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Old 01-18-2006, 10:51 PM
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Default Re: Save the Old Race Boats

Lucky,
The deck on Jesse is wood, did you order the boat that way or was it changed after you sold it?
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Old 01-18-2006, 10:58 PM
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Changed after I sold it.
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Old 01-18-2006, 11:43 PM
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I happened to stumble onto this forum and was pretty surprised to see my fathers name (Howard Quam) and our old race boats as a topic of interest to anyone.

Most of the information I have observed posted on this websight in regard to my father and his old boats is inaccurate to a large degree.

Ed Cozzi it is nice to see you are still alive and kicking but your memory is failing you. Memory loss is the first sign of senilty Ed! LOL LO LLOL Eddie it has been so many years and so many boats ago perhaps I can help you and refresh your memory. And perhaps help someone who now owns one of our old boats.

My fathers first offshore powerboat race was in a 28 ft. magnum in Key West in 1975 I still have the race program and many pictures. I was his throttle man and Phil Dipasqualie was our navigator. The name of that boat was "Balls and all" . The APBA soon made us change the name of that boat for obvious reasons.

We raced the 28 magnum for about year under the new name of "Razzle Dazzle" and my dad soon moved up to the open class I think in the 77 or 78 season I still have the records and can check. Meanwhile I continued to race and drive the 28 foot magnum in the national APBA production class.

My fathers first 38 Bertram and the first boat ever to be named "Flap Jack"was an all red one purchased from Preston Henn. Erroll Lanier was my dads first pro throttle man. Erroll only helped my dad for I think one race and was under contract to Preston. My father then hired Keith Hazell to throttle the Bertram for the 77 or 78 season I would have to dig up the old records but I do still have them. He and Keith didn't race very long before they had a disagreement over prize money. Back then you actually received prize money if you did well. 25K for first place as a matter of fact.

His next throttle man was Smiley Johns who was fresh from the modified class as was keith Hazell. Smiley was racing a red 28 foot magnum and did very well so he wanted less than Keith and hired Smiley. Smiley and my dad prompty stuffed Preston's red 38 Bertram in the 77 or 78 Benihana race in Jersey race while in first place. The Bertram delaminated in that crash and was never seaworthy again I don't think? It then sat in our marina for years. My father refused to repair it and left it front and center in the shop to remind Smiley every day how he had ruined his boat. LOL

My father in 1978 then had Bobby Moore and Jack Stuteville build him a new 38 Bertram all white with red stripes. It was also named "Flap Jack" and was the fastest and strongest vee bottom in the world when built. Keth Hazell was the throttle man because he was the best at the time with the difficult to handle 38 Bertrams and because Keith was the only one who could talk Bertram into building the 38 foot raceboats since their main sorce of revenue was selling high end pleasure boats.

As a matter of fact Bertram would only build you a 38 Betram racer in 1978 if you agreed to buy three at a time. So Keith found buyers for the other two and supervised the construction of the second "Flap jack". My dad and Keith raced that 38 Bertram in the 1979 season with Smiley as the crew chief and I was still racing the old and slow 1976 28 foot yellow magnum.

In the 1979 season my father in the second 38 Bertram named "Flap Jack" finished second in the national championship to Betty Cook in the last race of the season in San Francisco. The race was pretty controversial and was black flagged as soon as Betty pulled in front due to a mysterious phantom fog. We lost the protest and my father and Keith always felt cheated out of the 1979 National Championship.

Right after the 1979 season my dad sold the white and red 38 Bertram to an Englishman whose name escapes me at the moment for 125K. It was raced very successfully in Europe for many years and I don't know what ever happened to it after that.

My father then purchased Betty Cooks second wooden Cougar cat for the 1980 season but commissioned a complete redesign which took some time. In the meantime my dad purchased another 38 Bertram this time it was pre-owned. I think he purchased it from Sandy Satullo and it might have been named "Copper Kettle" before we painted it all black with silver stripes and re named it "Flap Jack". I would have to dig up the records to be sure what it's previous name was? But it was the third and final 38 Bertram named "Flap JacK" ever owned or raced by my father. It was a heavy and slow sled literally indestructible.

This final 38 Bertram was driven by my dad and throttled by Smiley Johns and I was the navigator for the 1980 season. On May 10th 1980 at 12:30 PM in the Bacardi Miami race just ouside of Government cut we barrelled rolled the Bertram and my father was thrown out of the boat and pinned under the boat where I fished him out and attempted to revive Smiley who was fatally injured and died in my arms. The boat was undamaged like I said it was a tank.

Sometime thereafter my father hired Eddie Cozzie to throttle that indestructible black and silver 38 Bertram for the remainder of the 1980 season. I was devasted over Smiley's death and sat the reat of the season out.

For 1981 my father decided to throttle all his boats himself and Eddie Cozzi helped out as crew chief until Eddie left to throttle another boat. Until we retired in our last offshore powerboat race in 1987 my father throttled all his own boats. I drove when time permitted and many others filled in over the years as drivers including Rocky Aoki.

I drove the black 38 Bertram for the 1981 season while my father throttled while we waited for the first of many cats to be built. In 1982 I believe my dad sold this the third and last 38 Bertram named "Flap Jack" to Marshall Ives a Miami lawyer for 5K without engines. In the mean time Eddie and I almost burned the boat and ourselves to death while transfering fuel one day. The boat was undamaged. Nothing could harm this boat I mean nothing. LOL

Anyway that is the 38 Bertram "Flap Jack" history. My father and I raced offshore powerboats from November 1975 in Key west until our last race in the Spring of 1987 at the Miami to Nassau to Miami endurance race in a 41 foot apache.

If I can be of any help with any of our old boats email me at [email protected]
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Old 01-19-2006, 12:17 AM
  #204  
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Originally Posted by Les Quam
I happened to stumble onto this forum and was pretty surprised to see my fathers name (Howard Quam) and our old race boats as a topic of interest to anyone.

Most of the information I have observed posted on this websight in regard to my father and his old boats is inaccurate to a large degree.

Ed Cozzi it is nice to see you are still alive and kicking but your memory is failing you. Memory loss is the first sign of senilty Ed! LOL LO LLOL Eddie it has been so many years and so many boats ago perhaps I can help you and refresh your memory. And perhaps help someone who now owns one of our old boats.

My fathers first offshore powerboat race was in a 28 ft. magnum in Key West in 1975 I still have the race program and many pictures. I was his throttle man and Phil Dipasqualie was our navigator. The name of that boat was "Balls and all" . The APBA soon made us change the name of that boat for obvious reasons.

We raced the 28 magnum for about year under the new name of "Razzle Dazzle" and my dad soon moved up to the open class I think in the 77 or 78 season I still have the records and can check. Meanwhile I continued to race and drive the 28 foot magnum in the national APBA production class.

My fathers first 38 Bertram and the first boat ever to be named "Flap Jack"was an all red one purchased from Preston Henn. Erroll Lanier was my dads first pro throttle man. Erroll only helped my dad for I think one race and was under contract to Preston. My father then hired Keith Hazell to throttle the Bertram for the 77 or 78 season I would have to dig up the old records but I do still have them. He and Keith didn't race very long before they had a disagreement over prize money. Back then you actually received prize money if you did well. 25K for first place as a matter of fact.

His next throttle man was Smiley Johns who was fresh from the modified class as was keith Hazell. Smiley was racing a red 28 foot magnum and did very well so he wanted less than Keith and hired Smiley. Smiley and my dad prompty stuffed Preston's red 38 Bertram in the 77 or 78 Benihana race in Jersey race while in first place. The Bertram delaminated in that crash and was never seaworthy again I don't think? It then sat in our marina for years. My father refused to repair it and left it front and center in the shop to remind Smiley every day how he had ruined his boat. LOL

My father in 1978 then had Bobby Moore and Jack Stuteville build him a new 38 Bertram all white with red stripes. It was also named "Flap Jack" and was the fastest and strongest vee bottom in the world when built. Keth Hazell was the throttle man because he was the best at the time with the difficult to handle 38 Bertrams and because Keith was the only one who could talk Bertram into building the 38 foot raceboats since their main sorce of revenue was selling high end pleasure boats.

As a matter of fact Bertram would only build you a 38 Betram racer in 1978 if you agreed to buy three at a time. So Keith found buyers for the other two and supervised the construction of the second "Flap jack". My dad and Keith raced that 38 Bertram in the 1979 season with Smiley as the crew chief and I was still racing the old and slow 1976 28 foot yellow magnum.

In the 1979 season my father in the second 38 Bertram named "Flap Jack" finished second in the national championship to Betty Cook in the last race of the season in San Francisco. The race was pretty controversial and was black flagged as soon as Betty pulled in front due to a mysterious phantom fog. We lost the protest and my father and Keith always felt cheated out of the 1979 National Championship.

Right after the 1979 season my dad sold the white and red 38 Bertram to an Englishman whose name escapes me at the moment for 125K. It was raced very successfully in Europe for many years and I don't know what ever happened to it after that.

My father then purchased Betty Cooks second wooden Cougar cat for the 1980 season but commissioned a complete redesign which took some time. In the meantime my dad purchased another 38 Bertram this time it was pre-owned. I think he purchased it from Sandy Satullo and it might have been named "Copper Kettle" before we painted it all black with silver stripes and re named it "Flap Jack". I would have to dig up the records to be sure what it's previous name was? But it was the third and final 38 Bertram named "Flap JacK" ever owned or raced by my father. It was a heavy and slow sled literally indestructible.

This final 38 Bertram was driven by my dad and throttled by Smiley Johns and I was the navigator for the 1980 season. On May 10th 1980 at 12:30 PM in the Bacardi Miami race just ouside of Government cut we barrelled rolled the Bertram and my father was thrown out of the boat and pinned under the boat where I fished him out and attempted to revive Smiley who was fatally injured and died in my arms. The boat was undamaged like I said it was a tank.

Sometime thereafter my father hired Eddie Cozzie to throttle that indestructible black and silver 38 Bertram for the remainder of the 1980 season. I was devasted over Smiley's death and sat the reat of the season out.

For 1981 my father decided to throttle all his boats himself and Eddie Cozzi helped out as crew chief until Eddie left to throttle another boat. Until we retired in our last offshore powerboat race in 1987 my father throttled all his own boats. I drove when time permitted and many others filled in over the years as drivers including Rocky Aoki.

I drove the black 38 Bertram for the 1981 season while my father throttled while we waited for the first of many cats to be built. In 1982 I believe my dad sold this the third and last 38 Bertram named "Flap Jack" to Marshall Ives a Miami lawyer for 5K without engines. In the mean time Eddie and I almost burned the boat and ourselves to death while transfering fuel one day. The boat was undamaged. Nothing could harm this boat I mean nothing. LOL

Anyway that is the 38 Bertram "Flap Jack" history. My father and I raced offshore powerboats from November 1975 in Key west until our last race in the Spring of 1987 at the Miami to Nassau to Miami endurance race in a 41 foot apache.

If I can be of any help with any of our old boats email me at [email protected]
priceless.......... i love stories like this and i hate to read but i would read for ever and ever. great stoy and welcome to offshoreonly

jr mike
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Old 01-19-2006, 01:01 AM
  #205  
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Default Re: Save the Old Race Boats

Les , do you guys still own the resturants in Chicago? Is your father still alive?
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Old 01-19-2006, 01:15 AM
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My father passed away from cancer on September 17, 1997 he was 65.

We still own and operate 7 restaurants in Chicago and 7 in Las Vegas. The Chicago restaurants have been open since 1966.
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Old 01-19-2006, 04:03 AM
  #207  
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Les....A very big welcome...sorry to hear of your dad's passing, he was a tough competitor.
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Old 01-19-2006, 04:59 AM
  #208  
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Default Re: Save the Old Race Boats

Welcome aboard Les and thank you for your story.

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Old 01-19-2006, 07:38 AM
  #209  
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Default Re: Save the Old Race Boats

Originally Posted by Chatim Racing
Sean - I can understand where you are coming from. Personally I'd love to see a "clone" made of the original 24' top banana which was destroyed...

But there are a couple of things to keep in mind about these old race boats. Back then, race boats and production boats were VERY different animals. Take a look at the stringers & bulkheads in IKE's Michelob Light boat earlier in this thread - this was a very different boat than a production Scarab of the day. I think it may be cost prohibative to make an old production boat into an old race boat if we are going to be really technically correct. Who is really going to rip off the deck and glass those kind of stringers and bulkheads into their production Scarab and at what cost?

I think we are losing sight of what is trying to be done here. Seems to me that the main goal is to preserve these rare original beasts for the generations to come before it is too late. Why do we want to do this? In my opinion, I think they represent an important part of our collective offshore history and should not be forgotten. It will be difficult to preserve them if their values can't be stabilized and we will continue to see them be destroyed as in the past.

Perhaps there will be a place for clones in the future of HORBA much like early 70's Porsche 911 clones so prevalent in vintage auto racing today...but we must first concentrate on the originals to set the bar and get this going. Historic Auto racing (like HSR) did not begin with clones but they were allowed to compete later on.

MickeyFin's idea of seperate classes definitly has some merit as a future workable solution and I am sure HORBA will be open to more suggestions as time goes on and this gets going...

Bottom line is keep your ideas and opinions coming!!
Thank you for the reply.

In retrospect and after reading Les' post, I understand the desire to to keep the fleet authentic.

I guess I'll have to really search the islands when I'm down there next month... Either that or go and buy the bubble boat...

I guess my only question then would be what about copyrights and trademarks as they pertain to some of these sponsored boats...using the Popeye's boat as an example, one may have problems bringing the boat back to original. Any thoughts?
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Old 01-19-2006, 07:41 AM
  #210  
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Default Re: Save the Old Race Boats

Sean, thats funny you mention that.
I was thinking some of the old sponsers may want to give in a bit of cash to have their name on the boat... like it was previously said about budweiser.
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