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Author Topic:   Whew !!!

Sal DiMercurio posted 03-26-2003 08:46 PM ET (US)
A buddy of mine bought an offshore racer, a 32' Skater [ cat ]with 4 - 280 hp Merc racing engines, with quickie lower units.
He's had it since last Nov. but he's afraid of it.
He knows i used to race & asked me if i'd run her about a month ago, The water was flat as a mirror & I took her to 117 mph but still wasen't opened up.
He has only run her to 96 mph & she gets kinda scary over 100 mph as she's only 4,300 lbs.
He called me last night & asked if i'd run her again & see what she's got.
I said sure.
Merc says this boat is capeable of 145 mph.
It was pretty windy & he came with me [ him.......talk about a nervous wreck ].
We cruised around at 65 - 70 mph till I got the feel of her again .
I said i'm going to open her up & if he wanted to watch from the dock or ride with me, he said go for it.
Were running steady at 85 mph & I kicked her in the pants, she completely went airborn & those noisy fire breathing engines just ripped to 8,000 rpms.rpms,...100,....110,...115,....120,....125,....128,...130 & she started to lift to fast at the bow even while trimmed all the way in, I had to back off while she still had another 1,000 rpms to climb, but for sure she was headed straight for the sky if i hadn't backed her off.
I feel this rig is to short for these 4 engines, a 38' would be a better setup.
Once she hits 100 mph, there is just plain no turning her, no matter if you turn the wheel, she keeps going straight & baby, she takes a looooooong time to stop.
It might have been to windy to try for top end, but she sure has a mind of her own.
She's running [ i think he said ] 35 pitch merc racing props.
Been a long time since I hit 130 mph & it still gets the adrenaline rushing.
Sal

John from Madison CT posted 03-27-2003 07:18 AM ET (US)
Gulp.....err ahhh....that sounds like fun.
raygun posted 03-27-2003 10:58 AM ET (US)
Hey Sal, sounds like a real blast. What do you wear for a run like that, a special suit and a helmet? Or were you just in khaki shorts, Hawaiian shirt and top siders? ;)
super7 posted 03-27-2003 01:59 PM ET (US)
Been awhile since i've gone real fast. First real fast ride for me was the old 30' Chriscat broke 100, couple years ago did the drivers seat thing on 28'skater w/twins and a 32' with triples. Saw 110 on the 28' and almost 120 on the 32, I just did the aiming the owner did the hard part, sill what a rush!! the 32 had the full canopies gave me that i'm a fighter pilot feel. Sal did your friend have canopies or did you have the wind in your hair experience?
Cheers
Tony
newt posted 03-27-2003 03:42 PM ET (US)
That must have been quite a rush. Did you ever get going faster during your racing years?
It wasn't in a boat, but the fastest I ever travelled (on the ground) was 147 mph on a motorcycle. I used to ride a lot and race a little (yamaha RZ 350 - 2 stroke street bike). This must have been 14 yrs ago. My good friend and riding buddy, had just broken in his Kawasaki ZX-7. He let me take it for a top speed run to see what it could do. I hit 147 and then ran out of room on the straightaway, but the bike had a little more in her! I was afraid to lift my head up into the wind!
Bigshot posted 03-27-2003 04:01 PM ET (US)
Good choice not lifting your head :)
Sal DiMercurio posted 03-27-2003 06:25 PM ET (US)
Just levis , sweatshirt , helmet & life vest.
Back in the 70s I owned a shovel nose 3 pt 21' Hondo Hydro, with a Keith Black full race [ blown fuel ] hemi [ 2,600 hp ] that shot me through the 1/4 mile at 196.56 mph.
My good buddy Mac had exactly the same rig, burning the same fuel, everything was identical, yet his boat held the worlds record at 204 mph, then we were at the Oakland esturary running against the clock [ lights ] & Mac took off, I heard his engine roar, & I fired mine up & was idling towards the lights & Mac went airborn at 190 mph & came down upside down & backwards,.... killed him instantly.
I never raced hydros again & sold my rig.
Couple years later, I felt the urge for something powerful under me again, [ no brains ]& had a guy name John Aricaldi from Stockton build me another Chrysler Hemi, about 95% race un-blown, full race eski cam with 6 strombergs bored to max, balanced,...you name it, then had a custom built 21' bouy racer built.
This boat looked like the bat mobile, as it was 8' across about 1/3 back from it's nose & only 38" across at the stern for making very tight turns around the bouys.
We were racing in the Stockton regata & were in 1st place [ 5 times around the 3/4 mile apart bouys ] & I was running right about 75 mph & didn't see the wake that the sheriffs boat made as he ran someone off the coarse, [ he shouldn't have run on our water ], went airborn but stayed flat, hit the water flat but blew a hole in the bottom, right in front of mt feet, tearing out the deck & me still hanging on to the wheel, broke my arm, 2 ribs made me blaxck & blue from the top of my head to my toes.
After a lawsuit the sheriffs dept paid me for my boat that ended up in about 8 big pieces & i never raced professionally again.
I'll tell you, this 32' Skater has me pissed, as i'v never run a boat i couldn't get to wide open with, but she's just to wild, she only weighs 4,300 lbs.
Sal
elaelap posted 03-28-2003 10:51 AM ET (US)
Gulp! is right.
I've sailed for 45+ years...never exceeded 10 knots (can you believe I've never sailed a cat or tri...). Now I'm intimidated by the 30 mph WOT I get out of my 50 hp Yami on my (in Sal's words) "grossly underpowered" Katama!
Sal, just reading this post had the same effect on my...lower spherical appendages... as jumping in an ice cold stream in the Sierras. Better you than me, my friend.
Tony

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Author	Topic: Whew !!!
Sal DiMercurio	posted 03-26-2003 08:46 PM ET (US) A buddy of mine bought an offshore racer, a 32' Skater [ cat ]with 4 - 280 hp Merc racing engines, with quickie lower units. He's had it since last Nov. but he's afraid of it. He knows i used to race & asked me if i'd run her about a month ago, The water was flat as a mirror & I took her to 117 mph but still wasen't opened up. He has only run her to 96 mph & she gets kinda scary over 100 mph as she's only 4,300 lbs. He called me last night & asked if i'd run her again & see what she's got. I said sure. Merc says this boat is capeable of 145 mph. It was pretty windy & he came with me [ him.......talk about a nervous wreck ]. We cruised around at 65 - 70 mph till I got the feel of her again . I said i'm going to open her up & if he wanted to watch from the dock or ride with me, he said go for it. Were running steady at 85 mph & I kicked her in the pants, she completely went airborn & those noisy fire breathing engines just ripped to 8,000 rpms.rpms,...100,....110,...115,....120,....125,....128,...130 & she started to lift to fast at the bow even while trimmed all the way in, I had to back off while she still had another 1,000 rpms to climb, but for sure she was headed straight for the sky if i hadn't backed her off. I feel this rig is to short for these 4 engines, a 38' would be a better setup. Once she hits 100 mph, there is just plain no turning her, no matter if you turn the wheel, she keeps going straight & baby, she takes a looooooong time to stop. It might have been to windy to try for top end, but she sure has a mind of her own. She's running [ i think he said ] 35 pitch merc racing props. Been a long time since I hit 130 mph & it still gets the adrenaline rushing. Sal
John from Madison CT	posted 03-27-2003 07:18 AM ET (US) Gulp.....err ahhh....that sounds like fun.
raygun	posted 03-27-2003 10:58 AM ET (US) Hey Sal, sounds like a real blast. What do you wear for a run like that, a special suit and a helmet? Or were you just in khaki shorts, Hawaiian shirt and top siders? ;)
super7	posted 03-27-2003 01:59 PM ET (US) Been awhile since i've gone real fast. First real fast ride for me was the old 30' Chriscat broke 100, couple years ago did the drivers seat thing on 28'skater w/twins and a 32' with triples. Saw 110 on the 28' and almost 120 on the 32, I just did the aiming the owner did the hard part, sill what a rush!! the 32 had the full canopies gave me that i'm a fighter pilot feel. Sal did your friend have canopies or did you have the wind in your hair experience? Cheers Tony
newt	posted 03-27-2003 03:42 PM ET (US) That must have been quite a rush. Did you ever get going faster during your racing years? It wasn't in a boat, but the fastest I ever travelled (on the ground) was 147 mph on a motorcycle. I used to ride a lot and race a little (yamaha RZ 350 - 2 stroke street bike). This must have been 14 yrs ago. My good friend and riding buddy, had just broken in his Kawasaki ZX-7. He let me take it for a top speed run to see what it could do. I hit 147 and then ran out of room on the straightaway, but the bike had a little more in her! I was afraid to lift my head up into the wind!
Bigshot	posted 03-27-2003 04:01 PM ET (US) Good choice not lifting your head :)
Sal DiMercurio	posted 03-27-2003 06:25 PM ET (US) Just levis , sweatshirt , helmet & life vest. Back in the 70s I owned a shovel nose 3 pt 21' Hondo Hydro, with a Keith Black full race [ blown fuel ] hemi [ 2,600 hp ] that shot me through the 1/4 mile at 196.56 mph. My good buddy Mac had exactly the same rig, burning the same fuel, everything was identical, yet his boat held the worlds record at 204 mph, then we were at the Oakland esturary running against the clock [ lights ] & Mac took off, I heard his engine roar, & I fired mine up & was idling towards the lights & Mac went airborn at 190 mph & came down upside down & backwards,.... killed him instantly. I never raced hydros again & sold my rig. Couple years later, I felt the urge for something powerful under me again, [ no brains ]& had a guy name John Aricaldi from Stockton build me another Chrysler Hemi, about 95% race un-blown, full race eski cam with 6 strombergs bored to max, balanced,...you name it, then had a custom built 21' bouy racer built. This boat looked like the bat mobile, as it was 8' across about 1/3 back from it's nose & only 38" across at the stern for making very tight turns around the bouys. We were racing in the Stockton regata & were in 1st place [ 5 times around the 3/4 mile apart bouys ] & I was running right about 75 mph & didn't see the wake that the sheriffs boat made as he ran someone off the coarse, [ he shouldn't have run on our water ], went airborn but stayed flat, hit the water flat but blew a hole in the bottom, right in front of mt feet, tearing out the deck & me still hanging on to the wheel, broke my arm, 2 ribs made me blaxck & blue from the top of my head to my toes. After a lawsuit the sheriffs dept paid me for my boat that ended up in about 8 big pieces & i never raced professionally again. I'll tell you, this 32' Skater has me pissed, as i'v never run a boat i couldn't get to wide open with, but she's just to wild, she only weighs 4,300 lbs. Sal
elaelap	posted 03-28-2003 10:51 AM ET (US) Gulp! is right. I've sailed for 45+ years...never exceeded 10 knots (can you believe I've never sailed a cat or tri...). Now I'm intimidated by the 30 mph WOT I get out of my 50 hp Yami on my (in Sal's words) "grossly underpowered" Katama! Sal, just reading this post had the same effect on my...lower spherical appendages... as jumping in an ice cold stream in the Sierras. Better you than me, my friend. Tony