Thoughts and Observations ...?

[Dr. Thunder]

Anyone have any history on this ... Any idea what make of hydro on middle bunk of trailer? Wayne???
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Vintage-Mark-30H-30-Racing-outboard-mercury-hydroplane_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ111123QQihZ0 11QQitemZ320104173296QQrdZ1

[Tim Chance]

Looks like a Sid-Craft to me.

[Steveracer]

I'm almost thinking Marchetti (sp). The short air traps kind of throw me a little. Also, did you see the cool old AC Sparkplug sticket on the runnabout? Tim, who used to hand those out at the races?

[jrome]

Phil Crown ran t 4 and t44 in the 60s and 70s and he was from Dallas.

[racnbns]

Looks like a Sid-Craft to me.

I agree with Tim. When I started racing I had a 11-6 Sid. It looked just like the pic. Same cowl shape and cloth deck.

Bruce

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I think it looks like a Sid Craft also. I've seen some with short air traps. As the speeds got up, some of the guys with canvas decks trimmed the air traps down or lopped off some of the rear portion.

Jerry Waldman used to hand out those ring of fire AC stickers, then for a short time after his death, Jerry Simision took over handing out the plugs and stickers.

Joe is right about Phil Crown. Need to try to find some old photos of him.

[Dr. Thunder]

Seller confirmed hydro to be a Sid and the runabout he thinks is a DeSilva ... any ideas about vintages?

[gearbox49m1]

I believe that Phil built that runabout himself. I first knew him in the mid 60's and the runabout was 2 to 3 years old. Phil Crown was a very helpful guy to a couple of kids trying to start boat racing.

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Anyone have any history on this ... Any idea what make of hydro on middle bunk of trailer? Wayne???
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Vintage-Mark-30H-30-Racing-outboard-mercury-hydroplane_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ111123QQihZ0 11QQitemZ320104173296QQrdZ1

All the early Sids had the shorter air traps. It wasn't until if my memory is orrect, the arly 60's Sid lengthened the air traps which also widened the planing surface by 1". Also, one of the pictures showed the dash of the boat & you can see the little plaque that sid & Mickey nailed to it, although it's hard to read thr writing but it clearly says Sid Craft.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Confirmation from Clayton Elmer today. It is an 11-6 Sid Craft. He knows that boat although he didn't drive it. It is just like the Sid Clayton drove during that famous duel between him and Hu Entrop at Lake Spivey in Georgia.

Clayton had a '63 Sid Craft and he put it in the water three times. Each time the left sponson broke off. He sent it back to Sid for repairs, but Clayton wanted to know what the deal was.

Clayton went to a race at Lake Charles Louisiana which turned out to be one of those wind driven endurance contests. He went out, but was just cruising for some points and a little gas money. The event was C hydro. Clayton looked for the calmest area and it turned out to be behind Don Nichols who was pounding down the crests, but not the swells.

Clayton didn't stuff, but he doesn't remember anything but getting hit in the stomach with the nose of the boat. There was nothing left in front of the steering wheel, but the boat kept going. Clayton tried to kill the engine, but Lake Charles is salt water and the magneto kept him at bay. Each time he reached back to kill it he got bit. Finally Clayton moved up toward the front and got enough weight for the front end to go under water and stop the hydro. Clayton didn't say anything to the pickup boat crew, but when they took one look at him, they hauled him straight to the ambulance. He had a ruptured spleen.

At Atlanta later on, Clayton ran into Sid. He had tried to work things out with him about the hydro, but after all that happened Clayton was just P.O.'d. Sid had an identical sister hydro to the one Clayton had trouble with and offered it to Clayton at a very cheap price. Clayton told Sid "I don't want your damn hydro". But Phil Crown must have been right there and heard the price. The next thing that happened was Clayton handed Sid the money that Phil Crown gave him and that hydro never touched Clayton's trailer. It went straight onto Phil Crown's. And that's the hydro in the pic.:cool: :D

[Jeff Akers]

That's an AWESOME story!:D :cool:

[Master Oil Racing Team]

You know what Jeff........that comes from BRF member Clayton Elmer himself. Clayton doesn't post anything, but sometimes I have a question and call him for info. He was after all my Mentor. Clayton "taught" me how to race. He fed me info, then gave no quarter on the race course. He read the thread, then called today to tell me about the hydro. It was later on in the conversation I found out the other details about Lake Charles etc.

So the moral of the story is, there are a lot of racers from the past that have a story to tell. If they don't do it......we must. And thanks Jeff... and a word to YOU. Take notes along with your pics...and SAVE THEM!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I haven't studied this boat closely to see whether or not its the same. I had always thought that Joe Bowdler from San Antonio was driving this. I took this at my first race with a real alky rig at Nuevo Guerrero in Mexico in 1965. So it's the same time frame as Phil Crown's runabout. Clayton says that Phil built 44T himself as a copy of a DeSilva. It was kind of between the older thicker ones and the thinner versions that came later.