Vincenzo Balestrieri an Italian, used to buy the old race boats of Aronow and used them very successfully in European races.
Here is a photo of one of Don's 28 foot Magnums that sunk during a Cowes race in the late 60's.
This boat was found just a couple of years ago and is being restored over in England.
The last photo shows Vincenzo and the giant Texan...Don Pruett, who was his riding mechanic....don't forget drivers drove and throttled back then.
Thread: History of the sport
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09-17-2009 06:41 AMLight travels faster than sound....that is why some people appear bright until we hear them speak!!
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09-17-2009 10:16 AMWhat happened in 1966 is even better, Jim Wynn is driving Ghost Rider on the way to Torquay in really bad weather and 6 foot seas they hit a rogue wave Bob Sherbert breaks both or was it one ankle insists Wynn carries on,Bob jams himself in the corner of the very small uncomfortable cockpit. Wynn does not know who is leading until they get to the SKERRIES BUOY ,opens the thottles when he spots Spirit of Ecstacy a 40ft cruiser catching him up, powers into Torquay harbour where Sherbert is lifted out and taken to hospital in ambulance. Wynn has won the only race that had eluded him.
Mike
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09-17-2009 02:14 PMBob Sherbert bravely told Wynne to carry on with BOTH ankles broken.
Here is a shot of them running and you can just see Bob's arm waving from the back of the cockpit. (Can you believe that we have actual photos like this of some of the greatest events in the sport? HORBA archives)
Color shots are of the recently restored boat, you can see the cockpit had no bolster set up at all. The little blue gauge is the speedometer and as you can see real cabins were required under the rules of some racng organizations.
Last photo is Barry Cohen and me at the HORBA display at the boat show. Barry who has lovingly kept this boat for more than 40 years now, recently restored it and offered it to the NJ race people. He thought they might want to use it in their parade for the 40th anninversay of the race.
BTW....this boat was made of wood !!!!!Light travels faster than sound....that is why some people appear bright until we hear them speak!!
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09-18-2009 06:29 AMWe are sincerely hoping Barry will bring her over to Cowes for the 50th celebrations
Mike
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09-23-2009 05:01 PM
Charlie....some 'little' specifications:
to speak of the offshore career of Balestrieri as you have described above it seems to me a little reduced.
Balestrieri bought two second-hand boats from Aronow: the Tornado 28'Magnum and the Black Tornado 32'Cary-a second 32'Cary was bought for Cosentino.
All the other boats including two 36' Cigarette and one 34' Cig were new boats built for him.
With them he has not won only in Europe but it was the first driver not-USA to beat the Americans in their holes.
1968 - Sam Griffith Mem. Race
1970 - Miami-Nassau
Thanks to the valid contribution of Don Pruett in 1968 and of Jack Stuteville in the 1970 Balestrieri won the World Titles in that respective years.
Besides Balestrieri was the only driver of the offshore history that for seven years consecutive runs both in Europe and in Usa and in any other place where was a race valid for the World Championship always honoring its presence with performances of high-level.
It was one of the few gentleman-driver able to maintain the role of driver that of T-man.
In the history of the offshore surely there was been better drivers of him but as many as surely Balestrieri has given a lot for this fascinating sport to make it legendary.
BTLast edited by Black Tornado; 09-23-2009 at 05:09 PM.
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09-23-2009 05:50 PMWelcome Marco, been waiting for you. Your knowledge of the European history has been missed.
Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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09-23-2009 05:53 PMMarco, Thanks for your additions to the thread. I look forward to reading more of your stories.. I am fascinated by the early days.
Thank you.
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09-23-2009 06:19 PM
Many Thanks for welcome!
It's difficult to me follow several forums with few times to spend about(sic!).
But I will try to insert me how much more possible.
Marco
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09-23-2009 06:35 PMGetting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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09-23-2009 06:41 PMhttp://seriousoffshore.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=10037
Here it is, start with post 15. Thanks.Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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09-24-2009 07:16 AMBill Wishnick bought Odell Lewis's 31 Bertram with the first ever pair of #3 speedmasters. No power steering. He and Bobby Gene raced in the Houston Channel Derby in, I think, 1969. The race started at the San Jacinto Yacht Club. When we squeezed through the narrow opering into the river to go to Galveston Bay, Bill was driving, and Bobby was facing aft in the bolster, praying. No s**t. Smitty and I were next in Super Nova. When they got to the Texas City Dike, they were in front, but they went around the turn boat four times. Bill wasn't strong enough to pull the wheel out of the turn while pulling back the throttles at the same time. Bobby said "Why don't you steer, and let me throttle and trim"?
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09-25-2009 06:22 PMFor some reason I think thats the boat that Mel Riggs and I discussed when I saw him in April,,, It seems to me that the whole thing sold for $26k Both Odell and Mel will be at OFF, can confirm that price,,,,,,,,,Propeelors today are over that,,,,,,,,,
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09-27-2009 10:53 PM
I took these this afternoon on atrip down memory lane that was as close as I could get but lets see how many of you, who I know have been to this place, can name it!!!!
God forgives.....The 1% doesn't!!!!!!
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09-28-2009 08:55 AM
Not hardly......you guys couldn't handle either one of my ex-wives!!!!!! I know the pics are hard to see but no one can fathom a guess????
God forgives.....The 1% doesn't!!!!!!
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09-28-2009 08:57 AM
Here is the address at the gate house!!!!! And there were always deer on the runway!!!!!
God forgives.....The 1% doesn't!!!!!!
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09-28-2009 09:21 AMmmmmhhhhhh,,,,,could be.