POWERBOAT RACE - Powerboat Archive

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POWERBOAT RACE

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Telstar cztties Tommy Sopwith and Charles de Selincourt past Portland Bill into Lyrne Bay where they in fact won the race by guts and good n
". .:
SOPWITH STEALSTH
Surfur,t (Qharles and Jirntny Gardner) nursing one engine won their
battle of giants with Magnum Tornado only to loose the race and come
second,
Geolfrey Simpson
Photo fu
Chief scrutineer Tony Needell (left) consults with two of his assistants,
Alan Exley and Terry Herring.
Photo b2 Desmond O'Neill
28 YACHTSMAN, OCTOBER, 1968

Pholo by AIike Peters
tHow
pbell, Brian Hendicott behind, looks out
power house of .Nlelodrama. He finished 7th
tly Outboard) . Ph.oto hy Desmond O'Neill
The factor which rnakes the 6 Daily Express t Powerboat Race
the greatest in the world is the cornplete unpredictability of
the favourite British talking point-the weather. Last year
r srnooth waters put the winnerts average speed up to 53 rn.p.h.
This Septernber a Force 5/6 South-Westerly put paid to beating
that 1967 record run. But speed is not everything. Strength,
reliability and seaworthiness allied to driving skill count for
lllore.
It was these qualities that won the most
exciting race in an eight-year history {br
Tommy Sopwith and co-driver Charles de
Selincourt in their z5 fl. Telstar. This boat
was designed by Don Shead, built by Souters
of Cowes and powered by a 6oo h.p. Daytona
Scarab. The victory was the rrrore deserved for
its unexpectedness.
The day before " the off " saw Cowes a hub
of powered activity as competitors made last
minute checks and reDlacements or entcrel sad
withdrawals when pre-race damage couldnotbe
made sood in time. In the case of Delta
Tornado one engine was virtually rebuilt to
get her to the line-for Burlinetta months of
work came to nothing for want of a water
pump'
Friday was scrutineering day as well, with
white overalled figures clambering over craft
in zealous fashion, checking and rechecking
to ensure that each entrant would so to the
start fit lor the risours ahead. There is no
doubt that they did their job well but there
does seem to be a bodv of ooinion that feels
that a few scrurineers .ppro^ih rheir duties in
the wrong way. Some appear to take pleasure
in trying to throw boats out, rather than
adopting a less dictatorial attitude and conducting
their duties with a more helpful
approach. Criticisms were strongest from the
Class III continsent whose boats fit the OP.II
rules but werJ heard to be described as
'overgrown runabouts'" Perhaps this senior
scrutineer was forgetting that these boats prove
their race worthiness over fifteen times a year
under all but the worst oflshore conditions and
that their drivers and crew have a Eood deal
more racing experience than many of the
Express race entrants who only race once of
twice a year. Can we hope for more benign
and less biased attitudes in the future ?
Saturday dawned with 55 boats ready for the
fruy. The predicted forecast of a Force 5/6
South to South Westerly proved uncomfortably
correct but the mild chop and the bright sun
of the Solent must have quietened some of the
lurkirrg apprchension. On the stroke of tooo
H.M.S. Braae Bordcrel swept round Egypt
Point with the snarling pack snapping at her
transom, engines growling. The gun roared,
the flags dropped and the growl changed to a
roar as throttles were punched open and boats
leaped forward rolling and slamming in the
churning water. They were off, with z3o miles
of open sea (rg8.3 nauticai) ahead of them
and a new course to cover brought them back
across L)'rne Bay to finish at Coi,es. From the
blanket of spray three boats appeared to take
up the running on the short leg down to
Southsea-Szrrfur1 h the middle flanked by
Magnum Tornado and Telstar, close in to Old
Castle Point, wit}r Ultimatui'z in fourth place
leading over 25.ooo horse power st raining in
hot pursuit. But before the leaders reached
their first turning mark boats were already
falling by the wayside . Be&itchedhad a shifting
fuel tank, Kitten Kat and Sea Furyt both sheared
prop shafts, other boats out were Wicked Lady
and Tornado-five out in five miles.
At the Southsea mark the two favourites
were neck and neck with Balestrieri's Tornado
sweeping round just ahead of the Gardner's
Surfurl, tracked by Bill Shand Kydd's
Ultimatum. Soowith's Telstar and Rikki Gardner
in Delta a minute behind. The two leaders
were setting a scorching pace, 58 m.p.h' over
the first eight miles, and the battle of giants
began as they probed each other like gladiators.
As the two specks tore back to Cowes Tornado
held a minimal lead, but as these two
immensely powerful machines slashed past
Cowes. Roads SrrrrfirT surged lbrward with
majestic ease lo a roar from the crowds
thronging the promenade. Was Surfuryt pIa'1ing
the same cat and mouse same she had on the
Wills Troohv a few weekJ earlier ? Could she
still have ihat speed advantage after Balestrieri
had fitted tw-o still bigger engines ? Who
could say then, but it was obviously going to
be one hell of a race. Behind these two there
was a fine scrap going on with Delta, just ahead
of Telstar, just ahead of (Jltimatum, and all
averaging over 50 m.p.h, Two minutes astern
came the Italian Partenocraft 40 driven by
Giovanno Lattero-keen followers of the sport
will remember her as the white Delta Slnthesis
which finished second last year. In her new
colours of brilliant scarlet she aeain demonstrated
her high flying antics *[ich did not
augur well for the rough water expected once
clear of the Needles. Next came Mike
Campbell's Melodrama, crewed this time by
Brian Hendicott as co-owner Guy Renwick
had been hospitalised after a shooting accident
only days before the race. As the first outboard
past she raised a special cheer with a high
averase speed of 4j r'1.p.h. IIot on her heels
came Maltese Magnum, skippered by John
Kennerley, U.F.O. and Delta Tornado,
Balestrieri's second boat, all going well and at
this stage only four minutes behind the leaders.
Ail the speedsters were still very much in the
fight. Lying in rrth spot came the first of
those ' overgrown runabouts ', Lady Arran's
Badger, being breathed on very heavily by
Gee-a question of David being chased by
Goliath. Sandwichins Gee was another of Don
Shead's designs more normally seen in Class III
company, Fred Shaw's Red AlLigator, and on
they came, the race boats, the fast cruisers and
finally the underpowered Russian built hydrofoil.
Meanwhile the flyers in the van were getting
their first taste of the discomfort to come as they
hit the rough stuff irr the llurst Narrows,
whipped up by that force 5 Westerly. Speeds
dropped drastically but the order amongst the
Ieaders remained much the sarne. Surfur2 still
had the running ftorn Tornado with only a few
seconds between them, and it seemed that this
tactical battle had its twin between third and
fourth boats, Delta ard Telstar, with Ultimatum
hanging on grimly. But it was on this Hurst
to Anvil Point leg that the race began to take
its real toll. Out went the sole French entry
Seabird Stiletto, an American designed boat
with three rz5 Mercuries on her transom that
constituted Melodrama's main threat to the
outboard prize. OwnerJean Besnard rnanaged
to struggle into Yarmouth, his mount gunwhale
deep in water after a hole had been
punched in her hull. Out went Paddy
YACHTSMAN. OCTOBER. 1968

$OPWITH
$TEALS
THE $HOW
.ffi
Uffa Fox talks to crack Arnerican designer and 1966 winner Jirn Wynne, rnost popular tnen
in Powerboats. Alongside, Jim's wife.
Photo b1t Desmond O'Neil
The Man who Started it All, Sir Max Aitken
during scrutineering of his fifth finishing
Gjtpsl Girl.
Photo fur De.rmond O'Neill
...ry- ru --
New World Offshore Driverts Charnpion
V, Balestrieri and owner Don Pruett tooh
Magnum Tornado to the very brink of endurance
-.._and over. Tornado sanrk in Lvme Bav.
Photo b1 Geffi$ ,limpson
ir,::,;:': l ' :: '::'' '':
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Sir Max Aitken's Ray Hunt designed Gltps.y Girl rode straight and level in the Narrows.
behind the flon. E. Greenall's Gse.
lShe finished fifth and garned znd Diesel Prize
Photo b1 Beken
30 YACHTSMAN. OCTOBER, 1968

NfcKiernan's Missus Smith, a Dell Quay Ranger
which returned to Cowes under her own steam.
Also on the retirement list by this time were
Viaa Tridante, Rebel rB, Thunderfish, Tolstar,
H2droski, Venus and Meteor, the brave South
African entry. Amongst those who headed
for Christchurch were Badger, Scaaenger (frfth
last year), Red Alligator and Robin Bateman's
Screudriuer-ail small boats. Ali four drivers
showed their seasense by turning for home when
thines became too much. It is a tribute to the
strength of these boats that oriy Badger
suffered any damage and that was a cracked
spray rail-hardly surprising when you are
battling through rvaves twice or even three
times the height of your craft.
From now on the race bccame more of a
dour struggle as the boats slammed their way
westwards lnto steep head seas. Although the
early leaders held on grimly the pattern of the
race changed somew{at with the big diesels,
Gee and Sir Max Aitken's Gips-y Girl, hauling
their w'ay up through the field aided by
further droo-outs and their sheer size and
power. Pasi Yarmouth Gee was not in the first
twenty-at Portland Bill she was fourth, the
position she held to the finish. The old adage
ihat you can't beat size in the rough seemed
to be coming true particularly as Steve
Macey's Spiril of Ecstaslt, the biggest boat in
the race began her move through the fleet.
Past Poole ancl Anvil Point they thundered,
Surfury showing Tornado the way to Portland Bill
where the seas were as vicious as an1'r,vhere on
the course with B ft. seas, only 20 ft. between
wave crests, and no respite inside the Race.
But they didn't falter, although Tornado spen[
most ol her time semi vertical-an agonrslng
sight compared to the much more comfortable
Surfury.
As they headed out into the dreaded Lyme
Bay, their speeds now down to 35 m.p.h., the
Gardners let Balestrieri throush to take the
worst pounding: more and mori racers behind
them were finding the going too lough'
L'llimatum had had"enouelr.- Oito was lorced
out with damaged machinery. ultro Violet split
open her fuei tanks arrd 'Maltese Magnum's
eihaust manifolds tore loose. Heatwaue ducked
into Lulworth Cove. The order behind
Tornado and Surfury was now Telstar, fotr
minutes behind but eisht minutes and more
ahead of Gee, Gipsl Girl, LI.F.O., Delta Tornado,
-\|elodramo. Spirlt of Ecslasl, Seasfral, the Ford
engined Fairey Hrintsnran'. and 1ra-Fo* leading
a contingent of cruising boats, who may not
be all that fast but were certainly proving
that they were built to survive.
But Lyme Bay was to claim yet another
victim. Tornado's P bracket tore away from
the hull and the boat began to filI rapidly
forcine Balestrieri and co-driver Don Pruett
to take to their liferaft. The Gardner's thinking
that Tornado had stopped with engine trouble,
shot past into her short lived lead, for while
they nursed their four-year-old boat through
the mountainous sea, Tommy Sopwith, using
seamanship and prepared strategy, was tearing
around the coast in less vicious conditions.
Telstar responded like the thoroughbred she is
and although she had to travel an extra I4
miles, by Torquay she was five minutes ahead.
Sopwith's pit signals told him the tremendous
news and with their tails high, he and his
navisator set off for home on a more direct
courie. With Tornado sadly out of the race no
doubt the Gardner's thought that victory was
theirs despite the aft engine being down on
power. No doubt they spared their machinc
on the run back and it will be arsued for
manv months that if thev had known there was
a boat ahead of them they would have put
the pressure on and won for the second year
Tha Man who Won, Tomrny Sopwith (Ieft) and the rnan who Started the 8th Race, Adrniral
Sir John Frewer, C. in C. Portsmouth.
Photo bv Desmond O'Neill
";; 1;:';:it",r'"' :;::''!';"' .''
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Another finisher was B. R. Jelley's Oh-Oh-Sex but she was disqualified for failing to keep tninimum
speed to Portland on the way out. Ilere she slarns past Hurst.
Photo b1t Beken
Tirn Powell and Norrnan Barclay in tl.F.O. (rz3) diced with John Kennerly's Maltese Magnum
and rnade up trerrrendous ground in the later stages to corrre third.
Photo b1t Beken
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YACHTSMAN, OCTOBER, 1968 3I

$0PWlTll
$TEAtS
THE SHOW
.\leLeor II (K. R. Stephensl was the first South
African boat ever to enter the Race. She
went well to reach Yarmouth outward
bound in rsth slot but packed up with carburettor-itis.
Photq bt) lleken
Left to right, vanquished and victor of a farnous private duel.
Balestrieri sank, and Charles Gardner later lost the race, corning znd.
Photo b-y Desmond A'Neill
Delta Tornado driven by Comnandant Petroni was the first and only
foreign entry to finish. Engined by two Mercruisers totalling 9oo h.p.
he averaged e8| rn.p"h,
Photo fut Beken
in a row. Personally, I think it is unlikely. At
the finish Telstar, a boat that is I r ft. shorter
and with halfthe power ofher rival opened up
her lead to r r rninutes bv the finish in downhill
conditions which, accordin.g to the experts,
would prove her undoing. No, rather than try
to find excuses, Iet's give credit where credit
is due-Izlstar is an exceptional racing boat
which was briliian.tly driven and navisated to
nothing short of a grcat victory. A victory that
deserved the Roscian welcome it reccived as
she hurtled throueh the Needles down Solent
to the finish line and the comparative calm off
Cowes. The armada that swarmed around the
winner's berth r'r'as the true indication of the
admiration for a job well done.
'Nith Surfurl an assured, and as pace boat for
much of the race, a deserved second, it was a
matter of coniecture which would be the salt
stained warrior to filI the third berth on the
winner's barge. To some surprise it was another
outsider, U.F.O., owned and driven by Tim
Powell and Norman Barclay of Tranontana
fame. Four minutes behind at Torquay thev
closed the gap to two minutes after a rough
passage on which the oil feed tank tore loose
fracturing a main frame and breaking crelvman
Paddy Hopkirk's big toe. After them,
but quite a way behind came the heavy
machinery w'rth Gee Ieading Gipslt Qivl 2r.7
SPirit 0f Ecstasl. To complete designer Don
Shead's success Melodrama finished seventh.
dcspite damaged propcllers which effectively
cut out one engine for the long haul back from
Torquay. I hear that the " Melo " is now on
the market as her co-owners are planning a
new boat for next season-outboards asain.
Sea:pruy and Seafnx t.hen crosscd the line ahcad
of the Italian Delta Tornado, which was in a
pretty sorry state r,vith split deck and hull.
The rest of the diesel cngined cruisers bravely
kept coming up until B p.*., four hours after
Telstar. In aII z3 completed th.e course but
of these the last five were disoualified for
exceedinq lhe set time limits at Portlend Bill.
Whether they won prizes or not, all those
who took oart in this race can. have the
pleasure, in retrospect, that they competed in
one of the most rugged races ever held. If
any lessons are to be learnt thev are that narrow
fine bowed boats can cope with extreme
downrvind conditions and that structurai hull
f,ailures are now becoming very rare. So design
and construction are well advanced giving
untold b,:nefits to future senerations of motor
boal enrItusiast'. .JoHI.r Itrvrw,;.
Fl NISHI NG ORDER (all boats British
unless otherwise stated).
l. felstor, owned and driven by T. E. B. Sopwith.
5 hr. 59 min. 54 sec. Speed,38 m.p.h.
2. Surfury, owned and driven by C. E. and R. E.
Gardner. 6 hr. ll min. 37 m.o.h.
3. U.F.O., owned and driven by T. Powell and N.
Barclay. 6 hr. l3 min. 36j m.p.h.
4. Gee, owned and driven bv E" G. Greenall.
6 hr.27 min. 35 m.o.h.
5. Gypsy Cirl, owned and driven by Sir Max
Aitken. 6 hr. 42 min. 34 m.o.h.
6. Spirit of Ecstosy, owned and driven by S. C.
Vacey. 7 hr. l6 min. 3l{ m.p.h.
7. Melodrama, owned by G. P. Renwick and
M. D. C. C. Campbell, driven by M. D. C. C.
Carnpbell, 7 hr.40 min. 30 m.p.h.
YACHTSMAN. OCTOBER, 1968

The Foreigner
who Finishedright,
Commandant
Attilio Petroni
with co-driver Antonio
Guidi drove
Delta Tornado to
roth.
Photo by D. O'Neill
The Countess of
.drran drove her
Shead designed
Badser in rnost
courageous fashion
lying r2th at
Yarmouth. Later
retired.
Photo fut D. O'Neill
0utwardcourse+
leturn course
--+--
The Girl who Finished-zr-year-old model
frorn Chislehurst took the Fairey zB Flower
Power home to r5th *r"";o:;tr";j;;;)3"*ni
8. Seosproy, owned and driven by John A.
Freeman. 7 hr. 46 min. 29 m.o.h.
9. Seo Fox, owned and driven by'A. V. Burnard.
7 hr.55 min. 28{ m.p.h.
10. Delto Tornado (ltaly), owned by V. Balestrieri,
I driven by A. Petroni, 7 hr. 55 min. 28{ m.p.h.
ll. Brood Jumper, owned by P. J. B. Goddard,
driven by K. B. Raybould. 8 hr. 6 min. 28
m.o.h.
12. Finondondy, owned and driven by A. S. Bolton.
8 hr.3l min. 27 m.o.h.
13. Foirey Huntsman, owned by L. S. Dawkins,
driven by C. Currey. I hr. 44 min. 26 m.p.h.
ll4. Trident, owned and driven by J. W. Robertson.
I hr. 53 min. 25{ m.p.h.
15. Flower Power, owned and driven by Miss Penny
Carter. t hr. 25 m.p.h.
16" SandpiperTooofltchenor, owned and driven by
E. Lacey-Hulbert. t hr. l9 min. 24{ m.p.h.
17. Horotio, owned and driven by Commander
Peter Thorneycroft. t hr. 29 min. 24 m.p.h.
18. Michelle S., owned and driven by C. Galliford.
t hr.39 min. 23{ m.p.h.
Disqualified boats that finished the course:
Firecrocker, Fiducio, lockie 5., Moid Fost, Oh Oh Sex.
Retired before Southsea: Wicked LadY, Sea
Furv, Kitten Kot lll, Bewitched, Tornado, Portenocroft
2sl(ltaly).
Retired before Cowesz Nimrod.
Retired before Yarmouth: Vivo Tridante,
Rebe/ lB, lust Dondy, Thunderfish, Tolstar, Venus.
Retired before Anvil Point (Durlston
Head): Seobird Stiletto (France), Bodger lV, rllissus
Smith, Poper Tiger, Hydroski l, Meteor /l (S. Africa)
Portenocroft 4A (ltaly), Scavenger, Ultro Violet"
Retired before Portland Bill: Red Alligator,
Moltese Mognum ll, Delta, Heotwove, Seo Hunter,
Screwd river, U ltimotum.
Retired before Torquayz Magnum Tornado
(sunk), Tremor, Foirey Huntress.
AND THE PRIZES:-
Beaverbrook Challenge Trophy and f1,000 for
overall winner; fl00 and Leeds Trophy for first
boat past Torquay; the Miami-Nassau race prize,
the Bahamas Trophy and Restricted Class ll prize;
the Motorboat and Yachting Award and fl00 (€25
for co-driver)-all won by Telstor.
Butlin Trophy and {500 for second overall-
Surfury.
Lombard Trophy and f 100 for third overall-
U,F.O.
Perkins Engines Trophy and f500 for best allrounder-FoireY
Huntsman.
All-British Prize, the S.B.B.N.F. Trophy and f500,
lnternational Boat Show Award for Concours
d'Elegance, Class l-won by Spirit of Ecstosy.
Visitors'Prize, the Cowes Town Cup and {25
-Delto Tornodo.
Unlimited Diesel Prize, the Cowes Trophy and
f | 50-Gee.
The Restricted Diesel Prize, f | 00 and King
George's Fund for Sailors Trophy, and the Fuel
Economy Prize, the Cutty Sark Cup and {100-
Seo Fox.
Index of Performance Prize, fl00 and the
Needel I Trophy-Seosproy.
Production Class A Prize, fl00 and the Royal
Yacht Sq uad ron Trophy-Fino ndandy.
Production Class B Prize, fl00 and the Royal
Motor Yacht Trophy and the S.B.B.N.F. Awird
for Concours d'Elegance Class ll-Sondpiper Too of
Itchenor.
Production Class C Prize, fl00 and the Royal
Torbay Yacht Club Trophy and the M.E.M.A. Cup
for the Lowest Powered Finisher-Trident.
Team award, Triplex Trophy and fl00-to
Offshore Powerboat Club entries Surfury, U.F.O.
and 6ee.
The Johnson Trophy and €100 for lst Outboard
-Melodromo. Ladies'Prize, the Boat'68 Awa'rd of fl00-
Flower Power.
S.B.B.N.F. Gold Medal for Ist British hull-
Wilf Souter. builder c'f lelstor.
YACI{TSMAN, OCTOBER. 1968 33

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NOT so long ago in that Epic August there
were 'happenings' at Cowes. Indeed there
were two in that month. There was Cowes
Week-exclusively Sail. Then there was the
Dailv Express International Offshore Powerboat'Raci-exclusively
Power. The Mecca of
Yachting becomes just that" Cowes is nowadavs
as much a port of Power as it is of Sail
and co-existence is the order of the day. All
of which is a Good Thing and follows the line
Bis
Power
and
little
put forward at past Royal Yachting Association
AGMs by that organisation's August President.
If these two opposite ends of the Sport can
manage in a degree to live together it seems a
pity that Power can't live with Power.
The fighting fleas of Class III are not at all
popular with offshore power-boat race organisers,
officials and bigger competitors, whose
official ooint of view is that the said fleas are
not fit for offshore work. Well, it's a point of
view-thoueh a less christian fellow than
myself miglit wonder if a chap who builds a
boat for dzo,ooo realiy likes being beaten to
the grary by the chap who paid dz,ooo.
However it was distressing to hear from a
High Altitude in the Organisation this Party
Line so venomously expressed. " Overgrown
runabouts ", was the phrase used to me-and
not to me alone. Bad weather was beseeched
of the Almighty " so that we can get rid of
these horrid little boats ". There were some
macabre little jokes about the extra distance
perhaps causing fuelling problems among the
small boys.
Come, come. A more relaxed view must be
taken of things than this-and such opinions
are best expressed in private" The remedy is
in the Organisation's hands. I think it was
lack Kniehts who suggested that if small
io-out.n i,., ,-rot desire"d the course should be
aite;d to pus outside the Shambles Light
Vessel out at sea off Weymouth Bay three
miles East of Portland Bill.
But not these prayers for bad weather.
That's bad talk.
YACHTSMAN, OCTOBER, 1968 1I