Why the pickel fork

[woodman]

The old shovel nose hydros and catamarans or (tunnel hulls) evolved into
a pickel fork nose ,Why.
Was it to get rid of weight on the front or decrease the amount of front end lift ?

I know they look cool.

[Jack Stotts]

As the speed increased over the years the rounded nose was simply catching too much air. The notch back (pickle fork) was the solution.

[Bill Huson]

Lemme tell you the history . . .

(warning)

Many moons ago when hydros had round noses, a driver could sorta push a course marker aside and continue, thus actually cutting inside the true race course line, as in cheating! A secret plan was launched to convince drivers that a *new & improved* design called the pickle fork was hot stuff. Oh yeah, and for the pickle fork to be kick-tail perfect, the pickles had to have super-pointy-sharp ends. Perfect for stabbing buoys! No more pushing those marks to the inside and shaving a few yards of the course, those pointy-pickles speared the bejesus outta them buoys! The pointy pickles worked, causing many race clubs to increase membership dues and entry fees to cover the buoy carnage on the race course.

Of course the drivers being a greedy for speed lot fell for that line of hoo-doo hook line and sinker. They fell for it so hard that now, the age of safety, the mere mention of rounding off those pointy pickles sends many into a cold sweat over losing speed because of altered aerodynamics. To that I say

[David Weaver]

High, Higher, and more higher

The most spectacular flips I have seen involved convesntional hydro's at the point in time when engine technology overcame the convestional hydroplanes. Those boats just packed too much air for the Alky's, and the larger mod and stock classes. I am amazed that the drivers "back in the day" managed those conventional boats so well!

[csh12M]

Hold the pickle....

What are these pickle forks you speak of?

CSH12M

Hold the pickle please.....

[Freedom Fighter]

I have a fix!

(warning)

Many moons ago when hydros had round noses, a driver could sorta push a course marker aside and continue, thus actually cutting inside the true race course line, as in cheating! A secret plan was launched to convince drivers that a *new & improved* design called the pickle fork was hot stuff. Oh yeah, and for the pickle fork to be kick-tail perfect, the pickles had to have super-pointy-sharp ends. Perfect for stabbing buoys! No more pushing those marks to the inside and shaving a few yards of the course, those pointy-pickles speared the bejesus outta them buoys! The pointy pickles worked, causing many race clubs to increase membership dues and entry fees to cover the buoy carnage on the race course.

Of course the drivers being a greedy for speed lot fell for that line of hoo-doo hook line and sinker. They fell for it so hard that now, the age of safety, the mere mention of rounding off those pointy pickles sends many into a cold sweat over losing speed because of altered aerodynamics. To that I say

Here is what you do. Take a piece of heavy wire and continue the shear line of each sponson out to a point. This will allow you to push the bouys inside the course but with out catching all that extra air!

P.S. The boat in the Avitar is not a pickle fork.

[roperz111]

Rounded fronts

Back in the day before the pickle forks, another problem was not only packing too much air for a blow-over but also nose-diving the boat into a large swell. I remember Freddy Tyson doing that very thing at a race in S.C. (Lake Murray I think). I had an ASH Craig-Craft (God, I loved that boat) with a single point front and very nearly submarined it at Hinton in 1976 in a big swell. All in all, the pickle design solved both problems.

Chris Johnson
111-Z

[Brian10s]

What are these pickle forks you speak of?

CSH12M

Hold the pickle please.....

Good one Dean!

Didn't anyone tell you that you can't win unless you have really pointy pickles? Maybe you can tape some points on for next year.

[Silas_53A]

I have a question... The pickle fork came about because the shovel nose caught too much air and would flip easier. Now, my question is, why not use a shovel nose in ASH to catch more air and 'float' better, hence better speed?

[Freedom Fighter]

Back in the day before the pickle forks, another problem was not only packing too much air for a blow-over but also nose-diving the boat into a large swell. I remember Freddy Tyson doing that very thing at a race in S.C. (Lake Murray I think). I had an ASH Craig-Craft (God, I loved that boat) with a single point front and very nearly submarined it at Hinton in 1976 in a big swell. All in all, the pickle design solved both problems.

Chris Johnson
111-Z

I remember Hinton 1976. I was in the ASH elimination heat with Jan Christ. He was running a Craig Craft. Those Craig Crafts were good boats. We were 1 an 2 in our first elimination heat. Jan lost his skeg in the first turn, somehow managed to get it down the backstretch and hit a buoy head on at the second turn, he could not steer. I won that heat.

The Second heat someone whose name I can't remember came out of nowhere, blistering fast in his tiny little semi pickle fork and went by me like I was tied to the beach. He slept through the first elimination heat because it was foggy at the campground up the hill and he did not think we were going to run that day. He was oriental and his sister ran J. They had strange, cool looking boats. From the east coast somewhere.

That was basically my first nationals and I found out what fast was.

[Freedom Fighter]

Like This

I have a question... The pickle fork came about because the shovel nose caught too much air and would flip easier. Now, my question is, why not use a shovel nose in ASH to catch more air and 'float' better, hence better speed?

This is floating.

[Blackhawkguy]

I Believe the name is

The name you are looking for is Marcell, their dad built the boats, kind of a batmobile style front, the pickles where conected with a concave half circle towards the steering wheel, I thought him and his sister still ran J in 79, maybe it is his sister I remember, anyhow real quality boats, they had a extra deck throttle on the J hydro so the kids could get way out on the bow to get on plane.

Kerry

[David Weaver]

ASH 1975 or 1976 SO Nationals

I remember Hinton 1976. I was in the ASH elimination heat with Jan Christ. He was running a Craig Craft. Those Craig Crafts were good boats. We were 1 an 2 in our first elimination heat. Jan lost his skeg in the first turn, somehow managed to get it down the backstretch and hit a buoy head on at the second turn, he could not steer. I won that heat.

The Second heat someone whose name I can't remember came out of nowhere, blistering fast in his tiny little semi pickle fork and went by me like I was tied to the beach. He slept through the first elimination heat because it was foggy at the campground up the hill and he did not think we were going to run that day. He was oriental and his sister ran J. They had strange, cool looking boats. From the east coast somewhere.

That was basically my first nationals and I found out what fast was.

My Dad and Pop Augustine were the race directors. The night befre ASH mom, dad, Gigi and Pop stayed-up all night hand drawing elimination heats. There wre 106 entires (+/-) in this class with maybe 3 boats pre-qualified for the finals. Can you imagine your chances of qualifying? I remember waking-up in the fog in our cabin and mom/dad were no where to be found. But we could hear boat engines on the lake way below. So we headed down the mountain to watch. Seems that the fog would sit rignt above the lake, so that visibilty at lake level was fine. Can you imagine finishing 2nd/2nd in your elimation heats and not qualifying??

Amazing race!!

I wonder if that boat that claimed the first out of no where was Lynn Midgett?

DW

[G Stillwill]

I had a Craig Craft back in 1977 and 1978 really fast and floated high and was hard to get the front down to turn on the narrow river courses we race in the east but on the bigger courses it just floated around without ever getting off the transom.

[Rich Russo]

Marcell J/A Hydro

Tom and Sue Marcell, from E. Islip N.Y. (brother and sister)- Don`t remember their folks first names, but remember them all well. I used to race against Tom in that little home-built back in the day. That boat would fly with an A, but hairy. Didn`t like rough water at all though. Sue ran it some in J, most always out in front with it- and I believe that`s the first time I ever saw a J blow over- Sue came out like a trooper! That boat had a really trick design to it and the wood work was flawless. Mr. Marcell was quite the craftsman. Talk about bringing back some memories....Happy Holidays to all!