BIG POWER FLEET

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20103, 24 November 1939, Page 12

BIG POWER FLEET

OPENING OF SEASON

GISBORNE SPEED BOATS

CLUB-HOUSE COMPLETED

TEAM FOR WELLINGTON

Gisborne has a big fleet of power boats ready for the opening of the season, which officially will commence to-morrow. Occasion will be taken to open the new club-house and to conduct some club races on the river. Since the sport was taken on seriously in Gisborne last season, great strides have been made, and a fleet of ,2(1 boats, several of them new ones, will be ready for the water. During the off-season, a new clubhouse and slipway at the post office end of the Kaiti bridge have been built, the quarters being comfortable and most suitable for the purpose.

• The club-house has been built beneath the bridge, and an opening | ceremony has been arranged lor toI morrow afternoon. The Mayor, Mr. D. i VV. Coleman. M.P., has been asked to j officiate, and also participating will ! be members of the Thirty-Thousand j Club, the Waikanae Beach Society I and the Gisborne Harbour Board. Foli lowing the opening ceremony, the ! official party will be taken for a i run on the river in three or lour ol | the larger craft, and on the return | to the pavilion afternoon tea will be served. During the afternoon, some I club races will be conducted. Great Progress Made

The club has made phenomenal progress recently, and there are now 50 members and a total of 20 power boats. Some of the new boats have not yet taken the water, but some excellent performances are expected, giving encouragement to prospects in open competition.

A team of four or five boats is expected to represent the Gisborne club at the centennial regatta to be held in Wellington towards the end of January, and judging by the performances in outside events last season the Gisborne men should do well. There should be nothing faster in New Zealand than two of the boats now being prepared. One of the fastest of the new boats has been built by Mr. W. Hegarty, whose R 49 is powered by a CO h.p. outboard engine. It has not been tried out. y'et, but similar craft are capable of speeds of from 60 to 70 miles an hour. Another of the .fast boats that has not been in the water yet is Mr. Alan Sandlant's Joanne, a new type of inboard craft powered by an 80 h.p. motor. Other new boats have .been built by Messrs. Les Scott and Roy Stokes, outboard types, and Mr. Ken Cameron, whose inboard motor is of eight cylinders with 90 h.p.