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Published by Fast On Water Publications 2017 All articles and photographs are copyright All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission. Editor Roy Cooper
Contributors Roy Cooper Kevin Desmond Brad Geyer
Cover photo of John Hill in his Nordica Burgess, from the Pat Ainge Powerboat International Archive
Editors note Welcome to the latest edition of the Fast On Water magazine; a very varied edition with articles from the past and the present. I do hope you enjoy this issue and remember, we always welcome ideas for future issues
Contents 1
Powerboat Racing Aussie Style
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Racing Techniques - 1937
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The Duke of York Trophy
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One Driver’s Duke of York Memories
Powerboat Racing Aussie Style
The Upper Hawkesbury Powerboat Club (UHPBC) is Australia's longest running Powerboat Club; founded in 1938.
Having bought a Matra Missile, which is a water-ski race boat in late 2016. I have been fond of the marque since I was in High School in Western Sydney in the late 1980's, as I used to watch the Matra Missile waterski race at Wisemans Ferry for many years. I decided a few months ago that I would enter my “Missile" Clockwork Orange.
Based one hour’s drive North-West of Sydney, within sight of The Royal Australian Air Force Base at Richmond. Readers may know of the area, which was featured in the BBC Docu-Drama, “Banished ". One of Australia's premier Powerboat Race Events is The Bridge-To-Bridge Powerboat Race, with a course that snakes its way 70 Miles up River from Brooklyn to Windsor, passing through breathtaking scenery including Wisemans Ferry. The first BridgeTo-Bridge Powerboat Race was held in 1933, with the winning boat crossing the line at Windsor in 3 hours 25 minutes. The Sydney Bridge-To-Bridge Powerboat Race has been run every year, except during the Wars years 1942-1946.
Clockwork is powered by a Black Max 200hp Mercury V6, manufactured in 1981. I had visions of the newer equipment I would run up against in the 151-200hp Outboard Powered Class I had entered. This was going to be a fun experience; more so than being competitive.
Although due to Manpower and legal issues the Bridge-To-Bridge Powerboat Race has been put on hold since 2013, with The Upper Hawkesbury Powerboat Club staging a shorter distance event to cater for their club members that were missing out on running their family race boats in the UHPBC annual event. The Upper Hawkesbury Powerboat Club developed the "Double Dash", which is a 20 Mile Sprint from Windsor to Sackville Gardens Caravan Park. Once the field has either reached the finishing point at Sackville Gardens or been accounted for, the field turns round and race back to Windsor, creating an overall 40 mile race distance.
Scrutineering took place on Saturday for the 120+ field. It felt good that the work I had done in preparation and that of my mate 2
Robby's business, RE Marine had passed scrutineering and that I was set to be in The Upper Hawkesbury Powerboat Club's Double Dash Event to be held on the next day; the 7th of May .
For the return leg to Windsor, as with the start of the race, the fastest raceboats were sent off first. With the fastest outboards gone, I sat on my rear bench enjoying the nice weather. Then I received a phone call from Natasha to go to Channel 7's Facebook page, where I found live streaming of Rowdy Burns. Rowdy had written off his Raceboat in Pitt Town half way back to Windsor. Travelling at over 80mph rounding a corner he hit a submerged outcropping tree. His Raceboat had the starboard bow ripped off in the incident, and he sustained two broken legs and associated injuries. Now a couple of days since the race Rowdy is on the mend and looking to rebuild his race ambitions. Word is that Rowdy’s 300hp Mercury outboard was worked on after being submerged and fired up on Monday, one day after the event.
My Matra Missile is an absolute legend in Australian Water-ski Racing and I was determined to put in a great effort, though I was up against new race boats costing in the region of 100,000 Australian dollars.
From the start of the race I was left behind and I decided that if I wasn't going to be placed well, that I would complete the Double Dash Event without mechanical fault. To my surprise I was racing at speeds in excess of 70mph at 5700rpm, and at a steady pace. I was playing with the trim setting though I found that the 28p Clever Prop was beyond my experience in regard to handling the erratic nature of a lightweight outboard powered race boat, so I trimmed in and settled on a more conservative ride to Sackville Gardens, still pushing 70mph through some of Australia's most beautiful scenery, on Sydney's doorstep.
The rest of the field had to wait some 2 hours after the incident, as the race was put on hold until the course was cleared My return leg was about to get underway and I was even more determined to drive well, as I started to understand how to drive my Missile at those speeds. Heading through Pitt Town I got off the throttle to settle my ride down going round a fairly tight right handed bend and was astonished to see an inboard powered hydroplane closing in fast. The Beautiful sound and vision of this classic wooden 1950's Australian hydroplane is something that I will never forget, followed by being hit in the face by big chunks of spray from its 2
Having been in close contact with my beautiful wife Natasha by mobile phone, once I reached Sackville Gardens it was nice to know that my older brother, Warwick, had caught up with Natasha and our 3 children and had been watching my progress up the main Straight at Windsor. 3
bladed prop that would have been damaging if not for my race helmet. Finishing line some 5km ahead, I wanted to finish fast as my wife and children were among the 300 spectators at the Windsor Speedboat Stadium. So I trimmed out enough to gain more speed without becoming to flighty and held the accelerometer flat all way down the finishing straight. At the end of the day I had finished in 6th place.
My Race was dedicated to our Stillborn Son Richard 22/04/16 If any member of Fast On Water is considering travelling to Sydney, then I will be pleased take you out on Sydney’s Majestic Hawkesbury River for a cruise.
Brad’s F3 Project There is talk of holding The Bridge-ToBridge Powerboat Race on the same day as the Water-ski Race, set for November, so I may fulfil my ambition since I was young, and race in Sydney's Bridge-To-Bridge Powerboat Race.
Keep Your Dreams Alive! Brad Geyer Sydney, Australia
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Up Up And Away! 6
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Gentlemen
And Ladies Start Your Engines
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The Duke of York Trophy
The prohibitive cost of building boats to compete for the British International Harmsworth Trophy emphasized the necessity for producing a new trophy for a class of boat, which could be built for a moderate sum (£300 - £700). In 1923, the 1.5 litre Class motor boat was recognised as an International Class by the then, International Motor Yachting Union in Brussels (the forerunner of the UIM). The class was given the official designation ‘Z’.
first heat was won by Count JohnstonNoad in his Aston Martin engined Miss Betty at an average speed of 28.99 knots. The second heat was won by Major W V Webber in Lady Pat. There was no third heat due to choppy conditions, so both names were put on the trophy.
Hulls would be of teak or mahogany, from 17 to 19 feet in length and 4 to 5 feet beam and weighing 10 cwt with engine. The 1.5 litre engines were 4 cylinder ohc. The first British boat in this class was Mr Poo, fitted with a 1.5 litre Brooke engine; built and raced by Jack Brooke of Lowestoft; son of Mawdsley Brooke and Tom Percival’s uncle.
1925 saw Count Johnston-Noad racing Miss Empire II, powered by a Sunbeam engine. Also powered by a Sunbeam was Newg, a Saunders’ 17 footer, driven by a 25-year old millionairess by the name of Marion Barbara Carstairs; known to friends as Betty. Woolf Barnato won that year’s event on the river Thames with two heat wins to the Count’s one.
HRH The Duke of York (later George VI), Commodore of the Royal Motor Yacht Club, was approached by the Marine Motoring Association, and graciously consented to associate himself in an active role with the presentation of the 9ct gold trophy (not solid gold as is often suggested). The Motor Boat magazine ran a design competition, with a 10 Guinea prize for the final choice. The design chosen was by Messrs Elkington and Company of Birmingham.
By 1926 the Duke of York Trophy had come of age. Lord Montague had become President of the Race Committee. The Vice-President was Lord Louis Mountbatten, who with his friend, Edward, Prince of Wales, had been enjoying the pleasures of racing Shadow, a Liberty aero-engined Gar Wood runabout, up and down the Solent. That year it was Betty Carstairs who won the trophy at an average speed of 41.1 mph over the 36 mile course between Putney and Chiswick.
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The first contest took place on July 29 1924 off Torquay, in front of an estimated 10,000 spectators; the official starting gun was fired by the Duke. The 14
1927 saw the contest held on Southampton Water and was won by American, Ralph Snoddy in Little Spitfire, powered by a Miller engine. 1930 World War Two saw the Duke of York Trophy suspended until 1938. Up until 1929 the engines were restricted to 1.5 litres supercharged but from 1930 this was changed to 3 litres unsupercharged. From 1938 to the last contest in 1951, held on Lake Windermere the race was on a fuel consumption formula. Then there was another lull in the event until 1958. In 1971 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, by Deed of Gift, transferred the Duke of York Trophy to the Royal Yachting Association. During the years 1971 to 1975 the Trophy race was held at the Windermere Grand Prix in October. There was no race in 1976 and in 1977 the RYA agreed that the Trophy should be the principle trophy awarded at the Embassy Grand Prix, Bristol, and continued to be until racing ended in Bristol in 1990. Year
Driver
Boat
1924 1925
Count Johnston Noad Jointly with WV Webber Woolf Barnato
Miss Betty Lady Pat Ardenrun Minor
1926
Betty Carstairs
Newg
1927
Mrs J H Rand Jnr and Ralph Snoddy Count Johnston Noad
Little Spitfire
Miss Rioco III
1930
James Talbot Jnr and Ralph Snoddy F T Bersey
1938
S Mortimer Aurbach
Emancipator VII
1928 1929
1951
Arthur Hatch
1959
William G Braden Awarded Posthumously Harold Bucholtz
1962
Ch Girard
Vainquer, Le Page II
1971
Renato Molinari
Mercury Molinari
1972
Bob Spalding
Lady Player
1973
M Downard & T Posey
1974
C Hook & B Badsey
OMC Rotary Scotti Johnson Cougar
1975
Bob Spalding
Mercury T3 Molinari
1977
Renato Molinari
1978
Bill Seebold
Evinrude V6 Molinari Mercury Velden
1979
Bill Seebold
1980
Renato Molinari
1981
Bill Seebold
Mercury T4 Seebold Evinrude Molinari Mercury Seebold
1982
Bill Seebold
Mercury Seebold
1983
Bill Seebold
Mercury Seebold
1984
Bill Seebold
Mercury Seebold
1985
Jonathan Jones
Mercury Burgess
1986
Chris Bush
Mercury Burgess
1987
Jonathan Jones
Mercury Burgess
1988
Chris Bush
Mercury Burgess
1989
Jonathan Jones
Mercury Burgess
1990
Mike Zamparelli
Mercury DAC
1958
Miss Betty
Minx
Costa Lotta
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Ariel U Too Bad
One Driver’s Memories of the Duke of York Trophy (Taken from the book Flat Out by G E T Eyston. Pub. John Miles Ltd 1933) When I married I decided that motor racing must, at any rate for the time, be abandoned. But the great urge never left me, though it was suppressed, and in course of time I began to seek some outlet for the love of speed, which I could not shake off. But there was motor boating. I began to consider ways and means of acquiring a boat which would rekindle the smouldering ashes of my desires. It was about this time that I discovered a race to be held for the 1.5 litre hydroplane class – the Duke of York Trophy, which was to take place on the famous Putney to Mortlake course. Here was something to strike a vibrant chord within me.
no one offered to demonstrate this manoeuvre, but I was assured that all the best people did it as a matter of routine, and since I was to race on the Thames I had better learn straightaway.
I knew this part of the river well. I had rowed over it quite often, and it seemed to me that there would be plenty of fun in skimming over the very stretch of water which had often pulled the muscles out of me. Anyway, I got in touch with the designer of a particularly successful type of boat in this class and very soon I was having an Aston Martin engine installed in the shell. Thus was hatched Miss Olga, the boat which gave me lots of thrills and not a few shocks.
So in I got, revved up the motor and started pounding away up the river, when the boat suddenly jumped on to the single step and started skimming along in that style. It was fast enough to eat up the small space which we had in the river for our practising, and before I knew it I had reached the limit of the stretch and had to turn.
I remember the first time I tried to drive the boat on the Thames at Walton. The river is not very wide, certainly not above the bridge, where a turn had to be made. I was told that if I swung the helm hard over, the hydroplane would spin round in practically its own length. I noticed that
I got the boat in what I thought was the best position, swung the wheel round, and then thought better of it! I could not bring myself to believe it was possible to switch this boat round full out in a narrow river and expect it not to turn over or hit 16
the bank. It looked frightfully hard and unbending, and that I missed the bank was a matter of sheer luck.
and make a clean dash, arriving at the critical moment if I had judged it rightly. I took second place over the line and commenced going nearly full out. The boat turned out not to be as fast as was contemplated in the design but was very stable. It was delightful skimming down on top of the little waves with foot hard down on the throttle. I had to take care in avoiding the shelves on the river bottom, which meant drag on so sensitive a craft.
To a greenhorn like myself it was sheer folly to expect to make a successful turn, but I was to get the experience later, and I managed to acquire the knack. I ran up and down the river several times, very pleased with the new craft, and came in for engine adjustments. Lionel Martin was on the bank to help me. Another boat fitted with an Aston Martin engine was also carrying out trials that morning. Lionel and I were bending over the engine when there was a resounding crash on the water. We both looked up and saw the bows of the boat sticking up. We rowed out to help, finding the driver already swimming and the boat completely sunk.
I was over these bad places like lightening and I took particular joy in making a beeline for my objective, the buoy around which we were to turn at Putney. Just in front was Miss Betty Carstairs in the latest Saunders Sunbeam boat, and we both swept round the mark in a cloud of spray. The eliminating trials that day had been over 30 sea miles, doubling the Putney to Mortlake course, and all those that survived it qualified to start the next day. I was lucky enough to finish as one of the oil pipes had fractured but it had been swathed in insulating tape and this saved matters until the overhaul that evening.
Next day I drove the boat down to the start of the Duke of York’s Trophy at Mortlake. There was quite a breeze and the river in the lower reaches was rather rough. The method was to cross the starting line at speed when the gun fired. To do this meant making a flying start just at the right moment.
Rounding the top buoy at Mortlake in the final gave plenty of thrills, as the river is narrow at this point. Pilots were taking more liberties, and in consequence, greater risks. For three laps I had a scrap with Mr Fred May in the Green engine boat and eventually got by when it unfortunately blew up in a cloud of smoke.
There were nine boats in for the event and there was some congestion. Luckily, on the good advice of Lionel, I had an electric starter fitted; the only one to do so as it meant carrying a heavy battery. The starter however was invaluable, as with the special five minute watch on the dashboard I could position the boat well behind the line, calculate when to start up
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Only four of us qualified for the final race and the result was that Miss Olga finished second to Woolf Barnato in the Sunbeam engine Ardenrun. Captain George Edward Thomas Eyston MC OBE was a British racing driver in the 1920s and 1930s, and he broke the land speed record three times between 1937 and 1939. He was also an engineer and inventor.
Woolf Barnato in Ardenrun V 1931
Fast On Water is the only not-for-profit organisation in Europe set up to preserve the history of circuit powerboat racing for future generations, and through this, to develop a sustainable future for the sport. We need the support of all those who feel this is a worthwhile endeavour. If you are one of those people, please support us by becoming a ‘Friend’ or by taking out a corporate membership. Email Roy Cooper on fastonwater@live.co.uk
Fast On Water are happy to consider donations of boats, engines, trophies and memorabilia related to circuit powerboat racing, both from the UK and abroad. If you feel you have an item you would like to donate or know of someone who has, please contact us at fastonwater@live.co.uk 18
Berylla II Restoration
John Hill’s Arie de Boom Burgess
Lea Francis 1.5 litre engine in place
Then
And now One of the boats in our collection is what was John Hill’s Arie de Boom Burgess. Alex de Boom, Arie’s son, has offered his support in restoring the boat back to its former glory in memory of John. Both Arie and Alex were racers, taking part in the 1969 and 1970 Paris Six Hour race, and they were close friends with the John and his family. Restoration will start in August and it is planned to have an official unveiling next summer.
Testing for leaks
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75 minute DVD Documentary of the Bristol 25 Anniversary event Narrated by Louise Goodman With with historic clips and onboard footage of Steve Kerton back on the water between those dock walls for the first time in 25 years £10.00 + £2.00 p&p fastonwater@live.co.uk
LMBRC 60th Anniversary Commemorative Medal and Programme Limited Edition of 200 £15.00 + £2.50 p&p fastonwater@live.co.uk
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