Motor Boat Racing in the early 1900s

[Baldlygo]

I have recently acquired a Postcard showing 'a race' at Burnham-on-Crouch in or before 1908. Race is in inverted commas since only one boat is depicted however having said that I know absolutely nothing about motor boat racing - perhaps they raced one at a time

My interest arises from family history research and photographs from my grandmother who was living at Burnham 1904-1912. My Grandmother's brother was a boat building apprentice and is photographed alongside a motor boat.

I am hoping someone on this forum can provide or point me to information on racing and the motorboats in the Edwardian period. I have put up more about the Boat building and my ancestor's life in Burnham on >> This site << for anyone interested.

Paul

 

[Keith 66]

Nice to see those photos, I own a 28' 1905 Saunders launch that is halfway through a major rebuild, she was around the Thames Estuary in the 30's. Reputedly she had a sloping spray cover like those in the photo's. She must have had a very large engine as the beds are huge & she was fitted with steel frames. As to her history or if she ever raced we have absolutely nothing. Ray Wheelers book "From river to sea" detailes the history of the Saunders yard & has many photos of the time. Another good book is Power boat speed by Kevin desmond.
As to Burnham a Baby gar powerboat was hulked on the old slipway opposite Burnham & a few years ago the rusting remains of its liberty engine were still there.
The boat pictured in the yard was very similar to one that lay insouthend gas works for years. She ended up being broken up on Two tree island about 15 years ago.

 

[burgundyben]

As Keith says information is very sparse.

You might try the archive of magazines at the Motor Boat Museum at Basildon, its currently closed and I'm not sure of the current status or if access can be arranged.

Keith - we need pictures of your boat.

 

[tidclacy]

Have you tried contacting Burnham Museum? Happy to do some research for you as I sail out of Burnham and know quite a few old timers.

 

[[32511]]

Anyone know the fate of the Liberty engine?

 

[Keith 66]

As far as i know it was a liberty with one bank of cylinders removed & the crankcase blanked of. It was done as an engine capacity rating rule. Supposedly the engine lay on the top of the tideline & probably still does. I doubt it would be any good now!
The yard was opposite Burnham & closed down sometime after the war literally overnight.
Someone on here must know what the yard was called.

 

[oldfrank]

I think you'll find one of these shots came from the Burnham museum. It's the Burnham Yacht Building Co owned at the time by G.U. Laws and managed by Harry Smith. The yard built the early Broads One Designs. Harry Smith was one of five brothers and he moved from Oxford for the job. He later took on the yard, which closed in 1939.

Mawdesley Brooke was an early power boat racer (although in those days J.W.Brooke of Lowestoft only made the engines. Hulls were produced by Harry Reynolds at Oulton Broad). The first power boat race at Oulton Broad was organised by RN&SYC during Oulton Week in 1903. Mawdesly Brooke's first 'Baby' racing boat could manage a princely 12 knots. There was a great deal of competition and teams were even sent to race at Monaco - which must have been quite an adventure in those days. Mawdesley Brooke is also credited with inventing the hydroplane but largely failed to develop the principal. Brookes later built aero engine racing boats. One (last seen at South River Marine in St. Olaves) was powered by a Merlin engine (Judging by the hardware; possibly originally Hispano Suiza) and I understand that there's a survivor in Essex built with two aero engines. OF

 

[Baldlygo]

Racing in the early 1900s

Thank you for all your information. The books suggested sound useful but they would be expensive to acquire. Yes - the Burnham museum does have quite a lot about the Burnham Yacht Building Co but I am really looking for more details of the actual racing - eg where did they race, how many boats involved, were big names involved (boats, engines, people) - that type of thing.

Seems that there is very little on the Internet at the moment and I quite like the idea of providing a page on the subject.

Paul

 

[oldfrank]

Yachting Monthly from the period carried some pretty full reports of motorboat racing. I've got a pile of tattily bound ones that cover the period (not for sale but you're most welcome to look at them) - or you might find some in a library.

The picture posted just cuts Harry Smith out of the picture - only his shoulder is visible on the left hand side. There were five Smith brothers in Oxford. Harry and Theo were noted builders of raters and canoes on the upper Thames before Harry migrated to Burnham. A.D.Truman (of Oulton Broad) lived next door to them during the war and Nick Truman has Harry Smith's drawing instruments + the original Broads One Design half model that were given to his father. John Leather produced several pages covering the yard and the family 'Classic Boat' some years ago. Issue 103 pages pages 41- 43 . January 1997. (virtually complete set of 'Classic Boat' here too)

Looks like you'll be spending some time in the library ... but hope this helps. Old Frank

PS. Motor Boat Museum at Basildon has closed.

 

[Keith 66]

The Motor boat magazine goes back to at least 1904 & there are quite a few articles on the subject, the museum at Basildon had a full set of these, i believe the national maritime museum also has them.
The Classic motor boat association might be able to give you some pointers as well though it is geared more towards more modern post war speedboats.

 

[Baldlygo]

Motor Boat Racing in 1908

My grandmother knew Harry Smith (I love name dropping ) and was able to point him out on the photograph I scanned. He is on the left with the neat tie. The lad to his left was my grandmother's brother apprentice John Veitch who was killed right at the end of the Great War.

However back to Edwardian Motor Boat Racing - I've just stumbled on some very pertinent info on Wikipedia. The 1908 Summer Olympics were the first and only to feature motorized sports and had Motor Boat races They were held in London instead of Italy because Mount Vesuvius erupted devastating Naples.

Since I am now mostly in France the UK libraries are out of the question but I will be looking out for old copies of magazines and books on websites etc. - thanks again for the pointers.

Paul

 

[burgundyben]

I think the motor boat races of the 1908 Olympics were held on Southampton Water.

 

[cliffordpope]

The boat in the postcard has a funnel with what appears to be smoke coming out of it. None of the other pictures of motorboats do.
Are you sure it isn't steam-powered?

Something like this:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...esnum=8&ved=0CDYQ6AEwBzgK#v=onepage&q&f=false

1911.

 

[Baldlygo]

.......
Are you sure it isn't steam-powered?

Funny you should say that - it was something I wondered when I first saw the card - but I was too embarrassed to say Since no one else had pointed it out I was thinking it might be a funnel on a boat behind and the 'smoke' is being blown by the wind The printed caption on the card is original and does say Motor Boat Race as you can see.

It is a very interesting 1911 link Clifford - thanks. The article does say it was a Unique Steam Speed Boat presumably in Ohio - surely if there were Steam Speed Boats racing at Burnham in 1909 someone else must have some details and/or pictures.

Paul

 

[Keith 66]

I reckon the funnel is on a stream launch being overtaken, you can just see her bow above the bow of the motor launch.
Saying that there were steam powered racers one of the most well known of which was one called Rose en Soleil.

 

[sailorman]

Oostende vor Anker last w/e

 

[cliffordpope]

I reckon the funnel is on a stream launch being overtaken, you can just see her bow above the bow of the motor launch.
Saying that there were steam powered racers one of the most well known of which was one called Rose en Soleil.

I think you must be right - I can see it now.

The card reminded me so much of one of my favourite pictures and stories:

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...mage_result&resnum=4&ct=image&ved=0CBUQ9QEwAw

and the speedboat does appear to be going a lot faster than 12 knots.

 

[burgundyben]

Very nice, blue crimp terminal on the HT coil ruins the look....

 

[DanTribe]

North Fambridge Yacht Club were given the contents of Francis B Cooke's library on his death.
Amongst the papers were copies of a weekly magazine called The Yachtsman.
These contained many references to motor boat racing on the Crouch. Mostly complaints against the "damned motorists", nothing has changed.
The period covered was about 1899 to 1905 ish.
I assume NFYC still have access to them, it's a bit tedious trawling through them but might be worth a punt.

 

[saint48]

1900 racing powerboat

trying to put in photo ? have what i beleive is cirac 1900 power race boat