Hello everybody.
I'm new in the forum. I came to your forum today doing a search on Mostes boats.
My name is John and I'm from Milan (Italy). Excuse my bad english. My grandfather was a powerboat racer in Italy and also raced V-hull boats: Castoldi, Mostes and Abbate (Tullio).
I don't have the faintest idea where the first photo was taken, however, if it can be useful, the boat is a Mostes, almost certainly powered by an 8-cylinder B.P.M. Volcano.
My grandfather owned an identical one, which ran in the TV2 category (Turismo Veloce 2, i.e. 8,000 cubic capacity). In the 70s it was quite common that some pilots, on Sundays free from motorboat competitions, also took part in water skiing competitions (it was enough to turn the co-pilot's seat, insert the towing column and attach the rope...).
If you want I can post some photos.
"Interstyle" was the name of my grandfather's sporting goods company. In addition to advertising his own boat, he sometimes advertised Sandro's (Alessandro Mostes) boat. So the one in the picture could have been driven by Mostes himself. I say could because Sandro himself sometimes lent his boat to others...
As an old ski racer on the European and British circuits in the 19079s and early 89s, I have a lot of pictures of Mostes and Abbate boats. I knew Sandro quite well and here is probably on of the closest pictures to match what you said. Mostes with Interstyle sponsor. This would have been Sandro towing Enrico Guggiari to the 1976 European championship in a U.K. race at Hartlepool. Sorry the old pictures are not much clearer! Enjoy! PAUL
Thanks Paul!!
You don't know how happy you made me.
I found a photo of the boat taken from above (excuse for the bad quality. They are photos of photos. I'll scan the originals as soon as I can). I was just a kid, but I seem to remember we were in Santa Margherita Ligure (Genoa).
You can see Sandro's boat (707) with the inscription Mostes-Guggiari, my grandfather's yellow boat (427), and 507.
Then I have these photos taken in 1976: on the occasion, again on Lake Como, probably Garlate on the Lecco branch, my grandfather towed a very good young Belgian skier. Unfortunately I don't remember his name. Maybe do you recognize him?
The last one is instead a photo taken on the river Po during the Pavia-Venice Raid of 1981 with the boat (538, ex 427) seen from above.
Unfortunately our family archive has been lost and I was able to save only a few photos. But I still jealously keep a Freyrie ski (Daytona model, I think) from that time...
I think it would be very interesting for everyone if you could post more photos of the Abbate and Mostes boats. And of course some of yours too!!
Thank you again.
John
Thanks Paul!!
You don't know how happy you made me.
I found a photo of the boat taken from above (excuse for the bad quality. They are photos of photos. I'll scan the originals as soon as I can). I was just a kid, but I seem to remember we were in Santa Margherita Ligure (Genoa).
You can see Sandro's boat (707) with the inscription Mostes-Guggiari, my grandfather's yellow boat (427), and 507.
My pleasure and thanks for the photos. I too love to see the old ones. You may see others from some of my old friends at these Facebook sites.....
I also have these photos of Guggiari and Sandro Mostes, which should have been taken in 1975 on Lake Como.
Great pictures. Sandro sadly has passed away, but Enrico is still around in Como and I have exchnaged messages with him a few times in the last couple of years.
Then I have these photos taken in 1976: on the occasion, again on Lake Como, probably Garlate on the Lecco branch, my grandfather towed a very good young Belgian skier. Unfortunately I don't remember his name. Maybe do you recognize him?
The last one is instead a photo taken on the river Po during the Pavia-Venice Raid of 1981 with the boat (538, ex 427) seen from above.
Unfortunately our family archive has been lost and I was able to save only a few photos. But I still jealously keep a Freyrie ski (Daytona model, I think) from that time...
I think it would be very interesting for everyone if you could post more photos of the Abbate and Mostes boats. And of course some of yours too!!
Thank you again.
John
It does look like Garlate/Lecco. I have raced on both Lago di Lecco and Lago di Como back in the 1970s.
The Belgian skier looks like Danny Bertels although it could be his brother Rudi. They looked quite alike back then and hard now to tell the difference. Anyway it is one of them. Danny went on to become world champion.
I will send more pictures including my own (very old) Freyrie Daytona which I found at my brothers house recently!!
Here are some more pictures of Italian Ski Race boats. The Mostes of course and some old Abbates. On the websites I gave you there may be some Italian Ilvers too.
In these photos you will see Enrico receiving the winners trophy at the German Grand Prix in Obernzell.
You will also see Josef Todeschini setting up and testing his boat on the Lake at Garlate.
My race boat is No.25 in the photos and you can see both of them. First the Fletcher 17 at the beach in Cavallino (Jesolo, Adriatico) and at Gera Lario at the top of Lake Como in 1974. Then the Fletcher 21 on the river at the start in Obernzell for the same race that Enrico won. I think I was 8th in that race.
Enjoy.
PAUL
Unfortunately I'm not a Facebook member, so I can't see them all (after a while I'm asked to log in), but the group must be very interesting.
Giuseppe ("Pinuccio") Todeschini (#197) has always had very fast and excellently prepared boats, as well as Gianni Isella (#44).
The one sponsored "Bruderer Gilardini" was one of the latest evolutions of Mostes and had two long flaps, which can be clearly seen in the photo you posted.
My grandfather also had the next evolution in 1981 and, in addition to the flaps, it had a surface propeller specifically designed for powerboat racing. It was powered by BPM and developed 555CV (547HP); I remember it well because on the day the boat was delivered Massimo, Sandro's son, was very proud of it.
Today perhaps this power makes you smile, but 40 years ago in powerboat racing it was considered a considerable power.
In that year with that boat my grandfather finished first in the TV2 category, and 4th overall, in both the Giro del Lario and the Centomiglia (ahead of him only threepointshydroplanes and catamarans. The absolute classification of the Centomiglia was won by Todeschini himself with a catamaran Molinari motorized Mercruiser). Unfortunately I only have one still photo (#538) just before the start, but once the boat was launched it was beautiful to look at, as well as tremendously fast.
Great pictures. Sandro sadly has passed away, but Enrico is still around in Como and I have exchnaged messages with him a few times in the last couple of years.
I heard that, among other things, he is the President of Aero Club Como. Wow!
It does look like Garlate/Lecco. I have raced on both Lago di Lecco and Lago di Como back in the 1970s.
The Belgian skier looks like Danny Bertels although it could be his brother Rudi. They looked quite alike back then and hard now to tell the difference. Anyway it is one of them. Danny went on to become world champion.
I will send more pictures including my own (very old) Freyrie Daytona which I found at my brothers house recently!!
Thank you very much for reminding me of the Bertels name. Yes, it was really him, now that you tell me I confirm it. I have to ask my father if he remembers which one he was. I will certainly write the name behind the photograph!