Bluebird Jetstar 520

[mikeyboy]

Hi!

First of all, I don't know much about boats but I'm trying to do some research for a mate. He is restoring a Bluebird Jetstar 520 that once competed in the Mexican Balsas River Marathon.

Can anybody please provide me with some good links/info on the Jetstar? Anything at all could be useful. I'd be particularly interested if anyone had any reports/pics of the Jetstar in action on the Balsas River marathon.

I think my friend's boat competed under the name "Heineken Adventure" and he would love to get some more info/history on it. Does anybody know if the designer, Ken Norris, is still alive? If so, does anybody know an address where I might write to him?

Thanks for any help you can give.

Mike

 

[jhr]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

I'm afraid I can't help with your question, though there may be someone along who does, soon. You might also like to try the Boatmad forum, which is orientated specifically towards performance powerboats and where, I'd lay level odds, someone will be able to help.

Good luck!

 

[BarryH]

I remember seeing ad's for the Jetstar in a few of the boating mags. From memory they were last being built in Farnham surrey. Well at least thats the last address I remember. It might be worth giving Pacer Marine a call who's also in Farnham as I think they occupy the same address.
Apart from that not much else sorry.

 

[stelican]

They are still building boats I went to their yard last autumn interesting chat with the person who now owns the moulds. they are building up to 28ft boats with twin jets used as tenders for superyachts. I stumbled across them by chance as I was onsite for another reason. right out in the wilds near southwater west sussex

 

[Tolvadden]

I may be able to help a little. I think my father might have been the nut case that had the boat built, and did the Balsas race - 1974 I think.

As I recall, the boat originally had an E type engine (not sure which one), but it was found to be too delicate so an american v8 was dropped in (again, not sure which make, but something like 5.7l).

I believe the boat was built with an extra thick hull which took a few knocks, but nothing too serious. They did however hit a rock right on the jet intake which put them out for a couple of days.

There's an old film of the race somewhere which is pretty eye opening.

Do you have any pictures of the boat now? It was a very good looking boat when decked out in the red Marlboro colours/theme. Does it still have the v8?

I'm pretty sure that Heineken was another boat. Not a jetstar, more a purpose built boat specifically for the race. I believe it was wooden (although that does seem an odd choice given what they were attempting), and that it crashed out fairly early on.

Hi!

First of all, I don't know much about boats but I'm trying to do some research for a mate. He is restoring a Bluebird Jetstar 520 that once competed in the Mexican Balsas River Marathon.

Can anybody please provide me with some good links/info on the Jetstar? Anything at all could be useful. I'd be particularly interested if anyone had any reports/pics of the Jetstar in action on the Balsas River marathon.

I think my friend's boat competed under the name "Heineken Adventure" and he would love to get some more info/history on it. Does anybody know if the designer, Ken Norris, is still alive? If so, does anybody know an address where I might write to him?

Thanks for any help you can give.

Mike

 

[Tolvadden]

I have found a bit more information for you. Heineken Adventure was a Jetstar 520, but from 1973. It was raced by Quentin Van Marle who was editor of Powerboat and Waterskiing Magazine at the time. In 1974 he built Heineken II which was the specially built cat/hydrofoil boat I mentioned.

My fathers 1974 520 was sponsored by Marlboro and did go through the engines/adventures as above. However, the Mexican authorities 'borrowed' it after the 1974 race and pretty much wrecked it apparently - so that can't be the boat your mate has. Apologies for the error in years in my previous post.

There are a few films around from the early 70's races, but they're hard to find - I have a copy of the '74 film, but not the '73. Pretty mad stuff in every sense - and the stories my father has of the 5 day event are even more hair-raising than the films portray.

Good luck in finding more info...