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THUNDERBOLT 25' Christina |
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In 1961, the August Bank Holiday weekend in
Cowes on the Isle of Wight, was typical, the
weather was overcast with a threatening dark sky, but history was about to be
made as twenty seven boats were ready to do battle in the first modern day powerboat race in
Europe, The Cowes Torquay Offshore Powerboat Race! |
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The fleet was a mixture
of craft including a Shakespeare cabin cruiser with twin outboards and cupboards
full of china, a beautiful Dorset Lake built cruiser, 40' in length,
driven by Steve Macey and called Gay Gazelle. A Prout catamaran (There
is nothing new in this sport!) powered by twin Evinrude outboards, American
Bertram's driven by Dick Bertram and
Jim Wynn.
Several Fairey Huntsman
27 footers, one owned by Billy Butlin (of Butlin's holiday camp fame) and five Bruce
Campbell built Christina hulls, one of which was called Thunderbolt,
driven by a sports car racer Tommy Sopwith, son of
aviation pioneer Sir Thomas Sopwith. |
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At the
drop of the flag, signalling the start to the very first Cowes Torquay race, the fleet shot of towards Southsea with Billy Butlin's Huntsman in the lead hotly pursued by
Dick Bertram in Glass Moppie with two Christina hulls in third and
fourth place, Bruce Campbell's own boat
named appropriately enough - “Christina” with Tommy Sopwith
just behind in Thunderbolt. The soon to famous Italian designer Sonny
Levi was running in fifth position in A’Speranziella. |
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By the time
the fleet had circumvented the Isle of Wight and headed past the Needles
onto Bournemouth the weather had turned, with force five winds creating an
extremely lumpy sea, speeds fell to ten knots, Sonny Levi swept into
the lead as they rounded Poole bay, this was to be her undoing, behind
her the stragglers fought their way into the winds and many fell by the
wayside including the Shakespeare with cupboards full of now broken
china and her domestic glass windows threatening to shatter with every
wave they hit! The Prout cat beached at St Catherine's, holed, and Billy Butlin
threw a prop. |
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7
hours and 25 minutes later Thunderbolt swept into Torquay to average
25mph for the 159 mile course followed by Yo Yo and Huntsman 27 to win
what was to become the holy grail of powerboat racers world wide, the
Beaverbrook Trophy and the Cowes-Torquay. |
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Cowes,
Isle of Wight |
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August
Bank Holiday Weekend,1961 |
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Cowes
Torquay Powerboat Race |
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Thunderbolt 1961 |
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Tommy Sopwith on Thunderbolt |
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THUNDERBOLT SPECIFICATIONS
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| Designed
by Ray Hunt and built at Hamble by Bruce Campbell |
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| 25'
LOA |
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| 9' 8"
BEAM |
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| Hull by Walter Lawrence three
layers of quarter inch ply cold moulded stiffened and strengthened with
internal plates under both engines, externally, unlike most
Christina’s she also has a final diagonal laminate keel to
waterline plus another length of veneer from the bow to stern between
the 2nd and 3rd spray
rails. |
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| Power 2x 325hp Cadillac
Crusaders |
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| Steering; mechanical on right
angle gearing box’s and solid shafts with universal couplings
to 2 spade rudders |
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| Controls; Bloctube aircraft
type using hollow bronze tube and ball joint couplers. |
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| Fuel Tanks; 5 aluminium welded
aircraft grade total capacity 175 gallons |
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| Instrumentation; 2 oil pressure
2 oil temp 2 water temp 2 amp meters 5 fuel 2 electric repeater
compasses and 2 rev counters. |
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| Drive; 2 x1 and a quarter inch
stainless steel shafts close coupled with 1 driven thro V drive. |
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Website - John Moore -
2007 |
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