Mona Lou and others Bertrams 31'

[seeroy]

Who is with Odell?

That is Ed Leslie with Odell. Ed also rode with Bill in the 1st (1967) Bahama 500. They ran a 28' yellow Magnum "Old Yellar". They broke a motor mount and did not finish. - Steve

[seeroy]

Comparison with the left sides of the #90 Sternwinder(first two frames) and the #90 Mona Lou.
In the third frame look the co-driver with the white short sleeves he seem the same behind Bill in the boat in post #135-second frame(a simple coincidence?).

The two photos on the left show Bill taxiing out with Wayne Vicker as his Co-pilot. I know for certain that Wayne rode with Bill in the December 1967 Hurricane Classic (St Petersburg). I don't know if Wayne ever rode with Bill again. Perhaps that gives a clue as to those photos being Hurricane Classic. By the way I rode with Wayne in the 1967 Bahama 500 in a 23' Seacraft with twin outboards. We had a throttle cable cable come loose early and fell way behind. When we got to Nassau, we took a room for the night and continued at daybreak in the morning, thus finished in something like 30+ hours....but we DID finish. - Steve (Sherlock)

[seeroy]

No doubt you have seen the Mercury Classics video of the 1968 Bahama 500 at the following link. ALL of that video is of that specific race and preparation thereto.
No "fudging" in this one- Steve

http://www.vimeo.com/5671455

[Black Tornado]

I just have extrapolated tens of frames from the video Run Sunward that of the Bahamas 500 of 1968.
The quality of the images of Bahamas 500 is better than Run Sunward that turns out faded.

[Black Tornado]

The two photos on the left show Bill taxiing out with Wayne Vicker as his Co-pilot. I know for certain that Wayne rode with Bill in the December 1967 Hurricane Classic (St Petersburg). I don't know if Wayne ever rode with Bill again. Perhaps that gives a clue as to those photos being Hurricane Classic. By the way I rode with Wayne in the 1967 Bahama 500 in a 23' Seacraft with twin outboards. We had a throttle cable cable come loose early and fell way behind. When we got to Nassau, we took a room for the night and continued at daybreak in the morning, thus finished in something like 30+ hours....but we DID finish. - Steve (Sherlock)

About the photos that could be in the Hurricane Classic I never have not been in Florida (unfortunately) but I don't believe that the coast around St.Petersburg is like that in the background.

I thought that Bill had run Bahamas 500 of 1967 with the 31' Bertram….therefore the Long Beach-San Francisco could be the first race with the 31' ….the fact could explained the hybrid #90 with the name Mona Lou in the back… those 31' that it was for Odell maybe then was given hastily to Bill….Excused me if I continuous to assume.

Steve which was the race number(#909?) and name of your 23' Seacraft?

[seeroy]

About the photos that could be in the Hurricane Classic I never have not been in Florida (unfortunately) but I don't believe that the coast around St.Petersburg is like that in the background.

I thought that Bill had run Bahamas 500 of 1967 with the 31' Bertram….therefore the Long Beach-San Francisco could be the first race with the 31' ….the fact could explained the hybrid #90 with the name Mona Lou in the back… those 31' that it was for Odell maybe then was given hastily to Bill….Excused me if I continuous to assume.

Steve which was the race number(#909?) and name of your 23' Seacraft?

Those extracts of the #202 Starr I (29' Seacraft w/3 outboards) are 1968 Bahama 500 photos. Jim Tebo is driving and I am behind him....holding on. I will post photos of 1967 & 1969 Bahama 500's. 1967 23' Seacraft with Wayne Vicker and I was #43. My 1969 Bahama 500 boat was a 4 engine 32' Cary #909 "Speedmaster". I also drove a 28' Bertram Nautec w/3 outboards #909 in Miami Nassau and Around Long Island. I also ran #505 28' Memco w/4engines and #707 28' Memco w/3 engines in a couple of races.

I am quite certain (and Odell confirmed) that the first ever race for the 31' Bertram Nautecs was the December 1967 Hurricane Classic (St Petersburg). I will analyze my recorded conversation with Odell later. During this next week I will call Bakos, Riggs, and James to confirm and resolve dilemma.

-Steve

[Black Tornado]

Meantime, here a Gold Medal trivial.
This photo is published on page 71 of Searace and Crouse places it as the first start of the Hennessy-Long Island of 1967 that was suspended soon after because fog. The start then was replied and the race was won by Dick Genth that time drove the "Thunderbird IV" 28' Formula single engine and cockpit in tandem.
To the left of the photo can be noticed the #90 31' Bertram.
In the 1968 Bill Sirois won the race driving that Bertram with the son of Carl Kekhaefer, Fred,aboard.
The question is if it is corrected the year 1967 or instead was 1968?
Who has an image better than this where can be recognized other boats? However who recognize in this image?

[Brownie]

That is '67. In the small picture, behind the light colored boat is the Blue Devil, #86. That is me driving. I had won the previous year. Mr K had John Bakos stuck to me, in a red low cut 28' Donzi/Magnum. I led the race to Shinnecock Inlet, with John right behind. He had a little speed on me. At Shinnecock, a Coast Guard chopper dropped down in front of me with a sign that said "Race Cancelled, fog a Montauk, go back". I slowed down, John didn't. I passed him, he slowed down, etc. We finally slowed down, and gathered up the front runners and started back (about 60 miles). Imagine the faces of the slower boats when they saw the entire fleet coming straight toward them!
The next day, I led all the way to the last bridge, about 245 miles, and ran out of oil, due to a punctured oil filter. We scooped up boiling oil from the bilge and dumped it in. Genth and Stan Adrian passed us while we were oiling, and we chased them down, except for about 100 feet. We had beaten Aronow the previous year by 9 feet! Talk about close racing.................

[Black Tornado]

Thanks Brownie for the savory story of the "two" races of Long Island.
I had recognized your "Donzi Blue Devil" but not could read the race number I didn't know if were you in 1967 or Couzens in 1968, also if in the 1968 list of the racers two missed only leaving ones and therefore I was almost certain that Couzens there was not in that race.
Besides in the meantime I have found a 1967 original newspaper page where it speaks of this race and with the same photo of that start.
Then it is certain that a 31' Bertram with the #90 were already racing the 19 July 1967.
It stays only to understand if at the wheel there was Mel Riggs or Odell Lewis, Bill Sirois or somebody else.

[Black Tornado]

Brownie do you remember the entire course of the Long Island Marathon race?
Montauk was the turning point of the race?

[Brownie]

Two things. Odell was driving a little single engine ****box like Dick Genth's. Dick blew his engine the first day, and Odell gave him his. Montauk is the far end of Long Island. George Couzens rode with me (his boat), and then on his own with my mechanic, Big Dirty and then Smitty. In 68, Bill Wishnick and I ran the Supernova, with twin engines, one shaft. Led for a while, lost the rudder. I finished alone, on the trimtabs.

[seeroy]

1st color picture is 1967 Pre-Bahama 500 Gaggle. We had just run all boats for a photo at Lake X. The red boat #48 is the Magnum Donzi of Johnny Bakos that Brownie referred to. The 40 sreies of numbers was on all of our boats for that particular race. The yellow #47 boat is Bill Sirois in the same boat/power configuration as Bakos. Bill also ran that boat in at least one more race with the #427 attached. The #43 boat is Wayne Vicker and Me in 23' Seacraft twin outboard. The second black and white photo is a closeup with Johnny Bakos and Phil Schenk.

[Black Tornado]

Then the #47-427 were the "Old Yellar II"?!
To that boat it exploded the engine bay with Aronow on board the following June 16 in the Gateway Marathon.
Did it go lost totally?
And the #46 white similar to the others two DonziMagnum?

[seeroy]

Marco - I just talked to Sammy James for 30 minutes. He also told me that Bill never ran the #90 Bertram with "Mona Lou" name on it. He said the only times that "Mona Lou" name was on 32' Bertram Nautec was with Odell driving and and once with Mel Riggs driving. He also said that Kiekhaefer bought 4 32' Bertram Nautecs. One was red twin and Odell won 1968 Hurricane Classic with it and then it went to Bill Wishnick. There was the yellow twin #90 boat that Bill ran which eventually went to Balestrieri. There was the yellow triple engine that Bakos ran in 1967 Hurricane Classic and 1968 Bahama 500. I don't know what became of that boat. And there was a yellow 4 engine outboard that John Steback ran somewhere. That boat went to Doug Silvera and he won a Bahama 500 with it. The following year Silvera won the Bahama 500 again in a Magnum inboard with Bill riding with him. Sorry...But I still don't believe that Bill ever raced the #90 boat with "Mona Lou" name on it, and both Odell Lewis and Sammy James emphatically concur with that. I guess the inquisition continues. Next I will speak to Johnny Bakos and then Mel Riggs. Hopefully you understand that I am having fun with this. TTFN - Steve

[seeroy]

Then the #47-427 were the "Old Yellar II"?!
To that boat it exploded the engine bay with Aronow on board the following June 16 in the Gateway Marathon.
Did it go lost totally?
And the #46 white similar to the others two DonziMagnum?

Actually the #46 is an outboard. I just can't remember if that is a John Stenback 3 Magnum boat or a 4 engine Chet Strickland Cary.

[seeroy]

two photos of my #909 28' Bertram "Speedmaster"
AND...Yes, 47/427 was "Old Yellar II"

[seeroy]

My 4 engine 32' Cary "Super Speedmaster" in 1969 Bahama 500 with Ralph Seavy riding. Chet Strickland had previously run this boat somewhere. Thus my confusion about whether #46 in 500 Gaggle photo is Chet or John Stenback.


Business end!

[Black Tornado]

Oh! Steve I have forgotten to say you to greet Sammy that I had known here in Viareggio with Tom Gentry, Dick Banks and John Crouse during the 1984 Worlds.
And then there was to ask if he knew if the firsts 31'(or 32?') Bertram transoms with the drives shafts could be modified for lodging the new Speedmasters #3.

[Black Tornado]

Marco - The following year Silvera won the Bahama 500 again in a Magnum inboard with Bill riding with him. Hopefully you understand that I am having fun with this. TTFN - Steve

That year-1971-Doug and Bill won the '500' with the 36' Cigarette yellow-white 'Starduster'!

[seeroy]

Oh! Steve I have forgotten to say you to greet Sammy that I had known here in Viareggio with Tom Gentry, Dick Banks and John Crouse during the 1984 Worlds.
And then there was to ask if he knew if the firsts 31'(or 32?') Bertram transoms with the drives shafts could be modified for lodging the new Speedmasters #3.

Sammy said he remembers you. He said that the 32' transom had to be "cut" in order to lodge Mercruiser as opposed to V drive. When he "cut" the transom, the boat actually measured 31', but they continued to call it 32'.