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15x
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The 15x model was an adaptation of the 16c
hull with a fiberglass molded deck
designed for single engine race applications. These were production models that
were made in greater quantity than the wood deck bubble cats.
...designed for single engine race applications. These were production models that
were made in greater quantity than the wood deck bubble cats.
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These photos above provided by Ron & Craig Sloan
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<>Shandon, When I bought the 15X I was a Mercury/Powercat dealer, at 24 yrs old.So I bought it from the factory, a fella by the name of Kirk Black was the factory rep at that time.
I bought 2 of them, a black one and a red one. One for a racer friend and one for me. I gave him first pick
and he chose the black one. Both had been sold and the first owners tried to run Johnson or
Evinrude on them and was dissatisfied (old style Johnrude lower units just would not run competively)
and Powercat took them back. The 15X is a 15 ft twin hull skiboat with the hull cut way
down and the special deck put on them as you see on yours. Centerline length of mine was 13' 10".
From the factory they came with a wraparound bucket seat on the tunnel.
In that configuration there were at least 2 and maybe more drivers
that blew them over backwards and broke their leg, one guy broke both,
because when the boat hit the water upside down there was no way for
them to get out of that seat. The dashboard was only a couple of inches above the thigh.
So, I did not want that, so I took the seat out and made a foam saddle to set
on the tunnel and I ran the boat on my knees with my feet against the fuel tank
(standard 6 gal), which sat on the tunnel against the transom. I rigged a squeeze throttle on my left.
The standard Mercury control was on the right, but the only thing I used it for was to start and kill the motor,
since I ran a 1 to 1 Speedmaster lower unit (direct drive, no shifting).
I first raced the boat in late 1965 with one 100 Hp inline 6, in the center of the tunnel,
with 3 megaphone headers, big mistake. Those headers will cause the reeds to chip and
you know where those chips go. Then in 1966 Mercury came out with the 110 Hp inline 6, so I put
one of those on it. I kept it stock with the exception of changing to Mercury heavy duty shock mounts,
my Mercury 1 to 1 lower unit, and Parker needles and seats in the carburetors, sent
the distributor off to have it set so the points did not float at 8,000 rpm. When I sold the motor,
after the accident, it still had the seal on the block. I don't remember the transom height, but I can tell you
that it was high enough that the top of the gearhousing was even with the plane of the hulls extended.
I tried it even higher, made it harder to get on plane, and after getting it going the rear end drifted around.
There just was not enough control for competition.
I did run the old 100 Hp some on it with the club foot (stock lower unit) and used the same
realtionship of the top of the gear housing to the plane of the hulls.
Of course that made the transom a bit shorter than the Speedmaster.
The 15X would run about 62-63 mph with the club foot.
The best I got out of the 110 and the Speedmaster, over a measured course with a stop watch was 75 mph,
with a top end prop, we only ran 2 bladers in those days.
For the one mile oval, the prop that I used, with better acceleration out of the corners, would run
about 70 mph top end. One thing I did to try to gain some speed was to turn the boat over
and build up all edges that touched the water with gel coat and sand them all to a sharp, crisp edge.
Even at the junction of the bottom surface and the transom. Well I didn't gain any speed, but the comfortable,
controllable speed went up by 5 mph, from 65 to 70. and in competition, that was probably more important
that gaining speed. In the National Championship race, we were on the south shore of Lake Texoma,
with a north wind and some pretty large swells and it handled just great.
When I crossed the finish line in first place, my friend with the black 15X was just coming out of
the last turn, in second place. He bought my red boat the next year and took it to Lincoln, Ne for
the championships and won second in it there. But they said the first place finisher did not have a boat that
met the spirt of the "Pleasure Boat" classes. More of a custom, hand built boat just for competition.
I did blow mine over backwards one time. It was in straightaway trials. We had one race per year where
we were able to make a two way run over a 1/2 mile measured course.
That day some of the twin engined cats were turning in two way runs of 68-69 mph. I felt I could beat that
because that was the set up that I had clocked 75 mph upwind and I figured I coul maintain at least 70 mph downwind,
so besting the twin engines. Well, when it came my time, I entered the traps upwind and it
was really ginning. A short way into the traps I felt the front of the boat begin to raise a little so I eased off
on the throttle just a bit and leaned forward. She settled back down and I was on the throttle again and
back as far as I could get. Just a few seconds later, no warning, she took off for the sky. When the boat was upside
down I fell out, pulling the kill switch, and hit the water flat of my back. Then I felt the boat hit my helmet.
When I came to the top of the water, there was my boat sitting right side up coasting to a stop in
the direction that I was going. Only about 30 gallons of water in it. The way I see it was, that when the nose
of the boat hit my helmet (you could see the mark on the deck) and the water, the rear end was
still high in the air. By the time it came down to hit the water, the nose had bounced up somewhat and the
whole thing reversed the flip and wound up rightside up.
After drying the motor out I got it started and was ready for the round and round race that afternoon.
But I jumped the gun for the first time so was disqualified. I told people I got two firsts that day, first time to flip it
and first time to jump the gun.
Well I hope I haven't bored you with my tale. If you have any specific questions, shoot away.
Good luck with the restoration. BTW if the right sponson has a patch right at its point
up front, just under the deck, it is likey the one that I ran.
Later,
Ron Sloan
28Jun07
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Below is one found by Shandon & Danny Nichols
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