Hi-Jack flips at high speed

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33966, 6 October 1975, Page 3

Hi-Jack flips at high speed

A jinx which has plagued the leading South Island powerboat driver. Jack Gallagher, at Lyttelton since 1966 struck again yesterday when his 20-foot tunnel hull, Hi-Jack, crashed at about 75 miles an hour during the Jim Beam 70-mile marathon, a race he was widely expected to win. Hi-Jack, with Gallagher and his crewman, Scott Robson, aboard. led from the start but broke a propeller blade towards the end of the first 10-miie lap. The men took the boat to shore and changed the propeller but were three-quarters of a lap behind when they re-j joined the race. Robson said: “We were heading down a straight from the inner harbour towards Cashin Quav at about 75 miles an hour when we struck what must have been a freak wave — it was definitely bigger than all the others. “I don’t remember much after that, but other people watching ashore told us that the boat flipped into the air and then went straight under. “I remember the boat nosing' down under water at a steep angle, going deeper and deeper at terrific speed. “I thought we were never: going to come back up; again.” Both Gallagher and Scott 1 were unharmed but shocked when Hi-Jack surfaced. The boat was towed ashore and was found to be undam-1 aged. The twin 150 horsepower Mercury outboards were stripped down and were also found to be undamaged. The loss of the race means that Gallagher, although still leading on points, will have Ito win at least one other ievent to retain his South: [lsland driver-of-the-year title. ! The marathon was won bv, another strong contender for: the title. Buzz March (Christ-1 church) in his 25-foot Ryan Craft. Mako. Mako struck spark plug: trouble at the start of the; :race and was one of the last: : boats to get away. i