This is what Rick (Enrico) had to say:
I'm sorry it's taken so long to get back to you on the above subject buy my recent eye surgery has slowed me down a bit, at least for the moment.
Back in the day, for me in the fiftys and sixtys, Carl Kieckhaefer who created Mercury Outboards and ultimately Mercury Marine kept a company called Kieckhaefer Aeromarine strictly to build racing engines. His stuff was usually built around Chevy Parts many of which were created by GM just for him. Although Mercury utilized mostly Chevy engines to marinize they did utilize some Ford engines for their stock outdives.
After being out here in Arizona for forty years I had almost lost all contact with the marine / boating industry. Then, out of the blue, I started receiving email from an organization called National Powerboat Association. Purely out of curiosity, I contacted them and as a result struck uo a friendship with their head honcho. Hi name is Billy Frenz and his organization promotes all kinds of fast boat competition. When I say fast I mean FAST!!!!! Many of these rigs will hit 150 MPH and they run as large as 52 feet.
The power it takes to drive a rig to these velocities is awesome. In addition to Mercury Racing, a whole industry of race engine builders has sprung up. Some of these engines are built by Mercury and others by a plethora of other builders. Many of these rigs are hybrids, assembled from parts of many specialty manufacturers. Only someone intimately associated with today's high performance market might be able to help your friend identify what he's got.. For this reason I suggest your friend contact Billy Frenz and use the name Rick Stein as a referral as that's the name he knows me by.
To define fast a little further, let me tell you about a friend of mine. He owned a 48' Catamaran powered with a pair of 1,300 HP Mercury Racing Engines. In an attempt to set a new Around Long Island record which he already owned he, in a fog bank, hit a 10 Ton buoy at 138 MPH.
I've seen the video, taken in real time from a camera mounted in the boat. He and two crew members survived but the boat was damaged beyond repair. Since the "accident" he has commissioned a new boat. This one's 52' long and packs a pair of 1,800 HP engines. She ought to be able, under ideal water conditions, to reach 175 MPH. The rooster tail at full chat will hang nearly 10 tons of water in the air.
Lest you think you can compete on the cheap, my friend owns two Ferrari / Maserati Dealerships. Today's racing in this league is so far removed from my day it defies description. That's why Billy has had me write multiple short stories about what Offshore Powerboat Racing was like in my day. He says he will be publishing some of my scribblings..
At the risk of breaking my arm patting myself on the back I believe we still own the record for circumnavigating Long Island in a single 90 Cu. In. Outboard. We set it all the way back in 1964 using a 16' Glastron Thunderjet. At 6'8" and 260 pounds with my co-driver at 6'3" and 225 pounds the New York Paper (The World Telegram & Sun). Described us as the two biggest guys in the smallest boat. Our top speed with 100 gallons of fuel aboard was 50 MPH with co-driver literally sitting on top of the engine for the whole length of Long Island Sound. The true definition of an Iron Butt.
Here's the dope you need to contact Billy and pick his brains.
NATIONAL POWERBOAT ASSOCIATION
Website: www.nationalpowerboat.com
Mailing Address: Billy Frenz
30 Morgan Avenue
Greenwich, Connecticut 06831-4940
Tel/Fax: 203-532-1312
E-mail:
[email protected]
Or
[email protected]