Those are some VERY serious numbers - you really had to have the horses in that engine to pull that prop and ratio! I run a Precision 11¼ x 17 on my Sanger which will only top out at around 125 mph or so if I could get the motor to achieve 7,000 rpm, using 1.25 gears in the Casale. I've only had it up to around 100-105, and that's damn exciting to me!
Back in 2005, I went over to a Sanger boat reunion where there were quite a few pickleforks and shovelnoses. On that day, the Sanger factory trailered over a newly splashed version of "Climax" (they have kept the original molds) which I'm sure you ran up against over the years.
View attachment 37948
In fact, you probably knew and raced against the guys that drove it. When I was getting my boat operational (I found it in a field outside of Ramona, CA), Greg Shoemaker gave me a lot of help - boat guys are like car guys, I guess - nice to be around, friendly and helpful.
View attachment 37953
I didn't get my boat until 1998, when I was 56, so the thought of competition never entered my head - but I can understand the thrill of pushing these machines to their limits. Here are a few pictures of some of the hotter boats that were at the reunion - I found it interesting though that I was the only one to put mine in the lake that morning and make some noise!
View attachment 37950
View attachment 37951
View attachment 37952