Race - 6, 4,2 & 1.3 litre & cruisers - Powerboat Archive

and these positions held until the end of lap lbur, with C24
pulling away from C61 on the seaward laps, and the mono
catching up into the wind. On lap five C6l CROSSLEY took
the lead near the Sadler Mark, but crossing towards
Hengistbury the GUERNSEY SKATER cat re-took the lead
and held its position through the sixth and final lap, to average
39.14 knos, just beating C61 CROSSLEY by three seconds.
C8l CARRYFAST finished four minutes later and C4'l
JOKER, C30 LE GOPIIER and C70 RNR MOTORS were the
other finisher's. Dave Fromow used Jonathan Lucas's prop on
C30 LE GOPHER another aluminium Forgecraft, !o improve
his performance, the team still admitting to leaming about the
qualities of the alloy 2 litre after their previous seasons in 1.3
litre class. C24 GLIERNSEY SKATER, upon being retrieved,
was found to have its engine skeg snapped off. A technical
disqualification appeared possible before the wise decision to
allow Jason Hunt and Jeff Fox to hold their place, which made
them third overall in the Championship. Colin LeConte,
importer of the Skaters from the USA being clearly pleased
with the boats performance.
OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
C61 CROSSLEY P.Lister[. Boddy 700 points
C81 CARRYFAST T. Jenvey/E. Braithwaite 525 points
C24 GUERNSEY SKATER J. HunVJ. Fox. 495 poins
P. Denford/D. Packer 338 points
C47 JOKER
C5 CELCON N. CutlerM. Withers 225 points
C30 LE GOPFGR D. Fromow/D. Twyman 180 poins
headed S.E. to the Sadler mark otl Poole Harbour. MIOO
FAYS ONE, D50, V22 TI{E RENEGADE (Robert Humphrys
and Peter Moore), and Pll MOTORVATION (Colin Curran and
crew) headed the field early on, but Neil Holmes was moving
up through the field from fifth position, despite having stated
before the race, that he did not intend to show everyone else
the way round!
Meanwhile seas at Hengistbury were between 8 & l0
feet, but they did not strop Holmes moving through the field to
average 51.32 mph as he crossed the Boumemouth Pier line in
the lead. Ml00 FAYS ONE was next, but stopped almost on
the line, after a stop-stail session. The boat got going briefly,
then became stationary with another dose of the fuel problems
which have dogged it so much of late. PII MOTORVATION
was next, the Shead designed cruiser taking the seas well,
ahead of D50. P33 AMBASSADOR COMMUNICATIONS
led a group, with P8 HELLS ANGELS, D25 AMBROW then
D89 and D90. Pl6 FIRECRACKER, the veteran Tremleu
cruiser, which should have been at home in these conditions
was actually the first to retire, the crew not wishing to risk
damage to the venerablc boat, which won the Beaverbrook
Trophy in the 1974 Cowes Classic.
The Phantom mono B64 C.I.Y.S. was coping
admirably with the worsening sezu;, but John Iddon, rccciving
reports from patrol and rescue boats, was making the decision
to curtail lhe race, and to savc the sole 1.3 litre boat another lap,
the red flag was displayed. The only 2 lite cat, C9l GO FOR
IT was still struggling around the first lap, as D3 FINA
The CAMDEN TROPHY RACE,
which followed the 2 litre Championships had
just one 6 litre boat in its invitation class (M100
FAYS ONE - John Hampton, John Fay and
Brass Wilcockson), seven 4-litre, a solitary 2
litre (C9l GO FOR IT - Graham Biggs &
Richard Smith), and Jason Muclow & Michelle
Pim from Jersey in the 1.3 litre mono 864
C.I.Y.S. Five cruisers (B) also joined the race.
Of the 4 litre field, Neil Holmes and Jim Cox in
the re-built D3 FINA UNLEADED, after its
overseas adventures, headed an interesting list.
Geoff Purves' D6 HOSPITALITY INN, the
new Hicks cat with the highest nominal H.P. -
394. Dl0 was Howard Wret.ham's cat
CELCIUS MELORDATA, known previously
as ATLANTIC COMPUTERS, and was
navigated by Jim Baker. D25 AMBROW
TRAILERS (Scot Campbell Younger & Andy
Brown), is the Cougar cat perhaps better known as PANLIMA
fielded by Ian Birnie. D50, as yet un-named, but originally
WESTONS KODAK, now driven by Richard Strutton JNR.,
Graham Palmer is similar to D90 FAT CAT. Jason Mucklow
used to field this Hicks cat, but now Paul Miller drives, whilst
Tracey Mucklow keeps the family involvement. The most
spectacular 4 lire craft however, is the Lorne Campbell,/Midas
trimaran D89 SGL JET of Les & Judy Salvidge, which has
demonstrated some superb form, interspersed with frustrating
faults and problems.
This race, which carried National Championship
points status, started on a course which OOD John Iddon
hoped would enable a full length race, in the rising S.W wind;
which was deceptive in the bright sunshine. Six laps of an ll
n.m. circuit were embarked on, with the start boat of Mike
Bellamy leading the boats towa-rds Branksome, before they
Po wcrboating Intemational
?#t
' R rB ilOTORS
'.-,.&
LTNLEADED hcadcd towards BournemouLh Picr to finish is
second lap. John Iddon, performing acrobatics on the roof of
the timekeepers caravan, flew the rcd flag, which brought Neil
Holmes and Jim Cox's winnins drive to an earlv end. at an
average of 41.98 knots.
As second boat D50 (Strutton & Palmer) headed west
from Boscombe Pier towards the line, the conditions were
clearly illustrated, when the cat stuffed in the very confuscd
seas. The rescue teams, including l.he HURRY ON team cver
present and ready to put up with the most uncomfortablc seas,
soon werc on the spot, and the crew wcre passed to the St.
Johns first aiders for checks, luckily both proving to be okay.
The cat was lakcn in tow, before getting too close to Lhc beach.
Pll appearcd ncxt, to take the second ovcrall and first cruiser at
an average 38.70 knos, and P8 FIELLS ANGELS was rhird at
38.63 knos.
PageT