Willie is from Oregon, USA. He has just gotten a start on his Mini Vee.

"It has been frustrating the past 2 years, chasing vintage race boats that have come up for sale, and missing out. All I originally wanted is to buy an inexpensive retired racing boat, and do a few fast runs through my second childhood."

Willie recently built a MiniMax "punkinseed" hydroplane. "So now I'm ready to go faster, but also in a more modern safer design."

Willie reports that family difficulties and responsibilities have kept him away from his boatbuilding project in recent months. But things are beginning to get back to normal.

"The Mini Vee pieces are on the shelf, I did get more plywood, I have probably 95% of the material to do this.... Hopefully by spring [2011], I will have some sort of wood structure impersonating a boat."

In the meantime, he's resurrected his GW Invader/40hp Mercury, forgotten for the last 35 years.

Purchase Mini Tunnel plans