This is Jack Shafer, Jr. in his Hang In There Y-55, a brand new DeSilva conventional hull with a Fiat 850 cc engine.  I took this photo in the spring of 1972.  Note how close to the water the bow is positioned!

This is a photo of Jack Schafer, Jr. taking second overall at the 1972 Western Inboard Divisionals in Utah.  They've moved the engine back and built up the sponsons but it still rides with the bow too low. photo by Elladine Foley

This was Jack Schafer, Jr.'s first inboard.  His Dad was the owner of the famous Such Crust unlimiteds out of Detroit, and Jack, Jr. started out racing outboards.  Jack and his crew chief Gerry Stiles spent the 1972 season developing the boat, working mainly on balance.  Unfortunately, the boat crashed at San Diego in a straightaway accident in the fall of 1972 and blew out the front end (it started life as a shovel-nose conventional).   Jack gave me the remains and I drew up plans to make it a mid-cockpit pickle-fork.  I worked on the reconstruction for a while but eventually the 850cc class withered and died (in S. California anyway).

And the boat, true to its original name, has been hanging in the rafters of my carport for many years.  This boat was registered as Impecunious Mouse Y-599, but has never been in the water since the day Jack crashed it. Jim Hill and I were going to put a Sunbeam Imp in it "on the cheap" hence the name.
Since these pictures were taken I have removed the bottom skin and stringers, removed the engine pod and the sponson skin and stringers, and framed in a new picklefork bow and started framing deeper sponsons and air-traps.  But I have not done anything on it for many years.If there are inquiries about boats from Region 12, I may have a photo or two. I took lots of pictures of Crackerbox runabouts, K Racing Runabouts, 145's, 150's, 266's etc.  Even some of the old time E Racing Runabouts like Wes Knudsen's  Stardust.  I also have some photos of Region 10 boats, the seven litre Tool Crib and the Miss Heidelberg, etc.

added 2010 - June 3:
The Hang In There 1971 850  cc hydro hull was claimed by Bill Walti of APBA Region 11. This is the DeSilva hull that was damaged in a stuff type accident at San Diego in 1972. Owner/Driver Jack Schafer was not injured in the wreck, and subsequently gave the hull to Bob Foley and sold the engine, a PBS Engineering FIAT 850 cc pushrod motor. During its all too brief career, the Hang in There was scored in First Place  at the Pacific Power Club Pacific Championship Regatta, Second in the 1972 Inboard Western Divisionals, abd Fourth at Long Beach on Labor Day 1972. Bill and Region 11 Vintage One Litre Stock Owner Mike Johnson  picked  up the hull on June 2, 2010.  Included in the agreement was "enough steel to build a nice trailer", several HOMELITE 55 and Fisher Pierce Bearcat 55 outboard motors (not running), and a water brake type dynamometer that was reportedly built by Chuck Dale working to plans by Vernon Dahlman that were published in Kent Hitchcock's Speed & Spray boat racing magazine.

© 2000-2004 Bob Foley