Attempting Record Run

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31052, 6 May 1966, Page 15

Attempting Record Run

Miss Print 11, a speedboat powered by a Corvette engine which develops 375 h.p. at 6700 revs., owned and driven by D. C. Cameron, of Nelson, will attempt to break the New Zealand speedboat record for unlimited v-bottom craft, on the Estuary at Pleasant Point tomorrow morning. The record is held by Miss Waipa (G. Taylor), at 86.95 m.p.h. Miss Print II has twice been officially timed over the kilometre at 83 m.p.h. Cameron has fitted an overdrive to the gear-box, and is still getting the revs up to 6700. He has thus every chance of setting a new record. He has not driven Miss Print II over the New Brighton Power Boat Club’s kilometre course, but yesterday examined the course with the club secretary, Mr J. A. Ryan. Mr Ryan designed and built the hull of Miss Print 11. The hull is constructed of double-

skin ply—the bottom being of 10-ply 5/Bin thick. The craft weighs half a ton and, when going for records, is trimmed so that it leaps 4ft to sft from the water—going over the kilometre like a skipped stone. The over-drive will cut down Miss Print’s acceleration, but Cameron should get a long enough run to be going at top speed when he crosses the start lines in his two-way runs over the course. Miss Print II will have to make her runs at high tide because the water is only 4ft deep then. An hour or 90 minutes after high tide the water level gets as low as 2ft 6in. Three speedboats from the Lake Rotoiti club will be down for the kilometre time trials. Tally Ho (L. Roberts), holder of the New Zealand 75 cu. in. side-valve hydro record at 59.33 m.p.h., will try to beat thdt speed. Thumper, from the same club, will also be trying to break the same record

Sorrento, formerly Downbeat, a record-breaking outboard hydro when owned and driven by R. Prattley, will be the third boat from Lake Rotoiti. Bel Air (P. Knight) will be trying to reach the 100 m.p.h. mark which has so far eluded New Brighton club drivers. F. C. Williams, the only record-breaker at the kilometre time trials a fortnight ago, will be out again. He may attempt to break the X-class v-bottom outboard record, as well as trying to lift his hydro record. Mandrake (G. Cockroft) will be after Williams’ hydro record of 68.724 m.p.h. Anita II (P. Calvert) will try to increase his record (65.59 m.p.h.) in the 100 cu. in. v-bottom class, and Atom XI (A. Johnson) will attempt to raise once again his record (60.13 m.p.h.) for the 75 cu. in. v-bottom class. The photograph shows Cameron working up speed in Miss Print 11.