Valuable trophy on the line at Kaniere

Press, 18 April 1981, Page 20

Valuable trophy on the line at Kaniere

One of New Zealand's most venerable and valuable sporting trophies will be at stake at a new venue when the Masport Challenge Cup power boat series is contested at Lake Kaniere on the West Coast this weekend.

The cup was donated by the Auckland firm of Mason and Porter Limited 56 years ago. It originally outlaid the sum of £lOO to provide a prize for the fastest motorised craft in New Zealand, but the cup is now valued at $8250. The evolution of the Masport Challenge Cup occurred in an era of great interest in the sport. In 1922 an Auckland boat had averaged 28 mph and became recognised as the national ■champion — fittingly, the boat was named Miss Masport and the engine had been designed and constructed by Mason and Porter.

Speed over water had improved dramatically because

of the availability of aircraft engines after the First World War. The original rules for cup races — that they be for unlimited and unrestricted designs, that challenges be made by affiliated clubs, and that the holder be entitled to home course advantage if so stipulated — still remain. Over the next 40 years Auckland had several turns of possession of the trophy, although it was briefly in Wanganui and for more extensive periods in Blenheim and Wellington. It was captured for the south again in 1968-69, by Harry Rutledge (Blenheim), in Tru Jen, the first truly aircraft-powered hydroplane. Bill Patterson, of Dunedin, owned and drove the last/ aircraft-engined and V-bot-. tomed boat to have held the cup when he was successful in 1970. •

It has been only in the last decade that . Canterbury crews have had their names engraved below those of the sport’s pioneers. Bill Stokes (New Brighton), in Voodoo IV, triumphed in 1971, and his club-mate, Peter Knight sen, has won five times in three different craft — Road Runner in 1973 and 1974,-. Godfather in 1977, and Gone Heavy in 1978 and last season.

The Canterbury victories have been interrupted by the McGregor brothers, of Auckland, who guided Air New Zealand to line honours three times, and Doug Cameron, of Nelson, in his hydroplane, Misprint, two years ago. Peter Knight will be defending the cup in Gone Heavy at Lake Kaniere, but he is wary of the threepronged Auckland challenge

from Keith McGregor (Special Edition), Warwick Jones (King Rat) and Keith Eade (Boss Steade)., Eade headed off Knight and his other rivals in the A. C. Delco series at the Estuary last month. But Knight said that he in no. way felt that he was alone in seeking to keep the prize in the South Island. He has considerable respect for his son, also Peter, who is now at the . helm of/Godfather, and expects another New Brighton competitor, Jack Ryan (Mainland ’.Miss) to be prominent. r- - ?• The qualifying events will be held today and-, the-cup , challenge proper tomorrow.