semi-historic Tahiti pic from L.B. races

[old rigger]

While I was roaming the pits in Long Beach last weekend at the races, I couldn't believe my eyes when I stumbled across this very cool Tahiti. The owner was the brother of the guy who owned the spotless Hallet in the background in the first picture, who was racing in the Nostalgic class.
The Tahiti's owners name was Paul and his dad bought the Tahiti new in early 66. This is the 4th or 5th Tahiti Jet out out the molds. Up til then they were all outboards and I/O's. Seeing's how my dad started to rig there in '66, I had hopes of this being one of his, but the ID plate was gone so I couldn't look for his initinals.
Paul just had Sal at orange county boat repair re-gel and cap the boat and one of the riggers at Hallet installed the new crate big block and rail kit, reset the intake and added a shoe and ride plate. Way beyond what they were doing at Schusters back then.
Now about the historic part of things. In the first picture, the guy wearing the shades, without a hat, is Mr Clark. (I can't for the life of me remember his first name, either Bill or Bob). Mr Clark was the lone rep for the fledging Berekely pump company back in the early to mid 60's when they were trying to go from the irrigation pump biz to the boat biz and it was his job to get the died-in-the-wool out board and v-drive guys to try out the new drive set up. It'd been installed in a Stevens and a Carlson but never in a V-bottom boat, until Dick Schuster, Roger Weiman and Mr. Clark installed the first one in a Tahiti, 4 or 5 boats before this one here. That first one ran 68 and change and soon after Clark was campaining a drag Tahiti for himself.
I also ran into Bob Brown of Hot Boat and Powerboat magazine fame. (who's been a boat racer since the 50's) I told him about the boat and later he went over to photograph it. We talked a little about Tahiti's and he told me the first time he raced the Catilina ski race was in 1966, in a 16 Tahiti jet too.
I can't wait to see Pauls boat when it's done.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ug14051002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ug14051032.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ug14051022.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ug14051012.jpg

[Squirtin Thunder]

Rich,
That is a cool story and a sweet lil boat !!!
Thanks for sharing !!!
Jim

[malcolm]

Alright, another boat history lesson! I love it. Neat old boat!
I hope somebody's saving all these for a book someday.

[Tahiti350]

Old Rigger,
Since I own a Tahiti ('80 18st) It's cool to see where it started. I wish mine had the Jet, but it's got the I/O instead. Thanks for the lesson.
Do you know anything about Witchcraft boats??

[MikeF]

Looks cool w/ the capped hull! 1st time I've seen that.

[BigDoug]

I love to read and hear about these old timer boats very cool pics too.

[hack job]

so that is the one you were telling me about. pretty clean boat.

[victorfb]

way cool story and a clean old boat. is that a full stringer tahiti?

[FuelInMyVeins82]

Interesting Transom pate. Kinda cool lookn though.

[old rigger]

tahiti350, don't know a thing about witchcraft boats, sorry.
victor, short stringers.
fuelinmyveins, yeah that is a cool transom plate. And all along everyone thought Sanger came up with that idea. lol