REMARKABLE SPEED RECORD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18615, 17 November 1928, Page 2

REMARKABLE SPEED RECORD.

Never in the history of motor boating was there a day like September 4, when at Detroit Gar Wood's Miss America VII. set up a new world’s motorboat record of 92.538 statute miles per hour (says “Motor Boating”). This was established on a one nautical mile course. Miss America VII. ran six times over this course—three times upstream and three downstream. Propelled by two 1000 horse-power Packard motors, driving 21 by 30 propellers at 3000 revolutions per minutes, Miss America VII. took less than 45 seconds to cover the one nautical mile course, a speed not only faster than any other boat has ever officially made, but faster, also, than any other form of self-propelled vehicle with the exception of an aeroplane or a racing automobile. America VII. is the product of Gar Wood himself. Less than three weeks previous to the day on which this remarkable record was established the keel of Miss America VII. had not been laid. To turn out the fastest boat in the world, to thoroughly test her out and make her ready in less than three weeks’ time was no small task. On the first run down stream in the trial, just 44.23 seconds’ time was required by the boat to cover the nautical mile. The second upstream run was made in 44.88 seconds, equivalent to 92.365 miles per hour. Run on No. 4 took 44.44 seconds, or 93.280 miles per hour: run No. 5 44.98 seconds: and run No. 6 44.31 seconds, equal to 92.553 miles per hour.