World of Powerboats » Focus On

Berths in the Meditteranean

Nick — Thu, 13 May 2010 10:58:25 +0000

With the consistent inclement weather in the UK, many owners of ‘live aboard craft are looking further afield for ‘cruising waters and the superb weather and long season that the Mediterranean offers might provide the answer. With budget airlines now flying from the UK to many of these Mediterranean ‘hot spots’ we asked the experts what problems owners can encounter. Inwards Marine, with offices in Monaco, are experts in this field and are an obvious choice to advise on where to find your dream location in the sun. FRANCE In 1956, Yachting was almost unknown as a leisure activity in the South of France. In that same year, the appearance of Brigitte Bardot in “And God Created Woman” suddenly spread the glamour of St Tropez worldwide. Until then the nautical industries in the area were mainly fishing and shipping and most of the marinas we know today had not even been planned. The Côte d’Azur, this now famous holiday destination, was still very under-developed and in fact throughout history most of the locals lived behind the W coastline, many on “perched” villages in the hills. Napoleon, after his escape from Elba in 1815, chose to land in Golfe Juan in the Bay of Cannes primarily because he had little chance of attracting any attention! Since then artists, poets and celebrities have brought the beauty of the Côte d’Azur to the world’s attention. It was in the 1970s that the coastline saw its greatest transformation. Throughout that decade, France authorised the construction of several marinas to cope with the expansion of boating. The government and local authorities were encouraging the development of tourism infrastructure all along the coast with the intention that the South of France would become one of the leading boating and tourist destinations in the world. In order that the taxpayer was not burdened with the substantial costs of these new Marina developments, the government sold 50- year concessions to private companies in exchange for the construction of marinas.

To raise finance these private limited companies issued shares, which in many cases were purchased by local individuals. In addition these shareholders were often granted the right to use a berth for the duration of the concession. In nearly all developments the concession was for 50 years and as in most European countries, the coastline ultimately belongs to the Government. In some cases, berths were sold as a concession or a ‘right to use’ to both investors and boat owners known in French as “amodiations”. An “amodiation” is an old word from the French legal glossary. It is more commonly used in agriculture when a landowner allows someone to exploit a field in exchange for some compensation or part of the produce. It is also found in French mining where again the government is always the owner. Very often this ‘right of use’ cannot be sold by a beneficiary to a third party, nor can it be used to endorse a mortgage. The rules and obligations between the private limited marina companies, the berth users and the French government, more often than not represented by the local mayor, vary considerably in each Marina and can at times be very complex. However, the terms of the concession between the French government and the private limited marina company always come first. Now, more than 30 years on, pleasure boating has grown considerably. Not only has the sheer number of craft that cruise the Côte d’Azur risen considerably but also their size is ever increasing. In 2007, according to the “Ministry of the Sea” (nowadays attached to the Ministry of the Environment) there is a shortage of 50,000 berths in France! Also according to a study carried out in 2006, even if all the existing new Marina projects were authorized in France, they would only provide half of the berths to satisfy the demand. However, following fears of sea pollution on the Côte d’Azur in the early eighties, a law was voted in 1981 to protect the coastline which almost completely prohibited any new marina constructions. This high scarcity is clearly a limiting factor to the development of boating in the region and a source of concern for any boat owner. It is virtually impossible for new-comers to rent a berth on an annual basis.

There can be as much as a 10-year waiting list in most marinas and normally the larger the yacht the longer the wait! Virtually the only way to secure a berth is to purchase the remaining concession and / or lease. Although the time remaining on the concessions keeps reducing, the sheer shortage of available berths dictates that the prices keep increasing. For instance, in 1971, the buyer of a 23m x 6m berth in Antibes would have paid 40,000 FRF (£4,000) for a 50 year ‘right to use’. Nowadays, the same berth with 12 years left on the concession is probably worth EUR 500,000. In addition, this relatively short lease ensures that berths are only sold to actual ‘end-users’ and not to investors for a ‘buy to let’. Nowadays, to enjoy cruising in the South of France the most cost effective solution for an ideal ‘home berth’ is to follow the example of their Italian neighbours. They, like everyone else, want to enjoy the hotspots of the Cote d’Azur. Italy is a country where new marinas are encouraged and you can purchase a berth at a much more reasonable price together with an exceptionally long lease, sometimes up to 50 years.

Since many yachts are ‘on the move’ during the summer, it is still possible to rent a berth on the Côte d’Azur in season for a few nights – but to find a permanent berth in the South of France is truly a challenge! ITALY In Italy, there are thousands of missing berths and the main reason is because the regions and local government don’t coordinate and the bureaucratic and political parties are too slow to take decisions to approve Marina projects. In Italy there are many boats of different sizes but the main problem is where they can be moored because the berths are few, especially if we compare them to other European countries. The summer will start the ”battle to catch a berth”. During the last Genova International Boat Show, UCINA, the Italian marine industry association, revealed that there are less than 130,000 berths in Italy, located in 105 Marinas, while there are 400,000 yachts registered in Italy. Only 1% of the total berths are able to moor boats over 24 meters 11% of the total berths are available for yachts from 12 to 18 meters. Italy has 7,300 km of coast and there is only one Marina every 73.1 km. This compares to every 7.2km in France, 24.9km in England and the average of the other European countries is just 6.5 km. In the United States, there is a marina every 1.7 kilometers. On the Liguria coast, the number of berths available is almost 20% of the total number of moorings in Italy and today, they are able to moor another 500 yachts from 10 meters up to 90 meters in the new Marina Genova Aeroporto, opened in August 2007 and the only Marina in Italy to be able to moor yachts up to 130 meters.

Marina Genova Aeroporto, in competition with the traditional Marinas of the French Riviera (always full and commanding sky high prices), has the great advantage of being just 5 minutes by car from the airport. Genova International Airport has direct flights from London, Paris, Zurich, Munich and most Italian Airports. The “White Glove services” have attracted the attention of many yachts from 40 to 80 meters. The presence of the Club house with the SPA wellness centre and a small hotel with 14 suites facing the sea are the principal features of the Marina that is well integrated with the city of Genoa. In the next few months, a purpose built Sports Club with swimming pool, 2 tennis courts and first class restaurant will open. Another service that only Marina Genova Aeroporto provides is the elegant HOSPITALITY DESK; furnished by Armani, offering personalised and punctual service to yacht owners, guests and crew. They are able to satisfy many different requirements: organising catering or parties onboard, travel reservations, hotel or restaurant bookings, theatre tickets, car/limousine rental, fresh flower arrangements, ice cold champagne and much more! In the marina, there is the largest fuelling station in the Mediterranean located with a 140m quay where duty free and aviation fuel are available. Genoa is just 20nm from Portofino, 75 from Monaco, 90 from Corsica, 115 from the Island of Elba and only 200 from Porto Cervo in Sardinia. A perfect place for easy access to the magnificent Italian and French Rivieras. Over 70% of the berths were sold within the first 18 months. The owners are truly international from every part of the world including Russia, Australia and the USA.

The berths are sold with an unheard of 43 years lease and this is another very advantageous aspect compared to other Marinas on the French Riviera where the longest lease is 19 years and the average lease is just 12 years. Marina Genova Aeroporto is not only an excellent place as a “Home Port” but also the capital appreciation on the moorings will be significant. It is hard to imagine what the prices will be in ten years time when Genova has the benefit of a 35 year lease still remaining and most of the other marinas on the French Riviera have only 3 or 6 years left.

Past Times: A’Speranziella 1963 – 2009

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:18:56 +0000

Mike James of the classic offshore powerboat owners club reflects on a name from the golden age of offshore endurance racing. A’speranziella holds a special place in the hearts of marathon racing enthusiasts. A`Speranziella, is a design from the board of Renato “Sonny” Levi, born in Karachi (then in India) who worked for his father’s boat building yard in Bombay designing and overseeing the production of a selection of vessels both sail and power. When his father retired and decided to move back to Italy it was also the impetus for Renato to move on, and by 1960 after visiting the United States and Britain was now domiciled in Italy. Here he set up Cantieri Navaltecnica in Anzio the heart of Italy’s boating industry, using his and wife Ann’s savings. The excitement of participating in the fi rst modern day power boat race to be held in Europe (which had been announced at the 1961 Earls Court Boat Show), had enticed the Italian back to Britain for the race. Levi’s mount was to be A`Speranziella a 30ft cruiser built to his design and as a prototype for a new range of cruisers to be produced by Navaltecnica. She was powered by two Cadillac Crusaders producing a total of 600hp and running on high-octane aviation fuel. When Renato asked the race organisers if such fuel was available at Cowes, he was told emphatically no! The engines were then de-rated accordingly, but they arrived in Cowes prior the race only to fi nd that avgas was available, maybe this was to prove a cos tly mistake! They were also allocated race no 17 which is unlucky in Italy, this was happily changed to 16 for the race, the number she carried all her racing life. The race has been well documented with the biggest scrap being between A`Speranziella and Thunderbolt, each taking the lead. It was in the rough waters off St Catherine’s point that A`Speranziella took control as leader when Sopwith throttled back to 10 knots in the torrid conditions and six foot swell. The Italian team held the lead past Bournemouth then on to Durleston Head where the fi rst problems struck. Maybe going that little faster in the extreme conditions was overzealous and Tommy Sopwith’s Thunderbolt regained the lead never to relinquish it again. The bright red Italian pushed on with cracks in cabin structure, splits in the longitude bearers, a smashed head, split tanks and the engines being temperamental, maybe they were showing a dislike for the lower octane fuel! Sonny Levi brought her in to 5th place at Torquay and set him self on a trail to fame as one of the most outstanding designers of the second half of the century. The bug had bitten and Sonny was back in 1962 accompanied by a rebuilt and strengthened A`Speranziella. Also at Cowes that year was another formidable Levi boat, Ultima Dea (the Last Goddess), powered by three Maserati engines and driven by Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli and also in the fleet was a smaller Levi design Settimo Velo. The Italians had arrived with their own transport vessel, which doubled as workshop, home and support ship but it was to all be in vain. The 1962 race was run in rough conditions that suited the big boys of the 41 starters and of course there was none bigger than Dick Wilkins aboard Tramontana. The day did not start well for the Italians when the Settimo Velo failed to make the start. A`Speranziella, co-driven by Commander Attilo Petroni again showed, as in the previous year, that she was a good contender taking the rough seas in her stride. Yet again she was battling with Thunderbolt, now driven by Pamela Campbell and Lettis Curtis, for 5th and 6th places. The crossing of Lyme Bay took its toll on both craft. A`Speranziella approached Torquay much the worse for wear with engine problems and heeling slightly to starboard. She made the trip up to Ore Stone and back to the finishing line taking in 10th place but unfortunately was disqualified for missing a turning mark. Ultima Dea had finished in 3rd but at prize giving it was YO YO who took the spoils as Ultima Dea had also missed a mark of Bournemouth, Agnelli refused to sign his declaration and was thus eliminated. On the day of scrutineering for the 1963 race a familiar shape appeared in Cowes harbour after motoring over from Belgium, looking more purposeful than previous years with a redesigned cabin, and powered by 2 new Ford Interceptor engines totalling 800hp… A`Speranziella was back. The whole boat had been rebuilt yet again from lessons learned in the two previous races. She was now stronger than ever with additional stringers and bearers including re-engineered spray rails, she was also faster and more reliable. Such was the status of the Cowes Torquay, a total of 50 entries had been received. The competition was going to be fierce, included in the list were no less than nine Bertrams including Blue Moppie, Damian and Thunderstreak all rated at 800hp, plus White Migrant a 25ft Christina with an engine room full of Ford Dearborn Interceptors giving her an unrivalled power to weight ratio. The race was run in moderate conditions and the I.O.W “loop” saw speeds of 43 knots attained by the leading bunch including all the named above with A`Speranziella in 5th place. Lead boat was Migrant, driven by Lord Lucan and Bruce Campbell. At the Needles second time Migrant had vanished and it transpired that the fuel tanks had been overfilled. Lord Lucan was slopping out petrol from the bilges when his cuff caught the propshaft. The material was dragged into the floating bearing which seized and water started pouring in, the bilge pump then packed up and Migrant sank. Next to go was Thunderstreak in Lyme bay, it was here that Blue Moppie had burst water pipes and she stopped for repairs. Tramontana 2 made up ground in the rough water, but the leader after all this excitment was the A’Speranziella a lead she held to the finish. So it was third time lucky for Sonny and there was never a more deserved victor. His success was made even sweeter when, in sixth place came the diminutive TRIDENT driven by Don Shead with a similar boat Jupiter in 16th, both designed by Levi and built by R.W.Clarke in Cowes. You knew who was going to be “flavour of the month” next year and his success as designer and driver set the seal on his future. A`Speranziella never raced again in the Cowes- Torquay race but made an appearance in the hands of circuit racer Tom Percival and his father in the first Round Britain Powerboat Race in 1969. With sponsorship from Robinsons Barley Water and painted with lurid diagonal stripes, she unfortunately broke down and retired at Milford Haven. Like all old racers the boat vanished into private hands but was advertised in Motor Boat and Yachting in the 80’s though said to be in poor condition. She was purchased and restored by Nigel Bowdler, appearing at Cowes in 1987at the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes event only to vanish yet again. The subject of in depth chapters in Sonny Levi’s books ‘Milestones in my Designs’ and ‘Dhows to Deltas’ A’Speranziella had acquired icon status amongst the fans of early offshore racing so it was a great pleasure to hear that she surfaced once again. Seven years ago Sebastian Stapleton was in Lymington, to view a Fairey Huntsman. What caught his eye in the corner of Adam Younger’s yard was a rather different craft, a forlorn Red Boat with unusual lines and as the story unfolded Sebastian knew that this was the craft he would buy. Now undergoing yet another restoration, including the refitting of 2 original Ford Interceptors. A’Speranziella is being restored to her original 1963 specification although this will be a long haul as when found she had been poorly stored by the previous owners resulting in the hull sweating with the resulting problems faced by a wooden structure. It is heart warming to know that another Cowes-Torquay winner is at last being afforded the acknowledgement due and that at least one famous Levi boat will be back on the water one day.

Focus On: Hannes Bohinc

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:10:28 +0000

Both in business and racing, 49 year old Hannes ‘Bison’ Bohinc, has been served well by his “NO RISK NO FUN” philosophy. Bohinc’ is a successful entrepreneur who started in business at the age of 18 when he set up a motorcycle shop, enabling him to combine his two passions, racing and business. Today, he resides over one of Europe’s largest sports betting companies, ‘wettpunkt’, with interests in Europe and South America. Hannes’s nickname ‘Bison’ is very apt as he has established the largest breed of Bison in Europe. Despite the demands of his business life, he continues to find the time to maintain his love affair with offshore powerboat racing which began in 1992. One of the most distinguished racers in world powerboating, Bohinc has also experienced his share of drama, most notably when racing in the UIM Class 2 World Championships in Buenos Aires in 1997, when his boat overturned and stuck in the mud of the river bottom, jamming the canopy hatches shut. “I was leading coming to the last lap, and then the steering failed; we rolled and it quickly developed into a terrible situation. It was not deep enough to open the hatch, so I was eight minutes without oxygen before the divers came and took me out. I was clinically dead.” Bohinc has won the Harmsworth Trophy, the Powerboat P1 World Championship, his class in the Venice to Montecarlo and Montecarlo – Porto Cervo – Montecarlo events, was awarded the Martini Trophy in 1994, and has won bronze and silver medals at the Superboat World Championships in the USA. He was also part of the crew that set a new ‘Round Britain’ world record of 30hours 51m 40s aboard the giant Buzzi creation ‘Record’. For 2009, he returns to Powerboat P1, driving the Mercury-powered 1520hp Outerlimits for the Italian OSG Racing Team, alongside Neapolitan, Giancarlo Cangiano. Surprisingly, this will be the first time that Hannes Bohinc has raced a non diesel-powered craft. He has stood on the winner’s podium almost every year since his racing debut when he won the Venice – Montecarlo Marathon and the Martini Endurance Trophy of Sport category. Bohinc is one of only six drivers to have won the ‘Cowes-Torquay-Cowes’ twice and one of only ten who have won the Harmsworth trophy more than once. Other achievements include; 2nd overall and winner of the 1998 Sport Category in the Venice-Monte Carlo Endurance Race, 2001 winner of the UIM Endurance WC and EC in Sport Category, and winner of the Naples Cup and Centenary Harmsworth Trophy with ‘wettpunkt.com’ in 2003. In 2005 he throttled ‘‘wettpunkt.com’’ to glory in the Evolution Class of the Powerboat P1 World Championship. Two years later he won 5 stages of the 2008 Round Britain, and now, P1’s most distinguished powerboat racer returns to the World Championship for yet another high speed adventure.

Why is the 2005 P1 evolution World ChamPion returning to P1?

Last year I competed with my boat, ‘wettpunkt.com’, in the Round Britain and my appetite for racing at the top level returned. P1, if it lives up to its pre season PR, has the quantity of races and quality of boats in 2009 to provide the best possible test of any powerboater wishing to compete on the international stage.

Why did you decide not to race your own boat, ‘WettPunkt.Com’?

Firstly, it did no t make financial sense in such an ec onomic downturn to assemble a team, crew and engine p ackage capable of winning races in P1 when the oppor tunity existed to race with OSG Racing. OSG is a s trong team, Giancarlo Cangiano is quick and he has a fast boat. Secondly, ‘wettpunkt.com’ is diesel-powered and P1 is no t particularly diesel-friendly. The layout of the courses and the rule s governing weight make it difficult to compete at the front.

So why osg and Cangiano?

I have always respected Cangiano. He started late but was a quick learner and soon was competing to win. This impressed me greatly. We have competed against each other since 2002. He has a very professional attitude, and this is also reflected in his team, OSG Racing. He spoke to me about my plans, I explained my situation, and he invited me to join him. He is a true gentleman and I look forward to racing alongside him.

Do you feel that you can Win the P1 Evolution Class?

We are both world champions so why not? It is never easy to predict, there is so much to consider, and all world champions rely on good fortune at some point in the season. Our boat engine package is top class and should be reliable. Neither Cangiano nor I go racing just to make up the numbers!

Which events are you particularly looking forward to?

Malta is a particular favourite. The people are very hospitable, I have business commitments there, and we always get a warm welcome. The first event is always special and a gr eat opportunity to set out our in tentions for the season. I hope the f inal event in Bahrain will be e ven more special for OSG Racing, but tha t will be determined by our speed and c onsistency in the preceding events. Istanbul and Go thenburg promise much and will be in teresting places to visit and race.

What are your plans for the British races?

My intention in 2009 has been to race ‘wettpunkt.com’ in the British classics, although unfortunately at this moment in time we have not found an engine package suitable for our perfect boat. We are still looking although time is now against us. I have always enjoyed racing in Britain at events such as the Cowes Torquay Cowes. These classic endurance events are steeped in history and have always played an important part in shaping the future development of the sport and its technology. I want to be involved for the competition, the challenge, the British powerboat racing heritage and for my love of racing. When event organisation is in the hands of people who have the passion for the sport and an understanding of how best to implement sensible, practical rules that do not penalise those who choose to race with diesel engines, then these people deserve the support of us competitors.

Would you race with Cangiano at Cowes?

If ‘wettpunkt.com’ is ready to race we would like to invite Cangiano to race with us. He loves racing at Cowes, has had a great record of success there, and he throws the best mozzarella party in the town. Last time he raced there he imported 30 kilos of the finest mozzarella from Naples and invited half the town to his party. It might mean that we are carrying extra ballast in the race, but anyone who has tasted Italy’s finest mozzarella will know it’s a sacrifice worth making!

How do you balance business with sport?

The balance gets harder each year. As our business continues to develop the demand on time increases for everyone associated with ‘wettpunkt.com’ and Play4win. From November to March there is little time for pleasure, so when Spring arrives I am ready for sun, sea and racing. A powerboat weekend is very intense and allows me to switch off from the business whilst enjoying the atmosphere, racing and usually good weather.

What about the future?

Just now my passion to race is strong, as is my appetite to win. In the future I will continue to race all the time I have the passion – even if the focus changes. We have always been single-minded in our challenge to prepare a team, boat and crew capable of winning. Perhaps in the future we may put greater emphasis on the enjoyment of participation, who knows! Looking further forward, I would love to introduce my sons, Ryan, 17, and Warren, 15, to the sport. It may be that they do not discover the same passion for racing, but if they do, perhaps one day we could look at this.

Focus On: Sir John William Maxwell Aitken

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:41:06 +0000

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?

Focus On: Drew Langdon

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:33:51 +0000

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I am married to Judy with two sons Ali and Dom. Judy is very much an outdoor person and enjoys boating. A couple of years ago for my birthday present, Judy commissioned a painting of an offshore race start, and all the boats which were lined up for a rolling start were all my race boats from the beginning to now. Unfortunately this was before I bought the ‘Cesa’. Ali is 18 and last year started racing with me in my Buzzi RIB in some RYA Basic races so he can get his National License. Dom enjoys the fast boats and cars as well as sailing and is c urrently in the RYA National Squad sailing a Cadet Class dinghy. I live in Devon and a stones throw away from fellow offshore racers and good friends Miles Jennings, Ed and Charlie Williams-Hawkes.

OTHER HOBBIES I am a keen air enthusiast and currently have three military jets, a Harrier, Jaguar and Buccaneer. These are in my hangar alongside various boats and are currently being restored, this is known as my airfix for grown ups. I just need a very large tube of glue!.

WORK I am a chartered Architect but do not practice as I now have my own development and commercial property company with about 300,000 sq.ft of space.

HISTORY

My father competed in circuit racing Class SE and OE in the 1970s. He drove for the Johnson works team in the UK and Europe. I helped at races from an early age and travelled to as many as possible in the school holidays. I lost my father in a flying accident when I was 18. I started becoming involved with our Local Club, The South Devon Water Sports Club which my father was President, as a Lap Scorer when I was 10 years old. I progressed and by the age of 12 I became the Time Keeper. Times were really great then and everything was very basic I used a chess clock to record the times of each boat on the circuit. There were about 12 boats racing and I would sit with the race officials in the balcony of a Pub called Coombe Cellars which was right on the water front. The boats raced very close by the pub on the river Teign so lots of people could watch. On the balcony we had a big clock face about 4 feet in diameter so the drivers could see it count down during a rolling start. It had a single sweeping second hand which someone would turn with a handle by hand at the back of the clock as we called out the count down from a minute. I remember one occasion when the boats were all lined up heading towards the balcony and we had started the count down, we were at about 30 seconds when the person turning the handle fell off a stool which was being used as he couldn’t reach the handle, as he fell he still had hold of the handle so the clock suddenly swung through 30seconds in a flash. All the boats shot off early to a great start! No one protested and everyone carried on as if nothing had happened, such was the spirit in those days and no accident report to fill out! My first race boat was a Bristol NE circuit boat when I was 17, which I raced on the Exe and la ter I became a member of the Cotswold Motorboat Racing Club when I moved away from Devon to study for my degree. Once my studies were finished and my business set up I moved back to Devon and became interested in Offshore. One of my favorite P1 venues is Malta. While racing there in 2004 we had a broken saddle during a very rough race on the first day. We had no spare and were wondering what we could do when a Maltese mechanic, Steve, interested in the boat started talking to us. At that time I had a Buzzi RIB with twin Mercury 300 engines. The Maltese referred to all RIBs as ‘dinghies’. Interested in my dinghy Steve saw the broken saddle and asked what we would do and I replied we were s tuck, as we had no spare and the 300s were then a farily new model and spares were not available in Malta. Steve then said that he knew of a Mariner which had the same saddle and he had a friend who had one in his garden. We took off in the middle of the night driving down the back streets of malta. I was wondering where he was taking us, would we ever return? Then we stopped, Steve jumped out and over the garden wall and started rummaging around in the flower bed and pulled out a saddle. It was just like magic. He then helped us through the night to repair the engine so we could race the next day which we did coming second in the Grad Prix. We have remained friends ever since and meet each time we return to race. In order to gain valuable points in one race we started with only one propeller on the twin engine boat. We struggled in the rough water to get on the plane and every so often into the head sea we would fall off the plane. At one s tage on the long straight section of the course I remember being overtaken by a yacht! At that time there was no time limit to the race and we carried on when everyone had finished for an hour or so to comple te the required number of laps. The officer of the day Ray Bullman was not impressed with us and after that the rules were changed imposing a maximum time to complete a race. It was a very rough race and going out payed off as many of the boats broke, leaving us points for third place! My favourite race has to be the Pro-Vee Midnight Sun Grand Prix in Norway. For two years I was racing in P1 as well as Pro- Vee and the racing was particularly good. The venue was in Bodo Norway and is above the Artic Circle. The Norwegians are fanatical about powerboat racing and travelled from all over the country to watch. The race started at midnight and finished about 1.30 am all in daylight, then a party followed from 2am until about 6am then we all went to bed at about 7am along with the rest of the Town while it was still daylight, what a day! To get there took two flights and we landed at a military airfield along with F16s. While at the pitts The Norwegians had all sorts of contraptions heating water beside their boats, one had a very large BBQ filled with boiling water and one had a domestic hot water cylinder bubbling away. We couldn’t work out what they were doing until we were crained in and couldn’t get the Seatek to run beyond a short burst at tick over. It turned out that the water was so cold the engines would not run unless the engine block was first filled with hot water before starting and kept in the block until partially warmed up. There was a great aircraft museum there with a 360 degree jet simulator which went upside down round and round. Inside the simulator was room for two people and it was fitted out like a cockpit with the wind screen being a screen showing the moving scenery. I took a trip in this with James Shepperd, as I knew James flew his own plane so let him fly so I could enjoy the trip. James put the simulator through its paces flying upside down under a suspension bridge and engaging in a dog fight with enemy aircraft. You could really feel the G as the machine cleverly rotated and pitched to simulate the flight. It was an amazing experience. 2009 I will be racing with Jan Falkowski again this season in my Buzzi 42 in Powerboat P1 but will be entering the Evolution Class. The boat has undergone a complete transformation with a canopy, new bottom and petrol engines. I will also compete in the Endurance series where there is not a clash of races. I am als o partners with Jan Falkowski and JohnPuddifoot in a Formula S2000 circuit catamaran which we will compete in some National races this year and Rouen 24hrs in 2010.

Recent Results:

RIB Formula 1 National Speed record P1 Supersport World Speed record

RIB FORMULA 1 RYA National Champion runner up twice and once third

PRO-VEE 2004 & 2005 3 podium finishes

ENDURANCE Round Britain 2008 – 1st place overall in the first leg Portsmouth to Plymouth, final result second in class. Cowes-Torquay-Cowes completed 6 times, best place 3rd overall 2003

RYA National Endurance champion P1 World Chmampionship 5yrs from 2004 – 2008 5 Grand Prix wins 14 podiums.

P1 World Champion runner up three times.

Haile Gebrselassie : Haile’s got that Victory feeling!

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:49:54 +0000

Haile Gebrselassie received some powerful support in his World record bid for the standard chartered Dubai marathon. he Ethiopian running legend swapped his racing vest for the overalls and helmets of the Dubai Victory Team in a special one-off meeting between the eight-times Class 1 World Powerboat Champions and a man widely recognized as the greatest distance runner of all time. Geb took time out from his preparations for the biggest race in the Middle East to get up close and personal with powerboat star Nader Ben Hendi – the current Class 1 World Champion – as well as one of the 160mph boats, designed and built in Dubai. “It was great of the Victory Team to bring along this beautiful boat,” smiled Gebrselassie, who was quick to take to the cockpit with Ben Hendi for whirlwind introduction to the high tech equipment that helped take Bin Hendi and Mohammed Al Marri to the 2008 Class I World Championship. “Nader told me all about throttling the boat and how everything inside the cockpit can help you navigate the course. It’s a really impressive set-up and maybe I should stop running and take up driving powerboats!” Gebrselassie takes on the challenge of the classic Marathon distance today after making his fi nal preparations. Asked if he had the same pre-race feeling he had prior to each of his previous 26 world records, the man from Addis Abba simply smiled. “You know, I feel good. That’s all I will say. And if you feel good and everything is right, then records happen. If they don’t, then you have to accept it and move on.” Starting at 6.30am from The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, classic 42.195km race will see more than 1,200 marathon runners tackle an “out and back” course with the turn at the towering UAE fl ag at Union House. Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and staged under the aegis of the Dubai Sports Council, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon will see all activities operate out of The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina. “I have to be very fi t to race Class 1 but I’m nowhere near as fi t as this man,” said Ben Hendi as he wished Gebrselassie luck on behalf of the Victory Team. “He is an amazing athlete and we’re honoured that he took the time to learn more about us and our success.” After receiving a special “Haile” Victory racing shirt and a commemorative gift, Geb headed back to his temporary HQ at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Resort and Marina. It may have been all in a day’s work for one of the world‘s greatest sportsmen but yet again he had charmed another fi eld of competition with his class and humility. The Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon – and the UAE – is lucky to have him and fans are urged to set the alarms and turn out to support a true sporting legend in action. The Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon is supported by Dubai Holding, The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, PUMA, Arab Media Group (AMG), TNT and Fitness First with assistance provided by Dubai Sports Council, RTA, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Police.

Solent 70 – Class 1 & 2 Championship, 28th April 1979

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:44:45 +0000

Imagine today, the opening round of the Ukoba Championship Attracting twenty seven entries of which fifteen were Class 1 And 2 outfits. That was the situation when the 1979 season kicked off on 28th April with the Solent 70. Unsettled weather for two weeks prior to the event had put the meeting in doubt but a decision was taken to run the full course within the eastern Solent and 27 craft of all shapes and sizes lined up to be scrutineered. Like today, the sport of offshore racing had been in the doldrums for a while, but 1979 signalled a resurgence of interest much the same as 2009. Even more encouraging was that nine teams were newcomers to the sport. The promised Class 1 battle featuring ‘I Like It Too’ of Atkinson and Bontoft against the better prepared ‘Uno Mint Jewellery’ of Pobjoy and Frost never materialized as ‘I Like It Too’ withdrew before launching leaving Pobjoy to race against himself. The situation in Class 2 looked healthier. The old Penthouse boat was now in the hands of Micheal Blunt and had been re-named ‘Miss Four Seasons Roofing’. Lady Arran had brought the older smaller ‘Skean Dhu’ out of mothballs. Roger Allen was running ‘British Buzzard’ while David Hagan was aboard ‘Apache’. Nicky Cripps was chartering ‘Pobjoy Mint’ to get licenses for his new Toleman Group backers and Poole newcomers Phillips and Howe had at last got the ‘HTS 2’ in racing condition under the name ‘B.E.F.’ standing for Bowmaker Finance. The two Cordiall brothers did not reach the start line in their newly acquired ‘El Barb’ despite getting scrutineered. For once the fleet was not dominated by Class 3 with only two Class 3 D boats turning up. Bloomfield and Baldwin were aboard the ex.Scanlite Stapely cat now renamed ‘L’ while Sinclair and Luker were in the big monohull ‘Just Gus’. There were no A or B rigs but Class 3 C were represented by ten teams of which six were new crews or combinations of new crews and boats. Five were Phantoms; Stapely had four and one Marshan. Alan Leftwich was driving ‘International Factor’ with Nigel Powell aboard his new Phantom 21 ‘Hot Gossip’. In the new Cruiser class Geoff and Tina Lindsay arrived with their Fletcher Zingaro and John Moore and family were aboard their Fjord Knipa while Chris Weaver lined up in his Fairline ‘Bouncy Bouncy’. After a fairly hectic scrutineering session twenty four boats assembled in Rank’s Squarerigger Bar to be briefed by OOD Clive Curtis. In a rising wind, occasionally gusting four, the race committee decided to run the full course in the reasonably sheltered eastern end of the Solent with Class 1 and 2 covering 87 miles and 66 for Class 3 with Cruisers covering 37 miles. Like a lot of weather predictions, the committee’s was not that accurate as the wind kicked up to Force 6 resulting in headaches among the competitors. Certainly it was not a good day for the cats and ‘Four Seasons Roofing’ never came under orders. Howard Wretham in the Phantom three pointer ‘Phantasize’ took a big green one and lost electrics on the start line. As the field streamed away from Hill Head, the lap one retirements came thick and fast led by the ill-fated ‘BEF’ with all sorts of ailments. ‘Kaydore’ had deposited crewman Beck in the water and headed for home while Beck was picked up and continued to race aboard the Lindsay’s ‘Zingaro’. ‘Moody Blue’ dropped out with failed steering and ‘Teroy’ headed for safety after its crew thought everyone was mad and discretion was the better part of valour. Pobjoy aboard ‘Uno Mint Jewellery’ was, as expected bowling along in front in the company of his diesel powered ‘Pobjoy Mint’, ‘British Buzzard’ and ‘Apache’. The Countess of Arran’s ‘Skien Dhu’ was running in with the leading Class D boat and her ladyship pointed out she was very pleased with her three pointers performance as she had rarely beaten Peter Bloomfield in the rough. Paul Sinclair burst a ballast tank in ‘Just Gus’ on lap two and as he retired he was followed back to the pits by ‘Skien Dhu’ with a swamped engine and no sparks. ‘Bounc y Bouncy’ retired when things started breaking and a dying engine, and they also suffered the indignity of drifting onto the Brambles and had to be towed off by a rescue cruiser. With the lead on lap 2 in Classes being held by ‘Uno Mint Jewellery’, ‘Apache’ ‘L’ ‘Hot Gossip’ and ‘Checkout’. However lap 3 produced further retirements. ‘Concorde/Pussycat’ opted for safety in the increasing winds and seas while Geoff Lindsey’s Fletcher started to dismantle with doors and galleys falling to the floor so ‘Zingaro’ headed for cover followed by the Class 2 ‘Pobjoy Mint’ which ran out of power. Of the nine boats still running, the only other retirement was David Hagan with an unspecified problem. The committee decided to curtail the action while there were still a few teams still running and overall honours went to Derek Pobjoy aboard ‘Uno Mint Jewellery’ in Class 1, Roger Allen in ‘British Buzzard’ in Class 2 and Peter Bloomfield in Class 3D and ‘Symes in ‘Tesco Checkout’ took the Cruiser honours.

1981 : Aerofoils, were they worth it?

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:44:21 +0000

The offshore season of 1981 will possibly be remembered as a year of development and a continued search for more speed. Powerboats started to sprout wings, or aerofoils as they were known in boffin circles he offshore season of 1981 will possibly be remembered as a year of development and a continued search for more speed. Powerboats started to sprout wings, or aerofoils as they were known in boffin circles. The bright red, aluminium Class 2 cat ‘Romans Sabre’ gave committees something to ponder over when she appeared at the beginning of the season sporting a large aerofoil above the cockpit. By the time the 1981 Cowes – Torquay race had arrived in August, the ‘Sabre’ was joined by another cat boasting an aerofoil, albeit a smaller version fitted to Colin Gervise-Brazier’s ‘Legend’. However few would have believed the sight that awaited them in the Solent on 25th September. John Craxford and Ted Toleman chose that day for an assault on the British Unlimited National and World Class 1 and 2 speed record for diesel powered craft. Toleman’s Cougar was sporting a large aerofoil and was liveried with the ‘Slick 50’ logo. The Cougar and ‘Romans Sabre’ took to the lumpy waters of the Solent in confident mood indeed ‘Romans Sabre’ was even fitted with two foils. With very gusting winds, onlookers would be forgiven for thinking these two outfits were attempting an air speed record. On April 13th 1978, Ken Cassir and James Beard ran the Solent measured mile in wet and windy conditions and their Cougar cat, then a revolutionary breakthrough in design averaged 92.1675 mph. This was the target Toleman and his throttleman Harold ‘Smitty’ Smith had come to beat. Mike Bellamy’s National and World diesel record was of longer standing. Bellamy’s speed of 68.86 mph aboard the Class 2 monohull ‘HTS 2’ was set on Lake Windermere in October 1972. This was the record ‘Romans Sabre’s owner John Craxford was hoping to beat. The UIM rules state that a record attempt cannot be run within one hour of low wa ter, so with a cer tain amount of tension, the boats milled around off Fawley Power Station early in the afternoon. The strong wind was blowing across the measured mile and both Craxford and Toleman decided conditions were far from ideal. For Ted, one run was enough to decide on a pos tponement and he retreated to the Cougar boatyard at Netley. For Craxford with an aerofoil a t the front and back, it took two runs to average 73.4 mph, enough to break Bellamy’s Class 2 record but not enough for ‘Romans Sabre’s team. Low water came and went while the timekeepers, friends, crews and back-up team headed for the warmth of the Cougar offices, before returning to a much quieter Solent later in the afternoon. Toleman was the first to try the kinder but not ideal conditions and after three passes, the best was 94.45 mph, enough for the record but not enough for Mr Toleman. While the Southampton to Isle of Wight ferries churned up the waters, Craxford took some more passes but he had removed the smaller aerofoil off the front and placed the larger aft one in its original central position. Their best time was lower than the earlier times so John and co-pilot Chris Kaye decided to move the foil again, this time four foot further forward which sounds very hit and miss. Toleman began his passes again, only this time he took a diagonal route across the mile giving him longer to wind her up and possibly gaining lift from the wind and his tactics worked. From North to South ‘Slick 50’ recorded 97.61 mph and South to North 96.17 mph before uncorking a North to South run of 98.17 mph. No further attempts were made as the 70 gallons of fuel had been consumed but the best of the last two runs secured a new World and National speed record of 97.44 mph. So the final stage was set for Craxford and Kaye to produce something special. In the fading light ‘Romans Sabre’ topped 76.15 mph from North to South but his speed was much slower in the other direction and the team’s best time of the day was 73.66 mph. Celebrations were held long into the night on the Hamble and engine makers Sabre and Mercruiser were happy with their achievements. As both boats completed their attempts with aerofoils fitted, no-one could tell if the aerodynamics made that much difference. However, the fact that few boats have been fitted with ‘add-ons’ since those halcyon days of yesteryear suggests that their benefits were very limited.

Mike Schriefer

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:35:39 +0000

Steve Michael talks to Mike Schriefer, who was introduced to the F1-ChampBoat Series four years ago, when he saw a dynamic product with a storied past. He liked what he saw and became its new promoter. He recognised a sport that was broken, but Mike Schriefer, a born Texan who grew up in Southern California now living in Charlotte, North Carolina, thought he could fix the series. After all, he’s had a history of nothing but success leading into his current ‘project’.

Loving anything that raced on wheels, he remembers competing against an older, much more talented Scott Gillman, (who later also discovered water and went on to be a 4-time U.I.M. F1 World Champion before retiring last season), on the professional motocross series that took place in California in a big way back in the late 1970’s. The President of ‘Speedway Group Inc.’ was a tad envious of Scott since he always had a group of women around him as he made mincemeat out of the competition while winning numerous titles and driving for Team Suzuki. Mike soon got a lesson in racing life from a family friend of Team Penske driver Kevin Cogan, when as a teenager, while watching his driver win many races in the North American Champ Car Series, he also enjoyed a brief stint in Formula 1. Giving up his dreams of racing after a few years, Mike shifted his career by working as a ‘professional driver’ for film, racin g schools and Ride-N-Drive programs for automobile companies as they introduced their new vehicles. As an instructor, he worked with the world’s best drivers including Hans Stuck, Davey Jones, The Unser’s, Bobby Rahal, Emerson Fittipaldi and Danny Sullivan, just to name a few. He carried these relationships into his dream of starting his own company and soon delivered in a big way by helping BMW launch their Z3 and Z4 hatchbacks into America. One of his biggest projects was the dramatic launch of the ‘Mini’ Cooper into the USA where he was joined by his brother. They entertained every BMW dealership throughout North America for 10 days in San Francisco. He also formed close relationships with Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Ferrari over the years before deciding that the sport of F1-ChampBoat racing looked too exciting to pass up. “I got involved with the series a few years ago when Bill Seebold approached me after my friend Steve Michael invited me to the 2004 Year End banquet and I had a chance to meet everyone.” said Schriefer in reference to the long-time driver and team owner of Team Seebold. “Bill introduced me to Wayne Worthy and I just wanted to work with these good people. It just grabbed me; I saw a spectacular, affordable world class motorsport that needed help. The result was a partnership of the series which after a year became a full purchase to start the 2006 season. We believe in the product, and we thought these were the most incredible racing machines anyone’s ever seen. It was an affordable product, too. After working with top-level auto racing for so long, I couldn’t believe how affordable these things were in comparison.” Schriefer also likes the policy that cities all over North America are investing in their downtown waterfronts and looking for ways to bring people to their waterfronts. “We think we’ve got the perfect product for that”. “Mike Schriefer is the best thing to happen to our sport in 20 years. He bends over backwards to work with the racers, but he’s always thinking of the marketing end of things,” says Bill Seebold. “He’s the only guy in that position who has put his money where his mouth is. When you see someone tr ying that hard to make things work, you want to try hard, too.” We decided to ask him a few questions to find out where the ‘boss’ is headed as we work our way through the 2008 campaign. What’s been the biggest challenge for you since you’ve taken over? “Getting new partners involved and focusing in enough time to work on marketing when I have to spend so much time on the day to day operations of all the logistics of each race.” Is finding race sites one of the hardest operations to do? “No, finding race sites has been the easy par t. Many people wish that we could put our product in their downtown locality, but having them come up with the money to actually put on the event has been somewhat harder.” Has the lack of drivers become a problem recently? “The bigger concern really is the development of the younger drivers. There have been some teams that have been here forever, but the lack of new blood has hurt. Also, losing front runners like Wyatt Nelson from his accident last season, to this year’s first corner accident of Chris Fairchild ending the season of a possible champion hasn’t helped either.” How would you summarize the three years that you have been in the series so far? “I love it, but it’s been the biggest challenge of my career. Everything is riding on my shoulders. The series, the events, and sponsorship.” Do you ever see you and Nicolo di San Germano promoter of the U.I.M. F1 World Championship tour, linking up and working together someday? “I’d love too. Absolutely, you know, that would be fantastic. I have nothing but the utmost respect for what he is doing and I try to stay in contact with how he approaches this sport especially from the international level.” Do you see this sport going back into Canada once again where it was so strongly situated back in the 1980’s and early 1990’s? “I have my feelers out right now and what helps things out is that we’ve had as many as 3 different drivers racing from Canada in the last few years. The country has a great tradition in this sport and it just needs to be rekindled again to make it successful.” What’s the future for F1- ChampBoat in North America? “In the short term I see us adding more venues for the future and bringing back old friends. In the long term, our corporate sponsors I believe will get a better and better product year after year as we expand our exposure throughout North America and at the same time give our partners a more worthwhile weekend of activity on and off the water to make the show not only a boat race but a ‘festival’ as well. This is our goal.” Mike Schriefer is a new generational promoter who comes from a world of big-time auto racing featuring open-wheel and the NASCAR circuits that thrive on the ‘show’ as well as the race. With the world fast changing and asking for more in a short time, he’s the kind of person who can carry this message to the people who love power boat racing on the other side of the ‘pond’ for the future.

Past Times: 1980 Cowes Torquay Cowes

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:49:54 +0000

With the revival of the legendary Cowes Classic about to be staged in August this year, we take a nostalgic look at a report written on the 1980 Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race, a year when entry numbers had dropped to a rather abysmal low of only eighteen starters, and a newcomer to UK waters took the prestigious trophy. At a little after two o’clock on the afternoon of the penultimate Saturday in August, a largely unknown American citizen was presented with the keys to a Toyota Corolla motor car valued in the region of $11,000. In between gulps of champagne, the happy recipient volunteered the information that he was quite disappointed that he hadn’t been pushed harder, but admitted that if he had been, the chances are that he would have run out of fuel and not finished anyway. If that seems mildly anomalous, consider that Billy Elswick had probably invested upwards of $250,000 to win that car. In the twenty years since its conception by Sir Max Aitkin and its inception as the premier offshore race in Europe, the big test of reliability and skills involving Cowes and Torquay has, in some ways, altered beyond all recognition whilst remaining much the same, a continuing proof of one thing above all others; in the words of the American popular song, ‘when you’re hot, you’re hot and when you’re not, you’re not.’ So it was for the twentieth running of the race, now re-titled the Toyota Grand Prix, and despite the caprice of the English Channel, the weather and the luck factor, Elswick had already thrown his hat firmly in the ring just one week previously at the Needles International. For 1980, Toyota GB – in their second year of sponsorship – put more time and effort into the event than older sports watchers could remember since the halcyon days of the mid 60’s. Here was the old course again – 246 miles to include the Skerries, a fine prize on wheels with a qualification to the newly constituted Harmsworth Trophy, a full social programme for the self destructive, and full television coverage to boot. Perhaps the only disappointing thing about the day was the reduced entry of only 18 boats, itself an indication of reduced means (recession), but for those who did choose to do battle, the pressures were as they always have been; intense. In the absence of World Champion Betty Cook as a competitor, along with other prospects from the US – Joel Halpen, Tom Gentry and Michel Meynard, the arrival of Bill Elswick and his Scarab 38 ‘Satisfaction’ was a welcome if predictable excitement. The question marks were over others here. Would the charming Italian gynaecologist Tommaso de Simone break out of France in time to charm the ladies of Cowes? Would fellow Italian Fabio Buzzi get his boat back together after a disastrous three mile run at Poole? Would the Swede’s make it on time, and what boats would the British teams choose to run? Scrutineering day gave us some of those answers. When Elswick blew into Cowes to be checked over, it was with a damaged boat and new throttle man. The Scarab was cracked athwart ships, a testament to the weekend before, while the tubby Clauser was replaced by veteran rigger and throttle jockey Richie Powers, already a two time winner here with ‘Martini’ in the 70’s. Of the Italians, only Guido Niccoli and Alberto Smania made the grade. The quietly charming Smania has been campaigning the European season in one of the old Alitalia Shead boats and with Rob Culpan to guide him, he was always in contention. Niccolai had a new Martini Racing boat this season and here was something of a mystery. After several seasons at the wheel of a Shead tin monohull, built by a combination of CUV and Picchiotti in Viareggio, 1980 saw a boat that looked suspiciously similar but which carried no mention of the British designer. Biggest thorn in the Italian’s side this year had been Ted Toleman. Currently battering their way towards the title, the Toleman Team have an enviable selection of machinery from which to choose on most race days but for some reason chose the Bertram boat rather than the Cougar. This was particularly inexplicable in view of the met man’s confidence in forecasting calm conditions when he briefed the competitors. Derek Pobjoy brought the former race winner ‘Uno Pobjoy Mint’ into the fray while ex-Cunningham running mate, Frank Wyatt, bought and brought yet another race winner here, now called Realite Charger but better known as ‘I Like It Too’. Topping the Class I list was the combined might of the Limit Up Racing Team. Again with two boats to choose from, Mike Doxford entered and scrutineered both his Cigarette 37 and his new Cougar cat 39, leaving the choice of drives to the morning of race day and the weather to define. Real in his thoughts must have been the remembrance that the cat had only just been launched and despite being mighty quick from inception, was largely untried. In Class 2 there were other questions. How would the illstarred ‘Cossack’ of Ray MacEnhill fare with her four outboards against the diesel leviathan of John Craxford; would ‘Romans Sabre’ have the speed? How would the gaggle of diesel monos fare this year? And then there was Fiona Arran. There are those who believe that the best way of getting excitement is to jump off Waterloo Bridge with fireworks in the pockets, but the doughty Countess has other ideas. 100 mph in her Trimite ‘Skean Dhu’ one week; battering the regal butt over 240 miles of ocean the next. If she was hoping for flat water, so too was Colin Gervaise-Brazier and designer Don Shead. Almost unheralded among the volume of Cougar cats from the Beard/Curtis board this year has been the slow fruition of the most recent Shead multi-hull project, ‘Goldrush’. After a week of winds and worry, followed by a calm forecast by the Southampton Meteorological Centre, race day dawned near to perfection. The cat men smirked quietly, along with the tri woman, and the mono men talked of propeller sizes to cope with the flat-out blind. If the portents were good then the start was inauspicious to say the least. The smaller than usual start boat began her run too far west, leaving a number of boats well behind in the muster area, while the flag carrying helicopter did well not to drop her aluminium gallows through the decks of a massed spectator fleet below. As the main fleet went west at the appointed hour, consternation reigned elsewhere. In the Doxford office aboard the ‘Limit Up’ cat, the owner and his designer James Beard discovered that clambering onto the plane was not immediately attainable while the Gerv Brazier cat was having similar problems. ‘Goldrush’, fully laden, would stubbornly refuse to get up whilst going west so Gerv did a smart one-eighty and started his run for the line in the opposite direction. Approximately 2 minutes after the main start, the two new cats hurtled over the line together, already showing their speed potential, but even that was not the end. Smania in his Class I boat had been left at the off, as had Adrian Pobjoy in the Class 2 diesel mono ‘Pobjoy Mint’, later explaining that they had fuelled up to excess and had weight problems to overcome. And so to the race. The traditional first loop of the Solent plays strange tricks. It is very healthy to get to the Lepe turn buoy ahead of the maelstrom but the man first there is not always the first back through Cowes. In this case ‘Toleman Group’ headed the field from ‘Uno Pobjoy Mint’, ‘Satisfaction’, ‘Martini Racing’, ‘Limit Up 77’ driven by Tim Powell, Willie Meyers and Max Aitkin, ‘Realite Charger’, ‘Romans Sabre’ and ‘Cossack’. The rest were already well adrift. Up front, ‘Toleman’ continued his hard charging but ‘Pobjoy’ fell back and as they approached Portsmouth the order read, ‘Toleman’, ‘Satisfaction’, ‘Martini’, ‘Limit Up 77’ and ‘Pobjoy’. Then Elswick made a navigational blunder and let ‘Martini’ through inside at Ryde and the first passage through Cowes Roads had the shakedown complete. Averaging well up in the high seventies, ‘Toleman’ led ‘Martini’ with the American boat screaming at their heels in third, ahead of a flying ‘Limit Up 77’ and ‘Pobjoy’. Next through was the ‘Limit Up’ cat followed by ‘Realite Charger’, Smania in the ‘CIGA’ boat and ‘Romans Sabre’ leading Class 2 from ‘Cossack’, an apparently struggling ‘Goldrush’, ‘RHS’, ‘Pobjoy Mint’, a soggy ‘Skean Dhu’ and an outclassed ‘Slipstream’. ‘Martini Racing’s Niccolai had taken the decision to run for a good finish rather than out and out speed, so as they went west to the Needles, ‘Satisfaction’ creamed past to take 2nd slot followed mighty quickly by the ‘Limit Up’ cat. Back in the Solent, the Arran challenge was faltering with each minute but the big problems for the fleet were to manifest themselves as Bournemouth approached. First to feel the pinch was ‘Cossack’ and at Branksome they lost an engine with a pushy con rod that wanted a breath of air. With them out, the Class 2 scrap looked set between ‘Romans Sabre’ and ‘Goldrush’ but there was drama ahead of them. After rounding the Bournemouth mark in the lead, ‘Toleman’ headed ‘Satisfaction’, ‘Limit Up’ cat, ‘Martini’, ‘Limit Up 77’ and Smania towards Portland but no sooner had Ted Toleman got settled to that task than he experienced a vibration which first slowed and then forced him to back off to investigate. Whether from floating debris or metal fatigue, both props looked fairly second hand so Team Toleman got their communal feet wet as they changed the wheels. ‘Pobjoy’ had been challenging hard at the Poole mark but it was not to be his day, for a grudgeon pin let go on one piston, rendering the Mind’s outing a short one. Also to fall victim to the Bournemouth jinx was ‘Limit Up 77’. Loss of power on one motor was traced to a broken distributor rotor arm; a spare was fitted but the team with perhaps the biggest experience quota quickly discovered that the failed original had sufficiently chewed up the distributor to render any repair useless. Decimation par excellence at the top of the fleet had left ‘Satisfaction’ trailing ‘Limit Up’ cat at Anvil Point, with ‘Martini Racing’ ahead of ‘CIGA’ and ‘Romans Sabre’ narrowly led by an improving ‘Goldrush’. By Portland Bill, all that was to change. Doxford and Beard, sensing a win at long odds, had backed off slightly to hold a lead of less than a mile but then a vibration set up which brought them back to reality. By the time they had stopped, a flying propeller tip had upset the balance on one transmission box and started to disturb the other. With the speed potential established and with more to come, the ‘Limit Up’ cat sent out its SOS and lay dead in the water. Almost simultaneously, ‘Martini Racing’ felt one of their engines go soft and they too settled to discuss the possibilities with some 130 miles still to run. As ‘Satisfaction’ creamed away west across Lyme Bay and toward the Skerries, Niccolai decided to change one prop and run on, albeit very slowly, for points. ‘Toleman Group’, now back in the fray, quickly caught and passed ‘Martini’ as well as Smania to take second place again but back in Class 2, it was hares and tortoises. ‘Goldrush’, having started sounding sick and very heavily laden, had begun to shake down quite well. Gervaise Brazier and co-pilot David Knott had taken the new cat, complete with its all-riveted sponsons and variable geometry into the Class 2 lead and were beginning to fly ahead of ‘Romans Sabre’ and ‘Pobjoy Mint’. ‘RHS’ was well adrift and had already experienced problems in the flat water conditions, while Lady Arran had turned back in disappointment before reaching Bournemouth. Now as Lyme Bay approached ‘Goldrush’ began to be beset by problems of her own making; the faster she appeared to go, the greater became the water pressure on her riveted hulls. The odd rivet began to give up the unequal contest and ‘Goldrush’ began to pick up water slowing her passage. As ‘Martini’ started out west again after her propeller change, her crew watched ‘Romans Sabre’ retake the class lead and the two cats head slightly inshore to make the best of the sea conditions around the Bay. While all this was happening up front, Adrian Pobjoy was burning off fuel and picking up speed in 3rd place so the equation was simple. Could ‘Goldrush’ keep running and hold onto second slot or would ‘Pobjoy Mint’ take over? With ‘Satisfaction’ now doing a master class demonstration of intelligent running without real challengers and Toleman and Smania jockeying for second place, ‘Goldrush’ took ‘Romans Sabre’ again and rounded the Skerries ahead, only to have the position reversed by Torquay. From there back to the finish, it was totally processional; Elswick and Powers led Toleman and Cunningham from Smania and Culpan in Class I with the Craxford boat leading Gervaise-Brazier and Nott from Pobjoy and Miller. The point collecting Niccolai and Mantle stuttered along on one engine at around 59mph enjoying the view of the Dorset cliffs. Five minutes after two o’clock, Elswick brought the Scarab across the finishing line to take the 20th Cowes-Torquay race and confirm himself as a worthy winner of the Harmsworth Trophy in a new race average speed of 79mph. and as they cruised to the winners berth, one engine stopped as it ran out of fuel. Eight minutes later Toleman, Cunningham and Cripps clinched the runnerup spot in ‘Toleman Group’ while Samani was pleased to secure 3rd place. The Class 2 battle was won by ‘Romans Sabre’ on the run-in with ‘Goldrush’ and ‘Pobjoy Mint’.