F-Alky Class Records

[BJuby]

Was interested in knowing the speeds these hydros and runabouts were running in the mid 1960s. Does anyone have memory or data of speed records set during these times?

Thanks

[Ron Hill]

Two in the boat, 14' foot DeSilva, Lon Stevens in-line six kilo record was 97 MPH, as I recall. Record was held by Rich Fuchlin. In 1967, I held the five mile record driving Harry Bartolomei's 13'6" Desliva with a Quincy 75-H and a Konig gearcase, but don't recall the speed, seems maybe 71 MPH. Truth is Rich Fuchlin and Bill Jack Rucker were much fast the day I broke the record but they broke down.

Keep in mind there were over all weights in those days and the cubic inch limit was 60 cubic inches.

I won the second heat at DePue, 1967 in DRH, (I lead 4 7/8 laps the first heat), my D Hydro showed 94 on the Keller during testing. I finished second in FRH to Bill Jack Rucker, I did not test the F Hydro with a Keller as Harry didn't want me to know how fast I was going, I felt my F Hydro was as fast as the D....So, 1967 speeds were around 95-100 MPH, Rucker beat me good a proper. I just prayed he'd stick a piston, but he did have 5 MPH on me or more.

I do know that the Quincy 75-H on the Konig gearcase accelerated off the second corner so fast pasted Jerry Waldman's Quincy Loop 44, he thought his timing belt broke.

[BJuby]

Thanks for the info Ron! What make hydros were you running?

[Ron Hill]

Dieter Schultz.....build Harry a 13'6" hydro for our 500 CC Konig. I think I spelled Schultz wrong. Dieter sent to boat to Dick O'Dea's shop in Patterson, New Jersey. I stopped at Dick's shop in the way to the Expo '67 Regatta in Valleyfield, Canada. They were running the John Ward Trophy race there that year. I was luck enough to win that race, with Fred Hauenstein second. Fred was running a Marcel Belleville Hydro and set the Canadian World Recond in the second heat. Fred's boat was about the same size as mine. Our boats were considered large for the era!

[BJuby]

Yeah, and I thought my 12'6" Sidson hydro from around 1966-67 was considered long, haha.

Thanks