Buccaneer days

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I haven't seen anything about this event the coming weekend, but it's like it was last year. No promo's. According to a number of billboards in the Corpus Christi, Texas area there will be boat races this next weekend. It is an on the water boat show with everything from 25 million dollar yachts to rubbber dingy's with a 2 hp Yamaha. Lot's of food, fun, music, sun, and I am presuming Texas Tri-hulls. I haven't listened to local news or read local newspapers since 1988, so I don't really know what's what, but since the Tri Hulls were such a big success last year....I'm guessing they're back. I asked Joe last week and said I may call for the Texas John Schubert's number, but I didn't. Can't seem to find the time lately to keep in touch with the boat racing world.

I was driving down South Padre Island Drive today to take my Son Andrew to the Kawasaki dealer (he broke the mounts somehow on the FRONT differential of his all the time 4WD off road Dodge PU) to get an oil filter and oil for his bike. A fighter jet was streaking toward us about a thousand feet above, and I told Andrew "That's not a trainer....and why is it in that flight pattern?" Just then another one came in behind it, and I said "This doesn't make sense...these are fighter planes" I was recalling a couple of weeks ago the day before our Air Force launched weapons against Qadaffi's troops I called Joe and told him I just witnessed a fighter looking like an F 15 cross my path doing about 500 mph around 600 feet off the ground, I was about 60 miles from the Naval Bombing station and heading in that direction, when about 10 minutes later another jet looking the same crossed my path again. They were only in sight for seconds. When I passed across the entrance to the bombing station, I didn't see any activity, but these planes looked like Air Force and not Navy. In any case, they would have passed they bombing site in minutes from where I first saw them, and it could have even been the same one making a big loop. We always see mostly Navy Jets doing touch and go's days before an overseas strike. Air force is further north....like San Antonio and Fort Worth.

Anyway....sorry to ramble....but I got to talking to Andrew then after he told me he got a good look at the jets and they were blue. Then it hit me. Blue Angels. Andrew's apartment is on the bay, and across the way is the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. As we were changing his oil and filter on his Kawasaki, the Blue Angels were performing their rehersals. We had to stop and look up as they came overhead in formation, then one by one doing loops, putting out smoke, etc. It was fantastic. I then asked Andrew if he wanted to go to the races with me Saturday. He has not been interested much in boat racing before, but he said "Yes". I told him there may be some people I know there, and he was excited to go. Another friend of his will go as well. We'll just see what happens.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Andrew and I went to the boat show today and I got sunburned. Andrew seemed to fare well and he enjoyed the show. The crowd was down some from last year, but the vendors were way down. The Obama economy was very evident. Whereas last year the seawall wall solid with food vendors from the right corner of the seawall down to near where spectators watched the first turn action.....there were none. Most of the infield had been crowded with vendors hawking smoked turkey legs, fajitas, corn dogs, funnel cakes, etc. There were still some of that, but it was all in a small circular area behind the judges stand. All in all, it was still fun and good food but the lines were very long for the food and drink tickets because there was only one booth this time. And to top things off..............the PA blew out at the start so there was no coverage or color of the Tri Hulls before, during or after the races. Maybe tommorrow that will be fixed. I heard someone say what blew out and they were chasing parts, but who knows.:(

In any case, the boat racers upheld their end and eleven boats showed up. It was so rough though that only seven answered the second heat. Michael Schubert blew out the bottom of his number 8 on the fourth or fifth lap. Scary Jerry Rinckert had a bolt break and his steering was troublesome. His first left hand into the far turn wouldn't go. It was locked tight. He then turned right to come around, then his steering loosend up so he could make a left this time. He made it through, but had to do some fixing in the pits. Michael Schubert told Jerry just to take what he needed off of one of his motors to fix it while he himself was busying removing his motor from the broken No. 8 to a brand new boat.

A beautiful new white Tri Hull, Michael was backing up to make the switch as John Schubert was trying to sell it to me. I had been asking John about the capsule at the launching ramp and what it took to get qualified. He was explaining it to me and said Andrew could qualify right then. They were qualifying Blaine? Terry and John asked one of the racers that was walking by. He said that they had already done him. I think Andrew was about ready then, but the moment passed. All in all, it was a fun day. Didn't get to see the final heat of the day, as we had to leave. Then I spent a half hour downloading pictures.

I don't know how the rest of you are, but I want my digital pictures to be simple. I would want them to be downloaded in a place that I can find them. If not.....then the computer should tell me where they are going to be found BEFORE I push the button. I can find stuff later on....but it would be MUCH easier if I had a clue beforehand so I could direct the photos to the proper place.

So I have given you the scenario and setting for the 2011 races of Tri Hulls at the marina in Corpus Christi, but the photos I edited are from the year before. I had not posted them previously, so enjoy them and I will try to find where the ones I took today went.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I found the pics. Like a stupid lawyer....the program assumes I want the photos filed in the same place I put them before. How much trouble would it be to have a program to ask first, instead of going ahead full blast. I think they do it to make us computer idiots hire nerds or even worse...con us into buying what we "think" can bypass nerds and do it on our own. Anybody that buys those Yellow and Black "Idiot" books pretty much has an idea about what to do and just need a translation into English. The rest of us just have to stumble into the right slot.;):D

So here's a few.

First is BRF member Wolfman...aka...Phillip Wolfe out of Groves. Texas and a couple of his pit men. On the left is Dwayne, in the middle is Blake, and Phillip and driver is on the right.

Second Pic is named.

Third is Whitney Terry. She needed a tow to the pits after this heat. It was extremely rough even for the tri hulls with winds steady at 30-35 mph.