We are sad to report the death of Bill Maloney of Sorcerer Boats.
There will be a funeral at 3.00pm at Poole Crematorium on Tuesday 7th January 2014 and a gathering afterwards in Three Legged Cross.
Please email [email protected] for further information.
On behalf of all the committee I would like to wish all members a Very Happy Christmas and aninteresting New Year….2014 holds many exciting developments for the Club and we look forward to seeing you at any of the following events planned.
The Beaulieu Boat Jumble in April
The Cowes Classic Boat Museum in May
The Classic Cowes Rally in August
Also to look forward to the appearance of some rather special “restored” historic boats…..
Mike
For a long time now the Yachting Press has paid scant attention to the Classic movement let alone powerboat racing..our premier yachting magazines have little regard for the past, the sport (Motor powered) and those companies now long gone, who made British Boatbuilding the best in the world…But we now have a major publication to champion our cause and help raise awareness to the boating public of all things “historical” and the need to keep such items in the public eye.
Since the Classic Rally in Cowes MBM has featured and supported our cause with a vigor that deserves our full support. We start the New Year with an issue in which it firmly hoist’s its flag to the mast in our favour! We owe Sally Coffey and her team our sincere thanks and gratitude for their interest and genuine reporting the like of which has not been seen for many a year.
Mike James Commodore COPC
Looking through an old box of CT items I came across these, taken with old instamatic so best size I can do but priceless anyway…remember these? Check out the Toyota which was part of Satisfactions prize!!…..and remember what happened to Seabird Stilletto!?
THUNDERFLASH Designed by Walt Walters for Dick Wilkins Built by Souters Cowes late 1963 early 64 Powered by Coventry Climax engine coupled to a Volvo Penta outdrive. Raced by Tommy Sopwith and Jim Wynne
Layout, twin cockpits single seat for driver at rear, fuel tank built into hull. 1964 season raced at Aix les Bains 24 race , Paris 6 hrs and Rouen.
1965 season specification changed to Offshore class 3 still twin cockpit driver and navigator in rear with tonneau over front cockpit and new engine cover. Raced by Sopwith with Charles De Selincourt as navigator. Additional tank to rear, engine now Volvo Penta 120, Coventry Climax proved unreliable and overheated.
1966 season Thunderflash turned into high speed tender for Philante 5. Don Shead designs Philante 6 and tender is now Carbon Fibre Avenger 21.
THUNDERFLASH becomes redundant turns up in Lymington in 1990’s and is purchased in 2013 by the Water Rats Offshore Classic Team.
As you can see from the following photo’s 50 years is a long time for a wooden boat to survive intact but such was the Souter workmanship most of the boat is in very good condition…Main areas of repair at the moment are the Transom which has been totally replaced due to the over large Mercruiser transom plate that had been fitted, in readiness for the retro fit of a Volvo Penta outdrive unit..and the bow area where rain ingress had rotten the ply laminations. We are awaiting news from the States about Walt Walters original plans which cannot be found at the moment but believed to be still in Walts posession. One unusual feature is the 6 compartment open top fuel tank built into the keel and glassed in! the cover for this is long gone by the way, then behind that was another tank in copper. These tanks were obviously used firstly when she was racing as a circuit boat then capacity was enlarged for offshore…having seen early film of the craft we realised she had had several cockpit layouts but the driving position was always at the rear. The problem facing us is which layout to use as in her last reincarnation as a speed boat the steering had been moved to the front cockpit..but we have a cunning plan! Photo’s will be added as the rebuild progresses.
Follow the “THUNDERFLASH” restoration by David Heffer in Restorations.
Flying Fish had just sunk in Lyme Bay and the rescued crew were safely aboard support boat, to the left Sam Hutchins Vosper boatbuilder( Tramontana’s, Dimarcha) Centre Mike Trimming to the left a Vosper Engineer (name unknown)….Ghost Rider carried on but about the same time Bob Sherbert had broken his leg…an eventful race all round. Thanks to Graham for help with names…
AVENGER 21 TENDER TO PHILANTE
There is only one way to prove provenance on a boat that has or is supposed to have “history”…go to the top! although the older the boat the more difficult it is to track!
After being dropped in the kaka several times I am loath to make statements before checking out the details and just such an incident has taken place although happily the outcome was 100% positive. This situation concerned Tommy Sopwith’s Avenger 21 which was for sale on our site….when it turns out that 2 boats claim this ownership! Understandably people get uptight when someone else is claiming they have the actual craft! luckily in this situation I was able to check with Tommy the background and this is the definative answer…
CMBA member Emrhys Barrell owns the Carbon fibre reinforced Avenger 21 that was tender to Philante, this was modified to fit the aft deck by having its transom inset for the I/O….COPC member Tim Brand Crombie also had a Carbon fibre A21 for sale ex Tommy Sopwith but this was outboard, hence the clash of background history…..Tommy never raced an Avenger except Wicked Lady with Maurice Hardy..so what was Tims boat?
THE OUTBOARD BOAT WITH STERN MOD
The answer is this TS commissioned 2 carbon fibre boats one for Philante to be fitted with a BMW powered waterjet…this boat was then converted to Mecruiser this Emrhys’ boat the second was fitted with twin Mercury outboards which has just been sold! Hence the need for caution!
What event happened pior to this picture being taken……answers on a postcard please…