OUTBOARD RACING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20475, 29 January 1930, Page 17

OUTBOARD RACING.

EVENTS AT PANMURE BASIN. Outboard speed-boat racing has won a place definitely in the interest of the public. and the' well-conducted meeting at Panmure Basin last Saturday testified to this. Arrangements were very complete and included loud-speaker announcements of starts and finishes of the races, while in the intervals between the events music was broadcast by the same means. Mr. S. Ford, the owner and driver of Ocean Mule, had a spectacular capsize, this being the culminating thrill of a series of remarkable skids on the turns. Miss Hamilton, which was well driven by J. Blackmore, cornered well, and in the final race was leaving the water on tho wash of other boats for seconds at a time. Zip, a new Boyd Martin Bullet type boat of lift. 6in./ was overpowered with a 20 h.p. motor, and to this Mr. E. R. Butler attributes her capsize. Marquotto Pug was well driven and in the later races cornered very well. Silvertown Kid, her only serious rival, slowed on the turns and lost way considerably. Tho fourth race for B and C class boats would have been better run in heats, especially as it was a half-mile course. Recording tho boats properly was futile and confusion was caused. Tho new 1 device for recording lap times was interesting and worked most satisfactorily. A roll of paper marked in divisions of minutes and seconds travels over a series of rollers moving as the seconds aro tolled off, and as a boat crosses tho line tho name is recorded against the timo showing on tho machine. Mistakes aro avoided and greater accuracy ensured for lap times.