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    #41
    Oh my....
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    #42
    What's Happening Serious News's Avatar
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    Yes there was a Cat with the same name:


    'Cat`s` Meow: Morales` Risk Pays Off

    July 31, 1985|By Craig Davis, Outdoors Writer


    George Morales` opponents said he was crazy for choosing a catamaran for the Miami-New York powerboat race. The consensus around the docks before the start Monday night was that he would be lucky to make it out of Florida.

    Even Morales admitted it was a gamble, but showed up brazenly with a patch on his racing suit proclaiming ``Miami-New York Winner.``

    The Fort Lauderdale driver proved to be both slick gambler and prophet, as the apparent long shot in the longest powerboat race hit the biggest jackpot in boat racing history Tuesday in the first Chapman Offshore Challenge.

    Morales, 36, steered his 46-foot Cougar Cat Maggie`s MerCruiser Special past New York`s Verrazano Bridge at 4:40 p.m. to claim the $500,000 winner-take-all purse and shatter the 11-year-old record for the 1,257-mile journey by more than three hours.

    ``I`m very tired, but I feel very, very good. This is one of the biggest things that`s ever happened to me in my life,`` Morales said from his hotel suite Tuesday night. ``It`s like winning an Oscar.``

    Except for three pauses to take on fuel, nothing stopped Morales on his dash up the Eastern Seaboard. He averaged 64.35 mph en route to a clocking of 19 hours 33 minutes, 47 seconds, supplanting the record of 22:41:15 set in 1974 by Miami Beach eye surgeon Dr. Bob Magoon.

    Al Copeland brought Popeye`s Diet Coke into New York Harbor 58 minutes after Morales. However, finishing ahead of Magoon`s record as an also-ran was little consolation in this race. None of the other three boats made it out of Florida.

    Calm sea conditions most of the way gave Morales an advantage over his V- hulled rivals. Maggie`s MerCruiser Special is capable of 110 mph on flat water, but critics said its twin hulls would bog down if the going turned rough. However, he was able to maintain a 90-mph pace during a 200-mile stretch over 4- to 7-foot seas.

    ``I had to push it. I had no other choice. I knew I had Popeye`s right behind me,`` Morales said.

    A troublesome fuel switching valve plagued Maggie`s MerCruiser Special all the way, but was more of an annoyance than a hindrance. It caused Morales to miss a bridge in Miami Harbor and arrive nine minutes late for the start. But with the fastest boat and smooth sailing ahead, he was unconcerned. Maggie`s MerCruiser Special overtook Copeland and early leader Tom Gentry late Monday night.

    The five drivers paid an entry fee of $112,000 apiece to cover prize money and expenses. Three of them didn`t get much of a ride for their money.

    Ben Kramer`s Harrah`s Team Apache blew an engine on the way to the start. A blown oil cooler delayed Sandy Satullo`s Copper Kettle for nearly three hours. Satullo lasted only to Fort Lauderdale before succumbing to engine failure.

    Ironically, he and Kramer were driving diesel-powered boats, touted as the most durable in the race.

    After the Gentry Eagle lost two of its three engines off Cape Canaveral, only Popeye`s remained in pursuit. Copeland, of Metairie, La., was driving the same 46-foot Cougar deep-V that carried Morales to two world titles. Though a rough water demon, it had little hope of catching the catamaran in calm water.

    Morales made his first two refueling stops at Jacksonville and Wilmington, N.C. Then, to avoid the notoriously treacherous waters off the Carolina coast, he ducked inside the inland waterway at Cape Fear for 36 miles and again for 93 miles between Beaufort and Oregon Inlet.

    After adding two quarts of oil and enough fuel to complete the journey, he headed out Oregon Inlet just as Popeye`s was pulling in for fuel.

    That left 356 of the most rugged miles to cover. But except for a mild overheating problem, Morales` four 635-horsepower MerCruiser engines performed flawlessly to the finish.

    ``It was a hell of a race. I was a little bit lucky and had the best crew,`` he said. ``It started with the guy who built my engines, Rick Ulrich of Mercury Marine. Without those engines, the way he built them, I would not have been successful.``

    Morales and navigator Dennis Martin stayed in the cockpit the entire way. He changed throttlemen at each stop, starting with Angelo Meli, followed by Gus Falcon, Steve Curtis and finishing with Meli.

    The Colombian-born Morales has been a controversial figure in powerboat racing since his indictment in March 1984, on charges of drug smuggling and tax evasion. That case is still pending, and Morales has maintained a high profile while continuing to assert his innocence. He won his second consecutive world title at Key West last November, then sold the V-hulled Cougar to Copeland and switched to the catamaran.

    ``When I had the V-bottom (boat), they all said I was crazy. When I won two world championships in a row, then everybody wanted to buy the same boat. Now I go the opposite way and buy a catamaran and win this race. Crazy, yeah?`` Morales said.

    Now he says he is seriously considering making a run back to Miami within the next few days.

    ``Nobody has done it that way, so why not? I say, why do what everybody else does?`` he said. ``Understand, you have to be crazy to do these things, or you wouldn`t do them.``


    http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/198...les-mercruiser
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    #43
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    #44
    Icon/Founding Member Top Banana's Avatar
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    Couple more of John's photos.

    These are from the era that he was most active, traveling the world covering the sport of offshore powerboat racinig.
    Light travels faster than sound....that is why some people appear bright until we hear them speak!!
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    #45
    Founding Member / Super Moderator Ratickle's Avatar
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    Do you think the second book of John's will ever be put in print?
    Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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    #46
    Icon/Founding Member Top Banana's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ratickle View Post
    Do you think the second book of John's will ever be put in print?
    I don't think so. That would be facing the same problem that I am having with trying to do another Blue Water Warriors book, the market is too small for most publishers and the cost to self publish is too high to reach a marketable price point for sale.

    There is a lot of info in the notebooks, but there is also a lot of repeating there too as John was suffering in the end. By the time it was sorted out, It would be less than 1/2 of SEARACE.

    Also there is a bit of John's strong opinions in the notebooks about certain people...... that would probably end up in some kind of lawsuit, similar to the one he went through 5 or so years before he passed. That doesn't help the sport much and who needs it anyway.

    I will try to get back to posting some more stories after the boat show. Hopefully there is a short break before Amelia Island and Sebring.
    Light travels faster than sound....that is why some people appear bright until we hear them speak!!
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    #47
    Founding Member / Super Moderator Ratickle's Avatar
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    We'll have to chat about it one of these days when you have time.
    Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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    #48
    Founding Member / Super Moderator Ratickle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ratickle View Post
    That boat is for sale?, but it's a Vee - Is there a Cat named identical? (Still Looking)

    Boat Description

    POPEYES - THIRTY FIVE YEARS OF INCREDIBLE RACING HISTORY:

    1983, 46 Feet, Cougar, Aluminum V-Bottom Offshore Race Boat. Beam is 9 feet. Hull material is Flat Stock Aluminum. Weight is 18,000 LBS. Boat is turn key.

    Engine Builder: Keith Eikert Lightning Marine Triple 1000 HP, 500 cubic inch engines, 6500 RPM, with PSI magnesium super charged blowers with EFI technology fuel injection system by Kinsler Race, Sterling Marine Exhaust system. She will cut like a knife through 4 to 8 foot seas topping out over 120mph.

    All engines run and operate properly with less than three hours run time. Four fuel pumps. Fuel capacity is 400 plus gallons. Location of fuel tanks are 4 forward of cockpit, fuel type is gasoline/aviation/100 octane. SCS crash box transmissions, three Mercruiser speedmasters #4 outdrives, two of them are mounted on extension boxes with forward dual trim actuators and with full hydraulic steering for each port and starboard outdrive, center drive is fixed and mounted with no steering arm with manual adjustment trim, in addition, two Kiehaefer dual hydraulic racing trim tabs. Three Stainless Steel cleaver lab finished Props.

    Identification numbers for the three Mercruiser Speed Master #4 Outdrives. Port : S/N 38042-384C; Center: S/N 38054-285C; Starboard: S/N 38054-985C.

    This “Classic” was originally owned by George Morales and raced under the name “Maggies Mercruiser Special” which is still branded under the faring. She was then sold to Al Copeland of Popeye’s Offshore Racing. She was known as Popeyes #10 V Hull and has raced and won in numerous offshore races including from Miami to New York in 1985 which set a record for a V Hull vessel, driven by the famous movie actor Chuck Norris.

    (In the process of acquiring 4 new forward fuel cells and 4 new fuel pumps and rebuilding 6 external belt driven water supply pumps, this new addition of expenses and labor will not be an additional cost to the winning bidder, it will be our responsibility)

    We have already removed the previous fuel cells that were in the boat, we are in the middle of acquiring bids to build the new ones. However, we can fire up each engine individually, move the trim tabs & power trim up and down and maneuver the steering from portside to starboard. This process will only be done for the winning bidder.

    CUSTOM TRANSPORT TRAILER:

    Manufacturer: MYCO

    Year Built: 1984

    Length: 55 feet

    Width: 8 feet

    Freshly painted and New Chrome Diamond Plate accenting trailer

    New wiring, new lights, new DOT flag poles and flags

    Air Ride suspension

    Dual axel with New air brakes

    Dual wheels with New 825x15 Goodyear radial tires

    Five locking tool boxes on each side

    Two Speed manual dog leg (tongue jack)

    Boat is on a bolt on Cradle that is custom fit to the trailer and the vessel hull and carpet protected to hull of boat.

    THIS BOAT IS IN THE USA....BUYER RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AND ALL TRANSPORTATION, CUSTOMS AND DUTY COSTS.

    PRICE DRASTICALLY REDUCED DUE TO HEALTH REASONS


    Attachment 77643 Attachment 77644

    Attachment 77645 Attachment 77646

    http://yachtbroker.escapeartist.com/...488/index.html
    The boat did get purchased by someone who will take very good care of it and we should see it at runs around the south .....
    Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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    #49
    Icon/Founding Member Top Banana's Avatar
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    A coming out party has been booked for an old boat racer.

    The date is about one year from now and the location is a hotel in Miami Beach.

    No, it is not Kramer!
    Light travels faster than sound....that is why some people appear bright until we hear them speak!!
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    #50
    Founding Member / Super Moderator Ratickle's Avatar
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    That's it? We have to wait a year???????
    Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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    #51
    Willie?
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    #52
    Quote Originally Posted by Top Banana View Post
    I think that I will do a little editing on this one and leave some names out to protect the innocent.

    Once upon a time in Europe at one of the races, a European racer who was very wealthy invited the American teams to attend a party he was giving on his large yacht that night in the harbor. Everything was going fine and everyone was having a great time until a launch pulled up to the yacht and the owner's wife got off and came up the gangplank.

    Apparently she was a bit miffed that the owner was giving the party with his mistress in attendance rather than her. When she arrived at the party deck, she pulled a little sliver pistol from her purse and began waving it at the mistress. Someone took the gun out of her hand and threw it overboard.

    Faced with a situation where she began to become a joke, the wife followed the path of the gun and threw herself overboard from the third deck up, where the party was being held. It was quite a drop to the water level. Everyone stood there shocked to have witnessed this surreal event. Don Aronow finally broke the stunned silence when he dove over the side and proceeded to save the woman's life. Remember he was the head lifeguard at Coney Island beach when he was growing up.
    Love this one Charlie... Just found this old thread today. Finding some humor during these tough days we're having
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    #53
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    A link to a podcast Billy Martin and I did last week in NJ and is now posted on YouTube via this link. / Enjoy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8faNMtGx5Fs

    Light travels faster than sound....that is why some people appear bright until we hear them speak!!
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