SpeedWeaver
07-02-2005, 03:11 PM
Hello,
Can anyone help me find some information about a certian former F1 tunnel boat champion named Bob Barrett? When I was about 10 years old (1971 or so) my dad had a coworker that raced F1 tunnel boats here in the US. He was based here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I remember my dad taking me to see Bob Barrett's F1 boat. Bob told me that he was the defending Formula 1 champion. I also remember a little about the boat. Bob said it was one of the last of the wood sponsoned tunnel boats. I remember it vividly. It was bright yellow with black lightning bolts on the top of each sponson. It also had a bumble bee in a circle on the body in front of the Black Mercury outboard. I think that was the name of the boat. "Bumble Bee". He let me sit in it and I thought it was the neatest boat I had ever seen. About a year later Bob was racing the boat at a lake somewhere back east and struck a floating log and was almost killed. Needless to say the boat was destroyed and Bob never raced again and was never the same. He suffered massive Brain damage and was in the hospital for months.
Before that happened I got to go for a ride with Bob in a little green metallic boat called a Cheetah. It was amazing and very fast! He had the trim buttons on the steering wheel like the formula boat. Bob said, "Watch what this thing will do." At about 30 mph he made a sudden turn that ended up in a tight circle that raised the water in the center of the circle so high that it was above the boat and I could touch it without reaching for it. That memory has stayed with me all these years and has inspired me to buy a 1975 Glastron GT-150 with one of the first 100 hp Mercury inline six mounted on a CMC power tilt. I'm replacing the floor and stringers in it and haven't got to try it out yet but I'm close. I can't wait!
I would very much like to find ANY information about Bob Barret and his F1 boat. Just one picture would mean a lot to me. Has anyone ever heard of him?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The images below are of what I think might be Bob's boat and a picture of a 1975 Cheetah.
Thanks,
Weave
Can anyone help me find some information about a certian former F1 tunnel boat champion named Bob Barrett? When I was about 10 years old (1971 or so) my dad had a coworker that raced F1 tunnel boats here in the US. He was based here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I remember my dad taking me to see Bob Barrett's F1 boat. Bob told me that he was the defending Formula 1 champion. I also remember a little about the boat. Bob said it was one of the last of the wood sponsoned tunnel boats. I remember it vividly. It was bright yellow with black lightning bolts on the top of each sponson. It also had a bumble bee in a circle on the body in front of the Black Mercury outboard. I think that was the name of the boat. "Bumble Bee". He let me sit in it and I thought it was the neatest boat I had ever seen. About a year later Bob was racing the boat at a lake somewhere back east and struck a floating log and was almost killed. Needless to say the boat was destroyed and Bob never raced again and was never the same. He suffered massive Brain damage and was in the hospital for months.
Before that happened I got to go for a ride with Bob in a little green metallic boat called a Cheetah. It was amazing and very fast! He had the trim buttons on the steering wheel like the formula boat. Bob said, "Watch what this thing will do." At about 30 mph he made a sudden turn that ended up in a tight circle that raised the water in the center of the circle so high that it was above the boat and I could touch it without reaching for it. That memory has stayed with me all these years and has inspired me to buy a 1975 Glastron GT-150 with one of the first 100 hp Mercury inline six mounted on a CMC power tilt. I'm replacing the floor and stringers in it and haven't got to try it out yet but I'm close. I can't wait!
I would very much like to find ANY information about Bob Barret and his F1 boat. Just one picture would mean a lot to me. Has anyone ever heard of him?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The images below are of what I think might be Bob's boat and a picture of a 1975 Cheetah.
Thanks,
Weave