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1969 COMMANDER SS wins BEST OF SHOW at Buffalo Launch Club !

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Paul P
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1969 COMMANDER SS wins BEST OF SHOW at Buffalo Launch Club !

Post by Paul P » Tue Sep 10, 2013 11:52 am

Here is the previous posting here on THE BUZZ that introduced the Buffalo show time and place, etc.
http://chris-craft.org/discussion/viewt ... 441#p50046


NOW THE LATEST NEWS, (And Classic Chris-Craft fans..............it is BIG NEWS) !!!

~~~~~~~~~~ drumroll please ~~~~~~~~~~

Important Edit: A fiberglass Chris-Craft did, indeed, win Best of Show at Buffalo Launch Club, however, it was not the creme colored XK-19 I have previously posted, it is Dick DeFazio's fabulous black 19-foot 1969 Commander Super Sport. We knew both boats (the black Commander SS and the creme colored XK) won awards, being there at the awards dinner, but for some reason we (several of us) got the wrong impression because we heard the creme colored XK-19 winning "first place" in the CLASSIC RUNABOUT category. I think it might have been the vodka and tonic too, but that's another story, ahem! I will go through the posting below and make corrections, but for now this is the WINNER OF BEST OF SHOW, PRESERVED AWARD!

Dick DeFazio's 1969 19-foot v-drive Commander Super Sport !
Image

Image

Thank you very much Tom Gruenauer, who was on the judging committee, for being so nice and low key about advising me about my faux pas posting the wrong boat as the winner, I offer my mea culpa while eating crow fixed to taste like chicken, it's a little greasy, I've had it before, I would recommend a red wine. I hope the thread is properly edited now !

regards,

Paul




A fiberglass Chris-Craft won BEST OF SHOW at Buffalo.
This is huge, because it is in the heart of the finest of wood boat culture, the Buffalo Launch Club is right there at the top when it comes to provenance, as they're the oldest power-boat club in the world, and known far and wide for their fine boats and awesome power-boat racing heritage.

This is a nice credit to the judges too, who gave us a chance and recognized quality in fiberglass (too), and a tip of the hat to Tom Frauenheim, Rich DeGlopper, and Rocky Nagle, all from Buffalo Launch Club, who are "the men" who decided it would be interesting to feature fiberglass boats (from Chris-Craft) this year. I have thanked each of these gents personally, but want to do so again here formally.

This is sure to have raised a few eyebrows with the wood boat contingent because there were some fabulous Hacker-Craft, Riva, Shepherd, Century, Lyman, and Chris-Craft wood boats there as you might expect.

I will edit this thread with more info as soon as the listing of winners is published. A huge thanks to the Nigara Frontier Antique and Classic Boats, Chapter of ACBS for their involvement at Buffalo Launch Club and doing their part in recognizing the value and historical significance of these fiberglass models; this is one very fine synergy that works well for everyone.

Here are a couple photos of the XK-19, that won FIRST PLACE IN THE CLASSIC RUNABOUT CATEGORY, and the HARY G. WINTER CHRIS CRAFT AWARD SPONSORED BY GAIL PISA, owned by Ed Bobowicz, thanks to photographer Craig Lindberg, of Atlanta Georgia. 1971 was a very good year, as you can see here in the photos below!
Image

Image


Mark Smith won 3rd place in the CLASSIC RUNABOUT CATEGORY, with his 19-foot 1969 Chris Craft Commander Super Sport.
Image



More images from the event can be found at this link
http://www.network54.com/Forum/424840/thread/1378526438

This event was well attended; none other than our own Bill Baldwin, editor of the BRASS BELL was there, Herb Pocklington, Chris Smith, the Wangard boys from Classic Boating, were all there. I suspect we'll see some good coverage of the show in upcoming boating publications. :-)

My hat is off to BLC and Nigara Frontier Antique and Classic Boats for making the fiberglass guys feel a part of the fun, inviting us to participate, and for their overall hospitality. It is good stuff, we all like the wood boats, I have two (well actually two-and-a-half), some of them like the fiberglass boats too. Word is getting out that the fiberglass boats can be run hard and suffer little or no consequences.

In upcoming years, events like this one will go a long way to paving the way with such nice hospitality to what I believe are a pretty vast number of potential participants who own classic fiberglass boats. Let it be known they did it with class, without overtones, and we appreciate the people who had the awesome wood boats at this show for allowing us to have some fun too.

Personally, Janet and I have been to just about "every yacht club in North America" over the last 30=at least it feels that way. When it comes to provenance and being able to put on snooty aires about your history and standard of boating, I dare say Buffalo Launch Club could do it well, but instead, they put all that aside and opened their doors and their show. Heck, I though we southerners were the ones who had the hospitality thing down.

It is all good.

Regards,

Paul
Last edited by Paul P on Wed Sep 18, 2013 5:39 pm, edited 5 times in total.
1956 17' CC Sportsman, 300-hp
1957 17' CC Sportsman, 95-hp
1966 20' CC fiberglass Sea Skiff, 210-hp+
1973 23' CC Lancer inboard project, 427/375-hp.
1966 38' CC Commander Express, 427/300-hp(2)

So many boats.........so little time.....but what a way to go!!

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Don Ayers
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Re: Fiberglass wins BEST OF SHOW at Buffalo Launch

Post by Don Ayers » Tue Sep 10, 2013 5:07 pm

Fantastic report Paul. Thanks for posting.

Great to see the dedication to a classic glass CC.

the XK is a much admired design
Don Ayers
1959 Riva Ariston
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mfine
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Re: Fiberglass wins BEST OF SHOW at Buffalo Launch

Post by mfine » Tue Sep 10, 2013 8:46 pm

Wow, that boat looks like it just left the factory! Was it restored or just incredibly well preserved?

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Re: Fiberglass wins BEST OF SHOW at Buffalo Launch

Post by quitchabitchin » Tue Sep 10, 2013 10:19 pm

Fantastic boat! It looks to be flawless.
FLASH1969 Chris Craft Cavalier Ski-230 HP 327Q

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Paul P
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Re: Fiberglass wins BEST OF SHOW at Buffalo Launch

Post by Paul P » Wed Sep 11, 2013 11:03 am

The boat was not totally flawless but very close to it. The restorer seemed to "intend" to win with this restoration, because nobody would go to this extreme otherwise. At this level of competition it is a challenge some people enjoy. For me, it is way too much attention to detail because all of my boats are intended to be used, and don't need this level of craftsmanship. I admire those who do, however.

I would say the boat is better than it came from the factory, as the time spent making everything glass smooth is far more time than Chris-Craft could spend on each boat and still make a profit. No telling how many layers of high-build sandable primer are under that paint, finished with a long plank sander by hand. Lots and lots of labor on this one, and it shows.

regards,

Paul
1956 17' CC Sportsman, 300-hp
1957 17' CC Sportsman, 95-hp
1966 20' CC fiberglass Sea Skiff, 210-hp+
1973 23' CC Lancer inboard project, 427/375-hp.
1966 38' CC Commander Express, 427/300-hp(2)

So many boats.........so little time.....but what a way to go!!

Tom Gruenauer
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Re: Fiberglass wins BEST OF SHOW at Buffalo Launch

Post by Tom Gruenauer » Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:28 am

Paul,
Did you get the email I sent to you?
Tom

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Paul P
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Re: Fiberglass wins BEST OF SHOW at Buffalo Launch

Post by Paul P » Fri Sep 13, 2013 12:32 pm

Yes Indeed, Tom, thank you, lets follow up offline until I can figure out the details.
I sent you a return note as well.

best,

Paul
1956 17' CC Sportsman, 300-hp
1957 17' CC Sportsman, 95-hp
1966 20' CC fiberglass Sea Skiff, 210-hp+
1973 23' CC Lancer inboard project, 427/375-hp.
1966 38' CC Commander Express, 427/300-hp(2)

So many boats.........so little time.....but what a way to go!!

User avatar
Paul P
Posts: 622
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 1:48 pm
Location: Nashville, Tennessee, Cumberland River and Lake system
Contact:

Re: Fiberglass wins BEST OF SHOW at Buffalo Launch

Post by Paul P » Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:45 pm

Hi Tom,

Many thanks for keeping me honest on this thread, and helping to direct credit to the worthy owners and boats that deserve due credits.

The initial posting has been heavily edited based on the info I received, thank you very much indeed, along with some photos added.

best,

Paul
1956 17' CC Sportsman, 300-hp
1957 17' CC Sportsman, 95-hp
1966 20' CC fiberglass Sea Skiff, 210-hp+
1973 23' CC Lancer inboard project, 427/375-hp.
1966 38' CC Commander Express, 427/300-hp(2)

So many boats.........so little time.....but what a way to go!!

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