SPEEDBOAT RECORD

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31933, 10 March 1969, Page 22

SPEEDBOAT RECORD

Perfect, conditions helped the New Brighton club speedboat driver," F. C. Williams, set a . New Zealand record on the Estuary, off. Pleasant Point, on Saturdaymorning. • - ? --J V > H In his third run Williams had his small hydroplane, Hustler 111, balanced perfectly as he ' passed' the finish line. His speed of 70.790 m.p.h. broke the -unlimited (petrol) outboard hydroplane record of 68.830 m.p.h. he had established on. the Estuary in 1967. ,

In bis two previous runs over the kilometre Williams had been timed at 68.201 miles, an hour and 68.720 miles an hour. There was no wind, and the surface of the water was like glass during the three ruin. , ’ The (our-year-old SO h.p. Mercury stock motor w»s running perfectly a» he entered the course on , the first of hia two-way runs. But he did hot get the boat up to. top,speed.. The stern of the three-year-old hull, built by WilUaftu, was too low in. the water and the sound of the transom skipping

on the surface and slowing the craft could be heard clearly. Williams raised the motor for his second run, but still the craft was not in perfect balance. It was a minute error; a matter of .0-6s.ec in 32sec when translated Into time. A total time of '32sec for the run would give a speed of-70-miles an hour. The 56-year-old driver, now In his fortieth year of speedboat racing, made more adjustments- to the • engine, mountings before his third and final ’’Hustler 111 sped past the Jetty, with Williams a fraction forward in the boat. Williams, driving in a kneeling position, leaned further forward on the return journey. The boat skipped in two tremors airout the middle of the course, but Williams was home in under SSsec for a new record. ’ ’ Williams is having his best

season. He won the first Rothman’s open outboard national championships this year. He now has his eyes set on the New Zealand open outboard championship to be held on Lake Kaniere at Easter. He stiH holds the New Zealand open V-bottom (petrol) outboard record. The perfect conditions on Saturday led to other exciting runs in the kilometre trials. John Ryan, aged 17, achieved 64.097. miles an hour in his first official time trial in his new racing runabout. Elation. The boat, built by his father, Mr J. Ryan, and powered by a Daimler engine, will threaten the New Zealand 180 racing runabout record held by the Northland driver. M. T. Logie, in Silhouette at 72.86 miles an hour. The big hydroplane, Voodoo 111, owned by W. J. Stokes, achieved 95.170 miles an hour in -its second run on Saturday after being timed at 92.821 miles an hour in the first. A blown engine gasket put paid to chances of breaking 100 miles an hour. Voodoo 111 was travelling at more than 95 miles an hour on the straights when Stokes won the South Island unlimited unrestricted championship at Invercargill earlier this month. P&nther (D. Alsop), with a Corvette motor, recorded 55 miles an hour. A newcomer, J. Haig, was timed at 57 miles an hour.