MOTOR BOATS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 51, 23 November 1907, Page 9

MOTOR BOATS.

. (By Carburettor.) ■-■ ■ Last 'Saturday and' Sunday were : not very pleasant days for the- launches/ but despite the very heavy, sea that' was running several of the launches were out.. Messrs. Downes liros.' Puriri presented a fine spectacle on Saturday afternoon leaving the Boat Ear-, hour, -the spray* in going out-through the back wash going con jtietely" over tho clock house: however; after getting out a littlo further the water, was .much smoother; and a, beautiful >yiow was obtained of tho yachts as they passed i'Koro Koro buoy. The trip back was in'iich' more agreeable," being witlr tho wind and sea.

Mr. F. W. Petherick also braved tho elements, and' followed the yacht races in the Dot, this little lauhchis-n great surprise to lots of people who think' that when" there is a big sea on, that'it is: impossible for a launch to go out with .safety,' but it goes to prove that with good handling, even tho smallest launch.can venture out in perfect security. Simplex II will in future bo known as the Alert; she is now fitted with an 8J h.p. ell-' gino which has. increased her speed considerably, more especially . against a strong head wind. A very enjoyable cruise was'mado by the Alert on Thursday evening. After picking up a small party at the ferry 'steps, a course was set for Ward Island. Tho moon was just rising as Point Halswell was passed, and tho effect on the water was very picturesque indeed.- The yacht Waitangi with a large party aboard was spoken in the entrance, and also the launch Hetsoe. Shortly afterwards the Rotoniahana shot by, •'making a very striking .picturo with her mass of electric lights. After, partaking.of supper a start was mado on tho homewardjourney, and the wharf was reached shortly after ten o'clock, after a most enjoyable evening on tho water. Mr. Cecil A. Whitney, manager of the Colonial Ammunition Company, Limited, Auckland, evidently intends to make a do-' tromined attempt to obtain for New Zealand the Motor Boat Championship of Australasia. He has an Antoinette engine ordered, and it is expected to be running in his fast cruiser, Grey Witch; in time for tho races to bo held in Auckland on ■•■ January 29. There is no doubt that Mr. Whitney will to Sydney about April of-next year to compete in the championship, and if. the Grey Witch makes her expected speed,of 20 knots she.should at least be within hailing .distance of tl;o winning .boat.. _ Mr. Whitney's attempt for the championship will be looked forward to by all motor boat-enthusiasts 'throughout the Dominion,. and therefore' a sliort - description of tho Grey Witch will no doubt bo of interest. The hull, which was built somo two years ago by Messrs. T. M. Lano and Sons, of Auckland, is 42ft. by Bft. Sin., and is noted for its graceful and speedy lines':combined ".with excellent sea-' going qualities. ,A whaleback stretches from«the bow and covers tho,engine. Tho Antoinette engine, which is of British manufacture,'"has ,16 cylinders developing 100 h.p. It is tho first cngino of its kind ,to make an'appearance in' New Zealand, and it cmbodiossevorahnew features of con-, struction, being built' on tho V principle, which means : that the' cylinders Wo placed in a double row at ail angle of 45deg. from' tho vortical. "Each .of ;the 16. cylinders is fitted with a separate carburettor wjtlr which is claimed exceptionally.'sniootlii'running.' One of the most' remarkable' p'orhts'.of the engine is that it .requires no' separate-reversing gear, the rovei-sing-being-effected by altering Jfclie relatioh'.'of the cams with the positions of the pistons': '"' It' is .hot'expected: that this class of engine -will'.become, 'very "popular here, as it is rumoured'that' the price is well into four figures."" The good 'wishes of all tfyo Wellington'motor'boat.-owners', will bo with Mr. Whitney in his endeavour -to bring the Australasian Championship into Now Zealand waters.

Eight entries have bi:en received for tho launcli raco this afternoon. Riven :by the Port Nicholson Yacht Club; The boats will bo sfcarteil on tho "Mark Foy" system, and tho public will know as soon as tho launches have crossed tho . lino which has wpn, and judging by previous races there should bo a great hustle to get there first.

The date for the forthcoming Australasian Championship to bo held in Sydney in which it is practically certain that a 'spec-ially-built racer will represent. Queensland, while Nov.- Zealand may also he represented, has been fixed for the second Saturday in March,' 1908. Boats, to compete for the title are to bo limited in-length to loft, or under, but will be allowed install any power the owner chooses, and. will not bo subject to the crew-limit rules. Tho Motor Boat Club committee has, however, decided that all boats must ho provided with efficient silencers on their exhausts.

To -the Czar of Russia belongs the motor launch, which is not only tho most powerful, but also'., the fastest ' in tho world. Zariza, as this Royal racer is called, is 65ft. 7in. in length, by 7ft. 2in., while hot draught is just over 20iu., and her power, contained in one .six-cylinder engine, is 570-h.p. She is built of mahogany, very lightly planked', it may bo mentioned, md weight complete, with CO litres of petrol and accessories, -8 tons. She was built- in the Russian section, of Howatt's yard, Kiel, under tho direct supervision of 31. Boris Loutzky, tho~Czar-'s--own""engi'neer, and is expressly intended to demonstrate the utility of the ,-petrol engine for naval purposes. Zariza was an -expensive boat to construct, for she has already cost the Russian Government £19,000. •;;;.. ..;;::;;...::

~ Zariza's hull is older than her present installation, she. having previously been propelled by an'engine ■ of smaller power, but not suitable for her. ;'At the,\raco meeting held on tho Rhino this-i year, •— she demonstrated her-roinarkablo -speed■■ by covering a distanco of 78 kiloms (o'ver -15 miles) in 1 hour 17min. 47sec.,_ giving a speed of 30} knots, with the; stream.. . In. Kiel, Bay she has averaged over 29 knots per hour, a speed well over that accomplished by-any other motor-driven "craft' afloat','.'and 'which stamps her as certainly the "fastest boat-in the world. ' z:''.:'" -.'." ':'.':, '■'~ <\'. "SIXTY,AN HOITR," .-'. . M. Santos Dumont, tlio well-known aeroautist, recently made, a privato hot that .he would construct 1 a, device capable of travelling at the rate of sixty miles an hour on tho water. The ■ hydroplane has, now been launched in Paris,-and owing to its novelty the device has attracted-considerable attention./ The hydroplane consists of three sharply pointed cigar shaped 'pontoons,- the •centro or main vessel, about 33ft; in length, being about 10 times tho length of the side floats. Tho. cigar-shaped devices are constructed of wood and- aluminium, covered with an air and water-tight fabric, tho floats being inflated with compressed air, so as to increase tho.stability of tho structure without adding weight. Both the front and back of the pontoon's are held together- by transverse submerged planes; whilst the helmsman will control the mechanism from a bicycle saddle, set well back on the centro shape, and will guide the craft through a steering wheel, the same as used in a motor car. A 1G cylinder 120 h.p. Antoinette engine, weighing only'soolb., is to provide the power, tlio drivo to bo through a big aerial three bladed propeller .which will !be set fairly high over the prow of the craft, and from which great speed in anticipated, owing to tho terrific power, to be used, and tho small water resistance from the, cigar-shaped pontoons. Santos Burnout's experiments with his hydroplane are awaited with considerable interest in .Europe.

Tho following cable, published in Sydney, is of interest m connection, with the above, although the speed Santos Duniont aims at lias not been anything like realised by. the Lolas hydroplane:—"London, Sunday afternoon. —M. Lolas, n French engineer, the inventor of the hydroplane, covered' one mile and a quarter on the- Seino.at a speed of 38 miles an hour." :

This hydroplane has now taken from Zariza, the Royal racer 'mentioned above, the distinction of being the world's fastest motorboat. l'anliai-d-Tellier, tho ■ French crack 40-footcr, has also,been credited with somo phenomenal speeds of over ,30 miles per hour. "