Focus On: Sir John William Maxwell Aitken

Founding father of the Cowes-Torquay and the Earls Court boat show, enthusiastic powerboat racer, Yachtsman, newspaper baron and WW2 flying ace.

Born in Montreal on the 15th of February 1910, son of Lord Beaverbrook the Canadian born press baron, Sir Max Aitken was educated at Westminster School London, Pembroke College Cambridge, then joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. During WW2 he served as a pilot on a Bristol Blenheim then Hawker Hurricane becoming a CO in 1940. He then served in the Middle East becoming Wing Leader of the Banff Strike Wing where he reached the rank of Group Captain achie ving 14 and one shared aircraft shot down. At the end of the war he joined the family ne wspaper business becoming a director of the Express Group and eventually Chairman of Beaverbrook Newspapers Ltd. In 1959 Sir Max witnessed one of the early Miami Nassau powerboat races, then he participated in the following year with his wife Lady Violet. It was the experience of this new ‘sport’ that led to his announcement at the 1961 Earls Court Boat Show of a similar ocean race to be staged in the south of England in August that year. Together with John Coote they formulated the rules that heralded the birth of the Cowes-Torquay Race, which would ‘improve the breed of sea going fast cruisers and safety at sea’. The fi rst race attracted an initial entry of 40 boats, which was whittled down to 27 actual starters through various stages and by a gang of scrutineers who were to become an integral part of pre race preparations. Sir Max did not participate in that race but purchased for the following year one of the entries ‘GLASS MOPPIE’, which was owned and bui lt by Dick Bertram, but driven by veteran racer Sam Griffi th. ‘Glass Moppie’ was subsequently fitted with a cabin by Bruce Campbell’s yard, in keeping with the rules, and was kept in the yellow and white colours that became a trademark for many of the boats raced by Sir Max. He raced ‘Glass Moppie’ in 1962 and was placed 5th. The following year the bug had well and truly bitten, and in 1963 with his new boat, an Uffa Fox designed 40ft stepped hull built by Pochins and powered by Rolls Royce diesels called Black Maria, he finished 10th, whilst ‘Glass Moppie’ unfortunately retired. Lady Violet had her own Bertram 31 ‘Ultra Violet’ in which she finished 5th, beating hubby! 1964 saw the arrival of ‘VIVACITY’, a 38ft Bertram, again diesel powered and in the distinctive yellow and white colours. Sir Max finished 7th that year, Lady Violet was 15th in ‘Ultra V’, and little ‘Hum Drum’, built to Ray Hunt’s designs by the Clare Lallow yard as a tender to ‘Drumbeat’ (his racing yacht) was 22nd in the hands of Hi lary Laing. 1965 saw ‘Vivacity’ finishing in 11th place, and Lady Violet, in the ex Jim Wynn Bertram’YO YO 2’, finished 22nd. 1966 the rough race that saw Jim Wynn victorious in ‘Ghost Rider’ with his co driver slumped in the cockpit with broken ankles, favoured the big ‘Vivacity’ again, although finishing well down in 16th. Lady Violet’s ‘Ultra Violet’, originally known as ‘Drone’ – one of Sir Max’s fleet, now painted purple and white, a Halamatic hull with Rolls Royce diesels, retired. In 1966 Sir Max commissioned a new boat from Sonny Levi, based on his design of ’ Surfury’ and to be built on the same plug by Souters. Powered by Cumming’s diesels she was to be called ‘MERRY GO ROUND’. It was with this boat on the measured mile in Southampton Water that he smashed the World Diesel Speed Record. The boat was then made ready for shipping to Florida for the Miami Nassau Race. However, it was not to be a lucky boat for Sir Max, as whilst being unloaded she slipped from the slings and smashed onto the docks ide. With too much damaged to be repaired in time for the race ‘Merry Go Round’ was shipped back to England, was sold to Alber t Figgins and Don Shead, repaired, re-engined and renamed ‘THUNDERFISH 3’. Max meanwhile commissioned a boat from Ray Hunt to be built again by Souters. The new 40 footer ‘GYPSY GIRL’ was powered by Cummings diesels and was to become one of his most successful race boats. The 1967 race included ‘VIVACITY’ in the hands of Ian Lallow, Lady Vi in ‘ULTRA VIOLET’ and ‘GYPSY’ with the old ’Merry Go Round’ now called ‘THUNDERFISH III’. It was an eventful race that saw the final demise of ’ Merry go Round’ alias ‘Thunderfish’. Her new engine installation, twin Daytona’s totalling 1000hp that powered her to a win in the Wills Trophy, were pushing her along near the front of the fleet when a shaft sheared and punctured a fuel tank. Poor Albert Figgins watched her go up in flames off Southsea and later had the only piece washed ashore, the bow sec tion, turned into a drinks cabinet. ‘Ultra Violet’ again retired; ‘Vivacity’ finished 31st and ‘Gypsy Girl’ finished 3rd in class and 8th overall. In 1968 it was Lady V who was running a Levi design, the catamaran ‘FAT CAT’, although she chose to enter ‘ULTRA’ in the Cowes Race, only to retire again. Sir Max in ‘Gypsy Girl’ stormed to the top finishing 2nd in class and 5th overall. Then 1969 saw ‘Gypsy’ come home 5th in class and 8th overall, but once more Lady Vi, as a member of Ford team in the Huntsman ‘SEASPRAY’, beat Max finishing 7th. In the new decade ‘Gypsy Girl’ again did Max proud finishing 9th in class and 12th overall in 1970, and 4th in class and 7th overall in 1971, whilst 1972 saw one of the very few retirements by Sir Max. ‘Gypsy’ was now an old boat by racing standards but she had done him proud. L ady Violet upheld the family’s honour finishing 14th in ‘Ford Express’, a special Senior Hull powered by Ford Sabres. In 1973, at the age of 63, Sir Max hung up his helmet, having put in place one of the most enduring powerboat races in the history of the sport and had raced in practically every one. The Cowes-Torquay became the race everyone worldwide wanted to win, and you were not considered a full World Champion in the sport unless you had done so! In the next few years Sir Max succumbed to poor health, but was always at Cowes for the racing in his home ‘ The Prospect’, entertaining the competitors in his race. The 25th anniversary of the Race in 1985 was overshadowed by the death in April of its founder and mentor, and although it was run in various forms until the Millennium it was never the race it used to be. Could it be that the heart of the Cowes Torquay died along with its founder, the one and only Sir MAX AITKEN?