SPEEDBOAT CONTEST

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 101, 23 January 1935, Page 16

SPEEDBOAT CONTEST

Pelorus Jack Becomes National Champion AVERAGE OVER 60 m.p.h. Dominion Special Service. Picton, January 22. To a crowd of several thousands lining the Picton foreshores this afternoon the Havelock speed boat Pelorus Jack showed, her pace and, with four other boats opposing her, became New Zealand champion and winner of the Masport Cup. The conditions for the cup state that the course must be not less 1 than 15 miles, and the race was held over five laps each of about three miles and a half; therefore, with an aggregate time of IGinin. 35 2-ssec., Pelorus Jack’s average speed was something over 60 miles an hour. Miss Wanganui, entered by Mr. F. Freeman, Wanganui, came second with a total, elapsed time of 17min. 4 3-ssec. Tory Chick, the Pieton boat entered by the* Pera no brothers and previous holder of the championship, was third; Miss Syndicate, entered from Dunedin by Mr. J. A. Stewart Algie, was fourth; and Miss VB, entered by Lucas Bros., and Morgan, Blenheim, was fifth. The Picton crowd was swelled by the 1500 Wellington excursionists from the Lyttelton mail boat Wahine, together with a contingent of three hundred Wanganui supporters. Pelorus Jack’s win became particularly popular when it was known that her entrant, Mr. J. IV. Brownlee, an old Havelock personality who had set: his heart on winning the cup, had failed previously and had spent many times more on the boat than the £2O purse that goes with victory. Miss V 8 was unlucky as she had engine trouble and was left at the start: she joined in the race, however, but lapped something over live minutes. Tory Chick showed easily the greatest speed over the first two laps. At the end of the first lap she was in the lead, followed by Pelorus Jack, Miss Syndicate and Miss "Wanganui. Her turning at the buoys was consistently about the best in the race, and her lead was increased at. the home turn at the beginning of the second lap to about 200 yards, with the other three boats close together. Tory Chick thou began to slow up, and at. the same time Pelorus Jack warmed up to the fastest speed and passed her half-way round. Miss Syndicate held her place a little ahead of Miss "Wanganui, but, although extremely fast in the straight, her build made her lose way badly at the buoys. Pelorus Jack finished the third lap about half a mile ahead of Tory Chick, who made a spurt in the fourth, but dropped back again, although she still held .second place at the beginning of .the last lap.

Half-way round Miss Wtingunui made splendid speed and passed Miss Syndicate and Tory Chick, but had no chance then of beating Pelorus Jack, who raced to the winning flags well ahead aud with no let-up iu speed from her 300 horse-power engine, which, like the others, had been adapted from an aeroplane design. Another Wanganui entrant. Miss Ethel 111, was held up in her arrival at Picton and was scratched. Rio Rita did not arrive from Christchurch as had been expected owing to her owner being unable to prepare her in time.