Re: My first boat race
 

I'll have to get the pictures my mom has from me wondering around the pits back in Freeport.

Re: My first boat race
 

I used to love going the the Bennihana Grand Prix in Point Pleasant, N.J. when I was younger.
Had alot of good times at Jenkinson's Bar on the beach :D

Re: My first boat race
 

Yes...here's a pic. There was also a "Copper Kettle" Corsa...pic. 2

Re: My first boat race
 

Thank you Charlie !! My Father will get a kick from seeing it tomorrow. That is the 24' that My Father broke the Miami to New your record with in August 1978. It was powered by the # 2 and # 3 2.4 Mercs. ever built. Boat is still located today in the Seattle , Washington area.


Thanks again,

JO - Pantera

Re: My first boat race
 

The first Copper Kettle was a 36' Cigarette. The 38 Bertram was one of the first boats (I think the second) built of "Kevlar 49", which now is referred to as Kevlar.
Trivia question: What was the first Offshore raceboat made of Kevlar 49? Hint; not an open class boat.

Re: My first boat race
 

Hey Chatim, That 24' pic was in 1978, in 1979 I raced a 28' w/ triple 2.4 mercs. say hello to your dad, Later, pepe

Trivia question:
What was the name of the original Corsa builder???
I will give you his initials: P H

Re: My first boat race
 

I am pretty sure Kopper Kettle had a cig as well. I can think of no other boat with that paint scheme.

If you guys like the Pantera Pics, you need to stop by the factory, They are hanging everywhere and it blows you away when you first see it

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I would have to answer the forst Kevlar boat built as a Larry Smith Scarab. Built for Bob Nordskog.

Re: My first boat race
 

Ahh yes - that makes sense too. Dad was waiting for Jean Claude to finish his 38' in 1978 so he would have flown over the race then too since he sold his old 24' which raced as "Gone Bannas" in that race.

I have no idea who built that original Corsa. What was a "Gara" and what was it's connection if any to Corsa?

Robert G: Good question on the 1st Kevlar - I'm stumped...have no idea (maybe "Pure Insanity"??).

Charlie Jr.

Re: My first boat race
 

Yes - the was a 36' Cig. Copper Kettle too. I tried to find pics of that last night but couldn't...

Re: My first boat race
 

If you guys love history, check out the Bannana Boat section, Charlie Sr. and Jr are breakin out some old pics as well and they are awesome

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Hey JR Banana, I believe Gara became Corsa, memory does not serve me right!

ask your old man if "Paul Hagertty" rings a bell ? He was an innovator in "the day" Look @ the low sides of the hull in the Corsa. It was not normal for an offshore boat.
later, Pepe @ Pantera

Re: My first boat race
 

Didn't Paul race "Tightrope" a 30 Corsa? Tightrope won it's class in one of the Bennihana's (before there were 15 classes)
Catim,
Your very close-it was a Scarab 30, however not "Pure Insanity".

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Hey Pepe

Paul Hagerty....boy now we are going back some years. He was a sharp guy with some different ideas. You were right about the years, it was '78 as my boat was not finished by JC Simon and I took the kids in the chopper from Rhode Island to New Jersey to fly over the race and shoot some photos. Unfortunately I was also flying over the race as my son remembers in '79 as I blew an engine and Phil Lewis asked me to do the narration for his filming from the chopper.

FountainCS...great shots of Betty and Paul...I didn't realize that she was your aunt. Betty, Howard Arneson and a couple more of us tried to put a drivers group together to push for more safety coverage in the sport in the mid 70's.

I was friends with some Formula 1 drivers around that time and they had just organized the same thing for their drivers. If they deemed a track too dangerous, they would not go out on it. Our problem with safety was, that we were so far offshore at times that it would have been a long time for anyone to come and help us, if they came at all.

At the race in Argentina in '78 Bill Elswick's boat sank in a very rough race. The crew was able to get the raft inflated and they all got in and waited...and waited and waited ...finally they were spotted just at sunset, by a freighter going to Buenos Aires. They were picked up and rode all the way, 250 miles north, to Buenos Aires with them.

Meanwhile back on shore, we were all trying to find out what was being done...language problem, spanish/english. The Italian team won the race. The race had been postponed a day and we all had flight reservations to leave.

Larry Smith and his wife and me and my wife had reserevations to go to Rio on our way home. We finally got word they were found and everybody scrambled for the airport.

The good old days were not so good all of the time. Please post more of Betty and Paul, I am sure everyone would love to see them. She was a class act, win or lose.

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Thanks very much T.B. I appreciate it. Betty was very special, I spent a great deal of time with her thankfully. I will get some more pictures scanned. Here is one I'm sure no one has. It's taken when I was a kid. She's in her 26' Christ Craft which had twin Kamma's. She kept it at her house in Lake George which is now where my parents live. I'll try and find some pictures of my first boat. It was a Mini Hawk painted like the Kamma.

Re: My first boat race
 

Great thread guys!!!

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man those are pics Ive never seen great thread

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FountainCS: WOW! Great picture - I think I speak for everyone in saying that we would all love to see more pictures of Betty. She was a great lady and I know my dad (Top Banana - Charlie McCarthy) really respected her as a racer and friend...she brought a certain amount of class to the sport that has not been matched since. I remember flying over the '77 World Championships with my dad - we followed her. Here's a quick pic of her in Key West in '76 (??) in her 36' Cigarette (the old Dante's Inferno) - she sure looks happy...

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Wow! Thanks Chatim, great pic. Yes, she was very happy when she was in the boat. I will get as many posted as I can. Keep an I out for more.

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Fountain CS I grew up in Point Pleasant, and your Aunt was one of my hero's.
I have an autographed picture of her from back in the days of the Benihana.

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Fountain CS I have the brochure from hi tech sport boats back when I bought my mini hawk and it has the KAAMA mini hawk in it ,COOL :D. Betty was how I got hooked on offshore powerboat racing, she is a hero of mine....

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I also remenber as kid going to tha races with my old man and seeing her and I thought she was so cool, That was my favorite boat (kaama) cig, scarabe etc. must of been cool having her as your aunt.

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How about starting a Betty thread ????

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It's great to hear all the positive things about Betty. Thanks everyone. She was something special!!

Re: My first boat race
 

Great thread!

It's seems to be a good time to remind everyone of the Offshore Library.

Perhaps some of you would like add your old photos to it?

If so, contact OSO member DaveP of NJPPC.

Thanks again for sharing.

Here is the link to the Library: http://njppc.com/librarypreface.htm

Re: My first boat race
 

Does anyone have any pics of Cigarette Lady (35 Cigarette) around 1982 and up? I own her now as a pleasure boat. Would love to see her in action back in the day.

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Danny D

I think that was a west coast boat out of California. Some of the OSO members out there may have something.

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Topbanana -your right it was a West Coast boat out of CA.
I now Thaddeus has pics but not sure if he uses the computer. I am still waiting for him to mail them to me.......

Re: My first boat race
 

Hi Charlie - as you can see I've been digging through some of the old threads. I think I may have solved the mystery over the Cig 36! Below are two pictures of 'Thunder' , when it was over racing in Cowes in 1978 I think. I believe Bill Elswick was driver with Angelo Meli on board too. Although the strut running across the engine bay is different in my shot, everything else ties in. The running shot of the boat from a distance confirms for me the paint scheme/number and engine cowling vents etc. What do you think? Along the right lines??!!

Re: My first boat race
 

Small world cause that was probably the first race I was at, although I was too young to remember ya old fart! :D Dee probably remembers though.

I grew up looking at a stack of pictures from that race, combined with my fathers boat I was hooked! Here's a few shots I scanned in, too many to scan though. Lot's of running shots, I'll show you next time I see ya. :cool:

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Few more!

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more

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last one

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Hey watch who you call an old fart! We're the same age! Anyway ... that makes your 1st race just before you turned 2.

JC never did answer the question though, or did he? Did he venture outta LI by 10 years old?

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That was right in the south shore of LI.My father told me that we were going to see Catamarans race and i thought they were sailboats.I had no idea :cool: :cool:

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That's right, you're an old fart! :eek: :eek:

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Bro, your hat comes with a chin strap!

Don't make me pull out the photo album!

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F@#K yeah, didn't want it blowin off at 65 mph. :cool:

Notice who was workin the throttles. :D

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Me, DC and Flash. :cool: :evilb:Mom liked me as you can tell

Re: My first boat race
 

Im jealous .... my dad only taught me about cars/engines .. nothin about boats :bunny: