Joe Stevens Jr.
Hamilton, Montana
Power Cat 17h
http://www.stevensarchitect.com
...
"sweetest boat ever built"
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I still have my pc hydro that I raced
in the 66 & 67 Lake Havasu Outboard
world championships....in 66 I was running in third place 45 mins from
end
(gaining on leaders as the water finally calmed down) of second day
when
my merc engine mounts broke and lost the engine.
In 67 I was run over in a turn on the first day 3
hours in...
boat began taking on water...fixed the boat...and still have it ...its
in awesome
shape...best hull ever built! Nice job on the refurb! I can't tell
you what I put that boat thru racing, in terms of rough water...
and it always held together..it dominated till the tunnels arrived.
Joseph Stevens Jr.
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I've just discovered this forum...and online racing/boats sites...I
have many old pics of racing and
P.cat's...I'll do a test and try to post my signature pic...a pit stop
in the 1967 Lake Havasu World
OUtboard Championship race...I am Joe Stevens Jr...my dad raced that
race many years and was
later an Inspector for the race for years...he passed awau two
years ago...Joe Jr.
P.S. I still have this boat and drive it!...
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Story is about 66 race..66 & 67 are blending together in my
memory...
Found a couple more pics..Pic 1...us readying the Hydro for the race.
Pic 2... after I lost my engine sitting on the beach watching the rest
of the race. The frustrating thing
was I was moving up on the tunnel...Molinari the leader.. who dominated
thru the rough water of the
first day...and most of day two...my powercat was faster in smooth
water..I had been biding my time..as
the boats thinned out the water got smoother...I turned it on and moved
up to third place and feel I
would of caught him when I hit a strange wave at full speed...went
airborn..when I landed my engine broke
off....the impact nearly knocked me out...boat was spinning...the three
boats on my tail darted around
me...missing me by inches...exciting, frustrating, scary...I think the
beach picture tells it all.
I was only 19 but had been driving boats from like 5 and riding and
racing from 14.
The PowerCat Hydro could take more abuse than any human, it would never
flip..and always
come down going straight...it was just a matter of how much the driver,
and engine could take.
I had complete confidence in that boat. It's still a thrill to drive
today. It was disappointing to be
knocked out 45 mins from the end, but hey, it was the world
championship! I was just glad to be there.......
Joe Jr.
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