SYDNEY SPEED-BOAT

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 August 1929, Page 3

SYDNEY SPEED-BOAT

WORLD RECORD ANTICIPATED

SYDNEY, July 25.

It is doubtful if Australians realise what a genius Australia possesses in Wing-Commander L. J. Wackett, of the Australian Air Force —famous foi liis designing and building of the Widgeon Amphibian. He has now turned his attention to speed boats, and a preliminary trial of his new craft, which is ail-Australian in every respect, suggests that Australia shortly may claim to have constructed the world’s fastest speed craft. With the throttle only half open, Wackett, in a burst over a mile at Rose Bay on Saturday, touched 40 knots. He expects that, with the throttle full open, he will do 100 knots. The boat has several unorthodox features. It is cigar-shaped, with pointed. bows and stern, and is built of Australian blackwood and beech. It is equipped with a 300-horse power Maybach engine, similar to those used on the airship Graf Zeppelin. But the chief innovation is that the boat is pulled instead of being propelled from tho rear.

Majoi 1 Sir Henry Segrave’s motorboat record is 64J miles an hour over a 12-mile dash. Wackett hopes to smash this “to smithereens.”