December 2012.

By Lars Strom

In my opinion the Molinari tunnel boats built at the famous Lake Como in the northern part of Italy is a big part of outboard racing history.

I was to young when tunnel boat racing started but have been told that Dieter Schulze was the first tunnel boat builder and Angelo Molinari started just after.
I am pretty good at Molinari boats in the seventies and the eighty’s but not in the sixties. Pretty sure there is plenty of people that can fill in from the sixties.

Molinari switched from Mercury Outboards to Evinrude Outboards late 1976..but please do not make a big deal if those Molinari boats was powered by a Merc in-line 3, 6, V6 or the OMC V-4/V-6/V-8. (or winning in Offshore Class One)
There was also plenty of Molinari boats in the OE/F-3 class..
Here is one example..My own black OE/F-3..powered by a Volvo Penta/Konig. The year is 1977.

First a beautiful picture from Lake Como.

I remember my first visit to the Molinari factory and how difficult it was to park a car there. (Narrow road in the mountains)
The big building was four or five (maybe six) different levels and the bottom floor had direct access to Lake Como.

Pretty hard to get ready to ship boats out of the building to trucks or trailers.

One setback buying a race boat from Molinari was that you have to race him..and Renato always raced the absolutely latest he built..
Yes..he was racing OE/F-3 also.

Racing people has always speculated in how much money OMC paid Molinari to switch from Mercury Racing to Evinrude Racing late 1976.

I think OMC paid him lots of money..

Here is my take why..

January 1 1977 OMC started there own distribution in every country in Europe.
OMC needed something big to get Evinrude/Johnson dealers excited about the new
plan.. OMC Sweden, OMC France, OMC Germany etc.

There was only two big markets in Europe where OMC kept the local distributor..
Ital-Marine was still the Evinrude importer in Italy and a local importer in Spain..
(I think the name was Motomaso)

OMC made a big deal about getting the World famous Italian boat racer/builder at the same time they presented the new OMC in Europe to all the dealers.

We can always guess how many millions of dollars OMC paid..but only Renato knows..!!

 

Stockholm Six Hour Grand Prix 1968

The first two pictures above:…Two racing buddies..Renato and Bob in Italy
Year 1972

Last picture in this post..# 457 Bob Herring & Renato Molinari at Parker 7 Hour Enduro in 1975.

Renato’s change from Merc to Evinrude 1977 was very good to him..but bad for other OMC drivers..A big part of the racing budget in Belgium went south to Como..!!

His first race for OMC was Parker and Renato and Hering won..I remember getting this black/white picture as a Evinrude dealer in Sweden after the race.
See..The result from the race still said Merc..!!

More success for Molinari boats Evinrude power in Parker. Famous Ron Hill and the soon to be Merc Racing boss..Fred..
Not sure what year..?? 1978??..but pretty sure Ron used the right propeller..!!

This is my own notes/memory watching this race from the shoreline in Auronzo, Italy the summer of 1976..

This was also the first and only time I did see Renato Molinari “play tricks”, well not really Renato but his second boat driven by Zoppi I think his name was.
Zoppi sank Cees VD Velden in his Velden /Johnson V-6 on “purpose” by running in to his boat at the start of the race.. just in front of us at the far end of the race course.
Velden sank and Molinari ended up winning both OE and ON. Well..not really in a proper way in my opinion.. (ON)

Not my picture but very interesting..

I young group of very good drivers..Renato to the left, Cees Van Der Velden center and Cesare Scotti to the right..Looks like the AZ desert in the background..maybe not if you look at the truck..Italy??

“Scafo” (Italian for boat) Molinari/Evinrude V-4..Ron Hill/John Schubert

Paris Six Hours 1970.

The look is pretty close to Ulf Backman´s boat

Molinari´s F1-V8 aluminum boat 1982.

This boat was extremely nice built and very expensive.

I remember other drivers was worried about the advantage Renato had if he touched
a wooden boat on the race course.

Lots of F1-V8 drivers did not want to go down the same road with very expensive
aluminum boats.
OMC stepped in and asked Renato to drive a similar boat (wood) to the one he sold to his race customers.

The same year David Burgess built a very good F1-V8 boat for Roger Jenkins
and he later won the World Championship that year..(1982)

All the pictures is from the F1-V8 race in Como 1982 when Renato won with the aluminum boat (#165)..and the maestro himself.
1982 was also the last year Renato used his famous #165..1983 and after he used #18.

One more thing..I was there in Como 1982 racing the F-3 class…dreaming of one day race F1-V8..

I raced a Saffa sponsored Molinari for Renato with a 2 liter Evinrude V-6 looper 1978 at Idroscalo..Finished second after Renato in a similar boat but ahead of all the ON Mercury drivers.!!
This was a test race for me to get ready for Paris 6 Hours 1978.
I drove the Saffa OZ Molinari/Evinrude2.4 liter team boat for Renato there, together with Angelo Vassena.

Working on this story and it is ready pretty soon..

Not the boat I raced but same paint job.

Bob Hering and Renato in the late seventies. I guess between 1977 -79. That was the time for the Saffa paint job.

Renato changed the design on his F1-V8 boats 1983 when he also started to use #18.
The main sponsor was Martini and many boats was in his team..Most of the time three.
Bob Spalding drove the #11 and Kicco Vidoli drove # 19..

Some said that Porsche helped Renato design the 1983 and -84 look..I know for sure Renato drove a white sporty looking Porsche 911 Turbo at that time..

Nottingham 1981..

This was the first year of the Evinrude/Johnson V8 racing engine..I can see Renato have the Italian distributor for Evinrude as a sponsor..Italmarine did many good things for racing.
Renato used #65 here and his teammate I think his name was Columbo #61

Here is a link to a long story about the Nottingham race in Powerboat & Waterskiing..Yes..you can also read about the Swede winning the F-3 class there..
https://svera.se/blogg/the-winners-ar…ttingham-1981/

 

Is this the relaxed look of a confident guy, whom has had decades of competing in F1 racing?
Race champion and boat builder, Renato Molinari.