N.Z. speedboating in world class

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31727, 10 July 1968, Page 11

N.Z. speedboating in world class

CPEEDBOAT racing in ° New Zealand achieved world wide status last week with the reeord-breaking run of P. R. Knight in Bel Air 111. Knight’s speed of 114 miles an hour is now waiting ratification as a world record for 150 cu. in. hydroplanes. Two years ago, no time set in New Zealand could have been recognised as a world record. The New Zealand Speedboat Association only became completely affiliated with the world controlling body, the International Union of Motor-Boating, because it decided to send a team to the world speedboat Championships held in Canada 12 months ago. At the time, most supporters and many speedboat drivers thought that the New Zealand association was flying too high and that the team would be completely outclassed in the championships held at Valleyfield, near Montreal, in conjunction with Expo 67. The secretary of the New Zealand Speedboat Association (Mr B. M. Andrews, of Christchurch), a great enthusiast and incurable optimist, forecast that the

New Zealand team eould win a class championship and that New Zealand speedboat drivers would be setting world records within two years. The New Zealand drivers, foiled by totally unexpected rough water, failed to win a championship in Canada, but were far from outclassed. In fact, the team found that, in spite of the “big business” attitude towards the sport in Canada and the United States—with millionaires and big firms owning fleets of speedboats driven by professional drivers—they were well in the running. The New Zealand team, with its relatively minute resources, captured the Imagination and respect of the Canadian officials and won the trophy for the sporting team contributing most to the success of Expo 67.

Knight’s success in breaking a world record within a year of the experience gained by New Zealand’s first entry In world championships, has vindicated the faith shown by Mr Andrews, the late Mr E. E. Coombes, Mr W. Morrison and other top officials. The engine tn Bel Air 111 is a standard car motor, although work done by Mr Don Campbell in modifying the crankshaft played a big part in the success. By contrast, the speedboat. Gummy’s Ghost, which held the record, was one of a fleet of five owned by a wealthy American, Marion Beaver, and was driven by a professional driver and backed by a large team of professional racing mechanics. Knight is confident’ that he can put the record up to about 118 to 120 miles an hour this Summer. Having raced at record speed, he is now prepared to test the motor to its utmost, keeping the revolutions at 7500 a minute for all the two-way run. in his record-breaking run last week, he “nursed” the engine along at a speed he knew must get him the record, because he did not want to risk the motor “blowing up.” Furthermore, F. T. McLeod, of Auckland, is within striking distance of setting a new world record for the 91 cu. in. hydroplane class in Miss Pall Mall. Now that Knight has broken the world speedboat record barrier in New Zealand, others can be expected to come to the fore.