BRITAIN'S MARINE MOTOR SUPREMACY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1897, 4 November 1913, Page 10

BRITAIN'S MARINE MOTOR SUPREMACY.

UNPRECEDENTED SPEED AND RELIABILITY. The recent three days' racing off the Isle of Wight for tho British International Trophy for motor-boats lias resulted in a most brilliant triumph for tho British industry by tho success, for the second year in succession of Mr. E. Mackay Edgar's Austin-engined, Saunders-built, multi-stepped hydropiano Maplo Leaf IV, which brought back tho cup from America last year by her successes over there (writes Mr. H. Massac Buist in the "Manchester Guardian"). Apart from having to beat two uncommonly efficient and speedy American craft, the defender has unquestionably been matched against the finest achievement in mere speed boats possible to produce _in any country outside our shores, in tho two French single-step craft .presented by M. Victor Despujoes. Those are smooth water machines by comparison with the British and American boats. As it chances that two days of the racing were in smooth water and the final one in somewhat of a choppy sea, which exactly suited tho Amoricans, but which made the French craft ride like a rocking horse, Maple Loaf IV had to prove her prowess all the ways of it. Under the heading of reliability she never made a falter from start to finish. Under the heading of seaworthiness, despite her -unprecedented speed, she rode as smoothly in the rougher water as when it was quite calm. On tho day when there was smooth water, on tho 32.4 sea mile course, slio made a speed of 49.02 knots, otherwise between 57 and 58 land miles an hour, including corner work. Unless one has actually seen these hydroplanes racing one can form no idea of tho amazing speed and the groat sport. Indeed, a great part of tho value of this meeting has been that it lias served as an education to yachts, men. During the last few days I have heard many in Osborne Bay exclaim that formerly they had no realisation of tho amazing rate of travel now pos. siblo on tho water. To attain that is a great tiling, but to combine it with reliability, as in the cas'e of Maple Leaf IV. is a vastly greater triumph still. That even_ a Government Department is not oblivious of tho significance of this new development is manifest bv tho loan, for the first tima 011 record, of torpedo and other boats to keep tho course and otherwise assist in the conduct of the races. Hydroplanes will bo tho messeneers of tho Navy, of tomorrow and will be invaluable to act in co-operation with hydro-aeroplanes.