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17th January 2012
Fans could be forgiven for mistaking Saturday's test & tune for a race day with an excellent showing of quality boats. 3 x blown boats, 3 x 6 litre carby boats, 2 x 25hp boats & 1 nipper ensured there was plenty of action on the water.
The much anticipated new-look 'Agent Orange' owned & driven by Trevor Stanley had it's maiden voyage on Saturday. The state of the art enclosed cockpit built & fitted by Malcolm Jamieson is a prime example of how a cell can be retro fitted to an open deck boat.
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| View From Safety - Stanley's field of view very much minimised. |
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| Carbon Fibre Galore - nothing flashy aboard Agent Orange, just fibre & aluminium. |
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| State Of The Art - a very impressive view of the new look Agent Orange. |
With much less 'bling' inside & out in comparison to the flagship of Adelaide's fleet 'Tuff'E'Nuff', the team behind 'Agent Orange' had one thing in mind during the fit out- going fast. Ultra lightweight components & construction material including a carbon fibre steering wheel ensured the add on only tipped the scales an extra 40 kilograms.
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He's Back!
No more parachutes for Stanley |
A new propeller had been acquired by the Agent Orange team just hours before the test run, only for the boys to discover the taper was in fact incorrect meaning the boat was run with exactly the same configuration as the last time it ran with an open deck.
The initial signs were good. Despite encountering fuel issues due to the engine sitting idle for so long, the Evercraft seemed to sit very stable on the water at approximately 110mph and was not 'driving on it's head' as has been all too common for owners of 21ft Evercraft race boats.
The story was not the same for David Clark and his boat 'Tuff'E'Nuff' which as usual looked like a million dollars- immaculately presented by a very passionate team that remain determined to get this boat back to the pointy end. A trial propeller did not alleviate the straight line handling issues that appear to have worsened since retro fitting the enclosed cockpit. Clark & his team may need to resort to reducing the power output of the engine so they can creep up on the performance of the boat which does not reflect the quality of workmanship that has gone into the fit out.
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| A Word From The Wise - Rising Star James Clark get's some pointers from his Dad. |
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| Simply Stunning - Tuff'E'Nuff continues to impress despite some issues. |
Another man with determination who is simply down on his luck is Bob Damerow who's Blown Lite 'Bonkers Returns' has seldom made it back to the pits without a tow from the Don P. Farrell rescue boat. Minor issues continue to plague this race team in it's efforts to make an impact in the B.A.D category, this time the gearbox jumped out of gear when coming off the throttle. Despite this the boys are keen to keep trying and in a fortnights time at Berri we may see 'Demo' start mixing it with some of the quicker boats in the competition.
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| One Step Closer - Bob 'Demo' Damerow saddles up for a test run |
After all, Saturday was a test day and so it can be expected to see boats performing below par. This was not the case for the ever reliable 6 litre carby boats 'Bite Me Too' and 'Jimbo' sporting the super cost effective Dodge NASCAR engines. If there were to be an all in race these guys would have run rings around all 3 of the blown boats that were present, allbeit with nearly half of the horsepower on board.
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| Watchful Eyes - The Don P. Crew enduring the sun for our drivers |
Jamie Royal or 'Jimbo' as he is known went ballistic in his new Evercraft boat, punishing it in and out of turns on both the short and long course. Trialling a propeller on loan from the Tuff'E'Nuff team, Jimbo seemed happy with the way the boat accellerated and it's exceptional performance was apparent from the bank. Make no mistake, this dark horse will be at the pointy end at Berri with the likes of interstate competitors 'Oxygen Thief' and 'Solace'.
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| Race Bred - Dodge NASCAR engines continue to prove their worth |
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| Box Seat - Royles was having a blast with his new toy. |
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| Ideal Combination - 18'4" Evercraft, 350 Dodge Mopar |
A boat with nearly identical performance is yet another open deck Evercraft boat with a Dodge NASCAR engine, 'Bite Me Too' driven by Tom Barnhard. Also ultra reliable, Tom could have done laps until the cows came home and he will also be closer to the front of the field than he has otherwise been used to in previous years. Barnhard's driving ability should see him competitive all weekend against some of the country's top 6 litre boats.
All in all a great day for the club under some excellent conditions, perhaps a sign of good things ahead for 2012.
Stay tuned!
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