Hokitika Speedboat Leads All Way In Trophy Race

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31595, 5 February 1968, Page 22

Hokitika Speedboat Leads All Way In Trophy Race

Taking the lead from the rolling start with an exciting burst of acceleration, E. H. Andrews cornered superbly in his speedboat Whacko and held off all challengers to win the Rothmans challenge trophy race for 100 cu. in. hydroplanes on Lake Ellesmere yesterday.

Andrews and* the other seven competitors were momentarily obscured in a vast sheet of spray as the hydroplanes accelerated when the starter (Mr B. Savage) dropped the flag from the pole boat. Then Whacko, powered by a souped-up 1600 c.c. Ford motor, streaked into the lead and hit the first corner 30 yards ahead of the Wairarapa boat Chequers (W. Dittmer), which had won the first heat comfortably. Down the back straight,

Andrews held his lead, hut Bel Air II (P. Knight), from New Brighton which won the race in 1966, and Miss Pall Mall (F. McLeod) the highlyfavoured Auckland hydroplane, challenged and passed Chequers. The final was over 10 miles, six laps of a course with kilometre straights. On the front straight for the first time, Andrews, from Hokitika, showed a clean pair of heels to his rivals and was doing well over 100 m.p.h. CHOP ON WATER

A stiff southerly breeze put a chop on the water and slowed the boats down the back straight, but Andrews was leading by 200 yards from Bel Air 11, with Miss Pall Mall 100 yards further back. The wind made cornering difficult, and Chequers was compelled to retire on the bottom corner near the end of the third lap when it hit one of the foam-filled red buoys which marked the course. It was bad luck for Dittmer, as he was lying fourth and had come second to Whacko in the second heat of the race.

Shortly after, the buoy came loose from its moorings, but on the fourth lap, Whacko, still hitting over 100 m.p.h. in the front straight, Bel Air II and Miss Pall Mall, the only three boats in the hunt, all followed the correct course. PACE KEPT UP Whacko, with the “rooster’s tail” of water pluming 12ft into the air and falling 90ft away from the stem, kept up the terrific speed, and was cornering expertly on the difficult bottom bend. Whacko went into a bad bobble on the choppy water in the back straight on the fifth lap, and Knight gave Bel Air the gun to come within 100 yards of the leader.

Knight brought Bel Air within 40 yards of Whacko down the front straight in the last lap. The two boats came out of the top bend with Knight only 30 yards behind.

As the two members of the New Zealand team at the world speedboat championships in Canada last year fought an exciting tussle down the back straight for the last

time Knight came within a boat’s length. He was obscured by the water . pluming from Whacko’s stern, but it seemed he would get the inside running on the last bend of the race. EXTRA SPEED

Andrews pulled some extra revs out of Whacko to go into the bottom bend on the inside three lengths ahead and to come out 20 yards ahead.

Knight gave the Fiat 1600 c.c. motor in Bel Air the gun and the crowd, estimated at 8000, was cheering as the two raced for the finish, half-way down the front straight. Bel Air got to within two boat lengths of Whacko in a grandstand finish to a great race.

Andrews, who had the misfortune to hole a sponson in Canada and hardly had a run after the 12,000-mile trip, won $3OO in winning the challenge race. He also ensured that the race next year will be held at Lake Kaniere because he belongs to that club.

The first heat of the challenge race was not very exciting. Chequers won comfortably in the fast time of 4min 50sec (for the three laps). W. Stokes, in Voodoo 111, winner of the race last year, blew a piston getting to the start line. Whacko led from start to finish to win the second heat. EASY WIN In the other races, Air New Zealand (K. McGregor), the Auckland hydroplane powered with a 265 Chevrolet engine, proved to be in a class of its own, winning the South Island and New Zealand 266 cu. in championships easily. In the racing runabout class, Miss Print in (D. Cameron), the Nelson v-bottom powered with a 409 Chevrolet engine, toyed with the opposition. Miss Print 111 showed herself to be the speedboat with the fastest acceleration and also the most reliability in the conditions, winning the South Island and New Zealand unlimited racing runabout championships and the King of the Lake race with insolent ease.

In the only outboard race, I. Glass, of New Brighton, making a come-back in Comet

H, won the New Zealand open championship. He and Hustler HI (F. Williams), from the same club and winner of the event last year, fought an interesting duel. Williams closed the gap after Comet had established a good lead, and there was only 20ft separating the two at the finish. Results:—

N.Z. Unlimited Open Outboard Championship.-—Cornet II (I. Glass), New Brighton 1; Hustler 111 (F. Williams), New Brighton 2; Stork (P. Fischer). Kaniere 3.

Rothmans Challenge Race.— First heat: Checkers (W. Dittmer), Wairarapa 1; Bel Air II (P. Knight), New Brighton 2, Teddy (L. Arnold) Wahapo 3. Second heat: Whacko (E. Andrews), Kaniere 1; Miss Pall Mall (F. McLeod), Auckland 2; Dynaflow (R. Hayes), New Brighton 3. Final: Whacko 1, Bel Air 11, Miss Pall Mall 3. South Island 286 cu. in Hydroplane Championship.—Air New Zealand (K. McGregor), Manakau 1; Miss Cathie (J. Ryan), New Brighton 2; Teddy 3. New Zealand 286 cu in Hydroplane Championship.—Air New Zealand 1, Bel Air II (P. Knight), New Brighton 2; Miss Cathie 3.

New Zealand Unlimited Auto Racing Runabout Championship. —Miss Print 111 <D. Cameron). Nelson 1: A-Jay (W. McCaa). Rotoiti 2.

New Zealand 180 cu. in Racing Runabout Championship.— Cookie II (J. Cook). Blenheim 1; Atom XI (A. Johnson), New Brighton 2; Javelin (B. Savage) New Brighton 3. South Island Unlimited Racing Runabout Championship.—Miss Print 111 1, A-Jay 2, Juella (J. Stokes), New Brighton 3. Dulux Cup Open Inboards Championship.—Miss Print 111 1, Miss Cathie 2. Eve 111 (J. McCaa). Rotoiti 3.

Carl Augustin Trophy (open to speedboats with up to 100 cu. in ' motors).—Javelin 1, Moonraker (S. Grindley), Otago 2, Commando (I. Burns), North Otago 3. King of the Lake (eight fastest boats).—Miss Print 1, Miss Cathie 2, Eve 111 3.