Molinari Racing Boat History and Information

[Steve Pinson]

Brad Miller bought a Molinari that we were told, later, was a boat that Bob Hering "STUFFED" in Paris, 1977. Does anyone know if Bobby Hering "STUFFED" in Paris also? I'm think the boat we bought might have been Bobby's boat from England. Fred Hauenstein and I drove this boat to win the Parker 9 Hour, 1978!

I'll add, I don't think Bob worked on a propeller of his own until he went to work making them up in Seattle area...Renato was REAL close to Record Props in those days....and Record props "kicked ***" on most propellers in those days!

First of all this 1977 Paris 6hr race was a lost opportunity any of at least 5 OMC Molinari outfits could have won this race mine included my co-driver hit a upturned boat we lost at least 30 mins and still finished 4th.Now it gets better i do know Fred Haunstein was over with his mother and did drive a new Red or Orange Molinari i think he was teamed up with Ken Stevenson he even assembled his own engine but it didn`t last.Now back to the subject of props OMC had a strict policy HENRIX PROPS ONLY head of European Racing Paul Kalbe made it clear it was more than his job was worth to buy OZ engine props from anywhere else i think he may have sneaked a few 3cyl props maybe off you Ron?At the OMC factory at Brugge we struggled using old 2litre props for at least 18 months on the 2.5 litre engines some were ok on sprint courses but i did managed to get 2 new props in october 1978 in time for the 1978 Paris race i think the racing Budget for Brugge was given to Molinari. Immediately after the 1977 Paris race all the injected engines all the lightweight dry cell batteries all the props all the new Molinaris except mine were shipped back to the US.Now the only OMC Molinari that was stuffed at Paris was by your goodfriend Jimbo Mconnell that was in 1979?Back to Bob Hering he was back in the US in 1979 and was sending reworked props back to the UK all to order for some of my teamates i am not sure if the drivers bought them or OMC paid but they were delivered to the races personally by the OMC importer himself?

[Lars Strom]

More Renato Molinari-Bob Hering..

[Lars Strom]

...

Back on topic..Molinari boats..!!

Steve Pinson drove a Molinari/Johnson V-6 in Bristol 1979..#17

[Steve Pinson]

Paris 1977

Well Lars this thread is all about outboard racing history so i have a little story about Ray Bulmans Paris 6hr 1977 race report that you have just posted on (176) i read with interest the part about Bill Badsey`s boat catching fire in the pits on the saturday which was the day before race day.Well the boat that did catch fire was OMC driver Peter Thorneyworks yellow Couger boat his mechanic and friend Guy Brooks was changing the fuel filters when he shorted the battery out`the rules are no fuel in boats before race day.Well after the fire was extinguished the Gendarm`s imposed a huge fine on Peter wanting thousands of Francs to release his boat so he let them cool down for a few hours then rounded up the Couger crew with Clive Curtis and James Beard and his own crew then surprised the Gendalm`s with a push of war well it was like watching a Keystones Cops movie they used the steel barriers to force the Gendalm`s back enough to let his Range Rover and boat through and off he went with a van full of Gendalm`s in pirsuit i am not sure what happened after but it was very entertaining for the crowds to watch?

[Lars Strom]

Thank you Steve..I remember the fire and was having major argument with my fuel for the Molinari/Volvo Penta/Konig that year.

A Volvo Penta/Konig outboard in Paris Six Hours 1977.

http://svera.se/blogg/paris-6-hours/...ix-hours-1977/

[Lake X Kid]

Attachment 54595

Here are three boat racers who have driven Mercury powered Molinari boats.
Roy Ridgell, Giovanni Pellolio, and Cees Vander Veldon, with the Lake X Kid far left in the photo.

Cees in the 70's eventually started building his own brand of race tunnel boats in Holland, then started competing against the Molinari boats.
Giovanni had a resturant on the other side of Lago di Como, north of the Molinari boat shop. He also was a member of the Mercury European racing team.
Roy Ridgell was Mercury European Race Manager, and lived on the lake next to the Molinari boat shop. Supposedly Roy raced the first Molinari hull (boat# 888) in the USA at the Gold Coast race in Florida, during the mid 1960's.

[Lake X Kid]

This is from the Havasu race 1969. Renato drove a two engine boat but crashed..

I got the pictures from Gene Lanham (Thank you) but have no more info.

On post# 64 photo, this dual engine rig (boat# 68) I notice that Renato named it after his long-time girlfriend Miss Tati.
I do not know if Miss (pronounce Tee Tee) ever got Renato to marry her.

[Lars Strom]

Don't know but Renato had a very young girlfriend when he was racing Evinrude V-8

Renato Molinari Milano 1982
Photo: Nino Molla

[Lars Strom]

Angelo Molinari Renato´s father.

[Lake X Kid]

This is supposedly the first Molinari hull to be imported to and raced in the USA.
Boat# 888 was driven by Mercury factory driver Roy Ridgell from Lake X, at the Gold Coast race from Miami beach to West Palm Beach, and back to Miami, Florida.

This is early to mid 60's photo race.