The Canterbury Aero Club's Pageant—The Triumph of the Motor

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19853, 14 February 1930, Page 29

The Canterbury Aero Club's Pageant— The Triumph of the Motor

motor boating in CANTERBURY. Endowed with some fine cruising grounds, it is not to be fliat Christchurch, Lyttelton, and Kaiapoi possess a "Id sized fleet of pleasure-craft, ranging from the outboard to the launch cruiser. Ibe average speed of almost all classes of motor-boat used jgjsure has increased during recent years, and in most PLfri* where an owner would have been quite content previ!!stf with a cruising speed of eight knots, anything between Jfflid 14 I™ o * 3 * s now demanded. The larger number of fast ILgfeouts has also served to educate the followers of the sport wjje matter of higher speed, and there is no question that the ® no t far distant when the builders of the bigger motor ®bers will be asked for speeds considerably in excess of those as sufficient. pealing with the design of motor craft as a whole, it may be fcjrif said that greater changes have taken place in the past tar years in any other period. More particularly does Aj, apply t° the cruiser class. A number of years ago, all boats lufpH with cabin accommodation, with one or two exceptions, provided with the orthodox cockpit aft, forward of which fe fflgfae was found. Lately, however, the demands of owners Me caused designers to exercise a little more imagination than 10 previously been evident. Slowly but surely the aft cock*l is being eliminated, particularly in the bigger cruisers. The Ljlp motor-yacht now affords all the desired shelter for a maiber of people, who are able to get a clear uninterrupted ifav which was never possible from the aft cockpit without gpAhif up. The interior accommodation now shows an jWaflter greater variety of arrangement, and added to the feet tlit the cruising speed in the average cabin boat is conhigher than was the case a few years ago, craft of this me are becoming a far more attractive proposition than the urifcr designs. The express cruiser is the latest instance of gis development. The high speed engine in purely racing craft and the service w p'ne in all types of commercial and pleasure craft have been jggfOTtd enormously during the last few years. Reliable dectrie starters are now in use, and owners expect that they fell be available in the same way as they are in cars. Twentyfre years ago owners were prepared to spend a certain amount

of energy in starting up the engine, but the trend to-day is towards engines without the necessity for such energy. Marine engines of modern design consist of a self contained power unit in the same way as the engine of a modern car, with the result that it can be handled in much the same way, and is not a source of worry to its owner. It is interesting to recall that twenty-five years ago there was not a single motor-boat in the Navy service, and the first of these was introduced some eighteen or twenty years ago. Now there are hundreds —and perhaps thousands. Few developments more spectacular in the history of motorboating have occurred than the rise in popularity of the outboard motor. The tendency, however, seems to be towards concentration on the racing type of unit rather than on utility models, and there is a possibility that the really cheap moder-ately-powered outboard engine, suitable for propelling a dinghy of a row-boat, may become a neglected part of the trade.

NEW BRIGHTON POWER BOAT CLUB. The history of the New Brighton Power Boat Club is linked up with the earlv days of aquatic sport in Canterbury. About 20 years ago, some of the members of the club decided to form a motor-boat section, a scheme which was put into effect. The yachting section gradually faded out, and to-day the club is known as the New Brighton Power Boat Club. It thrived quickly, and before the Great War had a fleet of between 30 and 40 inboard motor-boats, ltaces were held regularly every fortnight, and the enthusiasm in the sport was great. However, nearly 75 per cent, of the club's members went to the war. Many did not return. Those who did had lost interest in the sport through long absence and through the fact that their boats had suffered considerably through forced lack of attention. Since then the club has been endeavouring to rebuild to its former strength. During tho Great War, one of the club's motor-boats was offered to the Government, and was used as a tender on the hospital ship Malieno. This was the Nautilus, then owned by Mr H. N. Hawker.

An event worthy of record was the race held, in Auckland in 1915 between the Disturber, owned by Mr W. 11. Downer, a member of the club, and Fleetwing, owned by Mr Collings, of Auckland. Mr Downer was the challenger, and though beaten, his boat was by no meana disgraced. This was the first inter-provincial motor-boat race in New Zealand. At present the club's fleet numbers 12, all inboard craft, and six of these are of tlig large cruiser variety. Two new boats are still on the slips. The cruisers are:—Pacific, Roamer, Romance, Lorelei, Waitea, and Nautilus. The chief difficulty of the ciub at present, and one which is soriously retarding the club's progress, is the silting up of the estuary, due to the activities of the river-sweeper. The depth of water available has been greatly lessened, and the boats are able to stay on the water for a limited time only at high tide. A history of this club would not ,be complete without a reference to Captain A. W. Owles, who was really its "father." He has been interested in its activities throughout and has done a great deal to stimulate interest in the motor-boat sport. The other men who were concerned in the fouuding of the power-boat section were Messrs T. Curtis, 11. Hawker, A. Rides, T. Rides, and !F. Blunt.