TELSTAR
31 August 1968
I can still remember as if it were yesterday, we were
standing on the southern most point of Portland Bill waiting
for the return of the leaders in the Cowes Torquay Cowes,
the weather had been abysmal, it was cold with drizzle and
sometimes a very stiff wind, suddenly the loudspeakers burst
into excited action and the commentator announced that the
leader was approaching The Bill, they didn't say who but
from the address system came the Tornado's record Telstar
and at that moment she came into view bouncing through the
Race, an almighty cheer went up and she was gone. You could
still hear the growl of her single Daytona as she vanished
up the coast and into the history books.
But let us go back though to the beginning and to a class 3
boat called "Avenger" penned by racer turned designer, Don
Shead, which was taking the class by storm, 21 foot long,
built by Souters and powered by 2 Mercury outboards she
changed the face of class 3 and started Mr Shead on his path
to fame. Based on the success of this design a certain Mr
Tommy Sopwith ordered a larger OP2 version of the design, to
be built by Souters. With several unique design features,
the Souter built Telstar also had a twin called Melodrama
for entrant Mike Campbell and Brian Hendicott
which did not incorporate Telstar's raked transom
though was otherwise identical and powered by Mercury
outboards, in fact Mr Shead had 7 Avenger based designs in
this years race although Telstar and Melodrama were the 25ft
versions and the others, 21 footers.
Telstar Photo
Courtesy Graham Stevens.
Telstar was unique in several respects, firstly at 25ft she
was a small boat and had the driver and navigator standing
in tandem in the slim hull, the Cowes Torquay was notorious
for its changeable weather conditions, (1968 was no
exception) most craft were designed around the mid to
maximum length allowed in the rules.
Secondly, most entrants even the outboard brigade relied on
2 engines, Telstar had 1 Turbocharged Daytona of 650hp
driving through a V drive, powerful enough, but one engine
in this race renowned for breaking even the biggest most
powerful craft was a risky choice.
Thirdly, Don Shead designed her with a new drive system, the
first of what some people have called a surface prop. From
her raked transom a stainless steel framework carried the
rudder as far aft as was possible, the prop shaft emerging
from the hull at quite an acute angle through a transom
mounted P bracket and ending about 6 ins behind the rudder
assembly.
On top of all this "new" engineering the race was now to
return back to Cowes a total of 196 nautical miles!
The twin Melodrama had been successfully entered in The
Needles Trophy, The Solent 70 and the Wills International
taking 2 places and a first but Telstar retired from her
first race the Wills, the omens did not look good, but at
least the hull design had proved its worth with Melodrama.
The C-T-C had an entry of 54 boats for its new configuration
with 3 top Italian teams out to win it and points in the
World Championship, Vincenzo Balestrieri being the top gun
In White Tornado! Telstar was also ranged against the cream
of the British offshore scene including Surfury, Delta 28,
Shand Kydd's Ultimatum, also single engined, Kennerley's
Maltese Magnum 2 (an ex Don Aronow
boat), Tim Powell's UFO and a host of fast cabin boats who
can take the rougher weather in their stride! and rough it
turned out to be!. In the sheltered waters of the Solent it
was the fast guys who set the pace Surfury and White Tornado
swapping places whilst being hounded by Ultimatum, Maltese,
Ken Raybould in John Hodder's Broad Jumper the ex Bill
Wishnick Formula and UFO.
The weather was grey for the start and as the fleet left the
Solent turned grim, by Yarmouth one was swamped and sinking
another retired, by Durleston Head one of the Italians was
out, the 40ft Levi Parentocraft. By Weymouth, Maltese
Magnum, Ultimatum and Delta had retired whilst out in Lyme
Bay a battle royal ensued between the Gardner Bros and
Balestrieri reaching its climax when White Tornado sank
after splitting her hull. The Gardner's thought they had the
race in the bag as they swept into the calmer waters of
Torbay and headed for home paying little attention to the
disturbed water ahead of them left by a very fast boat!
Having won the initial race in 1961 with Thunderbolt, 25ft
long and powered by 2 Crusaders giving 650hp in similar
conditions although that was a one way trip! He was now
leading the 1968 race also in a 25ft boat with one engine
giving 650hp and was heading home again as leader. Which
takes us back to where we started this story! Telstar on the
outward journey had headed into the sheltered water of the
Lyme Bay coast, a longer route to Torquay but far safer
considering the turmoil of the direct route that day, even
so she was bounced around like a top in the choppy waters
and had lost the forward hatch, the route was first used by
Bruce Campbell in 1961 when he finished 4th in
Christina and now Tommy had used it to his advantage in
Telstar, it became known as his trademark and was to win him
the race!
When Surfury appeared out of the mist there was no way of
telling them that little Telstar was already passing
Durleston Head and had opened the throttles, the same
applied to UFO, then to Gee and Gypsy Girl, Spirit of
Ecstacy and Melodrama, Telstars twin which was being pitched
constantly in the tidal race off
Portland Bill, her Mercury engines screaming as she took off
on each crest.
Now back in the calmer Solent waters Tommy pushed Telstar to
the limit and she crossed the line taking 6hrs for the full
course, 11 minutes later Surfury powered over the Squadron
line with the Gardner Brothers not understanding why they
had received such a quiet reception, it was only when they
motored back to the Winners barge to find celebrations well
underway and little Telstar occupying prime position did
they realise that thinking they were leading is one thing
and easing right back in Bournemouth bay was another, for it
had surely cost them a certain victory!
Tommy Sopwith became the first person to win this race
outright twice and was to go on to win for a record third
time, but that is another story.
Post
Script.
Telstar was one of many ex-Tommy Sopwith boats that were
purchased then raced, sometimes successfully, in the years
following the sale. Telstar in 1969 passed into the hands of
Cowes Torquay regular Maurice Hardy and finished 4th
overall and 1st in OP2 in that years
race, Tommy had moved on to a 33ft version of Telstar, T2,
utilising the same rudder prop layout as her smaller sister
but failed to impress. (T2 then became Hot Bovril and had a
few minor successes.)
She did not appear on the racing circuit the following year
and was offered for sale in a full page Motorboat and
Yachting advert with the headline "Are you man enough to
handle this boat?" The line drawing showed a conversion to a
4 seater fast day boat but it seems this redesign was never
actually carried out. Telstar then reappeared in the
original conception with new owner Richard Benge at the 1972
Cowes Torquay but retired, he entered her again in 73, where
she again finished in 4th position only to be
disqualified for missing a marker. Benge entered her in 74
but again retired.
In 1975 or 76 there was no sign of Telstar and Mr Benge now
owned the old Plantec boat Uno Embassy which was renamed
Thunderbird.
Telstar like so many ex race boats she vanished into
oblivion but has reappeared many years later fully restored
and in the ownership of Mr Colin Mullan, although she has a
new engine Colin is still sorting out the transmission! It
seems Mr Sopwith's boats never die. Now tell me, where are
T2 and Miss Enfield?
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