Searace and Renato "Sonny" Levi

[gcarter]

I was one of the fortunates who just received a NOS copy of "Searace" offered elsewhere.
In the sections covering the "60's and "70's, Sonny Levi is mentioned repeatedly. Particularly for his design of "Surfury".
Sonny Levi is an absolute genious. In the European world of ocean racing he's long been considered the "Old Man" of inovative design, and maybe the only designer who has a hull form named for him. Also, if I'm not mistaken, he's the mentor of Fabio Buzzi.
Whether its hull forms, or surface drives, Sonny Levi was a leader. He was developing deep vee hulls with lifting strakes concurrently, but independantly of Ray Hunt in the '50's. He started designing boats in his teens and is still working in his eighties.
Take a look at http://www.surfury.co.uk/design.htm and be sure and download the interview.

[apollo24]

Thanks very interesting, George. I have never heard anything about Surfury until now.

That boat must have been quite a sight back then. That part about having to match engine RPM to engage the dog clutch was wild.

What was the third guy in the cockpit for (standing behind the dual steering stations)? Mechanic? Navigator?

Thanks for sharing.

[gcarter]

Thanks very interesting, George. I have never heard anything about Surfury until now.
That boat must have been quite a sight back then. That part about having to match engine RPM to engage the dog clutch was wild.
What was the third guy in the cockpit for (standing behind the dual steering stations)? Mechanic? Navigator?
Thanks for sharing.
He was the engineer and had clear plastic floors in the cockpit so he could actually see the engines.
Yes it's still a pretty awesome boat. There weren't many 85 MPH boats around in the mid '60's.