Here's a few pix I took locally. I wish I had more info to share on the boats, I'm afraid I'm not much of a historian or photographer. My favorite, I liked the lines paint details Watch your toes...
Some of you know Butch Bailey ... who's a Willys's freak Did you know he also owns and restored "Miss Desoto? http://www.vintagehydroplanes.com/missdesoto_restore1.html
Here my errrrrr boat. Well the start of it at least. I brought everything separately but it's just a coincidence it's all red and white. Defiantly not staying those colors.
Here's the Lloyd, Dick Bonniville built E-156 Sin in Black, can't imagine someone bought it and changed colors as above?
This is a picture of the late Joe Gimbrone from Tonawanda New York. It was taken at Valleyfield Canada in 1970, or 71. They where coming down to the start, and as things go in racing. It got a little wild. The picture was one second of the running start, and Joe flew up and over the other boat never lifting his foot. Years later when someone asked Joy, Joe's wife about the picture. She just shrugged her solders and said " no big thing it was just racing". The hydroplanes in the picture where conventional's running stock 265 Chevy's, or 273 Plymouth's. The plymouths had the edge. Joe's boat Typhoon Julie is still around. A teacher from Tonawanda purchased it in the mid 70's while in High School, and still has it to this day. Joe would later build a hydroplane called Joy Boy named after his wife Joy, and in 1975 won the Grand Prix World Championship with it against much larger sponsored boats. Joe lost his life in August of 1979 at St Timothy Quebec Canada aboard Nordec while chasing the elusive Gold. Joe and I where best friends and every year in August Joy and I will email each other and reminisce about the old days. Joy, and I and others went on and lived our lives, but life's flavor has never been the same with the passing of Joe. For more about Gentleman Joe Gimbrone check out the Vintage hydroplane web site. Thanks for reading, Johnny Sweet
The Jalopy Journal
