S.I. Speedboat Atom XI Favoured

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31239, 10 December 1966, Page 24

S.I. Speedboat Atom XI Favoured

With at least three craft having undisclosed power increases on last season's performances, the winner of the South Island 180 cub. in. racing runabout (v-bottom) speedboat championship, to be held on Lake Forsyth on Sunday, is hard to pick. Atom XI (A. Johnson), Anita (P. Calvert) and Juella (J. Stokes), the trio with known increased power, should fight out the finish. Atom XI, winner of the South Island 75 cub. in. racing runabout championship on Lake Waitaki, must be the favourite because of the experience and skill of the driver and the craft's outstanding reliability. Juella has been racing particularly well this season and Stokes is a driver who never concedes until he has been beaten to the post. Anita is something of a dark horse, not having had a really competitive race this season. But the speedboat undoubtedly has the power output and is customarily one of the best turned-out of any racing craft in New Zealand. It could be Anita’s lucky day, but more recent performances would be needed to make her favourite. Javelin (B. Savage), another consistent performer, Tally-ho (L. Roberts, Lake

Rotoiti), Tiger (C. Dungey, Marlborough), Powerflyte (A. Irvine) and Commando (I. Burns, North Otago), are other contenders for the championship. The Canterbury 100 cu. in. hydro championship and the Canterbury open outboard championship also promise exciting racing, while the King of the Lake will allow the big speedboats, like Miss Pacific (D. Wood) and Ajay (W. McCaa, Lake Rotoiti) to show their paces. The handicap races and elimination drag racing will bring the total of events to be held on Sunday to 17.

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