1987 Outboard Record Trials

[Dave Hensley]

Just watched a dvd of the record runs from 1987. Interesting to say the least. Allison dominated the number of boats but there were a few interesting Brand X combinations. A HydroStream with a Suzuki was hands down winner for unusual set up. I knew the 1987 Jaco XB2002 I had bought last year was the 150 Production outboard record holder from 1996 on Melton Hill. There it was again in 1987 setting a record with what looked like a 200 Mariner. 96 mph and change. Got me to wondering if any of the other boats that were there that day are still around. wonder what happened to Glen's boat? Speaking of which, given all the discussion around top speed for an Allison, how hard it is to do and watching these cats run 122-129 with carbed 2.4's 27 years ago makes you wonder. Not trying to rain on the parade but in 1996 the super light red XB2002 Jaco boat with a fire breathing factory 2.5 EFI only went 106. Just hard to imagine that nobody has come close. I do know one thing. When Reynolds comes through tall buildings shook and everybody else wet their pants. It is undeniable he was operating on a different level than Pou, Owen Borris and even a guy in a Champ boat.

 

[TB21]

Where'd you get the DVD? I'd love to see that. I hear what ur saying...Glenn ate the man!!!

 

[RBT]

What it really incredible is when Owen ran he had side water pickup, as per the mod-vp rules of the time. 14.5x35 hoss at 7500 rpm.... And only about 250 hp.
Amazing.

 

[RBT]

Google "Owen Boris avro"
Owen was an aeronautical engineer by education. The avro arrow story is well worth a bit of research. He did things with his Allison, that nobody today has done. His aero enhancements were ground breaking today. His gearcase, was a marvel, even today nobody has replicated it.

 

[RBT]

Owen getting it done

 

[FlatOutAlly]

Google "Owen Boris avro"....

Very interesting reading. Thanks, Rob.

 

[Dave Hensley]

I had heard Owen had control surfaces on the boat. Did he try the offset skeg? I recall looking at a gearcase Darris had at one time. The skeg was offset to the port side I think. Kept cleaner water going to drive side of prop. I also remember talking to him about a closed loop cooling system with radiator which solved water pick up problems.

 

[RBT]

Owen, put little red streamers all over the boat and mounted a video camera on the bow to watch what they did, he made a lot of interior alterations. The coolest were air dumps that were below the fairing in front of the motor near the floor. He had tubes that exited on each side of the motor down low. He had two bumpers in the boat he had to jam in the holes coming off plane to keep from sinking. The pad looked like a golf ball, there were plywood shapes in the cockpit to change air flow.
His gearcase had a foil shaped skeg, with a foil at the bottom of the skeg. The nose cone, directed water to the inlets, the tip of the nose cone was below the pad and extended forward of the pad lip. I remember when I was a kid watching him run, they bagged everything, including the cockpit till it was in the water. It wasn't until many years later that he showed me.
Was cool, still is cool!

 

[Dave Hensley]

The pieces of yarn taped to the boat was a poor man's wind tunnel. I remember going to Daytona testing back in the 1970's and Jr. Johnson did that with his cars. He was the first to find the high pressure area at the base of the windshield and turned his breather inlet around to face the back of the hood. Cool stuff. I am sure if there was as much money in boat racing as there is in Nascar a vee bottom outboard would be running 150's- 160's. Billet gearcases, offset skeg, billet props etc.

 

[patches]

Very cool Rob

 

[waterqtr]

I was there and watched Mr. Paul take a pocket knife and lightly scrape the lip on Glenn's XR 3 times to try and help the speed. Glenn had to raise the motor a few times to get the speed back to where it was.

And ya'll are right, Owen's boat had the aero motor cover and fairing when we were there. I forgot he ran that fast with side water pickups.

I remember an XTB that ran like 92 with 2 people in the boat.

Amazing how fast we were going back then with 2.4's.

Chuck

 

[K Oran]

Re. XTB 21

Its good to know after all these years that someone did notice! We were the only boat to run with 2 people. Nobody seemed to care about a bassboat with 2 people aboard. It had windshield, trolling motor, and 2 batteries and 1/2 tank of gas. Our average speed was 96.4....... Fish were faster back then! Boat is 1987 XTB 21 Tournament model and is alive and well still in kingston,Tn. Kirk....

 

[Dave Hensley]

It is in the video.

 

[waterqtr]

Re: Re. XTB 21

Its good to know after all these years that someone did notice! We were the only boat to run with 2 people. Nobody seemed to care about a bassboat with 2 people aboard. It had windshield, trolling motor, and 2 batteries and 1/2 tank of gas. Our average speed was 96.4....... Fish were faster back then! Boat is 1987 XTB 21 Tournament model and is alive and well still in kingston,Tn. Kirk....

We were looking a pics of the speed trials the other day. Trust me, it was and still is impressive... I have always loved the XTB, we sold a lot in Baton Rouge in the late 80's & 90's. I spent a lot of time in them with the guys that would bring them back saying something was wrong because it would only run 70. They were super consistent. Two guys, full load, stock 200 Mariner with a Bob's and a 26 Chopper... 82 all day long... All they ever did was shake their head and say it ain't the boat... Good times....

 

[ally2dextreme]

Owen, put little red streamers all over the boat and mounted a video camera on the bow to watch what they did, he made a lot of interior alterations. The coolest were air dumps that were below the fairing in front of the motor near the floor. He had tubes that exited on each side of the motor down low. He had two bumpers in the boat he had to jam in the holes coming off plane to keep from sinking. The pad looked like a golf ball, there were plywood shapes in the cockpit to change air flow.
His gearcase had a foil shaped skeg, with a foil at the bottom of the skeg. The nose cone, directed water to the inlets, the tip of the nose cone was below the pad and extended forward of the pad lip. I remember when I was a kid watching him run, they bagged everything, including the cockpit till it was in the water. It wasn't until many years later that he showed me.
Was cool, still is cool!

Ive been wondering why you wouldn't make a pad like a golf ball,i would think it would be slower everywhere but top speed..

 

[TB21]

Ive been wondering why you wouldn't make a pad like a golf ball,i would think it would be slower everywhere but top speed..

I dimpled the pad on my XB2002 , it was better on top by a little and didn't hurt it any where else.

 

[backlash69]

I was there and watched Mr. Paul take a pocket knife and lightly scrape the lip on Glenn's XR 3 times to try and help the speed. Glenn had to raise the motor a few times to get the speed back to where it was.

And ya'll are right, Owen's boat had the aero motor cover and fairing when we were there. I forgot he ran that fast with side water pickups.

I remember an XTB that ran like 92 with 2 people in the boat.

Amazing how fast we were going back then with 2.4's.

Chuck

The guy that ran the XTB with two people in it was Kirk Oran from Kingston Tn.

 

[G Allen]

Would be cool to have a forum section on historical videos / movies with back stories like in this thread. It's illuminating. Bet a fair amount of folks have footage sitting forgotten in closets.

I think that it will take 300 hp + to get my XTB to trips with trolling motor, 3 batteries and 2 people at sea level, but not on my dirtbag sized wallet. I think that a Sack-O-Cats motor like Gary Finch briefly got to run on his 03 would do it, though. It's a shame that one has not been resurrected from that box of parts sitting long forgotten by DBR in Havasu. It could mos' def' get er done. Am happy for now with my 225 Promax fishing motor.

 

[Contractor]

... I was there that Day