Speedboats At Lake Kaniere

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30103, 10 April 1963, Page 13

Speedboats At Lake Kaniere

The last speedboat championship regatta of the season, to be held at Lake Kaniere this week-end, could well be the best of the season. Three New Zealand and two South Island championships will be held. It is probable that new national speed records will be made in runs over a kilometre course.

Lake Kaniere, a few miles from Hokitika, surrounded by bush-clad hills, provides one of the best stretches of water in New Zealand for fast speedboats and the weather in Westland at Easter is traditionally kind. Speedboats from Picton to Invercargill will be going to Kaniere for the weekend and it is possible that a few North Island boats will take part in the championship races. A particularly strong contingent will be going from the New Brighton Power Boat Club, and Westland drivers, including the Hokitika brothers, J. Andrews and E. Andrews, are not easy to beat at any regatta, let alone on their home water. On Monday, the Lake lanthe club will hold a regatta. with special invitation races for vistors, on the beautiful South Westland lake. The New Zealand championship races to be run are the 140 cu. in. V-bot-tom and 266 cu. in. hydro, inboard, and the D class hydro, outboard, events. The South Island championship races will be the outboard C class hydro, and the 75 cu. in. hydro, inboard. Javelin (R. Savage) will be a starter in the New Zealand 140 cu. in. V-bottom championship. Savage has had a wonderful season in Javelin, winning several championship events. On the Oreti river, Invercargill, Savage captured the New Zealand 95 and 140 cu. in. V-bottom record with a speed of 62.660 miles an hour. R. Prattley (Downbeat), and J. Keig (Moon-

shot), who have this season been forcing up the B class outboard hydro record, will als. be competitors at Lake Kaniere. Prattley holds the record at present at 69.471 miles an hour. Peter Knight, previous holder of the 95 and 140 cu. in. V-bottom record in Bel Air, will be taking both Bel Air and Bel Air 11, a hydro, to Lake Kaniere. J. Andrews, driver of Missile and Mandrake, should be a starter at Kaniere

Mandrake with a record speed of 79.89 miles an hour in the D class hydro, is the fastest outboard in New Zealand. Moonshot (J. Keig), Skat Kat 111 (W. Legge), Miss Cathie (J. Ryan), Ng (M. Dixon), Ace Hi (H. Idiens), Voodoo (W. Stokes). Rocket (B. Andrews), Buzzard (J. Keig, junior), and Mexico (D. Davis) are other speedboats which should be well to the fore at the Lake Kaniere regatta.