New Class Speedboat

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29931, 19 September 1962, Page 13

New Class Speedboat

t A new class for speedboats, the 75 cu. in. flat-top. was approved at the annual conference of the New Zealand Speedboat Association in Auckland this month. The class will be for sidevalve motors only, and is aimed specifically at encouraging the young drivers. With overhead valve motors, drivers and owners can now reach speeds in excess of 70 m.p.h. by boosting up the engines and using special fuel The cost of overhead valve motors and their conversion for high speeds amounts to between £2OO and £3OO A Ford or Hillman sidevalve motor can be bought for as little as £ 15 and, with experiments costing only a few pounds, speeds of 40 m.p.h. and more can be reached. The New Brighton Power Boat Club has a dozen flat-top 75 cu. in craft on its boat register and officials hope the new class, in which club as well as championship races will be held, will encourage newcomers to enter the sport. The annual conference also decided to award gold badges to owner-drivers of speedboats which do more than 100 m.p.h. Three North Island boats at least, Redhead, Elray and Mystic Miss, have earned their ownerdrivers gold badges. Hopes . are high that a South Island •t boat will qualify for a badge this season.