Legends of Boat Racing Reunion

[Ron Hill]

DePue, Illinois is pretty much MID AMERICA. Not every great boat racer ever raced at DePue, but I have decided that DePue is where we should have The Legends of Boat Racing Reunion. DePue, 2011, will be 50 years of Boat Racing at DePue.

I'm appointing John Schubert as Chairman. We need to be making plans.

Let this Reunion will be called The Legends of Boat Racing Reunion....Drivers, crews and families are welcome!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Tim Chance called me last year about putting together a book. It takes some time, and we planned to get info, statistics and photos from racers in time to put it together. We talked a couple of times and were supposed to get together around April last year when he was coming to Texas. Since then, for my part I have been solid at trying to protect our company from Obama's onslaught. I have not talked to Tim, and only until the last few weeks has my E mail been complete. I had to get a new address also. I will get ahold of Tim and ask him about being able to go forward with our project. We planned to do 100 books, and before the roostertail hit us in the turn, we had planned to query how much interest there would be in purchasing a book. Don't know that we have time now....but thought I'd throw it out.

I'll give you a call next week Ron.

[ferv888ipba]

We planned to do 100 books, and before the roostertail hit us in the turn, we had planned to query how much interest there would be in purchasing a book. Don't know that we have time now....but thought I'd throw it out.

I'll give you a call next week Ron.

Wayne,
Count me in for a book if not two of them, may have to keep Alan up to date on the west coast with things, you know how old that guy is.LOL Hopefully we can coax him back on a plane again and get him out here.

Ray

[Tim Chance]

Tim Chance called me last year about putting together a book. It takes some time, and we planned to get info, statistics and photos from racers in time to put it together. We talked a couple of times and were supposed to get together around April last year when he was coming to Texas. Since then, for my part I have been solid at trying to protect our company from Obama's onslaught. I have not talked to Tim, and only until the last few weeks has my E mail been complete. I had to get a new address also. I will get ahold of Tim and ask him about being able to go forward with our project. We planned to do 100 books, and before the roostertail hit us in the turn, we had planned to query how much interest there would be in purchasing a book. Don't know that we have time now....but thought I'd throw it out.

I'll give you a call next week Ron.

The book kind of ended up on the back burner. I never did get down to Texas. Depue will be here before we know it and I don't think there is time to put something of the quality expected in such a short time. Wayne, I'll PM you and maybe we can collaborate on something for a more distant future.

[Tim Chance]

This is 2010, 2011 is a year and a half off. Let me think about the book, I'll get in touch with Wayne.

[Ron Hill]

I like books....ESPECIALLY The Catcher in the Rye, Alexander and Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Tex, The Outsiders, Old Yeller, Where The Red Fern Grows, Armand Hammer, Ribsy AND A FEW OTHERS, BUT A BOOK......IN THE INTERNET ERA?????

I feel the BOOK is called www.boatracingfacts.com (http://www.boatracingfacts.com) AKA BRF!!!

I have never heard of a boat racing book even breaking even.

I think if we wrote about each person that signed up to come, and made a "PROGRAM" rather than a BOOK.... We might could sell avertising to cover the "PROGRAM's Costs....

Jimbo and I discussed writing a book and we figured out that the only ones to read it would be us...and HELL we already know the story!!!!

I would like to run the SILENT AUCTION DIFFERENTLY this time. One change would be to start taking DONATIONS NOW. The second change would be to have the table numbered and HAVE ONE TABLE AUCTIONED OUT LIKE EVER thirty MINUTES.

I recently attended a silent auction, and doing one table at a time, allowed you to know if you won one thing or not...Then, you could re-group for your cash the next table...

Shirts with pockets and PRE SALE ONLY and NO FREE BEER! And maybe have about three days of activities planned. Like giving awards to boats that are displayed. Maybe reserve time with APBA approval for some water time for some of our CLASSIC BOATS....

These are the changes I'd suggest for 2011!

Assuming I'm here in 2011! Physically......I know my mind is already gone.....Dave Bryan often asks me how it feels to have lost my mind????? My answer is simple..."You talking to me??"

[F-12]

I hope you guys keep me in mind during this process. When I am in the country, I would be more than happy to do what ever I can. I had the best time at the last one and renewed friendships that I thought were long lost over the years. Anyone that was ever involved in outboard racing would really regret not making this event. Let's make this one the biggest and best.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I don't watch TV Ron, except Fox News. If I'm home....I read books and BRF. BRF IS THE RECORD OF BOAT RACING!

I like the idea of a program with a couple of caveats. No solicitations of sponsors of the Nationals or the local community that would normally be putting money into the nationals. We don't want in any way to take money that would go toward that event. The first reunion, our group graciously contributed $1,000.00 to the sport we all love, but we don't want to compete for the precious sponsorship dollars these days. Still...the idea is with merit. There are potential donors out there to help fund the underlying costs of putting the thing together, and a program would be an excellent way to honor them.

As far as getting people to sign up early and give a writeup...forget about that. There will be a hard core group that will....then as we get closer and the hype drives up interest we will start to get a flurry of info...then there will be a bunch at the last minute that will send in stuff. The biggest group will be those that commit only in the final weeks and the ones that just show up. There would never be time enough to put together a program even months out. Not something that we would want to honor such an event. This is the sign Steve Jones and I stared at many, many times sitting in the lobby of Grunwald Printing in Corpus Christi with our program notes and ads while waiting on John Grunwald to see us. "YOU WANT IT QUICK, FAST, AND CHEAP?....PICK TWO AND CALL US BACK!". I do think though that we could do a program. just have to put our heads together to see how to make it work.

The only silent auction I have ever seen was at DePue, but I think your idea on that is dead on.

As far as the book goes, with today's digital images, quality internet transmissions, computer enhancement with quick editing, sizing, etc., printers, ease of looking at proofs and making changes alters the equation when printing. When Tim first contacted me he wanted to start on 2011 very early. For those who are too young to know Tim Chance, he worked on several publications before he started his Hydroplane Quarterly magazine. So Tim is the go to guy. I think it was November or December 2008, long after the first reunion and WAY before anyone considered the universally accepted date of the second reunion in 2011, that Tim E mailed me and asked me to give him a call. I was very excited about his proposal and we planned for him to come to my house, or possibly meet in San Antonio. The plan was to spend some hard time laying out the foundation for the book. We discussed some absolutes that must be included, such as motor builders, boat builders and what was the bedrock of alky racing from the early sixties to in the seventies. We both had a lot of similar thoughts, but the main thing about the individual racers, classes, boats, motors, states, numbers.....the things that racers want to read about themselves and exploits was the toughest. Sometimes, the guys that won the most are the hardest to get info from. It's really hard to get any meaningful information from 95% of racers. Some don't want to take the time, but for the most part...racers just don't know how or what to compile about their racing careers. So it takes a lot of hounding, follow up, then putting it together in an order that makes people want to read it.

That's just what I have found out on my own. As far as the mechanical part...I don't know. Tim does. And that's why he contacted me so early in the game so we could at least flesh out the general direction. We would both contribute photos and copy, but I kind of figured I would play the major role in financing (get it printed) while Tim did the layout and find the best print shop. Neither one of us got into this to make money, because we know Ron and Jimbo are right. We wanted to put together a class publication that people would want to own and look at and read...and pass on to their heirs. We wanted it to be independant of the reunion's drag on expense. Time is the factor now. I figured after this fall we were behind before we started, but if Tim thinks there may still be time....I'm all for it.

Tim....I may have to make a quick 400 mile round trip tommorrow. If I can I'll give you a call.

[Ron Hill]

I don't watch TV Ron, except Fox News. If I'm home....I read books and BRF. BRF IS THE RECORD OF BOAT RACING!

I like the idea of a program with a couple of caveats. No solicitations of sponsors of the Nationals or the local community that would normally be putting money into the nationals. We don't want in any way to take money that would go toward that event. The first reunion, our group graciously contributed $1,000.00 to the sport we all love, but we don't want to compete for the precious sponsorship dollars these days. Still...the idea is with merit. There are potential donors out there to help fund the underlying costs of putting the thing together, and a program would be an excellent way to honor them.

As far as getting people to sign up early and give a writeup...forget about that. There will be a hard core group that will....then as we get closer and the hype drives up interest we will start to get a flurry of info...then there will be a bunch at the last minute that will send in stuff. The biggest group will be those that commit only in the final weeks and the ones that just show up. There would never be time enough to put together a program even months out. Not something that we would want to honor such an event. This is the sign Steve Jones and I stared at many, many times sitting in the lobby of Grunwald Printing in Corpus Christi with our program notes and ads while waiting on John Grunwald to see us. "YOU WANT IT QUICK, FAST, AND CHEAP?....PICK TWO AND CALL US BACK!". I do think though that we could do a program. just have to put our heads together to see how to make it work.

The only silent auction I have ever seen was at DePue, but I think your idea on that is dead on.

As far as the book goes, with today's digital images, quality internet transmissions, computer enhancement with quick editing, sizing, etc., printers, ease of looking at proofs and making changes alters the equation when printing. When Tim first contacted me he wanted to start on 2011 very early. For those who are too young to know Tim Chance, he worked on several publications before he started his Hydroplane Quarterly magazine. So Tim is the go to guy. I think it was November or December 2008, long after the first reunion and WAY before anyone considered the universally accepted date of the second reunion in 2011, that Tim E mailed me and asked me to give him a call. I was very excited about his proposal and we planned for him to come to my house, or possibly meet in San Antonio. The plan was to spend some hard time laying out the foundation for the book. We discussed some absolutes that must be included, such as motor builders, boat builders and what was the bedrock of alky racing from the early sixties to in the seventies. We both had a lot of similar thoughts, but the main thing about the individual racers, classes, boats, motors, states, numbers.....the things that racers want to read about themselves and exploits was the toughest. Sometimes, the guys that won the most are the hardest to get info from. It's really hard to get any meaningful information from 95% of racers. Some don't want to take the time, but for the most part...racers just don't know how or what to compile about their racing careers. So it takes a lot of hounding, follow up, then putting it together in an order that makes people want to read it.

That's just what I have found out on my own. As far as the mechanical part...I don't know. Tim does. And that's why he contacted me so early in the game so we could at least flesh out the general direction. We would both contribute photos and copy, but I kind of figured I would play the major role in financing (get it printed) while Tim did the layout and find the best print shop. Neither one of us got into this to make money, because we know Ron and Jimbo are right. We wanted to put together a class publication that people would want to own and look at and read...and pass on to their heirs. We wanted it to be independant of the reunion's drag on expense. Time is the factor now. I figured after this fall we were behind before we started, but if Tim thinks there may still be time....I'm all for it.

Tim....I may have to make a quick 400 mile round trip tommorrow. If I can I'll give you a call.

My daughter Photography by Jessica B
http://www.photographybyjessicab.com (http://www.photographybyjessicab.com/)
made a great book about Bunker and Annette's wedding....So, maybe, 2010 methods could be used to print a great book. Anyone that knows me, knows I change my mind as often as most people change socks...

Ok, we write a BOOK!!!

Wayne, you are RIGHT about we, REUNIONIST, not taking anything from current races...in fact, I was thinking, maybe we should come up with a figure, like $500 to sponsor a class at DePue... Example, Ron Hill is sponsoring 500CC Runabout...If $500 is too high, maybe $200!!! Champion Spark Plug used to give $100 for every APBA National Champion back in the '60's...That would be $1,000 today....

I'd sponsor A Runabout, if I knew what they called it!!!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Before everything went slack....I started gathering up all the DePue programs from the past. Johnny Dortch (please pray for him tonight...not only for his loss of Liz...but also because he has major surgery Monday) sent me a bunch of them. Tim and I discussed briefly the beginnings of DePue, and how it was such a mud hole, but then the enthusiam of the whole town made us want to go back. The DePue story really is an amazing one, and Ron....I am thinking that we may be able to tap into the pollution problem to get sponsors to help clean up the lake. There's not another town I have ever seen so solidly behind boat racing. Tim and I have not talked about this for more than a year, but we did talk about the history of DePue as a part of the book because that's where the nationals had been so many times...we figured 2011 was the 50th anniversary of the first DePue race, and it was the scene of the majority of the nationals in the era we wanted to honor.

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

DePue, Illinois is pretty much MID AMERICA. Not every great boat racer ever raced at DePue, but I have decided that DePue is where we should have The Legends of Boat Racing Reunion. DePue, 2011, will be 50 years of Boat Racing at DePue.

I'm appointing John Schubert as Chairman. We need to be making plans.

Let this Reunion will be called The Legends of Boat Racing Reunion....Drivers, crews and families are welcome!

Ron,

Just saw this post. I'd be willing to Chair this event, but would need quite a bit of help doing the registrations, name tags, etc., etc. It burned up too uch time doing it by myself. But, in retrospect, the end result was very much worth the effort.

[ferv888ipba]

John, Wayne, Tim
Should the good Lord let this fool live long enough, I would volunteer to help as well. Would love to do interviews during downtime with all of you guys during the weekend. The fans of boatracing at Depue are some of the best informed ever and would love to hear from you guys whos names they still remember and I have forgotten. We could do a meet and greet near the VFW with a booth set up. This would then help with the auction if it were up that way as well, as we could get more fans to come that way.

I think we should get Jeannie Tennell involved as well, she made up some fan cards for our current USTS drivers and they have gone over really well. Then we could get a table set up and do some autographs for the fans with the cards.

rayr@marvin.com easiest way to get ahold of me.

Ray

[russhill]

If I'm still round that far in the future, I'd be happy to perform the function I did at the last reunion. I made the group more money than anybody else. I pimped the silent auction. I raised an extra couple thousand bucks by pimping. I'm good at that

[jrome]

Russ , Bring your pimp outfit next time.

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Russ , Bring your pimp outfit next time.

I'll even contribute to the outfit. Russ would be great at that.

[Amateur Photog]

Hi Ray,

I would gladly help out any way I can.

[jrome]

Russ. Bring some of those socks that are older than John and me.

[F-12]

Knowing Russ..........they are still in the wrappers.

[Tim Small]

As a USTS BOD member, I am sure we could pump up the event on our website. As it draws closer, we could advertise some of the events that will be taking place such as autograph sessions, auctions, etc.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I'm sorry Karen...but I don't have a clue who Gretchen Wilson is.:confused: Not to say that your idea is off track, but I'm probably one of the few who hasn't ever watched a reality show, or for that matter any network TV shows since 1988. The Minneapolis racers got Bobby Riggs to show up for the Nationals at Winona in 1976 to challenge ......aaagggh--can't remember her name---the tennis champ---the "Snap On" girl.. to a boat race challenge. He showed up....she didn't. But it was great press. So I would say it's worth a try.:cool:

[Lee Sutter]

I'm sorry Karen...but I don't have a clue who Gretchen Wilson is.:confused: Not to say that your idea is off track, but I'm probably one of the few who hasn't ever watched a reality show, or for that matter any network TV shows since 1988. The Minneapolis racers got Bobby Riggs to show up for the Nationals at Winona in 1976 to challenge ......aaagggh--can't remember her name---the tennis champ---the "Snap On" girl.. to a boat race challenge. He showed up....she didn't. But it was great press. So I would say it's worth a try.:cool:

Wayne,

I remember Bobby Riggs in '75 at Winona as he wanted to challenge me to a race for $$$. The conversation was after the awards presentation. Hey, he was old and grey and played tennis with Billie Jean King on prime time TV. What a guy!!!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Yeah Lee...the lady was Billy Jean King. I never heard of Bobby Riggs until he promoted himself as a challenger to Billie Jean King, and had some notoriety after that. That was the reason he came to Winona. He was still well known at that time.

BTW Lee....I finally got everything fixed on the computer...so check out Paul Simison's thread on the Old Phart's convention for the next week or so.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

So...we have had a little correspondence between some of the organizers, and we will need some input from you. There are some ideas we are kicking around, and one is a very nice coffee table type of book. Without having a firm page count, the number of photos, etc., Tim is estimating a price of around $25. How many of you would be interested in such a book? And, if we do it, we would need you to help gather info for us that we may not have on certain drivers in the way of bio's and photo's. Between Tim and myself we have a lot of stuff, but there will still be lots of gaps. There are a number of racers that have passed on, and a lot that don't do computers, so we would also need help from BRF members to forward stuff from others that we can't get ourselves. What do you guys think?

[ferv888ipba]

Wayne,
Count me in for at least one if not two books, one for me and one for my twin in Calfiornia if I can get him back on a plane. Alan and my wife are both scared too death of getting on plane, but with a 50th we could probably get him. I need some Mothers Cookies anyway!

Jean Tennell has already commented that she would be in on helping us with the postcards for drivers. I am sure we can comb through some of your pictures and get them to her for her pursusing.

We could get the books set up so that we could do interviews and signings for the fans as well up by the shelter as well as down by the legion.

Jean if you catch this, can post a card for one or two of our USTS drivers up on this site?

Thanks for your efforts Wayne!

Ray

[F-12]

I am really excited about this. You can count on me for at least 2 books..........and I will drive to California to pick up Mr. Ishii if he has problems with airplanes. I'm still working on him for Lake Alfred this fall. Whatever I can do, Wayne, consider it done................

[Joe J]

Ray:

Alan can take a road trip east with Lauren and I.

Joe

PS I am in for a book.



Wayne,
Count me in for at least one if not two books, one for me and one for my twin in Calfiornia if I can get him back on a plane. Alan and my wife are both scared too death of getting on plane, but with a 50th we could probably get him. I need some Mothers Cookies anyway!

Jean Tennell has already commented that she would be in on helping us with the postcards for drivers. I am sure we can comb through some of your pictures and get them to her for her pursusing.

We could get the books set up so that we could do interviews and signings for the fans as well up by the shelter as well as down by the legion.

Jean if you catch this, can post a card for one or two of our USTS drivers up on this site?

Thanks for your efforts Wayne!

Ray

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I'm glad you asked about the cost Karen. I wasn't clear on that. For such small quantities it is very expensive for a book of the calibre we are talking about. We want it to look nice, and not have the pages fall out. I'm not sure of the quantity Tim his thinking right now, but several months ago he was talking a 100 or a little more. That's why we want to find out how much interest there may be. Frankly, I can't see where it could be done at $25.00, but Tim has been in the business all his life. I'm sure that he would provide such excellent camera ready layouts to cut a lot of the publishers work out, that he could negotiate it down. That price does not include any of our time. Until we get a better handle on what the demand might be, and the numbers of books we will only be able to ballpark the sales price, but we just need to cover our expenses. As Ron said, you can't get rich selling books about boat racing. I would not spend the time on it except for the fact that a lot of this history will be lost if there is not a record. All the great pictures and stories here on BRF are fantastic, and I bet a more comprehensive history does not exist anywhere else on this earth. But what if something wiped it out? I wish I could get a complete DVD of a number of separate threads here on BRF for my personal boat racing library, but I don't know if that's possible. Anyway....thanks for the heads up.

Those are some other ideas to think about too Karen, and Ray's thoughts of getting Jean involved as well as his interviewing people. There could be a lot of fans that may want to buy stuff. But, we need volunteers to do that other stuff. My hands will be full because in addition to working with Tim on the book, I plan to donate two binders with copies of all my autographed pictures for the auction. I don't like to turn photo albums sideways and up while I'm flipping through the pages so one binder is horizontal and is mostly boats under way, with some groups of people. The other is vertical with mostly head shots, but some pit shots of boats. It would probably be best to auction them separately. It's not the ink and paper it will cost that I am dreading, but the time it will take. All the pictures I had scanned for my autograph thread up until January are gone because of the computer crash, so I have to start over.:mad:

There are some good ideas, so now we need more input....and volunteers.

[TomAprilsSwitzers]

I'm glad you asked about the cost Karen. I wasn't clear on that. For such small quantities it is very expensive for a book of the calibre we are talking about. We want it to look nice, and not have the pages fall out. I'm not sure of the quantity Tim his thinking right now, but several months ago he was talking a 100 or a little more. That's why we want to find out how much interest there may be. Frankly, I can't see where it could be done at $25.00, but Tim has been in the business all his life. I'm sure that he would provide such excellent camera ready layouts to cut a lot of the publishers work out, that he could negotiate it down. That price does not include any of our time. Until we get a better handle on what the demand might be, and the numbers of books we will only be able to ballpark the sales price, but we just need to cover our expenses. As Ron said, you can't get rich selling books about boat racing. I would not spend the time on it except for the fact that a lot of this history will be lost if there is not a record. All the great pictures and stories here on BRF are fantastic, and I bet a more comprehensive history does not exist anywhere else on this earth. But what if something wiped it out? I wish I could get a complete DVD of a number of separate threads here on BRF for my personal boat racing library, but I don't know if that's possible. Anyway....thanks for the heads up.

Those are some other ideas to think about too Karen, and Ray's thoughts of getting Jean involved as well as his interviewing people. There could be a lot of fans that may want to buy stuff. But, we need volunteers to do that other stuff. My hands will be full because in addition to working with Tim on the book, I plan to donate two binders with copies of all my autographed pictures for the auction. I don't like to turn photo albums sideways and up while I'm flipping through the pages so one binder is horizontal and is mostly boats under way, with some groups of people. The other is vertical with mostly head shots, but some pit shots of boats. It would probably be best to auction them separately. It's not the ink and paper it will cost that I am dreading, but the time it will take. All the pictures I had scanned for my autograph thread up until January are gone because of the computer crash, so I have to start over.:mad:

There are some good ideas, so now we need more input....and volunteers.
:DAre you guys looking for some old OPC (Outboard Pleasure Craft) racers for this reunion? The Switzer Regatta usually has a few of them show up. Last couple of years Jim Smith, Bob Switzer, Jack Lewis, Harold Simbarger & Kenny Kitson, & a few others have been there.....

[Gene East]

Wayne,
Count me in for at least one if not two books, one for me and one for my twin in Calfiornia if I can get him back on a plane. Alan and my wife are both scared too death of getting on plane, but with a 50th we could probably get him. I need some Mothers Cookies anyway!

Jean Tennell has already commented that she would be in on helping us with the postcards for drivers. I am sure we can comb through some of your pictures and get them to her for her pursusing.

We could get the books set up so that we could do interviews and signings for the fans as well up by the shelter as well as down by the legion.

Jean if you catch this, can post a card for one or two of our USTS drivers up on this site?

Thanks for your efforts Wayne!

Ray

Somehow I have overlooked this tread. Count me in! I still plan on being alive and kicking then.

I too want a book and agree Tim is the perfect choice to produce it.

Ray, it's hard to believe our oriental buddy with cajones as big as basketballs is afraid to fly! He has another reason to be there, he has a little semi-round eye "cousin" living just 70 miles from DePue that he has not yet seen.

[Ron Hill]

http://photographybyjessicab.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html

When Bunker and Annette got married Jessica made a book about their wedding. She may have made a beautiful book.

I will ask her what she can make a book for???

Woud you want a book made FROM the reunion?? Or before???

[Tim Chance]

http://photographybyjessicab.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html



Woud you want a book made FROM the reunion?? Or before???


Both??

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Hi everybody--Bill mentioned that there was a thread about the reunion and publishing a book, so I thought I would Post something. I think it is a great idea to put something together before it is lost forever. A few years back I thought it would be a good idea to put a book together for the museum at APBA :rolleyes: Not a very good plan. No one was interested. This publication will be for everyone in the pits and they are the people who deserve it.
I would be glad to give some of my pictures to the project and will be more than willing to volunteer at the reunion for whatever needs to be done.
Let me Know!
Eileen Van Steenwyk

[racingfan1]

You should see if the Village of DePue and the Men's club about helping out with this. I read this article in the local newspaper online and it appears 2011 ia also the 150th anniversery celebration of the Village of DePue.

http://www.bcrnews.com/articles/2010/03/17/r_5vuuebqsoo5so3sgmgrkg/index.xml

[Gene East]

Looks like rooms may be at a premium!

Plan on making your reservations well in advance.

[TomAprilsSwitzers]

:D Please feel free to join us at the 8th Annual Switzercraft Regatta and Hot Boat Rally:eek:. This is an annual get together of fans and owners of the Sport and Race boats of the past. Everything from 8ft racers to 38ft off shores.
:cool:This year it will be held at THE BIG BASIN MARINA in Channahon Illinois,
boats,cars and other modes of transport will start arriving at 10am, we will have a quick river run at noon then back for lunch (bring a basket or eat at the marinas bar). Then after that some of us will be doing speed runs for the crowd, and maybe some rides. :D
Also this year THE MOTORHEADS OF ILLINOIS antique outboard club will be joining us and having a swap meet.
For pictures of our past Regattas go to www.freewebs.com/switzercraftreunionregattas/ or go to yahoo groups and look for the 2 Switzercraft sites there.
Thanks, Tom Arambasich:)

[T2x]

You are also invited to the second annual OFF (Old Farts Forever) meeting from October 14th through the 18th in Jupiter, Florida. This event hosted by Steve Sirois(Bill's brother) and Jim Hauser was the most fun I have had standing upright in years. Last year we had parties at two separate locations, tours of the Geico race team shop, and static race boat displays. This year thanks to Cadillac McDaniels we will have in water flybys and driving/riding opportunities in a wild collection of vintage hulls including Powercats, Molinari's, Offshore hulls, and inboard and OB hydros...My wing will also be there as will the Miss Diablo.

Look for people like Alan Brown, Jerry Gilbreath, Odell Lewis, Johnny Bakos, Howie Stein, Kenny Kitson, Billy Seebold, Bert Serra, Tom Stickle, Gene Lanham, Bill Welch, George Linder, Gene Bianco, Jim Hunt, Chick Gagen, and a raft of others........

It was amazing last year and this year promises to be even better......

T2x

[Ron Hill]

We are starting to make some plans. More later but feel free to join in here!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I will be working with Tim Chance on the book, but I think Joe and I need to put our heads together on drivers from our area. We had a heck of a circuit of our own within the Lone Star Boat Racing Association and many of our drivers never went further than Louisiana. They won lots of races and finished high in the NOA World Championships at Alexandria...especially in runabout...but never made the trek north. Until 1972 there was no reason to because there were too many big races in the South to take time away to go to DePue. After 1972 things changed. NOA was going down, and AOF was just starting. So a lot of us from the South started going to DePue. It was just a few at first, but by 1974 a number of Texans took the trip.

My point is.....when I start working with Tim on the book....I don't plan to include drivers that didn't go to DePue. That's not to say that drivers should be excluded because they didn't race there. I just don't have the time to do the work to include all the racers I know. We still have to flesh out how the book will go, but in the meantime, anyone wanting to be included needs to put together a bio. If you are left out, most likely it will be because you didn't send in your info....or you waited too late.

[Tim Chance]

As Wayne said, if you aren't in the book, it will probably be your own fault. I have spent quite a bit of time on it already and it should (will) be a limited edition hard cover collectors item.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Tim....I need to start sending you some photos and info very soon. How do you want the photos? Will e mails do or do you need it on a dvd or flash drive? Also sizing. Does that make a difference for you?

[1969Merc800ShortShaft]

Maybe the water down there in Jupiter, will finally be the correct water for you to open up that wing & really find out what it can do? Yes? Unfortuneately I can't make it there, maybe next year though.

[1969Merc800ShortShaft]

Sorry to hear that. I know that waterway. Its miles & miles long. It would seem the perfect freshwater, calm water place to see what she could do. Plenty of safety boats too. Why go to the work & expense to rig heavier, over-powered racing outboards, if your not going to use them? Whats your logic on this? The boat runs heavy, looking at the video. Too much fuel, rigging, motor weight, etc. It does'nt fly like the Switzer Wings should. I'd rerig the boat with the power they typically ran with, and go for your speed record, to be fair. It would fly correctly then, too. But the boat sure looks nice.