Cold Gold takes Roaring 40

Press, 5 September 1983, Page 32

Cold Gold takes Roaring 40

PA Timaru A Timaru boat, Cold Gold KB, and its skippers, Pat Mulcahy and Graeme Thompson, produced a perfect performance to win the 16th annual Roaring 40 powerboat race, held at Caroline Bay, Timaru, on Saturday. Conditions were sunny and calm except for a reasonably strong swell outside the bay. Cold Gold also won the B class, ahead of the other B class boat, Storer Motors’ Steaters handicraft, which retired in the fifth lap with engine problems. The race was over a 7km loop course and attracted 44 entrants. The first half of the race was dominated by Wraggs Quarterback—the only class A boat in the raceskippered by Phillip Mills, of Christchurch. It was well ahead of the rest of the fleet and travelling at between 145km/h and 150km/h.

But on the 10th lap, with only two to go, one of Wraggs’ two 3.4 litre Mercury outboards lost power, and the boat was retired.

This left it open for Cold Gold KB, which had been in second place. Mills said later the problem had been caused by a small electrical fault.

Cold Gold, a Robson catamaran powered by a 2.4 litre Mercury, had handled perfectly, according to its joint skippers. Mills was just ahead on points of Mulcahy and Thompson, in the Cee Bee marine Driver of the Year competition, before the event.

A large crowd watched the race and, although the nominated speed class had attracted a much larger entry than usual, the number of boats in the upper grades was small. Results:

B class: Cold Gold KB (Pat Mulcahy and Graeme Thompson 1. B. class cabins: cobra (Grant Kilner) 1. C class: katcher (Steve Brown) 1.

D class: Hypertension (lan and Don McLellan) 1; Timaru Marine Yamaha (Ed McKay) 2.

E ylass: No 43 (Ross Camp)