Racing season 1947-1948


The first and only Italian title of the new SA 450 kilo inboard class is announced with the victory of Achille Castoldi in 1948. The UIM also establishes the world championship. "This class has inherited the tradition of the pre-war championships, taking up the regulation of the race for boats by weight, the only variation being the development of three tests, held on the same day instead of one, and the final classification by sum of times" , from the 1963 FIM almanac. Italian powerboating thus boasts the first international title of the post-war period.

Achille Castoldi wins a world title for the second time in his career: on this occasion he enters his name in the roll of honor of the newly formed 450 kilo inboard racing class. A success obtained by competing against a large group of opponents, unfortunately only Italians, such as Verga, Casalini, Dall'Oglio and Castiglioni Gianfranco. Together with the 450 kilos, the 800 KG of Leto di Priolo also enters the race, making a race of its own. It should be noted, however, that in Europe only our pilots have well-made 450 kilo hulls, at the forefront also for technical features such as the stern transmission in line with the new requirements. Furthermore, having supercharged engines, they are capable of reaching high averages even on short-length circuits.

Achille Castoldi also participates as the only Italian among the 22 competitors in the XIV "GOLD CUP", the top American motorboat race comparable in charm to the Indianapolis 500 miles.
The race reserved for large inboard boats with unlimited displacement takes place on a 4500m pear-shaped circuit on Lake Michigan in front of Detroit; 350,000 spectators watch the event, including many Italians living in Detroit who came to cheer on the Italian driver.
Our champion uses a new racer without limitations, the "Santambrogio" launched by the Picchiotti shipyards and powered by a 1650 HP Alfa Romeo.
Of the 22 participants grouped into two heats of 11, Castoldi is inserted into the first which sees, after a fast start, Guy Lombardo in command with Castoldi and Visel following. At the buoy, however, an accident occurs: Guy Lombardo, due to the sudden breakage of the bottom of his boat (time VI), capsizes and suffers a fracture of his left arm.
Castoldi takes the gas off and slowly passes near the injured pilot to try to help him, but the lifeboats are already promptly at work to recover the unfortunate Italian-American champion, while the behavior of the Italian pilot is well appreciated by the environment.
In the meantime, the race continues and another accident is almost witnessed when the pilots Visel, Arena and Perry, two on one side and one on the other, overtake Castoldi, risking all of them colliding.
Despite the rough waters that reach one-meter high waves in the center of the lake, Castoldi, after freeing himself from Perry and Arena, moves into the wake of Visel's very fast "Hurricane" hull, and suffers a structural failure during the 5th lap.
Thus the dream of seeing a winning Italian in this competition after the famous and only Italian success of Theo Rossi di Montelera in 1938 vanishes.
The increasingly critical conditions of the wave motion determine a severe selection of the hulls.
To close the first battery we find only two competitors: the winner Harru Linn on "La Hala" at an average of Km/h 88 and "Sister Synn" of Jack o'Mara.
In addition to Lombardo and Castoldi also Arena Perry and Visel and 4 other competitors sank.

The second heat was secured by Danny Foster and his "Miss Great Lakes" ahead of Warrens Avis' "Miss Frostie", but as in the previous one, another series of upsets were recorded.

The final test was reached with only four pilots in the water.
Warrens Avis, Danny Foster, Harry Linn and Jack'O Mara: in the end Danny Foster prevailed and his "Miss Great Lakes" powered by a V 12 Allison engine. Foster won the Gold Cup (repeating the success of the 1947 edition) preceding Warrens Avis in the final standings. The other two competitors were forced to retire.
Returning to Castoldi, in 1948 the Milanese pilot sealed other feats: the world speed record of the 450-kilo inboard racing class, which he himself held, raised him to 134.328 km/h.

Furthermore, with the return of the Coppa dell'Oltranza, he won the coveted trophy in Gardone by setting a speed of 101.500 km/h, registering his name as the first winner of the Challenge D'Annunziana.


Inboard racing seasons
Racing season 1949