Enough Poo...

Hello...

Don Aronow and Sonni Levi designs neck to neck...

Engineers can go plug their goo into their Craigs and into their Sun Stations - but I have a photograph taken by my uncle who tells me that was the day when all the ******** tubed...

BASIC PRINCIPLES PREVAILED...

To bad Aronow was playing both sides - got his *** shot - even if he was an *** - he saw where things where going...

Basics always prevail...

SH.

 

Er ... sure Sean, whatever you say.

 

Well...

Hello...

Perhaps Kayak would like to add something...

SH.

 

I might if I knew what you were talking about. I googled the names and I gathered it has something to do with power boat racing, but apart from learning that Tommy Sopwith was racing in the 60's and 70's (presumably not the great aviation pioneer, maybe his son or grandson) I didn't learn much that would explain your thread.

Cumon, Sean, sounds interesting, your posts are usually entertaining, so stop being so inscrutable, give me a break and tell me more ....

(I think we're both getting bored with those three bloody dots so I added another one)

 

Neck & Neck

I get it, worked with both. A golden age. you will find common computer distrust with Levi. He once sat next to me for a demo(at Halter Hi-Tec) as I showed him the latest 3/D modeling CAD, he asked who wrote it? I said I didn't know, he felt that everyone should curb their enthusiasm since it was all written by fallible human beings. Helped me put it in perspective. I had a job interview with Aronow scheduled the day after he was shot. There is a lot more to good running powerboats than calculators can ever deal with. With all due respect to the one NA I learned most from and wrote the book on planning hull dynamics, Don Blount.

 

I know what you're talking about, Sean.
I have that photo somewhere, if I find it tonight I'll scan and upload it here.
Glory days, indeed.

 

So this sent me looking through some books, specifically Dhows To Deltas by Sonny Levi and Don Aronow The King Of Thunderboat Row, by Michael Aronow.

It's all a bit hazy but from what I can piece together the first time Aronow raced against a Levi design was the 172 mile long 1966 Sam Griffith Memorial race in Miami, Florida. For this race Dick Bertram showed up in a Hunt designed 36' DDC powered Bertram called Brave Moppie, the Gardner brothers came from England with the Levi designed 36' Surfury, running twin Daytona engines (totaling 1050HP) coupled to a single prop, Jim Wynne driving a (self-designed) 32' aluminum Maritime hull running twin 450HP Pratt & Whitney gas turbines, and Don Aronow driving his new 35' Maltese Magnum, (Wynne & Walters designed) powered by twin Holman-Moody 500's.

30 boats started this race, Jim Wynne won in 4:45, at 7:13 the second boat came in, a 20' wooden outboard driven by Jerry Langer. A few hours later the race committee called the race. There were no other finishers. Moppie sank when her engines went through the bottom of the boat. Aronow was about 30 miles from the finish when called, (still racing in 12' seas) and he was awarded 3rd place. Later the committee pulled Wynne's first for use of illegal engines.

Looking at the two books one senses very different outlooks. Levi does not mention Aronow at all (never) in his book, but does mention Wynne and Walters on numerous occasions. I think his races were very much against other designers, whom he respected. Aronow mentions Levi as having designed various boats he raced against, but his races were against other drivers and perhaps builders like Bertram. Obviously there was considerable rivalry between Wynne and Aronow, with Aronow always coming off in the spotlight while driving (in these early years) Wynne's boats.

I'd like to see the picture.

Tad

 

Mixed Signals...

Hello...

I just read my original post - nice title - boy I need to slow down some...

I was referring to the designs and the numbers - specifically how both played around with different lifting strake configurations...

I like Aronows' boats and ideas regarding same - myself...

Sorry to confuse anyone - but I seem to do this well - so I will continue to do so...

SH.

 

False alarm. I've found the pic, but it is not the one.
The one I have is Sonny Levi at helm of "A Speranzella" against Gardner brothers on "Surfrider", during Cowes-Torquay in 1964. Neck to neck, with a helicopter flying next to them in the background. Still a great pic though.

 

Well post it then - - Please...

 

yes, i too like to see these old history lifting strakes but now there is condo devellopment on thundernoat row were only police may still race

 

What is that link, Yipster? Looks like it wants to download something on my PC.
Tomorrow I'll scan and post the pic I have, Masalai.

 

ah sorry, i got carried away reading up on thunderboat row and listed the google location

 

The Wynne/Aronow boats exhibit variations of lifting strake arrangement, sometimes different setups on the same hull. They started off (1962) copying the Hunt/Bertram boat, with four narrow strakes. But in 63 with the Formula 23' they only used two wider strakes. In 64 with the Formula 27' they went back to 4 strakes. In 64 the Donzi 28' has only two strakes (per side), but we also see the beginnings of a real chine flat. The Donzi 16' built in 1965 had two strakes per side plus the chine flat. Then the 66 Maltese Magnum 35' had only two strakes per side plus the chine flat. Aronow stuck with that configuration for all boats after that.

Almost all (except very small boats <20') Levi's Delta hulls (after 1962) exhibit four narrow lifting strakes (per side) plus a narrow chine flat. Some Delta hulls were actually round bottoms, with the diagonal (four layers) planking running continuous from keel to sheer.

Something that pisses me off is that the Encyclopedia of Yacht Designers only mentions Levi in passing, that he influenced or worked with other, far less notable designers. It does not mention Wynne or Walters (the guy who made it all work!) at all!!! Of course Aronow gets an entry (sans mention of the real designers who worked for him). Even though EOYD claims Aronow designed boats, I've never seen a drawing by him, and I wonder.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Wynne Dies at 60; A Boating Pioneer

Published: December 23, 1990

Jim Wynne, a powerboat racer and pleasure-boat designer who influenced both aspects of boating, died Friday in Miami after an extended illness. He was 60 years old.

Mr. Wynn's engineering developments in creating and perfecting the deep-V hulls and the inboard/outboard powerboat drive engines known as sterndrives not only made possible high-speed offshore racing but also proved a boon to millions of pleasure and military craft afloat worldwide.

In 1958, he and a fellow boat builder, Ole Botved, completed the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by outboard motor, going from Copenhagen to New York City in 11 days.

In 1964, Mr. Wynne won the first World Open Class championship. He won the title again two years later.

Besides competing, Mr. Wynne often wrote on offshore powerboat racing. He was also an accomplished skin diver who appeared in the television series "Sea Hunt" with Lloyd Bridges.

Mr. Wynne is survived by his wife, Sharon Kirby Wynne; his mother, Aida; a son, Christopher, and a sister, Patricia.

 

Here it is: