Ralph Desilva's birthday

[Tim Weber]

Ralph will turn 85 on June 1. For all that know him, their is not a nicer guy in racing.

He will be at Jesup with me and I plan on having a cake for him at the drivers meeting on Saturday morning.

He's not internet active, so any well wishers I'll pass on or if our hotel as a computer I'll show him the thread.

Tim

[Matt Dagostino]

Happy Birthday Ralph...................

Only 85!! I thought Ralph had been around 100 years plus!! I look forward to seeing you in the fall at Jesup. Enjoy.

Matt & Val

[Danny Pigott]

Ralph

Happy Birthday Ralph See You At Jesup.

[driser]

happy birthday

Ralph,

Happy Birthday Ralph, you sure don't look your age. Sorry I won't see you at Jesup, but hopefully I will see you soon.

D. Riser

[14-H]

Happy B-Day

Send all my best to Ralph. He built the boats I drove in the two ASR nationals I ever won. The years were 1997 and 1998. By the way, the boats were built strictly with hand tools: masterpieces!

[alky6]

Happy Birthday to Ralph from the Lil' Fox Racing Team and the Fuchslin family. I grew up with DeSilva boats as did my dad. When making a call to either Bill or Ralph, you always ended up on a conference call with both of them. Hope you have a wonderful B-day and hope to see you at the 2008 PRO nationals as I won't be making this years PRO Nats.

-Paul Fuchslin

[Illinifan]

I will always remember when I was in college in the late 1970's, Jeff Kugler and I made two trips during winter break from Illinois to California to pick up racing boats for drivers east of the Misissippi (five boats one year and six the other year). Ralph and Bill were very nice and we all worked hard to get the boats situated and tied down for the long trip back. We stayed with Bill and his family before heading home. I always feel fortunate that I was able to see boat building at the DeSilva shop and engine building at Quincy Welding - doesn't get much better than that in boat racing.
Happy Birthday Ralph!

Brad Greenslaugh

[Ron Hill]

The "KIds"...

In my family Bill and Ralph DeSilva were always called the "KIDS". My dad was one fo the first to buy a boat from the "KIDS" in 1950.

Ralph and Bill were always as close as brothers could be.

When they moved from the LA area, I felt I'd lost "Uncles"....as Bill and Ralph DeSilva had always been my friends....

I was talking to Dave Mayer the other day, he said, "When I ordered my 1973 DeSilva runabout, he told them he bought a new boat every year. They told Dave their boats lasted longer than a year. Dave still has his 1973 12'6" DeSilva runabout...

Many don't realize this, but over the years, Ralph wrote many articles about races. He and Bill loved to watch boat races. I think they loved watching as much as they did building boats. Bill and Ralph always had binoculars to watch ALL the boats...

Ralph was always a student of the game...

Happy Birthday.....Ralph. See you at the 2007 DePue Reunion..

Bill and Ralph were always VERY good to me. In 1968, they were building me a new C-D-F Runabout and a new CU-DU Runabout. They were behind, and I was leaving for Chicago for the Milwaukee-Chicago-Milaukee Marathon...I left on Tuesday, stopping at DeSilva's on the way to LAX, reminding them I'd be home Monday and wanted my boats to head for Seattle for the Stock Nationals...

When I returned, Monday, my C-D-F runabout was finished, unsealed and my C-D Runabout was on the jig....

Tuesday, My Old man, Russ Hill Sr., and I went to DeSilva's with the plan to head of Seattle Wednesday...In DeSilva's history, I doubt they ever sealed and rigged a C-D-F Runabout, completely built, painted and rigged a C-D Runaoubt in a day...But when Old Man Hill and his KID were working, we were "Hell on Wheels'... We left for Seattle, Wednesday...

I cut the numbers out of shelf paper on the way to Seattle...

Here is the C-D Runabout, in CU, Topock, March 1969, at the Winternationals...I won DU, 4th in 36, and second in CU...

ADD; Funny story: My dad was drilling holes for the steering wheel, and the drill was dull as hell... My OLd Man started to sharpen it. Ralph yelled at my dad, "DON'T SHARPEN THAT DRILL, YOU'LL RUIN IT"... MY Old man sharpened it anyway...and drilled all the hole and we rigged tha **** boat and tossed it on the trailer, as we really didn't need it completed until DePue...

About 15 minutes later, Ralph comes over and says, "Hey Russ, think you could sharpen these drills??" (About 20 old drills).

I'll bet, you can ask Ralph today about Old Man Hill sharpening all this drills and he'll say, "Russ knew what he was doing.."

We nailed the deck on and painted it yellow and shot the clear coat on by lunch...We wer heading down the freeway before dark...With two new DeSilva runabout....That I only paid for after I sold them!!!!

[T Chance]

All through the 50's, 60's, 70's (the Golden Era) of Boat Racing Hydro builders came and went. But DeSilva was the benchmark for Runabouts. I have had a 10-6 (wish I still had it - wonderful boat), 11-6, and two 13' and think they are the best there was. Congratulation and Happy Birthday Ralph - Tim Chance

[deverhart1]

Happy Birthday Ralph

I got that piece of wood on the bottom of the old boat. But didn't get to run it at Huntington, In. Still bringing the RED boat to nationals. Hope to see you there and help you with the Speeditwin ignition.

David Everhart S52

[Don Nyberg]

Ralph will turn 85 on June 1. For all that know him, their is not a nicer guy in racing.

He will be at Jesup with me and I plan on having a cake for him at the drivers meeting on Saturday morning.

He's not internet active, so any well wishers I'll pass on or if our hotel as a computer I'll show him the thread.

Tim

ralph Desilva

[Don Nyberg]

I have a classic A/B runabout Ralph made for Earl Garrison of Seattle in 1962. It was raced hundreds of heats by Earl and many others until I was given it to restore and use in Classic BU. What other race boat could have lasted all that many years but a DeSilva. I still enjoy using it with a 20H thumper as Earl did fourty five years ago.

[Tim Weber]

Our plans sort of were washed out at Jesup. Ralph and I got down their on Thursday night and we tested all day Friday. My wife was coming Saturday morning with a cake to share with the gang that night. It was obvious that the race was a wash out so we left Saturday morning.

Since the cake was ordered, I brought Ralph to my house for dinner where we had the cake. I sat him down at my computer and had him read all the comments from all the well wishers. He was really touched.

We sent the a bunch of cake home with him. He shared it with his brother Bill's family the next day.

Tim

[rball82]

A pleasure to be around Ralph. Keep the stories coming, sure missed out on the cake.

[JULI SEAMAN]

Happy Birthday Ralph

My racing began In a DeSilva ASR, it was my Dad, Wilson's FAVORITE BOAT. I also learned to drive a car when my brother and I drove 400 miles down I-5 to pick up another new DeSilva. I won my first trophy, my first 1st and became addicted to boat racing in that boat!! A belated Happy Birthday, Ralph. Wilson Seaman's daughter, Juli