MILE A MINUTE

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3940, 25 March 1930, Page 2

MILE A MINUTE

EXPECTED FROM NEW BOAT JUNE 11. TAKES THE WATER

Five minutes after she was launched the latest addition to Otago’s fleet of speed boats, June 11., was raising the spray on the harbour this morning. With her engines on half throttle, June was doing 25 miles an hour on the choppy water. Her trial was highly saisfactory, and if she produces near the 60 miles an hour expected of her by her designer and builder, June will be Otago’s contender for the speed boat championship of New Zealand, the Masport Cup, to be decided at Wanganui next January. Shapely in hull and powered with a 220 h.p. Hispano Suiza engine, June looked a speedy craft as she was suspended in mid-air by the electric crane which lifted her from the lorry on the Victoria wharf. She was gently lowered into the water, and the big crowd soon had a sample of the speed which June is likely to develop. The latest in design, and more powerfully equipped than any other pleasure boat on the harbour, June 11. skimmed over the water, sending the sea spraying from her clean-cutting stem as her Continental engine beat loudly yet rythmically. * Built by Mr William G. Hewitt, the secretary of the Vauxhall Club, June 11. is to be enrolled on the register of the young club, and at the regatta next Saturday she will be sent out to make fast times. June is a credit to her owner and to her builder, Mr E. Leech, who was responsible for the construction of Eileen, the winner of the last Sanders Cup contest The boat is an acquisition to the steadilygrowing fleet on the harbour, and should‘she set marks which give her a good chance of winning the Masport Cup, Otago will have its first representation at that important Mr Hewitt is a keen sportsman, and he deserves success. The fastest speed yet mqde on New Zealand waters is 50 miles an hour, but Miss America VIII., the latest of Gar Wood’s world champions, has set a, speed of 75 miles an hour over a 3U-mile nautical course.

i Designed by John 11. Hacker, of Detroit, a noted sp<* j d-boat architect, June 11. is 22ft in length, with a beam of 7ft and a freeboard of 3ft. She is of the famous step hydroplane design, and her lines denote speed. Honduras mahogany has been used for all the planking, and the frames are of English oak. These timbers are light, but they give the boat sturdiness and strength. The for’ard plane is 3-l(iiu and 3-Bin mahogany three-ply, with canvas and marine glue between, while the after plane is of _ 7-16 in single planking. Half-inch mahogany is used for the top sides. All the screws have been covered with accurately-cut mahogany studs, and the running of the hand over the valsparred hull and deck finds a wonderfully even surface. The deck coaming is of a redder tint than the centre planks, and it gives a fine finish to June. Under water, she is finished with a patent racing composition which gives a silver-black colour. Behind the shapely spray shield for’ard there is a roomy compartment for five passengers. In the next compartment is the businesslike-looking His-pano-Suiza engine. Capable of developing nearly 300 h.p. through the indue- • lion gears fitted, this big engine, for its power, is a remarkably light unit, weighing only 4401b. The engine was imported from the Lee Motor Company of America, which had previously converted the unit for marine use. Both the engine and oil are water-cooled, the boat being fitted with a tank holding 6gal of fresh water. The main fuel supply is drawn from a 16gal tank of muntz metal, and another tank has capacity for 6gai of oil. The engine drives through the gear box further for’ard into the main shaft, 14ft long, of IJin monelmetal When racing at top speed, June ll.’s engine will consume 12gal of petdol ami one gallon of oil an hour. Watery side dwellers will have little cause for complaint when June is under power, as she makes not as much noise as the" chugging outboard racers.