February 2008 - from the Vintage Notebook

February 2008
by Bob Silva and Bill John III

BOATS UNDER RESTORATION:
The Hydroplane and Race Boat Museum in Seattle has sold or agreed to sell the 48 cu in hydroplane Y-48, DOUBLE TROUBLE to Randy Mueller of Gig Harbor, Washington, for an undisclosed sum. The DOUBLE TROUBLE is a Ted Jones-designed 48 cu in class hydroplane, 12 ft long. It is believed that the boat was built and raced by Darrel Olson in the 1960s. It used a Crosley engine for power and was described as the "best running" 48 in Region 12 in the mid 1960s. Terms of the sale are: Randy will perform a cosmetic restoration on the outfit and freshen the engine, and will display the 48 at ACBS shows. Randy will run flybys in the DOUBLE TROUBLE at APBA Vintage meets and, at some point, donate the 48 hydro back to the Museum. This is an interesting arrangement that allows the Museum to preserve and improve the boats in the collection while the generosity of members is rewarded by allowing them to enjoy the use of the boats following restoration. The Museum performs large projects with large volunteer teams, while smaller projects are entrusted to individual members. Congratulations to Randy Mueller and to the Seattle Hydroplane and Race Boat Museum.

NOTES:
There are some great new websites for vintage race boats. Take a look at the great vintage hydros running out of Region 10 at: http://www.apbavintage.com/
Bill John III has a new website for those California flatbottoms at Harlan Orrin’s shop:
http://www.vintageraceboatshop.com/HarlanOrrin.htm

EVENTS:
Mar 29-30 Chatahoochee FL   Contact:Joe Phillips 321-799-4595 (no crane)
May 16-18 Muscatine IA       Muscantine Boat Show   Contact: Phillip Mitchell 952-934-3670
June 7-8   Elizabeth City NC Carolina Cup Regatta Contact:Shirley Outlaw 252-330-2652
June 21-22 Cambridge MD       Contact:Tom Ebeling 410-228-7324
July 4-6   Valleyfield Can.   Valleyfield, Quebec Canada Contact:Ben Lemay 450-371-3291
July 11-13 Detroit MI         APBA Gold Cup Contact:Alan Radue 248-616-1317
July 18-20 Waterford MI       Quake on the Lake Contact:Joe Schulte 313-885-5976
July 24-27 Bemus Bay NY       Bemus Bay Regatta Contact:Ron Mativy 716-665-9744
Aug 9-10   Algonac MI         Silver Cup Regatta Contact:Joe Schulte 313-885-5976
Aug 14-17 Clayton NY          Antique Race Boat Regatta Contact:Charlotte Brooks 315-686-4104 x229
Aug 23-24 Celina OH          Governor’s Cup Regatta Contact:Joe Schulte 313-885-5976
Aug 29-31 Wheeling WVA       Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta Contact:Debbie Joseph 304-233-4738
Sept 5-7   Buffalo NY         Buffalo Launch Club Vintage Regatta Contact:Bill DeGlopper 716-773-6093
Sept 20-21 Utica MI           Streak on the Creek Contact:Joe Schulte 304-885-5976

BOB SILVA’S WEST COAST REPORT:
Keith Black and Boat Racing
Keith Black, one of the most recognized names in all of motor racing, got his start in APBA inboard racing, a fact that seems to have been lost over time. In 1949 Black bought an E Racing Runabout and named the boat MARY-E. In 1952, he switched to a Hallett built 225 hydroplane that he named, FLYIN’ SAUCER, 73-N. Rich Hallett (who held the 225 record with his own, I’M IN) and Black teamed up, racing Black’s 225 FLYIN’ SAUCER, with Black building the Ford flathead engines and Hallett driving. They established a 225 class, 1-mile straightaway record of 107.238 mph in 1954.
The first engine Keith Black built for hire was in 1953 – a Ford Flathead V-8 that was installed in the 225, KING PIN, 5-N owned by George King of Fresno, CA.
The second engine he built for hire was for Ray Smith of St. Louis. It was installed in a 225 that Rich Hallett had just built for Smith, but Hallett didn’t have the time to build the engine and asked Black to supply the Flathead. The boat and engine ran very well back east until Smith started tinkering around with it, and the more he did to the engine the worse it ran. Finally, Ray Smith ordered a second boat from Hallett and specified that if Keith Black built the engine, that he would not fool around with it. Smith went on to win 40 of 42 heats.
In 1956, Black built his first Chrysler V-8 teaming up with Hallett and Bruce Greer in the 7 Litre, SEVEN GRAND. The fuel injected hemi, on straight alky, put out 375 horsepower. The hydro set a competition record of 86.455 mph on Lake Mead, NV, with Hallett driving.
Keith Black’s talent with marine engines lead to his being appointed, in 1965, to develop the hemi for Chrysler’s Marine Division, which also lead to building the engines for Bill Sterret’s twin-engine Unlimited, MISS CHYRSLER CREW.
Black decided it would be much easier and faster to develop the hemi in AA/Fuel drag cars, following a near fatal accident that involved his friend, Barry McGown, while driving a Keith Black prepared blown fuel Chrysler in McCown’s drag hydro, BANZAI.

VINTAGE HOT BOAT OF THE MONTH

FLYIN’ SAUCER, 73-N with Rich Hallett at the wheel.
The 225 ci hydro, built by Hallett and owned by Keith Black, was powered by a Black built, Ford flathead. One of Black’s 1954 speed secrets for the Flathead was to spend a lot of time working on the valve train, working on the ports and seating, and he believed in running them hard during tuneup, using a cold plug and leaned out. In 1954, the FLYIN' SAUCER set an APBA 1-mile straightaway record of 107.238 mph.