Popeye-La Tortuga 44' - The giants of the seventies

[Black Tornado]

Here the little history in pictures of the 'largest offshore racer in the world of the seventies' as John Crouse in his Searace has defined the boats of 44' built by Miller and Saccenti in the middle of the seventies in USA.
I hope that Cal500 aka Sonny Miller tells us that brief adventure with Saccenti even also with his photos.

Below the first 44' Miller-Saccenti boat- Popeye of the Ohian Dominic Visconsi.
The first shot was taken during the 1973 Key West race in November 10 where Popeye finished 3rd overall.
Key West was the first race of which we have news of a boat 44' Saccenti-Miller.

In 1974 during the Benihana Grand Prix of July 17 the Popeye was destroyed by fire and lost.

 

[Black Tornado]

The La Tortuga

News of a 44' is not had anymore up to the Benihana Grand Prix of the following year where ironically thanks to the disqualifications of the first five finished the new Miller-Saccenti of the rookie John Varese named La Tortuga won the race.

 

[Black Tornado]

The winning crew of La Tortuga.
From left; Bob Saccenti-co-designer of the boat,Rocky Aoki - driver and here sponsor of the race,Sonny Miller - co-designer and the owner-driver John Varese.

La Tortuga in 1976 during the Bacardi Trophy where was 3rd overall.

And a MSV boat ad.

 

[Chris]

La Tortuga was the world's first Superboat. Had it been equipped with a 3rd engine to offset it's size and weight it would have been really something.

 

[Black Tornado]

La Tortuga was the world's first Superboat. Had it been equipped with a 3rd engine to offset it's size and weight it would have been really something.

This could be a question for Cal500.
Why was not select a solution with three engines but only that with two Flagship turbocharged on the preceding Popeye.

 

[CAL500]

This could be a question for Cal500.
Why was not select a solution with three engines but only that with two Flagship turbocharged on the preceding Popeye.

the APBA rules only allows two engines, I dreamed of three engines .the turbo engines from flagship were 800 hp each,more punch than the 600 hp merc,s. at The first sea trial in miami this new race boat run just under 100 mph.we were excited , but the engines were a new type turbo setup they had a lot of power when they were cool . we pushed them hard,we lead the race to the first check point . you know the rest .crew dominic /tony/myself sonny

 

[DAREDEVIL]

the APBA rules only allows two engines, I dreamed of three engines .the turbo engines from flagship were 800 hp each,more punch than the 600 hp merc,s. at The first sea trial in miami this new race boat run just under 100 mph.we were excited , but the engines were a new type turbo setup they had a lot of power when they were cool . we pushed them hard,we lead the race to the first check point . you know the rest .crew dominic /tony/myself sonny

COOL,,,and welcome !!!!!!

Any more pics from this boat ??

 

[CAL500]

Here the little history in pictures of the 'largest offshore racer in the world of the seventies' as John Crouse in his Searace has defined the boats of 44' built by Miller and Saccenti in the middle of the seventies in USA.
I hope that Cal500 aka Sonny Miller tells us that brief adventure with Saccenti even also with his photos.

Below the first 44' Miller-Saccenti boat- Popeye of the Ohian Dominic Visconsi.
The first shot was taken during the 1973 Key West race in November 10 where Popeye finished 3rd overall.
Key West was the first race of which we have news of a boat 44' Saccenti-Miller.

In 1974 during the Benihana Grand Prix of July 17 the Popeye was destroyed by fire and lost.

the 44 ft popeye lite brown in colour ,that was raced in key west and we came in third.that was the first hull from the mold and had higher freeboard,and the old engine /drives from the old cig popeye36.look at the black stripe under the rub rail.the high freeboard gave us 6.5 ft head room down below for production boats. slow 83 mph but could handle most any seas.the 44ft yellow popeye was a new hull cut down 8 " with the flagship engines ,raced and burned. fast almost 100 mph. I will post the complete MS and than MSV history from my hull concept / drawings/plug/mold/sweat / and risk bob and I put into this project . I will post the cobra 38/r MSV history

 

[DAREDEVIL]

the 44 ft popeye lite brown in colour ,that was raced in key west and we came in third.that was the first hull from the mold and had higher freeboard,and the old engine /drives from the old cig popeye36.look at the black stripe under the rub rail.the high freeboard gave us 6.5 ft head room down below for production boats. slow 83 mph but could handle most any seas.the 44ft yellow popeye was a new hull cut down 8 " with the flagship engines ,raced and burned. fast almost 100 mph. I will post the complete MS and than MSV history from my hull concept / drawings/plug/mold/sweat / and risk bob and I put into this project . I will post the cobra 38/r MSV history

COOL !!!!!!!!!!!! :cheers2:

 

[CAL500]

News of a 44' is not had anymore up to the Benihana Grand Prix of the following year where ironically thanks to the disqualifications of the first five finished the new Miller-Saccenti of the rookie John Varese named La Tortuga won the race.

MSV la tortuga
listen you guys this boat was not that bad, it ran strong in the low 80's and thru almost any sea's . that day we had a bad engine but we know how to navigate. the other boats missed a buoy by I think a few miles .there are some other races bob and I should have won, ship rock catalina calif.said they could not see us.we win/then magoon wins. popeye 36 cig. not our day ciao sm

 

[Black Tornado]

the 44 ft popeye lite brown in colour ,that was raced in key west and we came in third.that was the first hull from the mold and had higher freeboard,and the old engine /drives from the old cig popeye36.look at the black stripe under the rub rail.the high freeboard gave us 6.5 ft head room down below for production boats. slow 83 mph but could handle most any seas.the 44ft yellow popeye was a new hull cut down 8 " with the flagship engines ,raced and burned. fast almost 100 mph. I will post the complete MS and than MSV history from my hull concept / drawings/plug/mold/sweat / and risk bob and I put into this project . I will post the cobra 38/r MSV history

Then the 44' built for the competitions they were 3-two Popeyes and one La Tortuga?
What end did it make the first Popeye 44'?

 

[MarylandMark]

Thanks! I was wondering how 5 boats were disqualified!

Welcome to SOS and can't wait to hear more!!

 

[CAL500]

Then the 44' built for the competitions they were 3-two Popeyes and one La Tortuga?
What end did it make the first Popeye 44'?

original 36 cig coral colour popeye raced and later sold in kingston. 86mph brown popeye msv44 ran keywest / ft lau,w palm/ then (sold as pleasure boat)82mph

yellow popeye msv 44 ran in pointpleasent ( fuego tutto) 100mph
dark yellow la tortuga msv44 ran in pointpleasent (win) 83mph

white la tortuga msv 38 sea trialed aeromarine turbo 104mph strong never raced jon varese died I sold everything for his family.....mazzo tempo ciao sonny

 

[olli]

white la tortuga msv 38 sea trialed aeromarine turbo 104mph strong ...

This one (pic copied from a thread on OSO, sorry no link)?

 

[Black Tornado]

white la tortuga msv 38 sea trialed aeromarine turbo 104mph strong never raced jon varese died I sold everything for his family.....mazzo tempo ciao sonny

This should be 38' MSV for Varese.
Do you remeber the year?

 

[Black Tornado]

Thanks! I was wondering how 5 boats were disqualified!

Welcome to SOS and can't wait to hear more!!

That day the first five finish order was 1st Hal Sahlman (Spirit-Cig.35') -2nd Carlo Bonomi (Dry Martini-Cig.35') -3rd Sandy Satullo (Copper Kettle-Gara 40') -4th Oskar Trost (Miss WD-40-Bertram 38') -5th Jack Tushinsky (Jumpin Jack-Cig.36') but all these didn't see the most southern checkpoint of the course at Barnegat and therefore they were disqualified.

 

[CAL500]

This should be 38' MSV for Varese.
Do you remeber the year?

1976 this is the race boat with aero marine engines.sonny

 

[CAL500]

That day the first five finish order was 1st Hal Sahlman (Spirit-Cig.35') -2nd Carlo Bonomi (Dry Martini-Cig.35') -3rd Sandy Satullo (Copper Kettle-Gara 40') -4th Oskar Trost (Miss WD-40-Bertram 38') -5th Jack Tushinsky (Jumpin Jack-Cig.36') but all these didn't see the most southern checkpoint of the course at Barnegat and therefore they were disqualified.

I recall 10 miles 5 down to the check point and 5 back to where these five boats made there turn to early, we went all the way down to the end and turned back north , which was correct. sonny msv 44 la tortuga

 

[CAL500]

This one (pic copied from a thread on OSO, sorry no link)?

View attachment 47737

this photo is of the 38 msv hull with my celebrity deck ,which I designed and built after we stoped building the old deck style .I built 23 of these with twin 440 hp merc with trs drives. 68 mph , in the miami vice movie named red rider 1977- 1982 non racing projects. sonny ciao

 

[Black Tornado]

this photo is of the 38 msv hull with my celebrity deck ,which I designed and built after we stoped building the old deck style .I built 23 of these with twin 440 hp merc with trs drives. 68 mph , in the miami vice movie named red rider 1977- 1982 non racing projects. sonny ciao

I prefer the deck versions for the racing boats -44' or 38'....