SLASS ilt - Powerboat Archive

40 MOTOR BOAT AND YACHTING
SLASS ilt
Motor Boat and Yachting
D BIVERS' CHAMPI O IIISHIPS
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Pwllheli race cancelled
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Last round to be in the Solent
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was to have been the last of the
Y Y National Class IU Drivers'
Championship races at Pwllheli ended in
something of an anti-climax when the wind
blew the event off the calendar. It was
a source of some disappointment to the
drivers, who had spent the best part ol
Saturday in towing their crait round
Birmingham and up through the Welsh
mountains, to take part in the Welsh 100
organised by the Marina Boat Club at
Pwllheli. The journey is one of the most
arduous if one of the most scenic which
powerboat drivers have to make in pursuit
of their sport. Saturday, set aside lor
scrutineering, passed in a blaze of sunshine
with the faintest of breezes to ruffle the
water's surface. On Saturday morning your
correspondent woke up in the mountains to
the rattle of rain on the slate roof, but with
the continued absence of any wind it seemed
certain that the Welsh 100 could be run as
scheduled. The capriciousness of mountain
weather sunk home, however, when it turned
out that a force 5 wind was stiffening up
twelve miles away at Pwllheli.
In the hope of running a shortened
course, the competitors made a foray out of
the harbour to mill around the start line.
Aboard the start boat it became apparent
that the conditions were too rough. With
only four rescue craft in circulation the
organizers felt justifiably cagey about allowing
the race to start. When news came that
the Portmadoc rescue boat was the victim of
steering trouble the final decision for cancellation
was made. There was some talk of
postponing the race until the following
weekend, with facilities being allowed for
competitors to leave their boats at the
Marina Boat Club for the week. However,
with the distance of the journey combined
with the proximity of the Paris 6 hours
circuit race and the clash of a basic race to
be run at Whitby, it seemed more sensible
to cancel the race for this season.
The cancellation of the race produced a
major problem concerning the National
Driver's Championship, sponsored by Motor
Boat and Yachting and organised by the
R.Y.A. The cancellation also produced one
thought worth considering before next year's
Class III calendar is drawn up. To deal with
the latter first: it seems unnecessary that the
Welsh 100, which is after all one of the
season's principal races, should be held
consistently at the end of the year. In the
early autumn it is very much of a toss up
whether the conditions will render the running
of a race at all possible. Consequently it

October 6. 1967
141
seems tough on the drivers that they should
be called upon to trail their craft through
mountain and dale, on the off chance that
there might be a race at the end of the
journey. True there is always this element
of risk in the sport, but the risk is greater
by the end of September. Similarly, it is
tough on the worthy Marina Boat Club to
have their splendid preparation and effort
exposed to the same danger. The dice seems
to be loaded against them. It would be
fairer if the Welsh 100 could be held earlier
in the season next year. The season's last
race is usually the most likely to be lost
because of the weather and to be fair each
of the eight major races should have a taste
of the hot seat. Thus each race would close
the season once every eight years. This might
not be practicable but it would be fair on
the organising clubs. At any rate some form
of improvement could be made on the present
system.
Even with the announcement of a
substitute race in the Solent on October 15
(See Ashore and Afloat,p.46) itlooks almost
certain that Frank Jutton will be this year's
champion. Only if James Beard wins the
Solent race and Frank does not finish
could we see a tie.
Looking back on the season, it seems to
have been a most successful year for the
sport. The weather conditions proved lenient
for all the championship races excepting the
frrst and the last, perhaps next year the
Putney to Calais runners will actually run
as far as Calais. It has been most encouraging
to view the consistently high rate of
entry at each race, with about twenty-five
hardened crews chasing the championship
around the coast. On occasion a good
turnout of the local boyos has boosted the
field to over thirty starters.
Highly Competitive
It seems that the championship itself has
followed the course plotted for it, with an
encouraging victory going to the smallest
and least expensive class, Class A. At the
same time it has been shown that the system
does not necessarily favour that class to the
exclusion of others, with a Class C driver
taking second position and a Class E man
coming in third. Although it always looked
as if Frank Jutton would win in the end,
this did not reflect on any lack of competition
in Class A, as in race after race Frank
fought it out in the class with L. Warrrer at
the wheel olanother fast boat, "The Lawless
One". In Class E, Keith Horseman was
unlucky not to notch up a higher score and
but for the appearance of Mike Headford
with "Bewitched", during the latter half of
the season, Keith could have won the
championship against all prophecy from
the pundits that the highly competitive
Class E would not take the prize. Similarly,
James Beard's consistent performance was
shaken by the teething problems encountered
on a new Johnson G.T. outboard
fitted to "Volare".
Undoubtedly Frank Jutton's success relies
heavily on the efficient running of his
equipment. There is little more to be said
about Mercury outboard engines other than
to list this, their latest success in small boat
racing. Frank's boats, "Merlin" and later
"Merlin II", were developed by Kelvins
Accessories. This has been a triumphant
year for Kelvins, whose craft have established
themselves aflter a promising appearance
last season. Their success has not
been confined to Class A, for Mike Headford's
"Bewitched" became a powerful
contender in Class E during the season and
Ted Daley's "Kelvin Sorcerer" clearly led
Class B. With Levi designed Merryfield
hulls leading Classes E and C it will be
interesting to see what the other builders,
Tremlett and Glastron to name two, are
going to produce next season.
Outboard Year
As far as engines go it proved to be yet
another outboard year. The one bright speck
on the inboard horizon loomed wickedly for
a moment with Maurice Hardy and his
Volvo engined "Wicked Lady".It would be
interesting to see more inboard engined
boats in Class III, as certainly it has been
interesting to see outboards winning in
Class I and II offshore racing. The new
Johnson G.T. outboard has not made the
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impact offshore which early results on the
circuits had given us to expect, but next
year may be Johnson year.
Class III offshore racing is no longer the
rather haphazard sport that it was a year or
two ago. With the conflict in the internal
organizing bodies of the sport more or less
sorted out, a thoroughly acceptable fixture
list and code of regulations has evolved.
Despite a few grumbles, from the heavier
brigade on rough days, that the tiddlers
were holding them back, it seems that the
present classifications are the most convenient.
If anything the fixture list is over
crammed, with races held nearly every
weekend during the summer. Fewer major
events would leave drivers more time to
prepare their boats and certainly save on
their almost inexhaustible stamina for trailing
the brutes endless distances over inadequate
roads. This stamina is proof enough of
enthusiasm for the game. 1967 will go
down as the year when Class III offshore
powerboat racing came of age. It has been
a good year and with the process of evolution
in design and organization at work,
next year should tum out even better. To
put it optimistically: see you at Calais.
Peter Feversham
The year's events w€re better att€nded than ever, whh up to 30 boats crossing the line at the
start. This picture was taken at the start of the Putney/Calais, the yeal's fiist race.
Lady Aitken's unusual Gatamaran "Fatcat"
was always a potential winner especially
in rougher seas, but was dogged by bad luck
calm weather. "Falcfi" is built by MM
-and Hulls and powered by two 95 h.p. Mercuries.
Frank Julton looks confident enough here and
he should now be pretty co]ffidem of winning
the Drivers'Ghampionship. His boat "Merlin",
one of the small class A boa$, was built by
Kelvins Accessories and has been replaced
in recsnt lacoa by a similar craft, "Merlin ll".
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