl and a couple of black panthers on the deck. Thanks, Ben |
Re: looking for info on this cat?
Originally Posted by Ben@SRP
Hey Rich,
Do you know anything about the old Flight Marine cat, named "Top Cat"? It was orange and yellow with this wild painting of a hot girl and a couple of black panthers on the deck. Thanks, Ben sorry T2x |
Re: looking for info on this cat?
Originally Posted by stinger312
Here are the photos of that sad day... Halperns boat was an aluminum cougar... the boat went on to become a world champion hull in 1985 as MISTER ROBERTS driven by Tony Roberts.
those pics are from the book "Searace" jr mike |
Re: looking for info on this cat?
Hello again Stinger 312-
I stand Corrected... gettin old is not for sissies. I had the boat house three doors down from Al and saw the Flight Marine in the back bay when I went out. I thought Al was driving it. I was in the Sport class milling area and saw the accident. Thanks for the pictures, do you have any more? |
Re: looking for info on this cat?
T2x You are right on both counts. Al was in the Cigarette and I did not have a chris cat, I had a chris craft V bottom Stinger that I bought at sunny Isles Marina from Stan. I converted it into a race boat. I ran in Sport class and Named the boat Kruggerand with the number S11. I now have a Chris Cat copy, 1997 31' Awesome Thundercat which I am restoring for this summer of fun.
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Re: looking for info on this cat?
Originally Posted by thedonz
those pics are from the book "Searace"
jr mike |
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