08-16-2005, 08:02 AM
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Originally Posted by Vivace
Taso -
Off-topic sort of, but are there any Laser dinghy racer - Alfisti out there?
Thanks,
Mike
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I raced Optimists in Greece when a teenager, and graduated to Lasers when I was 14 until recently. Now that I'm older I dream off:
Last edited by AlfaTaso; 12-14-2006 at 08:23 PM.
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08-19-2005, 11:40 AM
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Originally Posted by dretceterini
I'm unaware as to Alfa actually building the boats (hulls) themselves, but Alfa power was used as early as the late 30s, with 6c2500s, if not earlier.
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And you're right about the story going back to the 30s. However, while being unsure about the very first Alfa-powered race boat, I would bid on the Mariella, a 12C-36 powered racer run by Passarin in 1938-39. It's possible there were earlier ones, not sure. The 6C2500 engine became common use after the war for powering racers. That sport was very popular in Italy before the war, then shortages prevented races to resume. The use of automotive-derivated 2500s was helped by their use for powering attack-boats of the Italian Marine during the war. So, marine conversion already existed.
Italian link: http://www.storiain.net/arret/num45/artic5.htm
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Contemporaneamente veniva messo a punto dal comandante Giorgis e dall'ingegner Cattaneo, su progetto iniziale dell'ammiraglio Duca Aimone d'Aosta, un altro mezzo bellico, che prenderā il nome definitivo di Motoscafo Turismo Modificato (MTM), detto barchino esplosivo: un piccolo motoscafo a fondo piatto, dotato di un motore molto potente (Alfa Romeo 2500). La testa del natante contiene 300 kg di esplosivo, con sistema di scoppio ad urto. Il barchino č pilotato da un solo uomo, che lo porta in prossimitā dell'obiettivo, blocca il timone, mette il motore a tutta forza e subito si lancia in mare. Il barchino esplode all'impatto con la nave nemica.
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(special disclaimer: I'm not sure of the political content of the link, reviving fascist war actions is often suspect)
This other link is more technical, but wrong with an invented capacity of 3,500 instead of 2,500:
http://www.regiamarina.net/arsenals/mtm/mtm_us.htm
The Mariella was already some of factory-backed effort, as you can find many references to it in the then current Alfa Corse magazine. Its engine is displayed at the Arese museum, in the basement.
After the war, Alfa officially backed some boat-racers, including those represented by the Provence-Moulage model kits illustrated by Simon at the opening of this thread. Alfa provided "marinized" Tipo 158 and 159 engines from 1946 to 1955 or 1956, I'm not sure.
"Laura3", the second illustrated, was actually fitted with 2 159 engines to catch the world record, then just under 300 km/h. During pre-record testing and adjustments, it's estimated that it ran over 300km/h, just before desintegrating..., killing his pilot, Mario Verga.
Pics also in the already quoted site:
http://www.lesliefield.com/default_frame.htm
(use the search fuction either with his name or Alfa Romeo)
At the same time, another attempt was made with another Alfa engine, but WAY bigger, fitted respectivelty to Sant'Ambrogio I and II. An Alfa AR1000RC41.
  A 1450 HP, 12 cyl, 34-litre. That beast is now displayed in the basement (again!) of the Science museum in Milano.
Then, from the 60s, Autodelta tuned many engines for boat racing, based on either 4-in-line (1300, 1500 or 2000) and Montreal (up to 4-litre), which were very successful in the late 60s-early-70s.
An interesting books on the subject, but I'm afraid only in French, is "Les canots automobiles" (2 volumes, pre- and postwar).
See for example:http://www.tmbbooks.be/fr/yachtm.html (usual disclaimer)
Simon: how about moving this thread to the "Alfa Romeo history" forum section? I came here by mere luck, otherwise I couldn't have contributed. And it's history, isn't it? 
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08-20-2005, 11:08 AM
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Here another one. Newly built in the Netherlands - Riva like Alfa powered AR 233. The project is sponsored by Alfa Romeo Netherlands.
More at http://www.ar-yachts.com/
<img src=http://photos33.flickr.com/35621420_aa54d209f7_o.jpg>
<img src=http://photos28.flickr.com/35621421_76563243d9_o.jpg> |
08-20-2005, 01:54 PM
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Quote:
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Another angle from last year's America's Cup where it won aagin
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Swiss Alinghi won in 2003, at New Zealand, and next America's Cup is in 2007 - Valencia, Spain.
Jes
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11-16-2005, 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by gtv2000
At the same time, another attempt was made with another Alfa engine, but WAY bigger, fitted respectivelty to Sant'Ambrogio I and II. An Alfa AR1000RC41.
A 1450 HP, 12 cyl, 34-litre. That beast is now displayed in the basement (again!) of the Science museum in Milano.
Simon: how about moving this thread to the "Alfa Romeo history" forum section? I came here by mere luck, otherwise I couldn't have contributed. And it's history, isn't it? |
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11-16-2005, 10:57 AM
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Thanks for giving the thread a *bump*.
It has been moved to the HISTORY forum.
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07-07-2006, 03:26 PM
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REALLY NICE TOPIC!!!
Thanks a lot.
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1978 Alfa Romeo Sport Alfetta GTV 2000 (Rally racer) | 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5 | 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV 2.0 (1986 Yves Loubet GTV6 Group A Replica project)
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07-07-2006, 10:38 PM
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Agreed!
Way cool thread - the lines and aestetic of the old hydros are just beautiful! Of course also a sport that has been so deadly. If anyone ever gets down to Fisherman's Warf in San Francisco the visitors center just down from the cable car turn around has a small museum in it - last time I was there they had a few vintage small hydros, not alfa but still cool.
Anyone have more pictures of Alfa powered ones!!
Gregory
Last edited by GVVGTV6; 07-08-2006 at 10:14 AM.
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07-07-2006, 11:18 PM
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Isn't there some sort of hydro plane racing organization? I would imagine that they might have some history on who ran with Alfa engines.
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07-07-2006, 11:37 PM
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I have a thrashed boat that I take the family around the lake in but for some reason images of me ripping around the lake in one of those power boats keeps making me scratch my head and say Hmmmm.......
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07-08-2006, 02:36 PM
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Originally Posted by velocedoc
Isn't there some sort of hydro plane racing organization? I would imagine that they might have some history on who ran with Alfa engines.
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When I was racing in the early '80s, and according to all previous rule books I could find, power (engine) had to come from an American manufacturer, foriegn powerplants were forbiden. Thing may have changed since, I don't know. The class I ran in was the 7-Litre Stock and with an engine change, the modified class. This class has morphed into the current Grand National (GN) for close to stock bigblock V-8s, and the Unlimited Lights (UL) for highly modified large V-8's up to I believe 511 cubic-inches.
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07-08-2006, 03:10 PM
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Allow me to add a cross-link to the Classic Alfa Romeo boat from the 40s thread. Some of the links in post #38 are worth looking at.
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07-09-2006, 06:27 AM
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I'm pretty certain there was a Euro hydroplane competition using 2L Alfa Nord engines exclusively.
That's all I have......there ain't no more 
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11-04-2007, 11:15 PM
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I rather have a 40s Riva with 6c2500 power towed by the Viotti 6c2500 station wagon (which unfortunately, no longer exists)
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