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September 10th

August 13th & 16th

2009 Gallery

Our Gang Racing getting ready for Doha, Qatar, 2009
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September 10th, 2009
Salt water cap on cowling.	Nate Brown sands nun piece of salt water scoop.
Salt water addition to nun.	David Bell adding one way valve to drainage on engine well.
Steve Audett and David Bell work on installing bracket on new engine.	Kurt Wagner finishing putting steering system back together.

Our Gang Racing getting ready for Evansville, Aug. 2009 (scroll for most recent)
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Thursday August 13th, 2009
John Gunderson works on the propeller shaft.	David Bell (L) and Greg Sherd (R) adjust new turbine to gear box.
Kurt Wagner pulls new engine out.	John O'Brien taking inventory of truck.
Joe Yandell making fuel lines for new turbine engine. Older turbine in back.	Geno Rogers cutting structural foam for new rear wing.
Geno cutting the fiberglass for first layer.	Nate Brown trimming foam spar.
Nate and Geno spreading resin on first layer of one half of wing.	First layer set to dry.
Other half of wing done earlier this week.	Gluing end caps of wing.
Sunday August 16th, 2009
2 days later, Kip Brown sanding ends of new back horizontal wing.	Nate Brown and Kip seal wing.
John Gunderson modifying trailer to hold the new wing.	David Cormier (R) has camera turned on himself holding wing on lap while John modifies trailer even more.
Mike Simons (L) packs the truck while John O'Brien continues with inventory lists.	Working into the night.

Our Gang Racing Miss USNW Express racing at Chevrolet Cup at Seafair 2009
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Dave Bell (sitting on boat) waits for fuel truck and John Gunderson works on the propeller.	Kip Brown getting strapped in with Kurt Wagner helping.
Kip waiting for his turn on course.	Dave Bell fills up the boat with fuel with Kurt Wagner and fireman looking on.
Kenny Eng and Mark Wiener working on skid fin.	Greg Sherd welds snap ring in place with John helping.
Kip strapping in with Karen Wagner providing shade for Kip and Kurt.	Kip returns after 3rd place in heat 1A.
Fred Philbrook organizing the truck while Joe Yandell grabs some parts.	John Gunderson polishing the prop.
Getting ready to trailer fire the turbine. L-R, Dave Bell, Nate Brown, Joe Yandell, John Gunderson, Greg Sherd, John Spears and John O'Brien.	Jamie Bernard works on the hull while Joe Yandell works on the oil system.
Returning to the Dock.


Special thanks to William Thresher II, Course 4 boat took our photographer out so we could take some pictures from the South turn of the course.	Dave Bell gives tour of boat to Snohomish County Deputy J. Kaczka.
Geno Rogers holds the front while John Gunderson holds the back as crane lowers boat to water, Kip stands ready to set his clock in the cockpit.	"Coach" Nate Brown talks with Kip before heat race.
Steve Audett set cowling camera before heat run while Karen Wagner keeps cockpit cool.	I think we found a new spokesman for Talking Rain bottled water, Kurt Wagner.

Joe Yandell checking system for debris while Greg Sherd opens access panel with Karen providing shade.	John Spears toweling off deck.
Rob Schommer retrieves black box.	Joe Yandell and Kurt Wagner take temperature readings after final.
Susan Weiner finishes cleaning windows.	Kip Brown congratulates Dave Villwock on his victory at the Chevrolet Cup.
Not to be left out, Kip celebrates his 5th place finish with a handful of confetti.	Heading home.

Our Gang Racing Getting Ready for Chevrolet Cup at Seafair
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Kenny Eng (L) and Steve "Wild Man" Audett work on upright brackets.
Rob Schommer (R) explains to Mike Simmons (L) how to fly a boat (or at least your hand out the window of your car). Kip Brown (center) and John Gunderson and Kenny Eng work on uprights.
John Spears touches up the paint on the boat and trailer.
Kurt Wagner assembles the gear box.
Greg Sherd machining parts.
David Bell installs new heat shield.
Geno Rogers sands new canard.
Everyone pitches in to install engine.

Images of U-17 from Tri-Cities on the web
Tri-Cities Herald
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1392/gallery/661203-a661261-t3.html
JIm Simpson
http://hydrophotog.smugmug.com/gallery/9048143_x9MAK#602748146_oo5fr
http://hydrophotog.smugmug.com/gallery/9048143_x9MAK#602553271_vDbfg
http://hydrophotog.smugmug.com/gallery/9026842_LtzVu#600561671_sNqkU
http://hydrophotog.smugmug.com/gallery/9026842_LtzVu#600561558_5wjwj
http://hydrophotog.smugmug.com/gallery/9026842_LtzVu#600796765_SXaRN

Our Gang Racing Almost Ready to Leave for Tri-Cities
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Loading hauler with new graphics.
Rob Schommer (L) and Steve Audett (R) install new sensor on turbine
Steve Audett working on sensor installation, John O'Brien (R) working on upright, Fred Philbrook working on other upright
Fred Philbrook (L) and David Cormier (R) secure uprights for travel photo by John O'Brien, LLM, DDC, PQS
Kurt Wagner holds gears as Nate Brown heats gearbox housing in background
Nate Brown loading gearbox on hauler

Our Gang Racing Almost Ready to Leave for Madison
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Getting new hauler ready to roll.
Geno Rogers (L) and Jim Pletz (R) hang lighting in the hauler.
Dave Bell finishing installation of new rudder bracket.

Our Gang Racing Testing at the Tastin' n Racin' 2009 on Lake Sammamish
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Geno Rogers tightening rear wing
Mark Wiener greasing rudder.
John Gunderson working on prop.
Kurt Wagner (M) turning the oxygen on, Joe Yandell (L) and Fred Philbrook (R) working on oil system.
Buckle Up!
Driver Kip Brown turning some laps.
Team lowering boat to trailer.
Almost down.
Ken Eng hanging sponsor vinyl with Fred Philbrook looking on.
Kurt Wagner works on (literally) turbine engine while Dave Bell (L) and Joe Yandell (R) work on oil system.
Kip taking some more laps.
Kip and Nate chat after a successful weekend of testing.
Our Gang raises one to sponsor actiVwater.

Our Gang Helping out Leland Racing by Painting Hauler
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Kurt Wagner (L) and Steve Audett (R) sanding truck side.
John O'Brien sands the rear doors.
Rob Schommer working on mirrors
Nate Brown giving the Leland truck a new number.
Sanding the bondo, almost ready to paint.

Work Continues Preparing for 2009 Season
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Team's new light weight cowling with Nate demonstrating how light.

Team laying first layer of one part of new nun (part of cowling over the cockpit) R-L: Kurt Wagner, Geno Rogers, Jim Pletz, and Ken Eng.

Nate working on other part of new nun.

Team hanging rig to fly cowling and store it over boat.

Kurt climbing ladder to hang rig.

Flying the cowling.

Kurt prepares parts of new engine for painting.

The rest of the 2nd engine.

New rudder bracket.

Updating Cowling 2009
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Team building a spare, all carbon fiber, lightweight cowling using System 3 epoxy. Our gang racing is again being provided this quality material from System3 (www.systemthree.com ). The entire boat was built using this material has been impressive is its performance since the U-17’s christening.