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oldLenny
07-20-2000, 10:23 AM
Out of curiousity , what and when was Don Aronows first production boat effort as a registered Company and when did the first 16's and 18's arrive. I have read of some very early power offerings by Holman Moody. Is there any resemblance to Dick Bertrams' 28' MOPIE or a take off? Did that hull design get a "take-down" to create these first hulls. Also, what reference or meaning does the "ZI" have in Donzi? Last, but not least, has anyone ever seen a table of lines and offsets for the 18' Classic or any of these boats past or present and if so where? I am in the long and arduous process of learning what most of you already know...

Munkustrap
07-22-2000, 04:45 PM
I can speak to one of your questions..... Don Aronow's secretary used to call him, "Donzi Baby" whenever he came into the office. When he built the original 16 for his daughter, he called it a "DONZI," after that term of endearment.

At least that was the way I heard it!(G)

Owen
07-22-2000, 06:09 PM
Jump in here gang when I stray cause I gave the "BOOK" away as a present.

Don's first company was called Formula. Named after the working formula relationship of Don, Jim Wynne and the master builders and motor mechanics that made up the group. Dick Bertram got Don interested in Racing but there the influence stopped. The Formula Company 61 to 63 created the 233 which was the prototype for most all offshore designes that followed. Demand for the 233 was very high and Don had a small shop. He was more interested in racing than building. Wynne had just designed a small runabout for an endurance race in France in 63. This design, known as the Formula Jr was sold along with the 233 design to Thunderbird marine, which became Formula Thunderbird Marine. Although the Jr was included in the deal, Thunderbird didn't make many of them in the first couple years since 233 demand was so high and the jr was really too small to do ocean racing at 17 feet 3 inches. The Jr was also a complex boat to make since it had slopeing gunwales near the transom -it was never intended as a production boat. Don figured the jr would be a good selling boat so he simplified the jr's hull by looping off the last 8 inches (the sloped area) and started popping out the sport skiier 16 in 64. He called this new company Donzi Marine and setup shop right next to his old shop on 188th street and eventually rehired all the old workers away from Thunderbird. The 18 was a natural evolution of the 16 design since the 16 was rather limited in top speed due to its length.
Again the company could not fill orders so Don sold Donzi to teleflex in 66?, but this time the buyers made him sign a non-compete clause. So he second sourced his first new racing design and called it Cary and after the compete clause was over, Magnum Marine. An example of an early Magnum can be seen in the galley "Satan's Chariot." This is one of five "Banana boats" Don made for racing and is the only known (to me) survivor of the five.
Whether Don's Formula company ever made any production Jrs is still in the air. Michael? Where are you? I bought your book, oky. I'll probly get another for myself again. So whats the real Jr story?

Varyak
07-22-2000, 11:15 PM
I've been reading my books lately and the same story about the Donzi name is repeated in all. John Bertram was quoted several times as having made the statement, "Here come those damn Donsies, again." referring to the early boats that Don was racing and winning and generally pestering all the other racers at that time. The "Don-sies" is just an affectation like the Jonesies or one-sies, twosies, threesies. Don liked the attention it brought to him and shortened the name to Donzi for his production boats.
At least that's what the books say...
Mark

BERTRAM BOY
07-24-2000, 12:32 PM
Who the hell is John Bertram ?

BERTRAM BOY

Varyak
07-24-2000, 10:46 PM
OKay, okay, okay. It was late...I was tired...and I was too lazy to actually look it up at the VERY moment I replied.
It was actually Morris Levy, he said "Donsy" (sic), but the jist is the same. Reference is "Don Aronow, The King of Thunderboat Row", written by his son Micheal Aronow, pages 39-40.
I APOLOGIZE to all Bertrams for the unintended insult.

Mark

falcon
07-26-2000, 08:35 AM
i have always been a big fan of the original 28 donzi-but are surprised no one ever mentions them on the boards---in fact i think donzi's racing reputation was built by their victories and to lesser extent the hornets. where are the boats?

PaulO
08-01-2000, 10:28 AM
I too have been curious as to why when the Donzi racing reputation was made with boats in the 28 foot range, did Don then go and manufacture 16s and 18s? I would think that the market would want boats similar to those that were winning the races!
Any ideas?
PaulO

Owen
08-02-2000, 01:16 AM
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=943763&a=6906951&p=25464196&Sequence=0

There. Happy?


I"ve been thinking the same thing - why the small boats. I think the 16 was a fluke that Became a success story. Looking at the history there were really two Donzi lines. There are the familiar Jim Wynne boats - based on the Jr and then there are the Aronow boats based on the 233. Most of this board is concerned with the Wynne line. The Aronow line, the 28s and the Sportsmans where and are much more rare.

[This message has been edited by Owen (edited 08-02-2000).]

falcon
08-02-2000, 10:12 AM
according to book by his son--don was never interested in manufacturing--just racing--i don't think the 18 was built until he sold company as it was never really mentioned in book---