Powerboat Magazine

[Top Banana]

I do miss the Bob Nordskog days. When he test drove a boat and found issues, he didn't pull any punches. :lurk5:

I remember taking one of our 24 footers to one of the early tests that Bob and Dick De Bartalo did. It was set up with twin 175 outboards....the biggest they made at that time. The boat was a duplicate to a production boat that I raced in P class at the time with the exception of no bolsters and full cabin.

Anyway Bob takes it out and jumps a couple of wakes and comes back with a smirk on his face. He says, I know that this is the standard set up for racers, but I can't recommend this for the general public.

You understand that at that time, there was a much needed piece of the puzzle that wasn't available yet....COUNTER ROTATION.

Both props turned the same way and had the same torque rotation. Every time the boat jumped a wave, the reentry would snap the wheel and you had to catch it or go for one big turn. We were all used to it and did it for 3 hour races on a regular basis.....but Bob wouldn't let it go.

He said I'm sorry you have to be penalized because Mercury doesn't make the option, but that is what has to happen. We only sold that option to people who could handle it.

 

[Ratickle]

I remember taking one of our 24 footers to one of the early tests that Bob and Dick De Bartalo did. It was set up with twin 175 outboards....the biggest they made at that time. The boat was a duplicate to a production boat that I raced in P class at the time with the exception of no bolsters and full cabin.

Anyway Bob takes it out and jumps a couple of wakes and comes back with a smirk on his face. He says, I know that this is the standard set up for racers, but I can't recommend this for the general public.

You understand that at that time, there was a much needed piece of the puzzle that wasn't available yet....COUNTER ROTATION.

Both props turned the same way and had the same torque rotation. Every time the boat jumped a wave, the reentry would snap the wheel and you had to catch it or go for one big turn. We were all used to it and did it for 3 hour races on a regular basis.....but Bob wouldn't let it go.

He said I'm sorry you have to be penalized because Mercury doesn't make the option, but that is what has to happen. We only sold that option to people who could handle it.

Nice story Charlie.

 

[2112]

I think I remember similar comments in the very early 90's about the 32 huslter. " not for non-racing usage" kind of statement.

.

 

[Ratickle]

I think I remember similar comments in the very early 90's about the 32 huslter. " not for non-racing usage" kind of statement.

.

I have a test on that first 100mph Hustler somewhere in a box I kept.


Dream boat at the time....

 

[Magic Medicine]

Got my missing Powber issues in the mail today. What great service! Thank you power boat and everyone else that help me, Ratickle and Tank!@

 

[shifter]

you can always go online... march issue..........

http://www.powerboatmag.com/balancing-acts.html

Big thank you to Powerboat!!!!!!!!!!:26::26::26::03::03:

pat W

 

[Ratickle]

Got my missing Powber issues in the mail today. What great service! Thank you power boat and everyone else that help me, Ratickle and Tank!@

Anytime! Actually got one right....:sifone:

 

[T2x]

I remember taking one of our 24 footers to one of the early tests that Bob and Dick De Bartalo did. It was set up with twin 175 outboards....the biggest they made at that time. The boat was a duplicate to a production boat that I raced in P class at the time with the exception of no bolsters and full cabin.

Anyway Bob takes it out and jumps a couple of wakes and comes back with a smirk on his face. He says, I know that this is the standard set up for racers, but I can't recommend this for the general public.

You understand that at that time, there was a much needed piece of the puzzle that wasn't available yet....COUNTER ROTATION.

Both props turned the same way and had the same torque rotation. Every time the boat jumped a wave, the reentry would snap the wheel and you had to catch it or go for one big turn. We were all used to it and did it for 3 hour races on a regular basis.....but Bob wouldn't let it go.

He said I'm sorry you have to be penalized because Mercury doesn't make the option, but that is what has to happen. We only sold that option to people who could handle it.

When we took one of our Shadow cats to the Powerboat trials we made the mistake of bringing the owner along........ Very colorful guy with a Worldwide history of stories and adventures. However that did not prepare us for the moment when he pulled a gun on a competitive boat company's employee.

That's all of the detail I can offer on this topic...although I think the statute of limitations has expired

I will add that Nordskog was uniformly conservative with every boat and basically refused to try and max out a boats potential, rather he used standard trim settings and eased into turns and such...more for the "normal" boater than the experienced racer.

T2x

 

[Magic Medicine]

When we took one of our Shadow cats to the Powerboat trials we made the mistake of bringing the owner along........ Very colorful guy with a Worldwide history of stories and adventures. However that did not prepare us for the moment when he pulled a gun on a competitive boat company's employee.

That's all of the detail I can offer on this topic...although I think the statute of limitations has expired

I will add that Nordskog was uniformly conservative with every boat and basically refused to try and max out a boats potential, rather he used standard trim settings and eased into turns and such...more for the "normal" boater than the experienced racer.

T2x

good story

 

[SHARKEY-IMAGES]

Update:

From a reliable source, the May 2009 issue has been printed and should be hitting mail boxes soon !