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Welcome to the Demon Chaser Racing web site for the Grand National Hydroplane (GNH) / Unlimited Light (UL) 333, owned by David Coes and Maureen Connors. This site is always under construction. If you have questions or problems with the site content and/or design, please don't hesitate to let Ray Downes know as these pages are for you. |
 Thanks for visiting! David Coes |
HERE WE GO AGAIN..........
As I write this, the Summer Nationals at Hampton have come and gone. Once again, the Hampton "jinx" struck the Demon Chaser. I had used a different kind of shaft bearing than I normally do and it utilizes "set" screws instead of the eccentric bearing. The primary difference between the two is the set screw system is simply that; two screws go through the bearing and contact the shaft. The idea is that you basically crank down as hard as you can on the set screws and this keeps the assembly in place. The other system (which I have traditionally used) utilizes a locking collar which is slightly oblong. The idea there is that you rotate the collar and again by pressure, the system stays in place.
On Friday (the first day of qualifying), I made my timing runs and was in lane 3 for the start. I was about 3 seconds off the gun and not up to full speed at the start but the boats tremendous torque curve kicked in and by 2/3rd down the course I started to go to the inside with one boat ahead of me. I had just come up to full power when suddenly the engine revved and I "launched" and then came dead in the water with the engine still running strong. I immediately shut down thinking I had lost a prop (and also thinking it was pretty unusual as when you loose a prop or a blade, there is a tremendous vibration).
Anyway, it turns out the shaft had slipped backward and disconnected itself from the engine. My safety collars prevented any damage to the boat and the shaft was still straight and true when we checked it. I also checked my valve springs and oil filter and everything looked to be in order.
Saturday we ended up getting "weathered" out so we waited patiently for Sunday. On Sunday, the GNH's were scheduled to run first (as a qualifier), with the final being in the middle of the afternoon. I decided to put on a bigger prop and run the outside instead of fighting for an inside lane. I headed out on the course and was starting on my second timing run when I heard a horrible grating and rumbling. I immediately thought (again) that I might have lost a prop (I guess I'm a little gun-shy after losing a blade up in Valleyfield a few years ago and sinking!!) so I shut down. I looked into the engine compartment and didn't seen anything wrong. I was taking on a bit of water so I thought that perhaps I hit something in the water. I was towed in quickly, but by the time I got in, I was definitely sinking. I knew I had a hole in the boat somewhere.
As soon as the crane lifted me out of the water, it was very apparent where the hole was, and what the problem was. I had a connecting rod from the engine actually sticking out of the bottom of the boat.
THE DEMON CHASER IS BACK!!!!
Summer Nationals
Hampton, Virginia
August 10th, 11th and 12th
Hello hydro race fans and friends!
A lot has has happened over the last 18 months to 2 years since I have updated this site. Racing the boat has taken a back seat to both my personal and professional life. Lets take a a quick look backward to 2005. While my interest in actually racing the Demon Chaser had not waned in the least, the toll on my wallet was starting to tell. More importantly, my priorities have never changed and my responsibility in life has always been first to my family and country and then to my racing program. My free time (which had always been somewhat limited), seemed to be evaporating into thin air. My children are growing up quickly, and I did not want to miss out on any of their activities. Having three girls (in addition to my sons), who are all involved in swimming and soccer doesn't leave a whole of free time for "poppi" to work on the boat. And of course, being a race boat, there is always work to be done!!
I decided toward the end of the 2005 season to cut back a little and race a limited season in 2006. And then the changes in my life started to happen.
The first major event was the death of my beautiful niece Liz. She was a free spirited and energetic child, and was growing slowly into womanhood. On top of that, she was stunningly pretty. On September 1, 2005, Liz died in a car accident; she was only 18.
Three months later, in January of 2006, I decided to take a promotion and go to our Headquarters in Washington, DC. The assignment was temporary, and would last 18 months. Mo and I talked it over with the kids and we all decided it was the right move. My time in this profession is limited, and I want to feel that before I retire, I have contributed as much as I can. I knew I would miss the family and they would miss me, but I was hoping to be home on most weekends which would hopefully ease the pain of being away. Simultaneously, my middle son, Christopher, was coming to live in Virginia with the rest of the family. I was tremendously excited about this as Christopher was going through a "rough patch" and I felt he needed some "direction" and emotional stability that only a family can provide.
On May 19th, 2006, part of my world started to disintegrate; Christopher committed suicide. He was 23 years old.
A month or so later, Henry Lauterbach, an icon in the hydroplane world and a simply wonderful man, passed away.
On the heels of Henry's death, a month later, during the 2006 Summer Nationals, my father-in-law, John Connors, left us.
To put things a little better in perspective, Liz (my niece) was born 12 months after I met my (then) girlfriend, now wife, Mo. My emotional ties to, and memories of her are intricately interwoven with the early relationship I had with Mo. Christopher's mother and I were divorced some years ago and Christopher came to live with Mo and I for a few years as a child, and I felt he was now returning to us as a young adult member of the family. His sisters, my girls, simply adored him, and he they. He was talented, witty and athletic. With Christopher home in Virginia, I felt that the family loop was starting to close, and things were becoming as they should. Henry (Lauterbach) was one of the main reasons I was racing-- because, after all, for me, racing is about the "people" as much is it is about the boat and going fast. Henry re-designed a number of items on the boat, and more importantly, was a friend. My father-in-law, John, was the main reason I entered the FBI. A former FBI agent, he exemplified the characteristics you would expect find in an agent. In addition, he was gentleman with class. I cannot think of superlatives or expressions which could better describe John Connors.
So, in a very short time, I lost four very important people. Things have been tough, but with my friends both inside and outside of work, I have managed to survive. As I reflect on this, I realize that I am truly blessed, because I have so many people who are supporting me. Mo has been tremendous, as have been the kids. There is one other blessing that I am grateful for, and that is that my oldest son David, has come down from up north to live with us also. We share many common things; one of which is cycling. He has gotten me back "on the bike" and my knees and all the other decrepit parts of my body are thanking him for it!!
I have returned from my assignment in Washington, and am now back at work here at home. The Hampton Cup is one week away; today I helped put out the buoy stakes with the rest of the boat club. The boat has been prepped and, while there are some minor things to do, is ready to run. So.......
SEE YA AT THE RACE!!!
