Power boat challenger

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32774, 26 November 1971, Page 22

Power boat challenger

An attempt on the record held by the fastest power boat in New Zealand will be made on Lake Rotoiti tomorrow morning by D. Cameron, a Nelson car sales proprietor.

Cameron will be driving his new hydroplane, Miss Print IV, powered by a United States, racing-tuned Chevrolet 427 cu. in motor. The New Zealand record is held by J. and K. McGregor,

of Auckland, in Air New Zealand, at 130.24 miles an hour. Miss Print IV is a sister boat to Air New Zealand, being designed by F. McLeod the Auckland boat builder and New Zealand recordholder in a smaller class of boat.

Cameron, an experienced and bold driver—he broke his neck when his V-bottom craft. Miss Print 111, flipped at 90 miles an hour on Lake Karapiro on January 2, 1970 —has been unofficially timed at 140 miles an hour in Miss Print IV on Lake Karapiro. He was timed by Mr R. L. Shuttleworth, an experienced Marlborough power boat official.

The record attempt will be made at 6 a.m. and will be timed over a measured kilometre by officials of the New Zealand Power Boat Association, said the national secretary, Mr B. M. Andrews, of Christchurch. Cameron has the boat and engine to break the record, set by Air New Zealand about 18 months ago. However,

the weather, visibilitykeeping the marker buoys in sight at 140 miles an hour only five-eighths of a mile apart, so that the craft runs straight as an arrow is no mean feat—and, of course, the behaviour of the highlytuned motor are unpredictable factors.

Cameron is the present holder of the New Zealand unlimited auto V-bottom record at 94.38 miles an hour in Miss Print lll—a craft that broke-up and sank at speed, causing Cameron to change to a hydroplane.

Bridge.—Taiwan continued to lead the Far East bridge championships in Melbourne with 35.09 points yesterday. Thailand was second and Australia third. In the women’s championships, Australia (29.09 points) leads New Zealand (25.99) and Singapore (24.45).