Andiamo

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

The start of a new year signals that all the old vintage hydroplanes and owners, like a very fine wine, are just getting better with age. (Hmm….that sounds good, so I’ll go with that).
Every year new year also brings forth a few more vintage hydroplanes that will be reincarnated back to it’s former glory.

The latest project seen at John Jenkins shop is a blunt nose Jones 145 ci hydroplane vintage (1970?).
The boat is the former TOR-GRE for which is was built for & campaigned by the Barker Family out of western New York state.
The hydro then moved on and became the ANDIAMO campaigned by Tony Lamontia in the 1980s (dictionary tells me this boat name is Italian for – “Let’s Go; Hurry Up“) .
From there, it moved on and was campaigned by Jeff Corrigan as WONDERFUL SENSATION and was last raced up into the early 90s when mandatory cell rules were implemented.

The Lamontia Bros. have acquired this hydroplane and commissioned John Jenkins to restore her  as campaigned by their father —  ANDIAMO.

John Jenkins (left) and the Jack Hines talking about the old Jones.
John Jenkins (left) and the Jack Hines talking about the old Jones.

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2014__Jenkins_1_s_class 2014__Jenkins_2_s_class 2014__Jenkins_3_s_class 2014__Jenkins_4_s_class

Thanks to Phil Kunz for the story and photos!

Mom’s Worry A-55

Mark Wheeler and the family's restored A-55.
Mark Weber and the family’s restored MOM’S WORRY A-55.

Mom’s Worry A-55 has 24 photos posted to their webpage. This is the boat built by “Pops” Weber for his son Ray in 1962. They raced the boat for 5 years then sold it. It was located by Ray’s son, Mark in 2007 and restored by Scott Liddycoat.

Berlin VI

European Class E 2 (2500 ccm) Berlin VI was constructed and built by Kurt Gersch of Wiesbaden, Germany. The boat won every race in its class in 1956 including the 1956 World Championship in Cannes
European Class E 2 (2500 ccm)
Berlin VI was constructed and built by Kurt Gersch of Wiesbaden, Germany.
The boat won every race in its class in 1956 including the 1956 World Championship in Cannes.

Rolf Gersch found his father’s old boat (that his father originally built) and restored her back to life.
Click here to read more of the story on this beautiful boat.

….let’s try another one using monthly calendars.

Photo from a Moment

ALFA ROMERO

3-ALFA ROMEO-Montreal Autodelta-70 's EX: Casanova Petrobelli Casinghini
3-ALFA ROMEO-Montreal Autodelta-70 ‘s EX: Casanova Petrobelli Casinghini

Notre Dame

James Jackson posted this great pic on Facebook with the comment, "Dan Arena (standing) preparing to run the W-24 Cylinder Duesenburg powered Notre Dame".
James Jackson posted this great pic on Facebook with the comment, “Dan Arena (standing) preparing to run the W-24 Cylinder Duesenburg powered Notre Dame”.

Detroit’s Packard Plant cranked out 70,000 engines during wartime

PT boats! Kittyhawks! Hurricanes with 40mm guns to rip open Nazi tanks! Mosquito bombers! And, of course, the mighty P-51 Mustang! What do all these marvelous manifestations of the Allies’ mechanized might have in common?

Why, they’re all powered by might V12 motors assembled by America’s Master Motor Builder: Packard. The film reel is all about the automaker’s contributions outside the world of luxury automobiles, including motors for flying boats, tanks, zeppelins, speedboats and more. –

– Go to Autoweek to read an article and watch a terrific movie

Obscure hydroplane, built in a barn in an out of the way place, never raced, never to fulfill the dreams of her builder.

Wonderful story posted in the new issue, over at Unlimited New Journal, that some of you may not even know much about. The Miss Grays Harbor unlimited hydroplane and it’s history.
The mid-1950’s building boom of championship hulls had subsided somewhat, with only three camps officially giving notice of their intentions. In the east, Les Staudacher was putting the finishing touches on a new, drop sponson sister ship to Sam DuPont’s Nitrogen. Little did we know that eleven years later as Miss Madison, it would record a victory in one of the most famous Gold Cup races of all time!
Out west Peter & Richard Woeck were getting a brand new Miss Burien off of the Ted Jones drawing board to replace their former hull which had been destroyed in the 1959 Diamond Cup. Bob Gilliam had been working tirelessly on another of his home built hydros, the new KOLroy 1, which would go on to be his most successful hull in a career spanning the next 13 years. An interesting read for sure. Use this link to go directly to the September Issue.