Cowes to Monte-Carlo 2013

[Mike Lloyd]

Originally Posted by VAGRANT

Mike ! You now have 2 more safety boats, I am happy to help with mine & Goffy will help with his Superhawk, regards Garrick

Hi Garrick, please PM me with your details. Thanks.
ML.

[Jim Brooker]

Originally Posted by Mike Lloyd

Read my Blog on our web site @ www.ventureoffshorecup.com.

Just a bit of fun really but relevant.

ML.
.

Great Blog Mike that's what it was like for me and a little more on top, I think I should do a blog my self on how I came to be on the winning boat with Eddie & Mike and which started me on 30 years rigging and racing boats.

[RichardC]

Jim,
It would be great to hear about your exploits from the 1972 cowes to Monte Carlo Race. Link it to the new Web site.
Can't wait to read and what advice you have for us Teams that have entered

[Jim Brooker]

Originally Posted by RichardC

Jim,
It would be great to hear about your exploits from the 1972 cowes to Monte Carlo Race. Link it to the new Web site.
Can't wait to read and what advice you have for us Teams that have entered

My initiation into Power Boat racing.

Well just a couple of paragraphs as a little back ground, it all started back in 1967 when I was employed by Hilton Transport Services as a unit repair foreman rebuilding engines, gearbox’s and rear axels for Ralph Hilton’s 1500 trucks, one morning in 1969 I was told that my next job was to fit out a new wooden race boat which was just about to be delivered to the truck workshop in Charlton SE3 from Souters on the Isle of Wight, at that time I had never seen a race boat let alone fitted one out, the name of the boat and number was going to be HTS 858.
I fitted the boat out the engine’s were two Leyland 500 which did the first Round Briton with not a lot of success, in the next couple of years Sabre’s started to produce a 250 bhp engine, with all the problems we had with the Leyland’s it was heaven to have a engine that didn’t drop it’s valve seats or the hot exhaust setting light to the boat.
So after I fitted the 250 Sabre’s the boat ended up doing really well in lots of races, at the great speed of nearly 54mph… what a speed !!!, but it was the around the same speed as all the diesel boats around at the time.
I was informed that Ralph Hilton, Mike Bellamy and Eddie Charter were going to do the London to Monte-Carlo race and I was going to drive a back up van, so I started to get HTS ready for this very long race, with lots of spares parts, tools and props stowed properly in the front of the boat, with two life rafts, two radios and a emergency beacon, on reflection the parts and tools in the boat was a godsend because all the vans and trucks had real problems in keeping up on the very bad Spanish and Portuguese roads, as I recall it was about 3 times the distant by road than sea.
So two weeks from the race start I was called into Ralph’s office and told to my surprise that Ralph Hilton was not going on the race because of the business problems and that I was go in his place, that was a bit of a shock.
I got a licence and so we were off to London, the start and run down the Themes and round to Cowes was very nice but that was a false sense of security, it just got steadily worse, it wasn’t just the rough seas around Brest and down into the bay of Biscay and out again, but it just went on and on and on, I will not go over again Mike Bellamy account of the race, I think you must have all heard them by now, but it was just like a Cowes Torquay every day, up at 05.00 most morning, starts between 07.00 and 10.00 and 4 to 9 hours standing in the boat getting wet with salt water and rain water and dropping off of huge waves and then repairing and checking the boat over every night. We certainly had our problems. like we rebuilt the 2 Casele V box’s, had a broken front engine mount and timing cover, over heating and a head gasket with other small problems like rope and nets around the props, Sabre’s came to our help and gave us lots parts and labour, on the race you will definitely all need a backup van and guys to help out with the work, we had no boat damage not like a lot of other boats. I definitely think we had a easier time compared too some of the other guys and their boats.
We had 14 days with only 1 lay day you have 3 lay days make good use of it and rest, you should be going a lot faster than we did so that might lead to shorter days. I was 27 years old it was a very hard 2 weeks for me and took little time to recover,
YOU MUST FINNISH EVERY DAY TO WIN
A very good luck to you all and be safe.

[blimp]

Hi Jim,

Can we use that on the Venture Cup site?

[Jim Brooker]

Originally Posted by blimp

Hi Jim,

Can we use that on the Venture Cup site?

I am not on Facebook, can it just be put on Venture Cup site. ???

[RichardC]

Jim,
Great stuff.
When wasyour lowest moment? What made you keep going?
What was your funniest moment and your most memorable?

[littlenige]

Jim's is just one story - would love to read more from him and others!

[Jim Brooker]

Originally Posted by RichardC

Jim,
Great stuff.
When was-your lowest moment? What made you keep going?
What was your funniest moment and your most memorable?

Well Richard just a few memories, the two lowest points for me was coming up from Santander to La Coruna with huge Atlantic sea coming into the Bay of Biscay it took forever, a very long wet 9 hours in very heavy seas, the leg which was very frightening was from Barcelona to La Grand Motte across the Golfe Du Lion, I think Mike Bellamy must have told the story when we stopped for fuel, but the sea and the wind was unbelievable the boat was sliding backwards down some of the very big waves on to the transom, I am still not sure what the wind speed was, it had to be around force 9 because when we went up the river for the fuel we had big problems in mooring up, I jumped off the boat with a rope but couldn't stop the boat being blown from the pontoon, so Eddie Chater jumped on the pontoon to give me a hand, we did get it tied up but it took a long time, but in the process I had trapped Eddie’s hand between the rope and the pontoons bollard ( Boy did he Scream), when we get to La Grand Motte we looked at each other and realised we were completely white with dried caked on salt which came from the top of the breaking seas.
Well keeping going was really easy because once we got towards and into the Mediterranean and realised if we just finished every day we would win, we were so far in front.
The most funniest moment to me, ( the background to this is that Dr Trost and his boat WD40 was one of our biggest threats to us winning the race and could have won the whole race but in the end he had problems with engines and when he hit a shark which got stuck on the drives, so what do you do ?? send a crew member into the water to get it off, but the crew member was his very lovely wife !!!! it would have been great on the BBQ that night ) Now for the story… it was at one of the drivers meetings early one morning I was at the top of a big flight of stairs just about to walk down them, when Viscount Slim who was the guy who started the S.A.S. slapped me on the back knocking me down the stairs and at the same time shouted “Don’t Let Trost the Bosh win Jim” everybody turned around to see me disappearing down the stairs I was OK and Dr Trost didn’t win day that day. !!!!
We had a prize giving every night which I didn't normally get too, but the best of all was at Monte-Carlo when we were presented with the trophy for "first over all " and presented by Princess Grace, and she said to me...
" HOLD THIS JIM IT'S A BIT HEAVY"

[RichardC]

Jim,
Laughed out loud. The story of the shark
You could not write a film script better than this!
When I did the rec'ky trip this Summer, I visited the ports of call on the actual date we will all be there next year. The start date, it was gusting winds at 80 mph of The Needles, looking out from Guernsey they had to be Force 7 seas.
However, once at Brest it clamed down and from Les Sables onwards it was pretty much flat calm
Santander is a funny place ad with the mountains it has very localised weather, rain, mist and fog.
What I did notice that after leving la Coruna for every 100 miles south you went it got 1 deg.C warmer.
Thanks, Jim going to have to meet up soon.

[Jim Brooker]

Originally Posted by RichardC

Jim,
Laughed out loud. The story of the shark
You could not write a film script better than this!
When I did the rec'ky trip this Summer, I visited the ports of call on the actual date we will all be there next year. The start date, it was gusting winds at 80 mph of The Needles, looking out from Guernsey they had to be Force 7 seas.
However, once at Brest it clamed down and from Les Sables onwards it was pretty much flat calm
Santander is a funny place ad with the mountains it has very localised weather, rain, mist and fog.
What I did notice that after leving la Coruna for every 100 miles south you went it got 1 deg.C warmer.
Thanks, Jim going to have to meet up soon.

That rec'ky looks very professional your not looking to win this race are you,?? don't think the Med's always calm, I live on the Med and you can see the sea come up very quickly, all the races I have done in Italy, Sardina and across the Gibraltar straights have all been very rough.
Tell me about your boat is it the old Outsider. ???
I hope to be at the start in June

[pain-terra28]

Great read Jim .

[RichardC]

My boat is steeped in history it is one of two Bubbledeck Cigarette's, 39'6" long, 7'6" wide, previously raced under the name of "Popeyes", "Halter Racing", "Favya Shoes". Al Copeland's, Snr., Don Aronow, Chuck Norris have all raced my Boat. She is the same hull as a 41' Apache, just 18" shorter.
I bought the boat off ebay USA, as you do unseen, but fortunately as luck would have it I ended up making contact with Bob Oetringer, from Ft.Myers, Florida who runs a Marine Company, specialising in rebuilding classic / historic Race Boats - he collected the Boat and it is now in Ft.Myers being completely refitted for The Race. The boat just came out the paint shop on Friday, completely white, ready for sponsors logo's. We have had to basically rebuild the boat, new Transom, new engine room bulkhead, new cockpit floor, strengthened all the engine room stringers and ribs. fuuel tanks were removed, they were leaking into the bilges I could put holes in the base of the tanks with my fingers- so tanks have have had new bases and sides welded in place.
I have been really lucky and just bought a pair of no.6 drives, gimbal housings and gauges for the boat. Engine wise we are going to build two brand new 540 ci engines, to power her all the way to Monte Carlo.
The biggest dilemma I have is fuel injection for the engines. We have approx. 450 gallons on board, but the leg from Sada a Coruna to Cascais, is 320nm as the crow flies, in rough weather it is going to be very tight. The trouble with fuel injection is if I goes wrong hen your out there, you need a scanner to locate the fault too much electrics. Probably end up with the best carburettors that money can buy simple to fix if they go wrong.
The reason I bought this boat of any others is the height of the freeboard. Being 6'8" tall, I want to be low down in the cockpit. We are putting a stepped floor, adjustable so when I am on the helm, I stand lower but all crew are the same height. After doing this years Cowes Torquay Cowes Race, in Dry Martini, a 35' cigarette flat deck, I barely fitted in the bolster. One moment by chin was a foot off the bolster, the next my feet were a foot of the deck - I was being thrown all ver the place - however, the experience I gained was totally invaluable - money can't buy this! Everyone I have spoken too that has driven or been in a Bubbledeck, it's sister boat is the world famous "bounty hunter"' these boats are great in rough water - like The Apache's, probably the best deep rough water race boat in the World.
My life has taken on a whole new vocation the Cowes to Monte Carlo race, having done the rec'ky, it gives you some idea of what you are up against.
Being prepared, going over everything half a dozen times and more, constantly on the phone to the States, talking to all engine builders, what is the best way to rebuild the boat, travelling backwards and forwards to the States, 3 times so far this year, one more to go - trying to build the best possible boat on a limited budget but still trying to find a sponsor.
I had full sponsorship until 3 weeks ago when they pulled out. Reading your stories of The Race back in 1972, sponsors and the public need to know what we have let ourselves infor. The blog reports on the ventureoffshorecup.com are great, being hit by a baseball bat in the kidneys and 30+ G forces - as Mike has said we are going, over, through and under it!

[Paul E]

Look forward to seeing your boat Richard!! Those stories of the original race are fantastic, can't even begin to imagine what an epic journey that must have been.

Will the Cigarette live over here after the race?

[hunton69]

Jim and Richard love the stories


That's what is so great about this race it's not just a race.

[RichardC]

Paul,
Not sure at the moment - it really depends how the boat performs and what we feel like after 2500 miles, 15 days in th boat. Also the big fact is sponsorship, without this it becomes a very expensive
I know we have Marathon Races over here, but for spectators, they are too far out for a ny to see.
Bring back the good old days of Guernsey International Powerboat Week, that was a week of fantastic racing, great spectator viewing points and memorable social events. I can still recall over a thousand people chanting "we want Rolfe"' Rolfe Harris was a star turn on the main stage, singing his "stairway to heaven"
Bloody brilliant!
If Mike and Team can do a great job in the Cowes to Monte Carlo, then I will be inboard for the next race in the series.

[RichardC]

You hit in on the nail!
This event is like nothing else in The World - none of us really know what we are up against. Since the original race was run, technology has moved on hugely - look at GPS - it diidnt exist back then. Modern engine management systems etc., all these improvements - make for a better boat but reliability is the key and knowing how to drive your boat in the sea conditions prevailing.
Reading the stories from Jim and the others, is invaluable to all those taking part
Listen and learn.

[Jim Brooker]

Originally Posted by RichardC

You hit in on the nail!
This event is like nothing else in The World - none of us really know what we are up against. Since the original race was run, technology has moved on hugely - look at GPS - it diidnt exist back then. Modern engine management systems etc., all these improvements - make for a better boat but reliability is the key and knowing how to drive your boat in the sea conditions prevailing.
Reading the stories from Jim and the others, is invaluable to all those taking part
Listen and learn.

I have to apologise to you Richard after asking about your boat, I thought you had the old 46' Outsider and you were Richard Carr, and I now realize that R Carr is definitely not 6'8" I am so sorry for the mistake, I did wonder why R Carr was being so pleasant to me. !!!!

[RichardC]

Jim, no problem
I can see where you are coming from and know Richard Carr well.
One could say I was doing him a favour in public relations!
He is definitely one to watch in The Race, he knows his stuff and has the experience. Time will tell

[Jon Fuller]

Originally Posted by Jim Brooker

I have to apologise to you Richard after asking about your boat, I thought you had the old 46' Outsider and you were Richard Carr,

Jim.

Carr hasn't got Ray Mac's old Outsider (Italian ally Isotta/Cougar), I think he has the ally 'Maggie's Mercruiser Special' of the late Columbian George Morales.