SPEED BOAT RACE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20021, 1 September 1930, Page 11

SPEED BOAT RACE.

THE HARMSWORTH TROPHY AMERICANS WIN FIRST HEAT. 'OTUTSB I>IUE|S ASSOCIATION—BT EUECTBIO TZUSQBAPH—COPTMOBT.) (Received August 81st, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, August 30. In the speed boat race at Detroit . (Michigan), Gar 'Wood, driving Mis* America IX., easily won the first heat in the Harmsworth Trophy. race on Saturday afternoon, defeating; the British challenger, Miss Marion Carstairs, who drove Estelle IV. Estelle V., which was admittedly the faster of the two British boats,, was forced out by engine trouble at the start of the third hve mile la£. • ■. George Wood, driving Miss America 11., was half a mile behind Gar Wood, » and Miss Carstairs was three miles' , behind. Gar Wood averaged over 70 miles an hour. Bert Hawker, driving Estelle V.ivas the last to get started. He seemed, by a terrific burst of speed to be about to overtake Wood, when a broken feedline forced him out. He , waa timed at over 78 miles an hour • when the breakdown occurred. Wood's fastest speed was over 77 miles, while Miss Carstairs averaged above 70. Miss Carstairs won a cheer by.beating Wood at the start, coming to the starting line at 70 miles an hour. The , nose or the boat was exactly on the tine as the gun sounded. The second heat will be raced c on Monday. 1 •. * - -; v-

[Both Estelles are - twin-screwed. Estelle IV. has. increased power tolß6o - h.p., and is 35ft by 9ft fiin beam; * Estelle V.—the smallest British challenger, being only 28ft. by Bft Binbeam—is engmed with- a 2800 h.p. Napier super-charged, engine. She is* built of Honduras cedar, is ribbed with ; rock elm bent to shape of hull, and -■ her decks are of mahogany. Her stern-' J is. perfectly square cut, and,,will T» - in the water. The propellers are'pf.ja-. unique design, which remains a' 1 secret, /;*. and are carried cn slightly slanting, shafts supported by specially . eo»* $ structed brackets. An' investing, point is the petrol consumption, whioE; m the case of Estelle V. is n6 less ' than 105. gallons per hour atfull , speed ! Miss Carstairs, whose nlucky attempts to regain the.B.T. Trophy for Great Britain have so 'fjirj. proved 'unsuccessful, has' stated thai.. she will retire from racing after this , " year,' whatever the result, owing tcj V the tremendous expense involved, j