Why are Apache's so great?

[Top Banana]

For all you guys who think that Saccenti is the be all and end allof high performance, let me share a little story with you...

About two weeks ago I was in Florida and I stopped by the marina that has TNT and Lip Ship etc. I find Bobby on a big 40 foot plus twin engine boat with a TNT mechanic on board doing the final tune up.

Bob says to me, let's take this out for a trial and see if we still remember how to do this stuff. I said sure why not. So, out we go, idling down the canals remembering the great old days when we both had hair to blow in the breezes of South Florida.

Anyway we clear the canal and Bobby spots Phil Lip Ship just coming in with a 39 Top Gun. This could be a great race, jumping off big waves as we clear Haulover. Phil must have seen us and knew what we had in hand, so he turns away and goes up another canal.

Bobby and I are now arguing over who is going to drive and who is going to throttle and we finally work out a compromise. I have the wheel and he pushes the throttles up and we feel the boat strain a bit to finally break free. The tachs begin to climb and the water starts rushing by the side of the boat. Just when we think everything is going to break open and we will be off in a rush, one tach begins to fade and then starts to drop.

Naturally in a case like this, as a driver, I always blamed the throttleman for letting us get behind the competiton....but in this case, I realized that we had a major malfunction with one of the engines, so we headed back to the marina before we blew something up.

Bobby told me a few days later that the problem had been solved and the boat was running great....he had it out and ran it wide open for a while and reached about 29 MPH.

Oh yeah, I did mention that it was a big 40 foot plus Cruiser didn't I? .......With straight inboard shafts and bronze props.

[Geronimo36]

Now thats funny
It was supposed to be a 35' but someone didn't know how to use a tape measure....

Name sounds like McDonalds and ends with Anus......

[Chris]

...and ends with Anus.

I probably have that one etched into my mind forever.

[ChiefApache]

For all you guys who think that Saccenti is the be all and end allof high performance, let me share a little story with you...

About two weeks ago I was in Florida and I stopped by the marina that has TNT and Lip Ship etc. I find Bobby on a big 40 foot plus twin engine boat with a TNT mechanic on board doing the final tune up.

Bob says to me, let's take this out for a trial and see if we still remember how to do this stuff. I said sure why not. So, out we go, idling down the canals remembering the great old days when we both had hair to blow in the breezes of South Florida.

Anyway we clear the canal and Bobby spots Phil Lip Ship just coming in with a 39 Top Gun. This could be a great race, jumping off big waves as we clear Haulover. Phil must have seen us and knew what we had in hand, so he turns away and goes up another canal.

Bobby and I are now arguing over who is going to drive and who is going to throttle and we finally work out a compromise. I have the wheel and he pushes the throttles up and we feel the boat strain a bit to finally break free. The tachs begin to climb and the water starts rushing by the side of the boat. Just when we think everything is going to break open and we will be off in a rush, one tach begins to fade and then starts to drop.

Naturally in a case like this, as a driver, I always blamed the throttleman for letting us get behind the competiton....but in this case, I realized that we had a major malfunction with one of the engines, so we headed back to the marina before we blew something up.

Bobby told me a few days later that the problem had been solved and the boat was running great....he had it out and ran it wide open for a while and reached about 29 MPH.

Oh yeah, I did mention that it was a big 40 foot plus Cruiser didn't I? .......With straight inboard shafts and bronze props.

That's a great story!!!

[Mange]

Anyway we clear the canal and Bobby spots Phil Lip Ship just coming in with a 39 Top Gun. This could be a great race, jumping off big waves as we clear Haulover. Phil must have seen us and knew what we had in hand, so he turns away and goes up another canal.

Bobby and I are now arguing over who is going to drive and who is going to throttle and we finally work out a compromise. I have the wheel and he pushes the throttles up and we feel the boat strain a bit to finally break free. The tachs begin to climb and the water starts rushing by the side of the boat. Just when we think everything is going to break open and we will be off in a rush, one tach begins to fade and then starts to drop.



Oh yeah, I did mention that it was a big 40 foot plus Cruiser didn't I? .......With straight inboard shafts and bronze props.

That was A great story Charlie!!!!! WOW!!!

THANKS!!

Mange

[Sea-Dated]

When I was pulling my 35 out to Glassdaves, a guy in our industrial park stopped to chat. He asked what brand of boat it was. I said "Cigarette". He says, "yeah, I know, but who made it?"

I get that all the time.

[NJgr8ful]

Hi Chris maybe this will help..

It started out as the 35’ Cigarette race boats designed by Don Aronow in 1972. The first two boats out of the new mold went to Bob Nordskog founder of Powerboat Magazine and Carl Kiekhaefer. After that the 35’ went into production, today known as the Café-Racer..

Next; In the late seventies Don lengthened the 35’ to 37 ½’ . I rigged and raced the first one for Jerry Jacoby Ajachawk #17. Today it is in production as the 38 Top Gun..

Nest; Don once again lengthened the 37 ½ to 41’ This time he used the mold to create the USA Racing Team Catamarans. By dividing the 41’ hull at the keel and putting a wing in between the divided hulls this created a cameraman that Don sold to the Government as DEA / Customs offshore interceptors. After Don finished his project, Apache Powerboats purchased the 41’ mold..

Thanks Bob! I knew I had/have the ORIGINAL!

Very nice to know and to hear it from the mouth of one of the originals as well!

[Bobby Saccenti]

Thanks Bob! I knew I had/have the ORIGINAL!

Very nice to know and to hear it from the mouth of one of the originals as well!

HA! I spoke to Ritchie Powers today and I stand corrected.. The second original 35’ Cigarette race boat was the Dry Martini..

[Bobby Saccenti]

For all you guys who think that Saccenti is the be all and end allof high performance, let me share a little story with you...

About two weeks ago I was in Florida and I stopped by the marina that has TNT and Lip Ship etc. I find Bobby on a big 40 foot plus twin engine boat with a TNT mechanic on board doing the final tune up.

Bob says to me, let's take this out for a trial and see if we still remember how to do this stuff. I said sure why not. So, out we go, idling down the canals remembering the great old days when we both had hair to blow in the breezes of South Florida.

Anyway we clear the canal and Bobby spots Phil Lip Ship just coming in with a 39 Top Gun. This could be a great race, jumping off big waves as we clear Haulover. Phil must have seen us and knew what we had in hand, so he turns away and goes up another canal.

Bobby and I are now arguing over who is going to drive and who is going to throttle and we finally work out a compromise. I have the wheel and he pushes the throttles up and we feel the boat strain a bit to finally break free. The tachs begin to climb and the water starts rushing by the side of the boat. Just when we think everything is going to break open and we will be off in a rush, one tach begins to fade and then starts to drop.

Naturally in a case like this, as a driver, I always blamed the throttleman for letting us get behind the competiton....but in this case, I realized that we had a major malfunction with one of the engines, so we headed back to the marina before we blew something up.

Bobby told me a few days later that the problem had been solved and the boat was running great....he had it out and ran it wide open for a while and reached about 29 MPH.

Oh yeah, I did mention that it was a big 40 foot plus Cruiser didn't I? .......With straight inboard shafts and bronze props.

OK Charley, we are now race ready.. I tweaked the engines up , now we are doing a smoking WOT 32 mph Make sure you have your race Jacket and Helmet for the next run on Sunday..

[Bobby Saccenti]

Hi Bob

Hi Dawn

Nice to see you on board..

[Bobby Saccenti]

Name sounds like McDonalds and ends with Anus......

No Comment

[Racegirl3]

Hi Dawn

Nice to see you on board..

Funny ... I was thinkin the same thing about you

[Bobby Saccenti]

Thanks for the clarification, Bob.

How did the 39 Competition fit in? The stories I had always heard were that the 39 suffered from some ill handling effects and that the 37-7 was an effort to solve that.

And since we have you, how did the 39 Squadron fit in? Alot assume it's the same basic hull as the 38, but I recall the strakes being somewhat larger.

The only 39’ boats that Aronow built was the Squadron 12 in the late seventies. If memory serves me right, the 39’ was actually a 37 ½ Cig with wider strakes The first one I rigged and raced was red and named APACHE.. The second one I rigged and raced was named Fast Company.. The difference in the wider 3/8” strakes made the boat a little faster, but rode a lot harder..

[DollaBill]

Hey Bobby. Good to see you here.

[Chris]

The only 39’ boats that Aronow built was the Squadron 12 in the late seventies. If memory serves me right, the 39’ was actually a 37 ½ Cig with wider strakes The first one I rigged and raced was red and named APACHE.. The second one I rigged and raced was named Fast Company.. The difference in the wider 3/8” strakes made the boat a little faster, but rode a lot harder..

What about the 39 Competition? The one with the dog-legged rubrail in the back? Battie raced the one- Coors Light if I remember. Nordskog had one too- the CAM boat that he replaced with the Scarab.

[PARADOX]

Hello Bobby and Charley..
Good to have you guys here.

This question is not about he Apache's.. I love them.. and the cigs.. but there is an issue with the $ part. .. So I'm being a thread thief for a minute...
I got this Avanti.,... I did some research on the hull and it seems to be a modified "coyote- Beep-Beep" hull.
Any one you have any history on the Avanti hulls? Some of the history on the Avanti hulls going back to Arronow.

I would be interested to find out the real scoop.

[Mange]

Hello Bobby and Charlie..
Good to have you guys here.

This question is not about he Apache's.. I love them.. and the cigs.. but there is an issue with the $ part.
I got this Avanti.,... I did some research on the hull and it seems to be a modified "coyote- Beep-Beep" hull.
Any one you have any history on the Avanti hulls? Some of the history on the Avanti hulls going back to Arronow.

I would be interested to find out the real scoop.

If I am not complete wrong the Coyote's had roots from Charlie's Top Banana
designed by Jean Claude Simon?




Mange

[J-Bonz]

Bobby,
Great to see you on here! You remember this pop rock?

[PARADOX]

If I am not complete wrong the Coyote's had roots from Charlie's Top Banana
designed by Jean Claude Simon?


Mange

What I did found.. you are correct.. I'm not sure on this,, thus my question to the "Icons".. but I think JCS designed the deck. There is some history going to the Banana's, but it's sketchy at best.. I would love to know the exact history of this thing. I love it.. it goes through anythnig..

[Top Banana]

Once upon a time three young men, Bobby Saccenti, Sonny Miller and Jon Varese wanted to go racing. They remembered the boat built by GARA and called Impossible Dream....they liked what they saw there. They designed a 44 foot boat that had a very narrow foot and many strakes on the bottom. The boat originally had a round V at the stern because they intended to use shafts and inboards rather than sterndrives......fast forward, cause it didn't work....they changed the bottom to a real V, installed sterndrives and brought the boat to New Jersey for a newly sponsored race called...The Benihana.

It wasn't the fastest boat in the race, but boy could it eat up rough water. End of race and a lot of people couldn't navigate and some others couldn't find the right side of the checkpoints and the new 44 foot MSV, named La Tortuga won the race.

Of course, the crew of La Tortuga couldn't believe it...... and when the helicopters came over them close and gave them the one finger for first place, our boy Bob gave them the finger back.

Well the boat just didn't have the power back then to move all 44 feet very quick, but it beat everything in rough water and left no doubt that our trio was on to something. A Frenchman by the name of Jean Claude Simon comes along now and rents the mold from them and blocks it at 38 feet...but puts on a deck design that he copied from Paolo Caluiri...and voila....the 38 foot Cobra Open class racer of Joel Halpern is born....named Beep Beep.

This boat now goes out and wins US1 for the next two years and runs, really runs, in rough water. So during this time Joel and JC Simon have a falling out and JC is out in the cold so to speak. But a new opportunity comes his way......Mr Top Banana wants to move up to Open Class after too many years in smaller boats and is looking for a fresh design, so he and JC Simon hook up to build a newer version of the old favorite.....the new 38 Banana has one less strake on the bottom, but the remaining strakes are wider and the foot of the boat remains narrow. Once again a magic wand is waved, dollars change hands and ...Top Banana is born.

We trailer out to California for the Bushmills race and lead from start to finish, with the exception of Bill Elswick in Longshot, getting ahead for 30 seconds or so, while I tried to drive and throttle as I always did in the smaller classes....couldn't do it. Second boat in that race was Ajac Hawk, throttled by our friend Mr Bob S. Third place was Betty Cook in KAAMA.

Back to JC Simon...remember the falling out he and Halpern had? Well, JC wants to build boats out of my mold and call them Coyotes....remember how the Coyote always was after the Road Runner who said (Beep Beep)? So for a while Bananas and Coyotes are made from the same mold...both 38's and we blocked the mold for 34's too. Some like Gone Bananas in the photo below ran with both names on it, Coyote and Banana.

Fast forward again....Banana is out, Coyote is out.... and the molds now are sold to Sonic, where with the addition of a swim platform, they become the Sonic 42 footer. It all started with a 44 footer at the Benihana race.

So there you have the bloodline.....Gara, MSV, Cobra, Banana, Coyote, Sonic.