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Been into water sports since about age 8. Ran fast little boats and loved speeding around. Built a few small speeders like the Scat Cat 3 point hydro from Popular Science Mag (I think that mag) and ran it with a service Merc Mark 20. Eventually got into APBA Region 5 racing in late 1973 in stock hydro with my home built Hal Kelly Wetback and that was a real thrill and loved it. Did very well. Continue playing with race boats and engines. And now at 75 and good knees and health ( šÆ ) still running the 60+ mph hydros at local AOMCI meets. Of course using crash helmet and race jacket and safety switch, etc.
I love the speed on the water and will do it as long as I can š , then when no more watch from the shore or maybe do those RC racers or drones with a video camera.Pic 1These are the rigs I presently run, top is the Wetback (modded from Kelly design) I raced, bottom is a 1982 Karelsen I restored
Pic 2 Racing the same Wetback back in 1978
Pic 3 This past May at Lake Alfred Fla in Wetback, pic by Gerry
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I can second Pete’s comments. i always was around water growing up on the Finger Lakes in NY (Honeoye Lake). I had aluminum boats and in my teens a Minimost with a KG7.I also started APBA racing in 1978 with a Wetback like Pete’s. i then bought a used Bezoats and later a Giles hydro. I started with a 20 H conversion and then got a 25SS. Still have the hydro, motor and also a racing runabout. along with 12 vintage Merc race motors. At 70 i still like to go fast on the water, as long as the body holds out š
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Ray Wagemaker made a 42" saucer which was laminated with a 3" concave surface. I tested the prototype and it was a barrel of laughs. Hard to control and had a tendency to skitter off across the water when you fell off. I don’t know if it ever appeared in his Wolverine catalog. I still enjoy go fast boats, even though my friends won’t let me go out by my self. I’m afraid at 84 my days of cranking 460 racers is long past. . . š
Grampa Garry died at 97, my Aunt Lucile passed away at 107, She celebrated her 102ed birthday by taking a cruise to Bermuda with her 80 year old daughter. Dad went into the VA hospital in St.Petersburg for a checkup at 96 and do to unsanitary conditions caught a antibiotic resistant infection and was killed. Florida is like that. It is cheaper to kill off the infirm than provide for there care. The death squads we have been warned about are alive and well. They are Republican Congress people in Washington & Tallahassee. . . š„
quote Garry in Tampa:Grampa Garry died at 97, my Aunt Lucile passed away at 107, She celebrated her 102ed birthday by taking a cruise to Bermuda with her 80 year old daughter. Dad went into the VA hospital in St.Petersburg for a checkup at 96 and do to unsanitary conditions caught a antibiotic resistant infection and was killed. Florida is like that. It is cheaper to kill off the infirm than provide for there care. The death squads we have been warned about are alive and well. They are Republican Congress people in Washington & Tallahassee. . . š„
Gerry I feel bad that your Dad past away that way. Perhaps your post belongs elsewhere, however I agree on what you say but to be fair over the decades both sides in both houses of Congress and the Exec Branch are at fault to let the VA get where it is today:!: Tallahassee has similar problems.
Now back to the topic of this post. Speed on water is addictive and better than meds š
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