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Published by Fast On Water Publications 2016 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 Steve Pinson Jack Moore The Tatler magazine Roy Cooper Cover photo Cees van der Velden Benson and hedges sponsored F1 V8
Editors note I don’t know about you but I’m still looking forward to summer! It will probably end up being three days in September, if we’re lucky. Unfortunately our trip to Ireland for the Venture Cup is not happening as the event has been cancelled. Definitely not good for the sport when this happens. Luckily we hadn’t booked ferries or hotels.
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Powerboat Stuntmen
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Castrol Racing Bulletin 1997
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Chasewater British Championships June 1965
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Steve Curtis article from 1999. Ros Nott and Ray Bulman
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Group Shots – Spot the faces
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London Hydroplane Challenge Trophy, Liitleton Lake, 1957
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Fast On Water update
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James Beard Circuit Cats part 2
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The above photo shows the Johnson ‘Super Stingers’ stunt team. Formed in the early 1970s, the photo is of their successful attempt at the biggest Fire Jump ever undertaken at Cypress Gardens, Florida. Malcolm Pope may well have been the first person to jump an outboard powered boat in the 1927 Palatka Boat Race. He was racing a Class D hydro constructed in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was leading the race when he noticed a large log floating in the water just ahead. Not willing to ease off the gas, he continued; hitting the log, which launched his boat into the air before it slammed back down. He had already claimed the world’s
speed boat record at 32.3 mph with a 16hp engine. Having discovered a new talent for him and his boat, he wanted to make some more jumps. On returning to Winter Haven, Dick, Malcolm’s brother, constructed an inline ramp for Malcolm to practice on. At this point it is time to speak a little about Richard Downing Pope Jnr, better known as Dick. Also known as the Swami of the Swamp as it was Dick who had the vision to acquire a parcel of land that was little more than a swamp, which became Cypress Gardens, Florida.
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Pope used his cunning business mind, combined with a little luck, to make the whole production come off beautifully. The idea to build a botanical garden for tourists came to Pope during a rough patch in his life. In the 1910s and 1920s, he and his brother Malcolm had been heavily involved in aquatic stunts and boat racing, as well as developing promotions for outboard motor companies like Johnson Motors. Dick Pope’s motto was ‘think big about everything.’ As the Great Depression took hold, however, demand for his services dropped, and Pope found himself looking for other projects. He was riding with his wife Julie in their car one day when a magazine article caught his eye. A man in Charleston, South Carolina had built up an impressive set of gardens on his estate, and had had success getting tourists to pay a small admission charge to visit. Dick Pope decided he could do something similar in Winter Haven, Florida, where he had spent much of his childhood and teenage years. The planting process was begun with the help of gardener Vernon Rutter of Tennessee. Julie Pope was heavily involved as well, as her husband admitted that he ‘didn’t know an azalea from a carrot’ in those early days. Pope also enlisted the assistance of photographer Robert Dahlgren to ensure that the gardens were laid out in such a way that no matter which direction a camera was pointed, the
photograph it captured would be appealing. Cypress Gardens officially opened on January 24, 1935. Pope pulled every string in his arsenal of connections to get photographs of the gardens placed in newspapers and magazines across the country. He even managed to get the new attraction featured in several films, which added to the publicity. He invited beauty queens, movie stars, aquatic stunt performers – anyone who might draw attention to Cypress Gardens. Over time, the gardens would host a wide array of distinguished guests, including Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, President John F. Kennedy, and King Hussein of Jordan. Even the Shah of Iran came once to water-ski on the lake. Asked about the honour of hosting the Shah, Pope quipped, ‘There’s no business like Shah business.’ Back to the ‘jump’ business. The practice ramp was made of wood and measured 15 feet in length and 5 feet wide. The Popes then contracted the Century Cyclone Boat Company and gave them the plans for a boat to be named Baby Winter Haven. When the boat had been completed, Malcolm began his in boat jumping. Soon he was ready for exhibitions and proceeded with shows at Cypress Gardens, which featured his ‘flying boat’. Malcolm’s most spectacular jump was made during a race on Lake Wales, Florida, when he jumped over a dock, sending the boat 10 feet in the air and landing some 50 feet further on. 3
Unfortunately the hull wasn’t up to the task and split.
shorter, more location-specific trips cut into the attraction’s market share.
Cypress Gardens remained successful in the coming years, although changes in tourism and demographics began taking their toll by the early 1970s. Gas prices and shortages, the arrival of larger parks like Walt Disney World, and the tendency of families to make
Dick Pope and his son, Dick Pope, Jr., tried to adjust to meet the challenge, but found it impossible to catch up. The attraction changed hands several times before finally closing in 2009. The gardens themselves have been preserved as part of a new attraction called Legoland.
Cypress Gardens Water-skiers 1970
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Esther Williams in Easy to Love 1953. Filmed at Cypress Gardens.
Female boat racer, stunt pilot and land speed record holder, Betty Erde, leaps one of the latest Chevrolet convertibles. 1950
Malcolm Pope in Baby Winter Haven III
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Group Shots Can you put a name to the faces?
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The Fast On Water collection continues to grow as we have now taken ownership of the Outboard Collection, which was originally housed at the Motor Boat Museum, Basildon. Along with the Bert Savidge Collection the 119 engines in the Outboard Collection had been stored at the 1960s Cold War Bunker near Salcombe, Devon. Unfortunately, due to the attitude of the present owner of the bunker, it has taken 12 months and the involvement of a solicitor to be allowed to remove both of these collections. A very big thank you to all those who turned up to help get the 119 engines out of the bunker’s basement and on to the lorries. Many thanks also to Barbara Kaye for supplying tea, coffee and cakes to keep us all going. The Collection includes a rare 1930s Soriano Outboard and a marinised Triumph motorcycle engine outboard.
Restoration on the aluminium hydroplane, Berylla II will begin in the next couple of months and will take in the region of 12 months to complete. Restoration will include the fitting of a Lea Francis 1.5 litre engine, which is the type that was in the boat prior to it coming to Fast On water. As you may know, the Venture Cup event, which was to be held in Ireland, and which we were going to attend, has been cancelled. Reserve a space in your diary for October 22nd! This year is the 60th Anniversary of the formation of the London Motor Boat racing Club. Fast On Water will be honouring the club and what it achieved for developing circuit racing’s popularity during the 60s, 70s and 80s. The event will also commemorate the work of Cyril and Peter Benstead and Len and Edie Britnell for their part in bringing the sport to a wider audience.
Antelope 1, the Jacoby hydroplane raced by Bert Savidge at the LOBMBC in the late 1940s. Part of the Bert Savidge Collection, kindly donated to Fast On Water by John Savidge.
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James Beard Circuit Catamaran Designer Extraordinaire Part 2. Text: Steve Pinson. Photos: Graham Stevens.
1973. This 17 ft Cougar, driven by James Beard and Clive Curtis, took part in the Paris six hour race.
1973. Alf Bullen, Bristol. OMC Brugge factory driver in his Cougar with a 99 cu in V4 Johnson.
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1973. Peter Thorneywork. Also an OMC Brugge factory driver, with an Evinrude 99 cu in V4 on the back.
1973. James Beard racing the one-off James Latham Special at Bristol. This boat was unique in that the moulded seat base the driver sat in dropped down 5 inches into the tunnel to seat the driver much lower. If I had the money in 1973 to buy a new Cougar, this would have been my choice. It ran the 99 cu in V4 Evinrude. At this time James was also an OMC Brugge factory driver. Part 3 will be in Issue 10, due out end of September 18
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That’s the way to do it...
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