HPBCANADA.COM

FI boat racing has all the major players. The Teams pay MAJOR dollars to the top engine builders. The 2014 Champion is Philippe Chiappe the first ever French F1 World Champion in the 31 year history of the UIM F1 and it a CANADIAN that builds his motors.

QUOTE: We have worked so hard, it finally paid off, all the team members including our great boat builder David Moore and engine builder Alex Hledin meshed everything together for this late year run with two back to back wins to capture this title.

I heard it was a Canadian engine builder but not who. Cool. Thx for posting. He's got lots of history in boat racing.

Yes after a failed protest because Alex has thought of stuff even merc hasn't BUT it's all legal just unortadox!

Isn't he a dentist by day and motor builder by night?? I'd like to be a fly on the wall at thanksgiving dinner with that family lol.

Yes, teeth and motors... basically the same thing...haha. good at grinding and polishing.

Alex is a very creative guy, He has always been able to make big horsepower. His problem was usually durability and the motors had a short life span. The big teams over there have unlimited money and equipment to custom make everything. The winning team had a great boat, great set up including prop, equal engine power, a good driver and luck.

I've been lucky enough over the last 7 years, to get to know Alex and his wife Wendy quite well, traveling to Portugal, Kazan and a number of US races as well as staying at their home on the Ottawa river.

Alex is a very interesting character and I'm very lucky to know him. Over our last dinner together he told me his story of how he became so interested in racing motors. He graduated McGill university as a mechanical engineer, his first love. His father was a little disappointed as "no one can make a reasonable living as an engineer!" and sent him back to school. So back he went into dentistry, a respectable profession where one could make a reasonable living.

Now remember Alex turned 70 last year and is from a little different generation than most of us, if I can be as active as he at 70 I will be blessed. He shares his dentistry practice with his daughter, gets up at 5:30am each morning has breakfast, drives his 1976 commuter 308 Ferrari to work each morning (believe me it's a commuter and a story I'm itself, his house is on a dirt road..... It almost killed me to follow him out for breakfast behind him ...). Alex works from 7-12noon then goes and works out. Gets home around 1:30 and has lunch with his wife Wendy. He's in his shop beside the house by 2:00 to 2:30ish and Wendy tells me she drags him inside by about 8pm. Aside from his grandchildren, I think engines are his first love. When he talks motors he gets so excited.

When I was there I saw more scattered 2.5 blocks than at a race site.p, I mean ALL RACE SITES! He has a Dyno and safe room where he does his pulls on the various experiments he has under way. It's a mess, it has some amazing stuff ... it's all Alex.

He's an amazing character and one of the humblest and most generous people I've ever met.

I hope this does not come across as name dropping I just think this audience would appreciate one of Canada's true champions of outboard racing and one who never tries to get the spot light.

Great story Dave! Thanks for sharing.

X2

Dave, Alex's tale is a fascinating story and life lived, thanks for the slight glimpse.
No doubt in the early years he was aptly called Crazy, certainly by racing establishment. After piling up successes the label likely changed to 'eccentric' with the respect he deserves.

Further thoughts:

I ask whether CBF( what's left of it) has ever recognized his world class acheivements? Enlightening is an understatement to spend and afternoon with him, understand more about his motivation, path, successes & failures. TORC/CBF have several awards, future 'outstanding contribution to racing' seems reasonable.

Shame he is distant from TO, he would be a brilliant guest speaker at TORC club meeting, merit special occasion.
I'd bet we could arrange a road trip to Ottawa with many participants if he were open to hosting an afternoon.

Hmm....