Don Aronow, Nomination For #1 Of All Time, Top 100 Most Influential People In Offshore

[Ratickle]

There is absolutely ZERO doubt in my mind Don Aronow deserves this #1 position in The Top 100 list.

http://www.seriousoffshore.com/the-top-100-most-influential-offshore/

The past few of days I've read Charlie's stories about how Don influenced his life, offshore racing, and boat manufacturing throughout the offshore world. Because of the recent 25th anniversary of the death of this Icon of Offshore, and also what would have been his 85th birthday on March 1st, I have been privelaged to participate in having these stories added to our knowledge base for the future of all who enjoy this sport with us.

http://www.seriousoffshore.com/charlie-mccarthy-on-don-aronow/

http://www.seriousoffshore.com/happy-85th-birthday-don/

http://www.seriousoffshore.com/charlie-on-don-part-2/

We have also had a story just previous those about Aronow which had the information about Reggie's new website and "King of Offshore" nickname for Twitter.

http://www.seriousoffshore.com/reggie-returns-this-time-with-a-new-title/

Because of how interesting these stories were, I decided a little first hand research was required to answer questions I had in my mind.

I hope you enjoy the results, and have as much fun discussing the information as I had putting it together.

 

[Ratickle]

For those of you who wish to make nominations for a person to be included in the Top 100, here's my idea of how you do it....

As I said, I'm nomnating Don Aronow as #1 Most Influential.....

I'll try to do most of what I found in some resemblance of order. (As you know, I tend to wander at times)

Exhibit 1:

"Don was personally responsible for such great names as Donzi, Magnum, Formula, Cigarette, Aronow Powerboats and SquadronXII." (From the Donzi website, that's why they're first on the list I suppose)

I'll try my best to get the timeline right....

1962, Don Aronow created the Formula 233

1964, Don Aronow created Donzi

1966 Don Aronow created Magnum

1969 Don Aronow created Cigarette Racing

1981 Don Aronow created SquadronXII

1982 Don Aronow created the Apache 41
(The boat Ben Kramer won his World Championship in)

1986 Don Aronow created USA Racing/Blue Thunder

Now, many of these designs were not actually Don's from what I've been able to find. But every one of these had Don's personal changes and tweaks done to them to make them better performers in one way or another. Don had two outstanding designers working with, and for, him to come up with some of these designs; Jim Wynn and Harry Schoell. Then, when the boat designs were built, Don would make the necessary modifications and enhancements to improve their characteristics.

As if this was not enough to put him in the #1 spot, think of these boat manufacturers and what they've meant to the offshore enthusiast overall, the spin-offs by other manufacturers over the years are also incredible. MAgic Powerboats, Banana Boats, Avanti Boats, and on and on.....

 

[Ratickle]

Here is the story of only one boat manufacturer spin-off I've been assured is accurate.....

1. In 1966, Harry Schoell designed and built a full-height 28' deep vee raceboat for Aronow. Don gave him the rough idea, based on his Wynne Walters design of the 28 foot Donzi, which was over 9 feet wide and Don knew he wanted narrower next time, so...here comes the 28 X 8. Don also took that boat design and cut it down vertically, to make the Magnum 27'. Plus Don took the 28' Schoell drawing, and blew it up 1.15 times to make the Cary 32'.

2. In the 1970's a Ferrari racer named Jean-Claude Simon from France moved to Miami and bought Cary. The Cary Boat Company still had the 32' mold from Don's expansion of the 28'.

3. Around 1978 Bill Farmer owned Excalibur Boats and negotiated with Jean-Claude to use the 32' mold, Farmer then created the 31' Excalibur from this design.

4. Reggie Fountain and Gary Gabrecht used the 31' Excalibur Mold as the basis for the Fountain Executioner. In 1978 Fountain contracted with Bill Farmer and Don Able of Excalibur Boats in Sarasota, Florida to use Farmer's 31' V-bottom mold to build boats. Reggie was still selling insurance at the time. “They built the first 12 to 18 boats for us,” says Fountain in a previous interview. The conventional V-bottom 10 Meter Executioner was also the first Fountain built by Reggie Fountain in Washington. But, a legal letter from Jean-Claude shows up demanding that every advertisement and all public relations they do, MUST contain the phrase....."Designed by Jean-Claude Simon". So, Reggie very aptly sidestepped this, and the "new" 10 Meter Executioner was born. The 10 Meter Executioner was two feet longer than the Excalibur-built 31-footer. The added length came from extending the boat’s nose, (the famous "beak"), as well as adding an integrated swim platform. Fountain says he also modified the boat’s hull. Sandpaper on the running surface netted a speed increase. Handcrafted putty strakes improved handling, and further modifications on the stern drive height improved acceleration.


So, Reggie copied a Harry Schoell, Aronow modified, design to build the first of his Fountain Powerboats.......

How's that for interesting. I guess that makes every Fountain out there a spin-off of the Aronow/Schoell design ????

Does that complete us giving Aronow the undisputable nod to not only be #1, but the "King of Offshore"?


Still not absolutely positive?

Wait, there's more.....

 

[Ratickle]

Some of the associates of Don prior to his death.

One of his personal friends was then Vice President George H Bush. Blue Thunder's were the name of the boats that the Government contracted with Aronow to build to catch drug smugglers. Some say he obtained this contract because of his friend Mr. Bush. President Bush ran one of Don's designed and built boats for years up in Maine.

He also sold boats to kings, sheiks, shahs, and presidents. Customers such as the King of Sweden, the Raja Johor of Malaysia, Prince Omad-Al Fayed of Saudi Arabia, the Prince of Kuwait, Rocky Aoki (founder of Benihana) bought his boats, and many came personally to select them.

Evel Knievel had one of his boats and so did Red Adair, the oil fire-fighter. . . .

Lyndon Johnson's Secret Service guards at the LBJ ranch owned a boat that Aronow built for them so they could guard Johnson when he was whipping around in his own Glastron. Johnson quickly noticed that they had a faster boat and appropriated it. The agents then had to buy another so they could keep up with LBJ. . . .

Aronow sold to other governments as well. In addition to Jordan and Spain, he sold boats to Haiti's "Baby Doc" Duvalier. The Shah of Iran also bought a boat, sending his brother-in-law, a general who headed the Iranian Air Force, to pick out the design. When the boat was ready, the Shah sent his plane and a crew of seven to pick it up. "The Shah was always calling Aronow personally, always trying to get him to come to Iran," Willie Meyers said. The Shah was so pleased with his first boat, he ordered another five for his security forces. When the Shah was forced into exile, Aronow remarked, "I guess Khomeini is using my boats now."

Aronow also took the Beatles for a boat ride when they were first in the US to do the Ed Sullivan show. This was in the 233 Formula "The Cigarette".

So, just by the list of his friends and associates, would that cement the #1 spot??????


Well, if not, there is more.....

 

[Ratickle]

Books and Videos

No other single person associated with Offshore racing and manufacturing has had nearly the publicity Don has. He has been the featured person in "King of Thunderboat Row", "Thunder Man", "Blue Thunder", "Speed Kills", and "The Life and Death of Don Aronow". The limited edition "King of Thunderboat Row" goes for over $500 now if you can find a copy in excellent condition, (that someone is willing to part with).

Does this info seal the #1 deal?????

No, well, let's continue......

 

[Ratickle]

Racing

Don Aronow was a great, Win or Die Trying, racer when it came to offshore events. In both 1967 and 1969 Don won the World Championship. This was back in the day when an offshore race was long, tough, and most importantly, offshore. Some of the things these guys did amaze me when I read about them, or watch an old-time video on the tube. I'll put a few of his accomplishments here to ponder....

The first of his many victories was earned on the 176-mile stretch from Long Beach California to Ensenada, Mexico, by Don Aronow and his riding mechanic “Knocky” House in “The Cigarette,” a 32’ vee-bottom with twin MerCruisers. The duo went on to capture 192 victories in the prototype boat, from The Bahamas and U.S., to Italy, France and England, including the Hennessy Key West race which marked their official debut on the national racing scene.

Don won the World Championship 2 times as mentioned earlier above.

Don won the U.S. Championship 3 times.

Don Aronow and Gar Wood are the only two Americans to receive the Gold Medal of Honor of the U.I.M., the world sports governing body for motorsports, just as the Olympic Committee is the world sports governing body fot non-motorsports.

 

[Ratickle]

Here are a few of my favorite pictures not in the above nomination.

Hope you enjoyed and have more to tell me why I am right, or wrong.


But, after digging into it, just let me know who do you think should be #2 and so forth ??????:sifone:


I may have some blanks, and I suppose possible errors, but I have tried to be as accurate as possible.


Enjoy, and please add your thoughts either way....

 

[fund razor]

Ok. I'm sold. Where do I sign?

And do we need the full 100? I mean, this one was easy.
But 100 is a big number. Who's number 100? The guy who towed Betty Cook's boat the year she won the worlds?

 

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

You make a fine argument. The bar has been set high. It is not likely anyone will ever match his accomplishments.

There are many greats individuals in offshore but, if you combined any handful together that group would be hard pressed to match what THE KING has done.

Great read btw.. Is there a Rat Chronicles in your future?

 

[Buoy]

indisputable.

 

[Donskihp]

I've always been a big Aronow fan. He's got my vote

 

[rschap1]

Very nice deal here
The other 99 will be interesting to see fall in place also.

 

[old377guy]

Ok, #1 is done - who's second?

 

[Ratickle]

It's amazing what you can find when you're digging...

A little more info on Don......

1967,
Don Aronow was 40 years old......

Aronow became the first man to take both the world and national offshore driver championships in one season.

Aronow, a former Coney Island chief lifeguard and a football, track, and wrestling star at Brooklyn College, scored a record 41 points in taking the Sam Griffith Trophy, emblematic of offshore supremacy in the Union of International Motorboating (UIM). He managed to finish all but one of the 18 ocean races he entered, including all 10 of the events that counted toward the world championship. In the rough sport of offshore racing, where the stresses a boat faces are often equal to being dropped out of a third-story window, only about 35 percent of the contestants in any given race are able to finish.

Aronow’s UIM victories came in the Swedish International and the Dauphin d’Or (France). He was second in the Naples Trophy (Italy) and the Bahamas 500, third in the Wills International (England) and Cowes-Torquay (England), and fourth in the Griffith (United States).

On the APBA circuit, he won the Miami—Key West race, setting a world offshore record by averaging 58.7 mph in a 28-foot Magnum pushed by twin 450-horsepower Mer-Cruiser stern-drive engines. Besides that boat, Aronow sometimes drove 28-foot Magnums with either three 110-horsepower Mercury outboard motors or a single 450-horse-power MerCruiser. He builds the Magnums at his own factory in Miami, to which he retired at the age of 30 after becoming a millionaire in the industrial-construction business in New Jersey. Aronow’s mechanic, Norris ‘Knocky’ House, took more punishment than the skipper. House was knocked unconscious in several races, lost two teeth, and suffered a fractured nose.

The hard-charging offshore boats are challenging the closed-course unlimited hydroplanes for the biggest headlines in competitive boating.


Source,
As They Saw It - 1967: Powerboating

 

[Ratickle]

And 1969.....

The twin giants of powerboating—offshore ocean racing and unlimited hydroplanes—experienced their most successful seasons this year, but in different ways. While the ocean speedsters smashed the world record four times in 14 races, the highly competitive hydros drove to a climax that wasn’t resolved until the final heat of the final day of the seven-race circuit, when three championships were decided, all at the same time.

Don Aronow of Coral Gables, Fla., grabbed most of the headlines this year after having relinquished the world championship last year to the Italian Vincenzo Balestrieri. Going all out to reclaim his title, the former Brooklyn College athlete built a sleek 32-foot boat, The Cigarette, under the company name of Cary Marine.

In fact, to ensure success on both sides of the Atlantic, Aronow had an identical boat made, which he kept overseas in order to enter as many of the 14 world championship events as possible. However, with six of these races scheduled in the western hemisphere, it was a lot easier this year for Americans to qualify for the world crown, since only the best five finishes counted.

OFFSHORE OCEAN RACING, RESULTS

Bahamas 500 (Bahamas): Don Aronow

Wills International (Great Britain): Vincenzo Balestrieri

Napoli (Italy): Francesco Cosentino

Roseto Split (Yugoslavia): Balestrieri

Sam Griffith Memorial (U.S.): Bill Wishnick

Viarreggio (Italy): Aronow

New York Grand Prix (U.S.): Peter Rittmaster

Lez Embiez (France): Aronow

Oregrund (Sweden): Leonard Ebbeke

Long Beach (Calif.) Cup (U.S.): Aronow

Cowes-Torquay (Great Britain): Aronow

Deauville (France): Tommy Sopwith

Miami-Nassau (Bahamas): Aronow

Miami-Key West (U.S.): Wishnick

That he accomplished his goal is understating the fact. Aronow crushed his competition, scored more points than anyone had before and, to complete the rout, broke last year’s speed record by more than 11.5 miles an hour.

The first ocean race on the Union of International Motorboating agenda was probably the most thrilling one, as well as the first of six victories for Aronow. At 512 statute miles, the Bahamas 500 is the longest race and, more often than not, the roughest. The $60,000 event was set for June 13 but was postponed because of high seas, a fortunate break for Aronow, who was in bed too sick to think about racing.

The next day, the seas were as calm as they had ever been, and Aronow had recovered sufficiently to race. Although 28 racing craft were entered, it soon became a duel between Mel Riggs’ Bertram, Mona Lou III, which had won the race the past two years, and Aronow’s Cigarette. For the last 50 miles the two spectacular boats raced helm and helm, a remarkable picture after traveling nearly 500 miles in open water. In the last few feet, Aronow managed to squeeze an extra puff out of The Cigarette and edged his rival by 6 feet or 6 inches—depending on where you stood. He also captured the trophy and the 9 points that go to the winner of a world championship race. Both men broke the course mark by an incredible 2 hours, 35 minutes, 45 seconds. But Balestrieri was winning the Wills International in England on the same day, so the two champions were tied in points. And when Balestrieri captured the Yugoslav championship, the slightly built Italian millionaire led Aronow in points. Balestrieri, who won the title last year in a boat given to him by Aronow himself, had purchased three new Bertrams this year to defend his crown.

Another Italian racer, Francesco Cosentino, also entered the ocean-racing picture, and he was even doing better than both Aronow and Balestrieri at this point by virtue of a first-place finish in the Naples race and several second places in other events. Cosentiono had defeated Aronow in Naples in a classic race that proved how important it is to be familiar with an offshore course.

Aronow had zoomed his speedster into the lead at Naples and after a while found himself about 8 miles ahead of the field, which included both Balestrieri and Cosentino. Not wanting to risk an engine breakdown, Aronow reduced his revolutions per minute and coasted uncontested the rest of the way. Or so he thought. Upon finishing, he was shocked to discover Cosentino waiting and smiling at the finish line. The Italian, Aronow learned to his chagrin, had gone five miles wide of him and, when out of sight, had gunned his boat into the lead.

But Aronow went on a summer spree of victories to clinch the title, and in a return match at the Viarreggio race in Italy, he set a world record of 74.32 mph, which still stands. It was the fourth time the speed record had been broken this year, which indicates the amount of progress being made with new hull and engine designs. Even outboards were getting into the act, with many drivers using four engines on their boats for the first time in competition.


Source,
As They Saw It -1969owerboating

 

[Ratickle]

I'm still waiting for someone to give me a reason anyone else should be #1, or even be mentioned as a contender to the true "King of Offshore"......


Anyone?????

 

[Offshore Ginger]

I'm still waiting for someone to give me a reason anyone else should be #1, or even be mentioned as a contender to the true "King of Offshore"......


Anyone?????

HMMMMM Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha .........................I will say this.............. if anything this thread has been an interesting read .

 

[C35]

you coulda left the usa cat off but hey everyone has afew that dont fly.

im not worried who#99 is. its #2. don is a tough act to follow

 

[Buoy]

Seems everyone is afraid to name #2.

I'll go ahead and throw out my choice.

Kiekhaefer

We wouldn't know performance/powerboating as we do today if it weren't for Carl.

Hell, half the guys that own a boat with K-planes don't even know why they are called that, but they sure are glad they have them.

 

[Offshore Ginger]

And my choice along with a few other people is ................http://www.seriousoffshore.com/forums/showthread.php?20620-Nominee-Peter-Hledin