©
Editors note Published by Fast On Water Publications 2014 All articles and photographs are copyright
I must offer my apologies for the delay in getting the first edition of the Fast On Water Magazine published. There has been much to do with the charity and along with various other issues the delay has been unavoidable. Many thanks for your patience.
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 Chris Harris Rod Richardson Cover photos Main – Rene Schulz From left to right – Derek Stark, Roy Cooper and Ocean Publications
Contents 4
Bristol 1982
7
London Motor boat Racing Club – A History
10
Sponsons – Ply Vs Composites
11
Thunderbolt III
13
Fast On Water
14
Name the Driver
16
Sponsors
The Embassy Grand Prix – Bristol 1982 It has often been described as the greatest circuit powerboat race ever. Some, not many, may contradict this but if you were there on that weekend of the 5/6th June, 1982 you would probably be in agreement.
As 1982 dawned the ON class had been renamed – not Formula One but Formula Grand Prix and the OZ class became Formula 1, as was right and proper for the leading class in the sport.
By 1982 the ON and OZ camps had gone their separate ways. It hadn’t started like that back in the late 70s, when the two big engine manufacturers were fighting it out for supremacy; OMC with their 3.3 litre, 235hp V8 and Mercury with their 370hp T4. It took some skill to handle a catamaran with that level of power on the back.
There was only one event during the 1982 calendar where the FONDA Formula Grand Prix World Series and the John Player Formula One Series happened over the same weekend. It was the weekend of June 5 and 6 at Bristol, then the premier event of the sport – the Monaco of circuit powerboat racing.
It was in 1980 that the big split came between OMC and Mercury Marine with Mercury deciding to withdraw the T4 and go with the 2 litre class. It was assumed that Outboard Marine Corporation would follow suit but following the last race of the 1980 Canon Trophy Series, OMC announced their intention of producing an even more powerful OZ engine for the 1981 season. A 3.5 litre 400hp V8. The 1981 3.5 litre OZ season was given a tremendous boost when the John Player Special brand, already sponsors of the Lotus Formula One motor racing team, announced a three year contract for sponsorship of the OZ series.
So what made that event so special? Besides the fact that those who were there got to see many of the best powerboat racers in the world through all classes – The John Player World OZ Series; The FONDA World ON Series; The Aspen World OE Championships and the World Monohull Championships, plus rounds of the Formula three and four National Championship. What more could you ask for squeezed into a weekend’s powerboat racing? What more indeed. The final vital ingredient was an American powerboat racer, already the darling of Bristol, having won the Duke of York Trophy a record four times.
In that same year the founder of the Bristol races, Charlie Sheppard, decided along with WD and HO Wills, that the Embassy Grand Prix and the Duke of York Trophy would be contested by the 2 litre ON class with no OZs racing at Bristol. At this point the ON class was renamed Formula One.
Billy Seebold had stayed loyal to Mercury and their desire to limit their racing to the 2 litre class. Only on this particular weekend
Bill was determined to make a point with regard to sticking to a 2 litre maximum for the top class of powerboats. He had decided to compete not only in the FONDA World ON Series but also in the JPS World OZ races. Not for Bill a 3.5 litre OMC but a Mercury bored out to 2005cc, which would allow him to race alongside the unlimited OZs. Bristol was a tight winding circuit, which meant the mighty 3.5 litre boats were not able to get the most from their powerful engines, giving Seebold a degree of an advantage in his more nimble ON rig. Even allowing for this, the exhibition of driving prowess that Seebold gave the spectators over that weekend had them cheering in the aisles. Of course, Bill’s ace mechanic, Leo Molnlyke, played a vital role in getting powerheads swapped in time for each heat. The following piece was kindly put together by Charlie Sheppard’s daughter, Penny. ‘The first of the ‘modern’ powerboat races held in Bristol Docks was in 1972. Sponsored by WD & HO Wills, makers of cigarettes in Bristol for almost a century at that time, it was a real family affair. Dad, Charlie Sheppard, had been building racing powerboats for several years and had been the Cotswold Motor Boat Racing Club’s RYA representative. In that capacity he had attended Union International Motonautique’s assemblies in Brussels to help govern the way the sport was moving and progressing both in Europe and overseas. He was a busy man, running his own fully-functioning boatyard as the day-job as well. How did the Bristol Docks Race become so famous, so exciting, so memorable and so crammed-full of racing? Like all good things it had a massive back-up team, good ambassadors within the Bristol City Council and it was a constantly-evolving format. Dad and his team had always listened to and
responded to the drivers’ concerns and suggestions, the sponsors’ requirements and the media’s requirements. In the early years there had been races for monohulls of every class and catamarans from E class upwards, then the format of which race went where in the programme changed so that the water wasn’t too ‘cut-up’ by the monohulls when the catamarans raced. The media interest brought about the need for the races to be run back-to-back – this created logistical problems for safety cover, fuelling up and craning in and out of the water. Sponsorship deals rested to a great extent on ‘continuous’ racing - not really possible anywhere, certainly not in Bristol Docks – but the nearest we could get was back-to-back races. Sometimes this meant that those boats which had broken down or crashed at the far end of the course – the Cumberland Basin end – had to be left until the end of the next race to be brought back or it would have delayed the next start. We did enjoy the packed programme but it was, as they say, a logistical nightmare with scarcely a moment for refreshment or comfort breaks! More races also meant that the burgeoning Health & Safety lobby insisted that spectators needed to be protected from such things as the unlikely possibility of a catamaran taking off and landing amongst them. There were some very serious incidents which resulted in the injuries and deaths of drivers and safety crew. From each of these the Management Team of the races learned and improved whilst striving to maintain that essential closeness of spectator to sport which had become so very important. There were so many things that were a direct result of the races in Bristol – floating stretchers, improved crash helmet design, spine protection, driver break-away pods, emergency care at several points around any course, safety boat training and recognition for this.
One item that may not be well known is that what became known as ‘good-natured crowd control’ was pioneered by the police and volunteer marshals around Bristol Docks. The racing had become so popular and for all but one year it was totally free to watch – so imagine how difficult it would have been to restrain the crowds surging forward when any kind of incident happened around the docks? Fortunately most of the incidents were injury – free but just one mention on the Public Address system asking the crowds to stay back and let the safety boat crews do their job was all that was needed. The people of Bristol and those who had travelled from further afield enjoyed largely trouble-free spectating for all the years the races were run. One thing needs to be cleared up. It was NOT the fatalities that stopped the Bristol races from continuing to this day. It was mainly a recession – an economic squeeze – lack of sponsorship that sounded the deathknell for the Bristol Races. Our first sponsors, WD and HO Wills, were by government direction not allowed to openly advertise cigarettes or smoking. Subsequent sponsors came and went and all of them gave the racing their very best shot by their provision of funds, expertise in marketing, publicity and hospitality to Bristol’s Dignitaries on the City Council. There was one other, very important factor in the demise of the racing in Bristol Docks. The racing, if you recall, had come about in the first place because Dad didn’t want to see the Floating harbour (Bristol Docks) to be filled in and built on. He achieved this – it is still not filled in and still not built-on. However, directly because of the races so many people looked on the docks in a new light. Here was a large open space with possibilities for year-round water-based activities and leisurely walks, events and even upmarket water-side apartments. The residents, the activities organisers and the many who now lived on the water in houseboats, converted ex naval boats etc
were not keen to be inconvenienced by the noise, disruption and general mayhem that the powerboat races caused. Can you blame them? The very area that had been saved from the bulldozers was now fit and well and could take of itself thanks. We’ll unfortunately never see that kind of event again in Bristol and it’s not likely to be anywhere else either. Dad, at one point, travelled to quite a few places advising on potential powerboat race venues. You may know he instigated the Cardiff races, which were sponsored by GKN. He was obviously involved with the feasibility study for powerboat racing in Catherine’s Docks, London, which was good but a one-year wonder; racing on the river in Dublin, again very good but the Dublin City Elders weren’t impressed enough to make it an annual event; and Dad’s best story was of the feasibility of International powerboat racing in South Africa on one of their lakes. Dad came to the conclusion it was not a good idea racing at that particular venue because the lake was full of piranha fish and the safety boats would need to be replaced with or at least backed-up by a fleet of helicopters with winch-cables at the ready to winch out a driver should he be flipped over as the piranha fish could ‘strip’ him of flesh in 2.5 minutes!’ Mm! Piranhas. Powerboat racing was dangerous enough back then without adding any extra risks.
THE LONDON MOTOR BOAT RACING CLUB (LMBRC) A group of enthusiasts came together back in the fifties to further the sport of hydroplane racing; back then the only form of circuit powerboat racing. Their efforts resulted in the formation of the London Motor Boat Racing Club in 1956. Initially based in Chertsey, Surrey, the club soon found a more suitable body of water in Buckinghamshire and relocated three years later in 1959. Led by its founder and first Commodore, Cyril Benstead, the club went from strength to strength having over 50 active race and ski members by the late 50s. During the latter part of the 1950s and early 1960s the sport began to change with runabout boats crewed by two people and powered by either inboard or outboard engines replacing the traditional hydroplanes. This tended to attract a number of ski boat owners who raced, caught the bug and often progressed into purchasing full blown race craft. Cyril Benstead remained as Commodore from the club's inception until his death in 1963, when his son took over the reins until 1969. Jimmy Baird became the club's third Commodore but only held the post for a single year as he was forced to retire due to ill health. According to club folklore Jimmy was an extremely talented commentator, many believe the best the club ever had. Nestled in a tiny corner of Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, the LMBRC circuit was approached by around half a mile or so of small narrow twisty lanes, lined with trees that produced mountains of conkers in early autumn. Caution had to be taken to negotiate the tiny bridge crossing the river Colne before the final approach to the aptly named ‘Woodlands lake’, and the pit area. This small friendly club enjoyed a relatively rural position. Club events took place on Saturday and many would stay overnight to pursue more leisurely activities on Sunday in the form of Fishing, skiing, swimming and barbeques. An adequate sized clubhouse catered for racers and visitors alike with a
cafeteria run by “big Alf”, and a bar where members did their twenty minute stint to keep the Double Diamond flowing for the evening. An early triumph for the club was to initiate the manufacturer’s trials. These trials allowed boat builders to test their equipment and to receive an exact speed certificate attained over a certified distance. This eliminated many fictitious claims made by the trade itself. The trials proved to be very successful and generated interest from sponsors who presented a trophy for the fastest craft over an endurance time of three hours. The event, known as the Regent Grand Prix, rapidly rose to become one of the most coveted events of the year, climaxing around 1966/67 with a reported 85 boats in attendance for the race. In 1968 the club presented powerboat racing in the form of sprint racing, this captured the imagination of a nationwide audience when it was featured over 4 different events on World of Sport, for the ‘Television Trophy’. The late 1960's also saw the club take steps to introduce a junior class to the sport. This allowed youngsters aged between 11-16 years, both boys and girls, to compete at speeds of around 30mph. Many other clubs across the country soon followed suit, the idea being that this will help to ensure the next generation of UK powerboat drivers. Junior classes still compete to this very day, albeit with several rule changes and the inevitably updated equipment, but the concept is still the same and its continued existence is a fitting tribute to those early pioneers. The icing on the cake is the idea has indeed spawned a number of youngsters coming through the ranks and securing championship titles in various classes on the international stage. With the arrival of the 1970's a new Commodore took the helm in the form of Len Britnell, supported by his wife Edie as Honorary Secretary. This proved to be a formidable partnership, with support from other prominent club members and generous
big name sponsors they set about organising some of the largest events on the international calendar for the next 15 years or so. Len was a former racer himself competing between 1959-1967 under the British Tourist Rules, which Cyril and Peter Benstead drew up and are generally regarded as the forerunner of today's National series. LMBRC ran its first International meeting in May 1973 for catamarans under 1,000 cc and this became a regular event for the Buckinghamshire based club for the next few years. In 1977 the club hosted its first major International championship event in the form of the European SE (850cc) Championship. Over 20 entries from no less than 9 different nations made the journey to compete in what turned out to be a very successful and memorable weekend; there was even time for an impromptu European football tournament between teams after the racing. Later the same year the club held an International meeting on the river Thames in London as part of the official Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations. The event was televised and attended by H.R.H. Princess Margaret who arrived on the Sunday afternoon to officially start the prestigious Jubilee Cup Formula One race. The event turned out to be a huge success and really helped to cement their reputation as one of the leading clubs for organising such high profile events. The following year the club chose The National Watersports Centre in Nottingham as the venue for the European SD Championship. Once again a large entry of craft was attracted from several nations including some very quick Italian and Scandinavian boats. The venue offered superb facilities both on and off the water and the club returned several more times throughout the 1980s to stage large international events there. Despite a dozen club races and a national championship meetings being held each year on LMBRC's home water at Iver, the club were still feeling ambitious and looking for a suitable venue nearer the capital on which to stage a possible round of the Formula One
World Series. The answer came in the form of London's Royal Victoria Dock. A successful trial in November 1982 paved the way for a series of such events to follow over the next few years. The World Series was fully supported by the smaller classes, providing continued action on the water throughout the weekend. With on-shore entertainment such as BMX displays, Parachute display team and classic car shows, the event was portrayed as a festival and proved to be a popular and safe venue with both drivers and spectators alike.
Photo courtesy of Mike Stark On a less serious note, the club organised many fun boating events. In 1972 it devised and organised its first Round London Inflatable Marathon. This event required 2 people to circumnavigate the Northern half of London by canal and River Thames in a small powered inflatable. A lot of fun but also very physical, for most just completing the 2 day race was the main challenge, however there were those who took it a little more seriously and were definitely out there to win. Boat racers, the general public, celebrities and even specialist Royal Marine teams competed giving the event a similar feel to today's annual London marathon. These madcap events went on for a number of years and the club also helped organise similar events in Scotland, the Midlands and the south coast. Involvement in other fun boating activities throughout the community enabled the club to raise over ÂŁ30,000 for numerous charities.
The mid 1980s saw the construction of the London orbital M25 motorway, this caused racing to cease for a while as it literally carved straight through the heart of the once idyllic Buckinghamshire based club. Although racing activities continued alongside the newly built 6 lane highway, for me it never really felt the same. Somehow the magic had gone along with the overnight camping, barbecues and Sunday leisure activities which were once as big a part of the weekend as the racing itself. After Len Britnell's untimely death the club continued to operate into the 1990s under the leadership of long time members such as Bob Blyth. Sadly this wonderful club staged its final meeting at some point during this period closing the curtains on several
decades of some extremely memorable racing. I'm sure there are many former members and racers out there who deeply miss this family orientated club and affectionately remember all those responsible for their efforts in contributing towards the making of many outstanding memories. We here at Fast On Water are unsure of the history of the final years and demise of this once great club, or indeed the actual date of its final event. We'd love to hear from anybody who may have more information to help us fill in the last few pieces of the puzzle and complete our history of the London Motor Boat Racing Club. If you can help, please contact fastonwater@live.co.uk
Rod Richardson
Sponsons – Ply Vs Composite This topic may seem like one that was long ago relinquished to the rubbish bin. But maybe it is one worth revisiting for a variety of reasons. I was recently watching footage from the Champion Spark Plug 1985 F1 Season, which made me consider some of the issues surrounding boat construction, racing skills and safety. It is indisputable that the 1980s showed how crucial it was for some sort of driver protection to be introduced, hence Chris Hodges’ development and introduction of the safety cell. Since then the safety cell has literally become a life saver in the truest sense of the word. With the introduction of composite hulls, drivers can now race, knowing that both they and their craft will remain reasonably unscathed in the type of crashes that would have once possibly proved fatal. Composite hulls also mean that boats that would have been written off in the high speed crashes of earlier years now survive to fight another day. But how does this level of safety affect driver’s attitudes and driving skills?
The type of turn buoy incidents that we now see on a regular basis in the UIM F1 World Series has to be as a direct result of the infallibility drivers now feel behind the wheel of their rigs. Watching the 1985 F1races, where boats were travelling a lot faster and on tighter circuits, with safety cells, shows exactly the point I’m trying to make. Although the front runners are all wanting to get to that first turn buoy before anyone else, when they do reach it there is a degree of common sense, consideration for other drivers and the infinite knowledge that the only thing that can come of a collision is race-ending damage to their boat. To some extent the modern circuit catamaran allows for a degree of sloppy driving and lack of consideration that would have ended in disaster in the pre-composite days. I’m not suggesting that all drivers have this mindset. Possibly it’s not something they even think about, especially if they have never had the experience of driving a plywood hull. From talking to drivers, ex-drivers and boat builders there appears to be a consensus that driving a boat with plywood sponsons gives the driver more feel from the boat and the water that is somewhat lost when racing a composite boat. My personal view is that there should be a return to plywood sponsons, attached to a state of the art composite centre section and cell, in no way reducing driver safety but creating a craft, which needs to be handled with a high degree of respect; both for the craft itself and for the other drivers on the circuit. They would also allow for less costly repairs to be carried out.
No one would want to return to the days of non-existent driver protection. Above: Bob Herring, Bahamas GP, 1978
Hopefully this would increase driving skills and we would see a lot less of that pace boat.
THUNDERBOLT III Third in a series of “Thunderbolts” raced by the late Len Melly, owner of Outboard and Hydroplane Services at Ormskirk and Commodore of the Lancashire Hydroplane Racing Club (LHRC). In this boat Len won the 1957 X Class championship at the final round of that year on Lake Hollingworth near Rochdale. Sadly, of the twenty or so British circuit racing venues of the fifties and sixties, precious few remain and it is difficult to find suitable water for these exciting little hydros. Len’s boats culminated in “Thunderbolt XI” around 1966, after an illustrious racing career. Specification: Length
10’ 1”
Beam
5’ 6”
Type
3 point kneeler hydroplane (B, C or X class depending on motor)
Construction
plywood hull & deck on spruce and ply frames
Original colour Red / white / varnish Original number
288
Built
1956
Builder
unknown, possibly Duckworth of Burnley, Lancs.
Design
E.G.McCrea of North Hatley, Quebec, Canada
Race motor
Heavily modified war surplus Evinrude Storm 1000cc flat four, approx 45 – 50 hp
Present motor
stock 1960 Merc 300 35hp
(The 1000cc Storm qualified for ‘X’ class, probably pushing the boat well over 50mph) Recent History Found in a Darlington garden in 2002, Thunderbolt III was stored by CMBA members before passing to Chris Harris in February 2004. In a sorry state she required complete re-decking and substantial hull repairs, and was launched again on Fritton Lake in July 2004. She was freshened up again in 2009 and ran beautifully at the CMBA early season meeting at Chertsey. With the engine seen here Thunderbolt III runs about 35 – 37mph, but more engine mods are planned! Owner: Chris Harris, Southampton Classic Motor Boat Association www.cmba-uk.com
The Fast On Water website has now been up and running since January 2010. From its initial stages it has developed into an excellent resource for those wanting to reminisce or learn about Circuit Powerboat Racing in its heyday. I cannot give enough thanks to all those who have helped with archive material, reminiscences and advice. The idea of a website dedicated to the history of circuit powerboat racing came after attending the 2009 Nationals at Oulton Broad and the surprise of discovering that there was no online archive covering the history of circuit powerboat racing in the UK. The website has developed rapidly and although there are still a lot of gaps to fill, I am pleased how it has come along since the original concept. This magazine is a direct offshoot of the website and the aim is to produce four issues a year. _____________________________________________________ Our next step was to develop Fast On Water as a non-profit organisation. Set up in January 2013, its aim is to preserve and share the history of the sport and in the process introduce circuit powerboat racing to a new audience. Our bourgeoning collection already boasts 14 boats, numerous outboard engines and a large archive which includes magazines, photographs and documents. We now hold the Charlie Sheppard Archive, the Kevin Desmond Archive and much of what was housed at the old Motor Boat Museum, Basildon. Oulton Broad, Suffolk, has huge significance within the sport: it has been a venue of power boat racing for over 100 years and has been the home of many world champions. We hope to raise enough funds to establish a museum in the Lowestoft/Oulton Broad area of Suffolk to display our historic exhibits, archives and boats, with a view to entertaining and educating people about this fantastic and fast moving sport. We would love to hear from anyone interested in providing time, funds and/or sponsorship for this exciting project and would welcome involvement of organisations as well as individuals. More information can be found on www.fastonwater.co.uk where you can also find out about becoming a member of the charity. So, if you want to learn more about the history of Power Boat Racing in the UK; donate funds, time or exhibits and/or become involved with the work of Fast On Water, please speak with Roy Cooper on 07799673451 or email on fastonwater@live.co.uk
Sponsors – and why they’re so important
Even though circuit powerboat racing can be considered as one of the cheaper forms of motor sport, we all know that it still isn’t what you might call ‘cheap’. So where do you start if you want to take up the sport? You’ve gone to your local club, had a go in the training boat and decide you want to start racing. You can afford to purchase a second-hand boat and engine but you’re going to need some sponsorship to start racing. Or maybe you are already racing but you want to get a more competitive rig or move up a class. So where have all the sponsors gone? If they’ve actually gone anywhere. Motor sport and sponsorship have been intimately linked for long enough to realise that one definitely needs the other, especially at the upper end of the sport. Sponsorship isn’t sat there waiting for you. You have to let prospective sponsors know you are there and what you and your sport can offer them, which would entice them to part with their hardearned cash. Many prospective sponsors haven’t even heard of circuit powerboat racing but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be interested. It’s for the one looking for the money to make the presentation that will impress a sponsor, much like a job interview. So are sponsors hard to find? To some extent you could blame the economic climate, although that doesn’t appear to have affected the motor sports that need a high level of sponsorship. What a sponsor really wants to see is coverage. If he has his product name on the side of your boat, how many people are likely to see it? And what are you, as a driver, willing to do over and above racing the boat?
There are two things a sponsor recognises as positives when they are considering a sponsorship deal: A large spectator base and TV coverage. TV coverage is the deal maker or breaker. The more TV exposure a company can achieve through sponsorship, the greater their financial input, as they can see a financial saving over TV or media advertising. Some in the sport consider sponsorship a dirty word. They see their control of what they do compromised by the requirements of any sponsorship deal – from corporate clothing to when and where your sponsors want you to appear, on and off the water. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, so there has to be a degree of give and take between team and sponsor. Prospective sponsors have to be wooed and wowed. If circuit powerboat racing does not create that feeling, then I don’t know what sport does.
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