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Old 10-07-2009, 06:32 AM   #1
mowtorman
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Default Weirs Beach waterski races

I really enjoyed the thread on boat racing and Alton Bay that went into the sixties. If anyone has any pictures or stories about the waterski races in the 60's and 70's I would love to see/hear them. Boats I remember from that period were the Green Wink (Sutphen with twin Merc 150's), the hydrodyne with the twin 125's and the beer keg gas tank, the Basty Nastard
(flat bottom drag boat), the little Allison-Crafts coming out of the water sold out of Jay's Marina and numerous Checkmates, Tahitis, Sidewinders and
Chris Craft XK's. The X-Rated before it was the X-Rated, now looks small compared to all the Wellcrafts and Formulas. Any visuals to share would be most appreciated, as well as whether or not any of these boats are still on the water or in the area. Thanks!
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Old 10-07-2009, 08:19 AM   #2
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An annual "Boat-O-Rama" was held each summer at the Weirs.

The back of this card reads "A recent addition to recreational activities at Weirs Beach, NH is the annual Boatorama Water Show put on each summer. All types of water-going craft participate. Photo by Jack Edmondson." I believe those are Penn Yan Swifties in the foreground.

Here's a postcard showing the Weir's Ski club
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Old 10-07-2009, 08:36 AM   #3
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Default Boatarama

Looks like maybe early 60's? Fun to see the whole beach open all the way from the docks. What's interesting now is that the stairs by the beach are gone, so no one sits on the benches on the little wooden bridge to the back docking area. The main ramp appears to be there for Mt. Washington passengers, and there is a narrow space you slide by the people waiting for the Mount as if you were cutting the line. The result is that there are not nearly as many people walking the docks and looking at the boats, kind of too bad. I had a little Champion kit plywood boat very similar to the boat in the front. Had a late 50's Johnson 15 and went about 35 mph. Really got slapped around though.
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Old 10-07-2009, 09:53 AM   #4
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Default Best times on the lake

Quote:
Originally Posted by mowtorman View Post
I really enjoyed the thread on boat racing and Alton Bay that went into the sixties. If anyone has any pictures or stories about the waterski races in the 60's and 70's I would love to see/hear them. Boats I remember from that period were the Green Wink (Sutphen with twin Merc 150's), the hydrodyne with the twin 125's and the beer keg gas tank, the Basty Nastard
(flat bottom drag boat), the little Allison-Crafts coming out of the water sold out of Jay's Marina and numerous Checkmates, Tahitis, Sidewinders and
Chris Craft XK's. The X-Rated before it was the X-Rated, now looks small compared to all the Wellcrafts and Formulas. Any visuals to share would be most appreciated, as well as whether or not any of these boats are still on the water or in the area. Thanks!
The Winnipesakee Water Ski Racing Association was known for their annual 65 mile marathon. It was incredible to see these small boats with a waterskier crossing the Broads, circle around Rattlesnake and back to the Weirs. I remember the unlimited class were going as fast as 80 mph!
I will see if I can get some pictures. I know a number of the boat owners and the water skiers.
There was a Winnisquam Ski and Boat Club. They invite the WWSRA members over to Winnisquam for water ski racing. Winnisquam was also invited to Winnipesaukee.
There were others from Long Island NY and there were some from CT. The girls that the races attract were eye candy
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Old 10-08-2009, 03:06 PM   #5
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Talking More Water Skiers at Weirs Beach





Postcards courtesy of McDude - thanks!
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Old 10-09-2009, 06:41 AM   #6
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Default weirs docks

Fun to see the big turnout for the ski show and the jump sitting out there.
You can also see the benches the length of the docks - used to be a very social place! All the old cruisers that used to sit at the Weirs docks for most of the weekend and discharge into the lake (oops) which would flow right over and down the channel. Looks like a Hydrodyne pulling the 5 or 6 skiers. You don't hardly see skiing so much now as
wake boarders with the tuna towers. I wouldn't mind having one of those chrome things if you could only take it off when you weren't using it! Forgot about the Magnum tunnel boats and the old Chris Craft out of Wolfeboro called the Marianne that was considered about the fastest boat on the lake back in the 60's. If anyone knows of another boat that might have been faster I'd like to know. Any pics would be appreciated. Thanks. MM
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Old 10-09-2009, 09:48 AM   #7
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I certainly remember the twin Merc Hydrodyne that the Pacradooni's (sic) had. They used to go just fast enough to win. I had friends on Pitchwood Island that raced, I think they even used a 16' Mirro Craft with a small Merc in some of the races. Some skiers would use thick jump skis to absorb the impact for the longer races. Those were the days, lots of fun. As a kid, my dad had a friend that loved to take me and his nephew skiing. We'd head out early, take the trip around Rattlesnake and back and all around.

Oh to have my arms and legs back
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Old 10-09-2009, 09:51 AM   #8
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Talking Here are Some Cool Postcards and Pictures!

Here is the link for Weirs Ski Club in PhotoPost. You can click on the picture to super-size it for greater detail.

Here is the link for Boat-O-Rama

Here is the link for Red Ski Jump


One of the early Go Fast - Be Loud boats!
From the McDude Gallery


Goodhue-Hawkins Cruiser
From the McDude Gallery


Yankee Flyer IV "Largest and most powerful speedboat carrying passengers on Lake Winnipesaukee. Operating Day and Night from Cram's Landing - Alton Bay"
From the McDude Gallery
Winnipesaukee Power Boat Association


Motorboat Racing
From the McDude Gallery


Cram's Speed Boats
From the McDude Gallery
The first speed boat to carry passengers out of Alton Bay began operating around 1930. They are as follows;
1.-Yankee Flyer - 1930 - 30 foot Dodge, 350 HP.
2.-Minute Man - Dr. Webster - 1932, 26 foot Hackercraft, 175 HP.
3.- Legionnaire - and Legionnaire Special - Fred and Lester Downing - 1934, 28 foot Garwood, 150 HP, and 26 foot Chris Craft, 225 HP.
The Legionaire 70 arrived in 1940. 36 foot long by 8' 7". averaged 70 mph. Gas consumption 100 gallons per hour.

Miss Winnipesaukee
From the McDude Gallery


Water Sports Carnival
From the McDude Gallery


Boat-O-Rama
From the McDude Gallery
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Old 10-09-2009, 10:25 AM   #9
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Talking Historic Photos


Speedboat from a 1928 booklet on Winnipesaukee.
From the Ratttlesnake Gal Collection


Aquaplane
From the Ratttlesnake Gal Collection
More information about aquaplanes can be found in Home Movies of Lake Winnipesaukee.


Speedboat Racing at the Weirs
I believe it is also taken from: Home Movies of Lake Winnipesaukee.
From the Carguy Gallery


Weirs Bay 1929
I believe it is also taken from: Home Movies of Lake Winnipesaukee.
From the Carguy Gallery
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Old 10-12-2009, 12:05 PM   #10
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Thanks so much for the great photos RG.
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Old 10-14-2009, 07:13 AM   #11
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Default 70's Ski race/boat pics

I've enjoyed the pics posted so far - anyone have any of either the Winnipesaukee or Winnisquam ski races? Small boats going very fast, skiers hanging on their long ropes for dear life at 65-70 mph, big rooster tails. Really was fun to watch. thanks. MM
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Old 10-16-2009, 10:14 AM   #12
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Talking Water Carnival

I found this nice photo in Farewell Old Mount Washington - The Story of the Steamboat Era on Lake Winnipesaukee by Edward H. Blackstone. The picture is from his photograph collection.

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Old 10-27-2009, 09:55 AM   #13
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Default Magnums

Nice picture of Don Aronow Magnum ski boats. There were many of them on the lake in the late 60's/early 70's. The tunnel boat was very light and very fast for it's size.
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Old 10-27-2009, 11:53 AM   #14
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I used to love to see the Magnum Missile go by our cottage way back when. Even at slower speeds I lusted for that boat in my younger years. I believe Dieter Schulze was the designer of both hulls, but Aronow's fascination with Molinari of Italy was a huge influence on his boats back then. I've heard that the Missile was a pretty dangerous boat when overpowered, as it was very light, and had a tendency to catch air in the front, or stuff with inexperienced drivers. I seem to remember that at least on of the green missiles was a regular in the Weirs water ski races. Both the 16' marauder and the Missile had fairly short runs of about 2-3 years, somebody else bought those molds.

Magnum Marine was sold, as were many of the companies Aronow founded, fairly quickly after he started them. Magnum Marine has been owned by Filippo Theodoli and his wife for years, and his wife Katrin still runs the company from Italy. Today, Magnum Marine is a builder of very expensive Italian yachts that go fast. The prices are extremely high, but the boats are magnificent.
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Old 10-27-2009, 02:24 PM   #15
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Default Magnums/Sutphen

There was a green one down by Salmon Meadow cove. Very distinctive whine from the sound of cavitation as it went by. I had one for about 5 years, you had to trim just enough to get air under it but not enough to have a gust try to pick up the front. The transom at no wake was about 6-8 inches off the water, great feeling being so close to the water. As Ken Warby the world record boat speed holder (317 m.p.h) says - nothing like throttle to the wall and the wind in your face! Picture below is a Sutphen 18 same as the Green Wink which had twin merc 150's in the mid 70's. Boat had an unlimited horsepower rating. Still hoping for some ski race pics!
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Last edited by mowtorman; 10-28-2009 at 08:05 AM. Reason: add pics
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Old 10-29-2009, 09:21 PM   #16
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Default Ski races

If any of you from Lake Shore Park you should remember Frank Cook had a ski boat in the races. I can't recall if it is a Sutphen or a Magnum. It was pretty fast!

A guy by the name of Wade Crawshaw came into mind. I think he may be the owner of the 'Green Wink'.

If anyone knows these individuals please ask them if they may have any pictures from the racing days.

The Merc 150SS was the outboard of the decade. Goodhue's Boatyard was selling and maintaining them for most of the races.
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Old 10-30-2009, 11:18 AM   #17
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Default cheap gas

I consider the 70's the golden age of power boating before the oil embargo.
Gas was cheap, speed was a tradition on the lake and plenty of room on the lake for anybody. The fastest boats were less than 25' and took daring and skill to drive. The skiers in the races may have had to go 65 mph for a full hour crossing the broads, not too many people would be up for that today. Fastest I 've been on a waterski was over 50, and the ski flattens out like on a tabletop and you have to fight the sensation of being pulled forward out over the ski (no face plants). If I recall the skiers wore regular vests and no helmets. I'll keep looking for more vintage boat pics.
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Old 10-30-2009, 01:13 PM   #18
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Default Oil Shortage

If you remember toward the end of the 70's the oil shortage when gas had limited availability and prices went up. One of the reasons the waterski races were cancelled.

The waterski of choice during the 65 mile marathon were the maharaja long boards. I am surprised they did not have the Catalina harnesses that you see in today's marathons. With no helmets and standard vests, if one fall, he/she would have to remember, very quickly, to roll into a fetal position, tuck your head into your chest, and roll like a ball. Most of these skiers were teen agers or in their 20's. I am surprise no one was seriously injured.

The clubs were well organized. Safety was the number one priority. That is why there were no casualty. The course was well laid out and the races were announce in advance in newpapers and on the radio. Not only to warn people to stay off the course but to draw in the crowds that watch the races. I remember Irwins Pier would be packed with spectators as well as the Weirs docks.
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