1350 up the bank!!
06-12-2011 | 04:11 AM
#1
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From: QLD
1350 up the bank!!
I posted a few weeks ago about a good friend of mine that has the first mercury 1350 here in Australia in a 21 force ski race boat.
I posted that they spun it out a few weeks ago at 100mph, luckily boat and all involved came out relatively unscathed.
It's with sadness that I can report it ran it's first race yesterday and spun again at 105mph. This time with far worse consequences as the boat threw both driver and observer over 50m from the boat, one landing in the water with concusion and cut to the head. The other landed up the bank and sustained injuries to his shoulder and neck. Both very lucky to be alive!
The boat ended up the bank also and from reports is a write off.
Not sure what was causing it to spin. The driver says it would just drop it's nose abruptly at approx 100-105 but either side of that it would be fine. Initial thoughts are the prop was blowing out at that speed. These boats have run merc 6 drives for years with no problems. Could the 8 need different setup height, are dimensions different? Not that it matters now. It's a $210 000 paper weight now
I posted that they spun it out a few weeks ago at 100mph, luckily boat and all involved came out relatively unscathed.
It's with sadness that I can report it ran it's first race yesterday and spun again at 105mph. This time with far worse consequences as the boat threw both driver and observer over 50m from the boat, one landing in the water with concusion and cut to the head. The other landed up the bank and sustained injuries to his shoulder and neck. Both very lucky to be alive!
The boat ended up the bank also and from reports is a write off.
Not sure what was causing it to spin. The driver says it would just drop it's nose abruptly at approx 100-105 but either side of that it would be fine. Initial thoughts are the prop was blowing out at that speed. These boats have run merc 6 drives for years with no problems. Could the 8 need different setup height, are dimensions different? Not that it matters now. It's a $210 000 paper weight now
06-12-2011 | 08:45 AM
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I posted a few weeks ago about a good friend of mine that has the first mercury 1350 here in Australia in a 21 force ski race boat.
I posted that they spun it out a few weeks ago at 100mph, luckily boat and all involved came out relatively unscathed.
It's with sadness that I can report it ran it's first race yesterday and spun again at 105mph. This time with far worse consequences as the boat threw both driver and observer over 50m from the boat, one landing in the water with concusion and cut to the head. The other landed up the bank and sustained injuries to his shoulder and neck. Both very lucky to be alive!
The boat ended up the bank also and from reports is a write off.
Not sure what was causing it to spin. The driver says it would just drop it's nose abruptly at approx 100-105 but either side of that it would be fine. Initial thoughts are the prop was blowing out at that speed. These boats have run merc 6 drives for years with no problems. Could the 8 need different setup height, are dimensions different? Not that it matters now. It's a $210 000 paper weight now
I posted that they spun it out a few weeks ago at 100mph, luckily boat and all involved came out relatively unscathed.
It's with sadness that I can report it ran it's first race yesterday and spun again at 105mph. This time with far worse consequences as the boat threw both driver and observer over 50m from the boat, one landing in the water with concusion and cut to the head. The other landed up the bank and sustained injuries to his shoulder and neck. Both very lucky to be alive!
The boat ended up the bank also and from reports is a write off.
Not sure what was causing it to spin. The driver says it would just drop it's nose abruptly at approx 100-105 but either side of that it would be fine. Initial thoughts are the prop was blowing out at that speed. These boats have run merc 6 drives for years with no problems. Could the 8 need different setup height, are dimensions different? Not that it matters now. It's a $210 000 paper weight now
06-12-2011 | 09:12 AM
#7
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From: frankenmuth michigan
Sounds like prop blowout, my 27 ft Baja did the same thing around 97 mph, lost bite, dropped the bow, started bow steering violently and just about swapped ends but I was able to save it with throttle , not something you want to do more than once! Smitty
06-12-2011 | 04:11 PM
#10
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From: QLD
The 1350 is actually pretty mild considering some of the other motors in ski racing circuits. Almost all the motors are twin turbo (1500hp isn't uncommon). Just google force boats to see a number of them. It the boats a built to handle the power. In this case however something strange has occurred. I'll try and get a picture up of it before the crash
