| |
|
Gee - Forty years of
racing! |
|
|
|
In 1966 and The Hon
Edward (Ted) Greenhall
(retired Racing Driver
and Heir to the
Greenhall Brewery Co)
and his wife Mary had
moved to the Channel
Islands. Ted Greenhall
had given up motor
racing before they moved
to the islands but still
hankered for a speed fix
but with the islands 20
mph speed limit in force
he resorted to buying a
powerboat to satisfy his
craving, in fact not
just any boat but a
Donzi 28' one of the
latest American designs
powered by a single
470hp Chrysler and
called her GEE. Ted
Greenhall may have been
coerced into entering
his first race, the 1966
Cowes Torquay, by ex
motor racer Keith
Schellenberg and
wallpaper heir Billy
Shand-Kydd, (Shand-Kydd
raced a Donzi 28' the
year before powered by 2
Daytona's) GEE finished
a creditable 15th. |
| |
|
 |
| |
|
1966 was the year that
Jim Wynn won the race in
Ghost Rider, the Donzi
28 was a Wynn Walters
design and the offshore
bug had bitten Ted
Greenhall to such an
extent that Wynn's
victory encouraged him
to order a new more
powerful boat capable of
racing but also doubling
as a high speed express
between the mainland and
the islands. The
new boat designed by
Wynn was to be built by
Souter's in Cowes and as
a development of the
Ghost Rider design, she
had the same reverse
sheer at the stern and
an attractive cuddy
cabin to comply with the
current C1 rules.
Measuring 40' in length,
she was built in typical
strong Souter style of
cold laminated mahogany. |
| |
|
She was to be powered by
2 powerful Cummins
Diesels rated at 450hp
each. Gee did not appear
for the 1967 race but in
1968 and with the
engines up rated to
produce a total of
1000hp finished 4th
overall and 2nd in class
beating the favoured
Gypsy Girl of Sir Max
Aitken. |
| |
|
In 1969 Gee was entered
in the Round Britain
race and was leading the
race only to retire at
Dundee with fuel
problems. Her outing in
the Cowes Torquay Cowes
that year was a big
success however, when
she finished 9th overall
and 1st in class. |
| |
|
Her biggest competitors
were Gypsy Girl and
Spirit of Ecstacy, they
always had a battle
royal especially when
the heavy weather
conditions suited their
designs. |
| |
|
“GEE” was raced every
year by Ted Greenhall in
many races not just the
CTC and was one of the
first boats to carry
sponsorship, albeit
GRUNHALLE LAGER from
Greenhall's Brewery! GEE
retired in the 1970 CTC
and finished 1st in
class one in the 1971
race. |
| |
|
She was originally built
and raced in the
unlimited diesel class,
with race No185, powered
by 2 x Cummins Indiana
diesels, totalling
1000BHP. As a race boat
she had a small blister
type coach roof, with a
centre cockpit. Over the
years she has been
turned into a sports
cruiser, with various
different engines, the
cabin coach roof – a Don
Shead design – and now
offers better space
below decks. |
| |
|
John Bates of Bates
Wharf Marine, who built
the Star Crafts,
lovingly restored “GEE”
during the late 1980’s
and into 1990’s, when he
completely overhauled
her. He enjoyed the
boat for many years as
his pride and joy. |
| |
|
In 2001 Chris Clayton
became the proud owner
and custodian for this
beautiful boat and after
over 40 years since she
was built, “Gee” is now
back racing. |
| |
|
 |
|
|
|
Chris Clayton carried
out a complete internal
and external
refurbishment of “GEE”
in 2007. Currently with
twin Ford Sabres 300BHP,
she was refitted for the
2008 Round Britain
Offshore Power Boat Race
with twin Cummins QSB
480BHP diesel engines,
being the original
engine manufacturers
during her successful
racing days and she
still carries the
trademark racing no 185
and union jack flag on
her pristine white
livery, being instantly
recognisable as “GEE”. |
|
|
