The Scandinavian SE Championship 1975 took place in Forsaa, Finland.
Around 25 boats were in place at this beautiful Lake, and Mercury had just released the new 650 XS UIM SE race engine and lots of people was hoping the new Merc could give the OMC drivers a run for the money.
Driver Bo Nilson (6) was backed up by AGB, the Swedish distributor for Johnson and I by Huzells, the Swedish distributor for Evinrude. (1)
The strongest Finn was Mercury’s Bimbo Aminoff and a few more drivers from Denmark
and Norway with the new Merc.
The rest was using OMC 3 Cyl. 75 Hp. Four heat and three counts as normally and a clock start.
I did not know how strong the new Merc was, but I was very well prepared and after
the first heat the good news was that the new Merc was no match (sorry
Mercury) and the fight was as usually between Bo (6) and me (1) and some other OMC
drivers.
In the second heat Bimbo Aminoff took the lead but after a few laps I past him and so did Bo but I made a mistake in one turn and Bo past me
for the win.
Well, I do not remember exactly but it came down to the last
heat and the winner of that heat was the overall winner of the race and I was
the lucky one again with only to tens of a second over Bo Nilsson, and I was now
the Scandinavian Champion for the third consecutive year.
Well not yet, because third was Mercury’s Bimbo Aminoff and he filed a protest.
Bo and I did not have any spray paint on our gear cases.
You where allowed to sharpen the skeg, and sand on the gear case if you still was within the template.
We pass that test easy, but the Chief technical inspector said that you must spray paint the gear case, and ours was just polished aluminum
so he disqualified Bo and me.
Bimbo Aminoff was now declared the winner and Bo Nilsson went nuts.
I know how angry he can get, and it turned ugly. After a major argument we left for Sweden and straight to Roland Rosenholtz, the Swedish Power Boat Federations chairman to tell him the
story, but he was already informed.
Mr. Rosenholtz made a few phone calls to Finland and UIM.
“There was nothing in the UIM rule book saying the gearcase must be painted/or not painted”
After a few days I received the Trophy and the price money
from Finland and I was officially the Scandinavian Champion 1975.
Thank you Roland Rosenholtz
Next story here….https://svera.se/blogg/racing-historier/european-champion-for-the-third-consecutive-year/
The Swedish Daily News Paper-Dagens Nyheter July 7 1975
Picture above: Bo Nilsson´s Clerici/Johnson