Cocktail Class Racing - Any Interest?

[DeanFHobart]

To all,

Is there any interest in this "Cocktail Class Racing"? They are racing in Florida on Sat. Feb. 28th at New Smyrna Beach and Tues. March 3rd at Lake Placid, Lake Apthorpe..... I think these are AOF races.

It looks like a well run organization.... Basically in the Maryland area. Their web site is: www.ccwbra.com, "Cocktail Class Wooden Boat Racing Association".

The boats are a "One Design", called a "Skua". Full size plans and kits are available at: www.clcboats.com, "Chesapeake Light Craft".

I'm interested in Any Kind of Boat Racing... So just asking if there is any interest out there? Looks like fun. They use 6 hp or 8hp outboards.

Regards,

Dean Hobart..................

[champ20B]

6 to 8hp motors? Hmm....It would be hilarious if someone showed up with a Elto 6hp midget-racer, Martin high-speed 60, or a 7.9hp Champion 4LX hotrod!!

[Mike Schmidt]

The AOMC used to have a 5hp "fun class" for the young kids to run at their meets. One "stock" 5hp motor had a big carb, counter weighted crank, lightened crank / flywheel, couple of extra reeds per cylinder and some real high ports.......

The bathtub guys in the North West run a "stock" Suzuki 8hp motor. Several of these have had a ton of work done to them. They sure look stock on the outside.....

Michael

[Sea Bat]

The AOMC used to have a 5hp "fun class" for the young kids to run at their meets. One "stock" 5hp motor had a big carb, counter weighted crank, lightened crank / flywheel, couple of extra reeds per cylinder and some real high ports.......

The bathtub guys in the North West run a "stock" Suzuki 8hp motor. Several of these have had a ton of work done to them. They sure look stock on the outside.....

Michael

That could be a problem in Cocktail Racing. The basic Power Head is the same for the 6hp and 8hp. A few hardware changes and a 6 is an 8 . Unfortunately there are many who have no honor or morals and will cheat to win at any cost. To make a level playing field you would have to have inspectors and well spelled out rules. There goes the low cost and friendly competition.

[champ20B]

This reminds me of the 3hp class that I think the AOMC did. I found out about it and, just for fun, built a 12ft plywood jon boat and fixed up a little 3.5 Chrysler. Once I climbed to the middle of the boat under way and with a longer piece of pipe for the handle, this little boat would really scat!! I'd say about 15-18mph (darn good for a 3-1/2 hp).

There is also the Zephyr racing. These are race boats that are equipped with the (antique) rotary valve opposed 4-cylinder evinrude zephyr, rated at 5.4 hp.... These are about 10 c.i.d with aluminum rods like the evinrude light-four 9.7hp, but only smaller. I had one of these that I bought for fifty dollars while I was in high school. The motor was about 50 years old, and everyone said I would never get it running. The ignition was rotted though the rest of the engine was well preserved. My dad proved them all wrong! He taught me how to put later style coils on the old style coil-heels. It took two later style omc coils on each heel wired to fire two cylinders at once alternately. It worked!!
After that we took a carburetor from a 12hp Chrysler outboard, and made a split intake tunnel ram manifold. (the zephyr had a two barrel type carb so we made a one barrel to two manifold from 3/4" tubing.) Once I put that on the boat and ran it like I did the 3.5hp, that zephyr was fast as heck!! It would run as fast as any 10hp fishing motor!!

[DeanFHobart]

This reminds me of the 3hp class that I think the AOMC did. I found out about it and, just for fun, built a 12ft plywood jon boat and fixed up a little 3.5 Chrysler. Once I climbed to the middle of the boat under way and with a longer piece of pipe for the handle, this little boat would really scat!! I'd say about 15-18mph (darn good for a 3-1/2 hp).

There is also the Zephyr racing. These are race boats that are equipped with the (antique) rotary valve opposed 4-cylinder evinrude zephyr, rated at 5.4 hp.... These are about 10 c.i.d with aluminum rods like the evinrude light-four 9.7hp, but only smaller. I had one of these that I bought for fifty dollars while I was in high school. The motor was about 50 years old, and everyone said I would never get it running. The ignition was rotted though the rest of the engine was well preserved. My dad proved them all wrong! He taught me how to put later style coils on the old style coil-heels. It took two later style omc coils on each heel wired to fire two cylinders at once alternately. It worked!!
After that we took a carburetor from a 12hp Chrysler outboard, and made a split intake tunnel ram manifold. (the zephyr had a two barrel type carb so we made a one barrel to two manifold from 3/4" tubing.) Once I put that on the boat and ran it like I did the 3.5hp, that zephyr was fast as heck!! It would run as fast as any 10hp fishing motor!!

Cool............................................

[captbone]

I would love a real world affordable and competitive class like this EVERYONE can afford and partake in.

I would love to build a 10ft fiberglass boat with top deck and flat stern that could me used to make a few molds for everyone to use. 6-8hp would be ideal.

[DeanFHobart]

I would love a real world affordable and competitive class like this EVERYONE can afford and partake in.

I would love to build a 10ft fiberglass boat with top deck and flat stern that could me used to make a few molds for everyone to use. 6-8hp would be ideal.

Hello Captbone,

Go ahead and "Just Do It"...............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good Luck,

Dean Hobart............................................ ..........................

[captbone]

I keep dreaming of it. I am looking for a donor hull locally that I can cut up and modify. (one day).

Do you think there is even enough people interested in playing?

[DeanFHobart]

I keep dreaming of it. I am looking for a donor hull locally that I can cut up and modify. (one day).

Do you think there is even enough people interested in playing?

Captbone,

Where are you located?

Thanks,

[captbone]

Long Island, NY

I want something safe, affordable and something that could actually take off and become popular. I think the real key to getting this kind of racing to take off is a standardized platform. My dream is to build a 10ft deep V hull with a large pad and then get a company to build them out of rotomolded plastic like a kayak. $500 out the door and supply your own engine.

I am dreaming but it keeps my mind busy.

[mfvmx]

Small ill-handling boats with 4 different engine classes and 4 driver classes :youth,women(130lb min), men(165min) and heavyweight(200min). What's not to like? But seriously I do it because it's close to me and we don't get much other race action in the mid-atlantic area. Although class creep is getting a little ridiculous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5oBJwxMBNc

[Ketzer]

On a short course, with a full field of twelve boats, that could be fun!

[Al Lang]

Do not like the idea of not everyone has a dead mans throttle. Do they have a ignition cut off if thrown out of the boat or flips ? Looks like a fun race otherwise. Captbone, what part of Long Island are you located ?

[mfvmx]

No more than 6 boats at a time, they all are required to have emergency cutoffs even the 60s vintage points motors that never had a povision for it.