Remember these>>>

[stan simpson iv]

My first boat I won in a raffle,a blue metal flake Sightler with a OPS 40. My mom had the OS MAX 46 in a red metal flake Sightler( i got the hand me downs) They used to have 10 or 15 min races I think they called it the Offshore Classics.My dad made shampoo bottles to go on both sides of the motor so you could run for that long.My buddy Mark Ham use to run mono called a Sun Dancer,I dont know what his first boat was. I was only 12 ,a little while ago. Those were some very good times.I still have both Sightlers in the garage,one OS 46 still in boat.

 

[Ron Olson]

I had one of those boats. I don't remember a lot about it but I got it shortly after getting out of the RC trucks. I painted the inside of the hatch with Lexan paint to match the hull. I fried a lot of motors and ESC's in that thing!

First boat was a free-running Cox .049, a lot of fun for a kid and kind of quick for what it was.

First RC boat was probably a Dumas 'glas Short Stuff, Cox TD .051 powered.

 

[RonShaw]

My first boat I won in a raffle,a blue metal flake Sightler with a OPS 45. My mom had the OS MAX 46 in a red metal flake Sightler( i got the hand me downs) They used to have 10 or 15 min races I think they called it the Offshore Classics.My dad made shampoo bottles to go on both sides of the motor so you could run for that long.My buddy Mark Ham use to run mono called a Sun Dancer,I dont know what his first boat was. I was only 12 ,a little while ago. Those were some very good times.I still have both Sightlers in the garage,one OS 46 still in boat.

The Sightler Monos were iconic back in the day. They posessed a sound from hull resonance, due to the lack of rubber mounts in those days, that was unlike any other hull. I had the opportunity to meet Neil Sightler and watch his team sweep several mono classes at races back on the late 80's and early 90's before I stopped racing. Doug Floyd and Ken Draughn were always close by and were a force to recon with in those days. I have some early boating pictures I need to dig through and post.

If you were in Charleston at the Fall Nationals a few weeks ago, and saw the last heat of 40 mono, you were treated to a rare opportunity of seeing some of these older boats. Premo noticed right away the presence of a Sightler, Twin Craft, and a Newby Craft, all finishing that last heat.

 

[Rhonda Pickard]

My first boat was a Lap Cat2 with a K&B 7.5 on it was fun to play with but my first race boat was a 20 Newbycraft Robert Pickard

 

[lohring]

My first boat in the 1950s was an ABS (or the 1955 vacuum formed equivalent) free running hydro powered by one of these:

Lohring Miller

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

Well, if all goes as planned here's a photo of my first 21 Tunnel Boat.

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

Well, if all goes as planned here's a photo of my first 21 Tunnel Boat.

OK, let's try again.

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

Well, if all goes as planned here's a photo of my first 21 Tunnel Boat.

OK, let's try again.

Dave Knowlen designed limited and unlimited hydroplanes. He designed the conventional Miss Circus Circus. Dave worked as an engineer for Boeing. This boat was about 32" long and built of plywood.

JD

 

[Ron Olson]

Jerry, was that a one-off, kit or plans? It seems like I've seen one of those recently on another forum site with the owner asking what it was or who made it.

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

Jerry, was that a one-off, kit or plans? It seems like I've seen one of those recently on another forum site with the owner asking what it was or who made it.

The boat in the photo was off plans drawn up by Dave Knowlen. I later scaled the boat down and I think plans for the Excalibur II were published in Flying Models. A fellow in Medford, OR, made a fiberglass version of the Excalibur II. I'll see If I can find a photo of the II.

JD

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

Jerry, was that a one-off, kit or plans? It seems like I've seen one of those recently on another forum site with the owner asking what it was or who made it.

The boat in the photo was off plans drawn up by Dave Knowlen. I later scaled the boat down and I think plans for the Excalibur II were published in Flying Models. A fellow in Medford, OR, made a fiberglass version of the Excalibur II. I'll see If I can find a photo of the II.

JD

Here's a photo of myself and Vic Drew. Vic made fiberglass versions of the boat. There were also a number of wooden versions built from the plans.

JD

 

[William McCay]

My first RC boat was a Dumas SKdaddle with a Merco51 airplane eng .with a brass water cooling ring . I built a Heath Kit 3 ch. radio I can't remember which one was more difficult to build . Nothing fit right in the boat kit , those die punched kits were not the best . The radio was just time consuming , it was very well thought out and had the best assemble manual I ever used . That's what got me started way back in 1972 and I'm still in it today . PS that radio served me well . It quit working in 1978 I had it in a .21 crapshooter rigger when it quit .

 

[Aldana]

Here you are my Stevee Muck Lil Ligthning tunnel! 1994, white second refinished and yellow in third and last refinished!, Location Caracas, Venezuela!!

 

[Mark Leyde]

One of my first boats. I started late in life. Then moved on to RC boats.

G11.bmp

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

One of my first boats. I started late in life. Then moved on to RC boats.

Your brother needs to paint his Kneeler like your full size boat.

JD

 

[Ray Sametz]

One of my first boats. I started late in life. Then moved on to RC boats.

Your brother needs to paint his Kneeler like your full size boat.

JD

Dunny's right that boat is bad azzzzzzzz B)

 

[moparbarn]

One of my first boats. I started late in life. Then moved on to RC boats.

Your brother needs to paint his Kneeler like your full size boat.

JD

Dunny's right that boat is bad azzzzzzzz B)

+3 B)

 

[James E Beasley]

Love that Kneeler Lights! Riding nice. I too got into boats RC late about 18 years ago when I learned about the ODMBA Club in Cheasapeake from the Hobby Shop owner in VA beach while stationed at Fort Monroe the first time in my military career. Went to the lake to check things out and came away with a Dumas flat-nose 20 tunnel, I still have it back in TN. Yellow with red and white pin stripes. Wish I knew who to blame this addiction on(the seller), probably was John Bonano, John Finch or Steve Speas. They used to be tunnel boat racers but don't own up to it nowadays! lol James Beasley

 

[Mark Leyde]

Thanks James.

Talk about an addiction. I was born into a full size boat racing family. You can never ever get out of it. And if you think you can your kidding yourself. I had a easier time quitting smoking.

 

[James E Beasley]

Thanks James.

Talk about an addiction. I was born into a full size boat racing family. You can never ever get out of it. And if you think you can your kidding yourself. I had a easier time quitting smoking.

Yep, Dick Loeb's dad was a famous hydro racer here in the Chesapeake area and Dick did his share of trophy winning, got thrown out of one at over 150 mph he told me. It is in his blood and why he races RC boats at age 90!!! lol And, why he has a big block Chevy power flat bottom mono/hydro/something sitting in his drveway now getting outfitted for next summer! He's a wild man. Beasley