His hydroplane 70 years of age takes the shot

Photo Carl Vaillancourt
The American Tim Settle has turned heads with its transition to international Regattas in Valleyfield with its model Barracuda F-77, which dates from 1946.

Carl Vaillancourt

Sunday, 16 July, 2017 08:00

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Sunday, 16 July, 2017 08:00

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VALLEYFIELD | The latest model of a rare hydroplane designed in the ‘ 40 stands out from the batch in the framework of the 79th edition of the Régates de Valleyfield, which ends today.

Tim Settle, 58 years old, had a smile on his lips when he arrived in the well on the outskirts of the Saint-François bay on Friday. Several lovers of craft and vintage stopped by to take pictures with his Barracuda F-77, which dates from 1946. It is the latest model of this time still on its pontoons.

Photo Carl Vaillancourt

Barracuda F-77

“If I tell you that it is the same engine used by [the former driver] Lou Butler in the early 50’s, I would be called a liar. And yet, this is the case! launched at the joke Tim Settle. The only thing I have changed is the wooden structure, because you can imagine that over the years, there are small ailments that we must repair.”

The man from Ohio was not idle, to keep the baby in a form resplendent. He spends many hours each week to ensure that it is at its best.

Back on the water

After the death of his father Glen in 1994, it inherited at the time of the boat he had held since 1964 and the passion for speed on the water. However, it is only in 2002 that the U.s. has decided to put it back in order to reconnect with the competition.

After more than 30 months of work on the wooden structure, it has made a comeback on the runways in 2005 and it has never stopped doing the rounds in the events.

“It’s an amazing feeling to have your hands on the steering wheel, shaking not bad, every trip on the water is a surge of emotions indescribable,” he started in an interview with The Newspaper.

A first in Canada

Although he has done several races in the United States, the pilot, 58-year-old is a first presence in Canada with its Barracuda F-77. It is the reputation of the Régates de Valleyfield convinced him to come in and do two outputs of 12 minutes yesterday and today.

“In the League of Racing of Hydroplanes (HRL), Valleyfield is a must-see destination for lovers, it is a place where the atmosphere is warm from what I understood, I had no other choice than to come this year”,-he told.

A world record

The hydroplane has a track record quite impressive, which was driven by a legend of the race of hydroplanes, Lou Butler. In 1948, the boat reaches an average speed of 110 km/h in Virginia.

“It is an incredible machine and you know what they say by us, it rides like the hydroplanes new”, he explained.

A single model

1946

The boat can rely on its engine Chevrolet 265 of origin and on several mechanical parts dating back to 1946.

♦Glen Settle acquired the car in 1963, his son Tim Settle was only 4 years old.

♦The Barracuda F-77 has an estimated value of 100 000$ USD according to Tim Settle.

♦Tim Settle has redone the wood frame for a period of 30 months at the rate of 40 hours per week from 2002 to 2005 in order to compete again.