Speedboat Racing of the 1960's & Earlier

Other Speedboats1960s
Cougar, Fox-E and Shiff-T ~ all from the Victorian Speed Boat Club. Love seeing these huge crowds.
1950's-1960 of Wee Gee, which is a 5/8 scale (little 12'6" rocket) of the original that Volare was taken off. Wee Gee was raced by Graham in the seventies and his dad just before that. *By Graeme SQSBC

The Jet built in the late 1950’s by Jack Kenner – this photo she is in 2007. Click here to see much more of this record breaking Speedboat ~ The Jet

Atom: Built 1955 Stanley Hammond. Maker: S.J. Hammond, Photographer: David Crotty. Museums Victoria:
https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/398057

Ernie Nunn's Wasp - Photo by Graeme Andrews
Wasp and Ern Nunn

Ernie Nunn and WASP: Ern holds the title of Australia’s Grandfather of Speedboat Racing. The recipient of much acclaim, many trophies, awards, he outclasses almost any other hydro driver, engine expert & hydroplane authority in country. His use of the best European racing engines for hydroplane work is legendary. Ferrari engines have powered his last three boats — one of them regaining the Griffith Cup from New Zealand in 1962. The new 25-foot-long WASP has a 51/2 litre V8. Maserati mounted beneath the cowling. Perfectly finished in every detail, even to the hand-built aluminum trailer specially constructed for this new craft, Ern’s boat reflects the endless hours & full time devotion necessary to produce a Griffith Cup winner. 1948. 1962, 1965 and 1968 were all WASP years, and in 1972 Ern will be trying for his fifth Griffith Cup win ~ unknown author

Craven A cigarettes ‘Boats’ 1964 TV commercial
People who get most enjoyment from life, get most enjoyment from Craven Filter. Australian 1964 30sec TV ad by Fontana Films (PN845) for George Patterson (TSA501). ~ Enjoy the Hydros from 1964 & have the volume on 🙂

^Albert Park Lake Victorian Speed Boat Club
My Aunty sent me an old photo of some boats hitting the start line at Yeronga (SQPBC) The boat at the front is 'Flash', that’s the hull that all the Queensland Skiffs are taken from. My Aunties mother Mattie is the little lady behind the wheel! Next to that boat is my new toy, 'Volare' then a few of the other boats from the club. *By Graeme SQSBC
^Albert Park Lake with Hurricane & Mytee-Too ~ 1960's
^Jack Kavanagh standing with an unknown boat at Camperdown 1960's
^Lee Kavanagh pictured with his fathers (Jack) trophies (won while racing 'Skipper') Lee's grand father also raced 'Skipper' Lee won some of these very trophies some 20-25 years later in his boats 'Kav's' and still holds the Victorian 5 litre Record.
^Old Trophies from the Victorian Speed Boat Club. ^Black and White Photos and Information from Lee Kavanagh
Fred Cowle went to a Speedboat meeting and watched Vulture race, the following week or so he walked into GILFLITE, said to David Gill, “I want you to build me a boat just like Vulture” (as a pleasure craft not a race boat). ‘HUSTLER’ was the very first ski boat to be built in the GILFLITE factory. Known as No. 1 GILFLITE.
The Javelin ~ see the Original Logo on the original GILFLITE factory at 62 Vinter Ave Croydon, later the business expanded next door to 58 – 60. NB: This photo is enhanced and is not the correct color blue.
Original Gilflite Logo, a G with a hydroplane through the middle, designed by a bloke at GMH motors back in the day.
Original Gilflite 3D Logo which still sits in Dave Gill’s study.
WildFire No. 84, was built by my dad, Bill Blease, out of marine ply. It was his own design, a shallow V hull of 15' 6". It was powered by a Jaguar 3.4Lt (about 215 ci) DOHC six and was good for about 73 mph at around 7200 rpm. The V drive gearbox in the boat was made by my father and was cast out of used Pratt and Whitney aircarft pistons (from a Douglas DC3) Dad also made his own propellers. *By Chris Blease I believe the first boat (No. 25)was destroyed by the person who bought it from my dad, by running it up on to the rocks. But the second boat (No. 84) up until 5 years ago was still going. (abt. 2002) *By Chris Blease
WildFire No. 25 was built by my dad, Bill Blease, to an American design (flat bottom and did not corner well) and was powered by a 138ci Holden grey six, which was installed in the back of the boat, layed over on it's side 90 degrees and was dry surryied. It drove the prop through a chain box forward (the same as current V drives) and was probably one of thwe first rear engine displacement style boats in Australia. My father used to say, "People siad that the boat would sink stern first!" But this never happened. It was built out of ply, 14'6" in length and was good for about 55 mph at 5500 rpm. This photo was taken at Albert Park Lake in about 1958. *By Chris Blease
Wooden-ewe is a ski boat I used to own. It was sold 3 years ago. It had a midmount 350 Chev and was capable of about 63 mph, *By Chris Blease.
#Sydney powerboat enthusiast Ray Murdock after racing Whitley hulls around Sydney for several years decided in 1966 to take the plunge and develop a boat he hoped would become the fastest displacement boat in Australia. The Manufacturer building the hulls with the highest recorded speeds at this time was the Howard Boat Company in California USA so plans were made, orders placed and in due cause a Howard circle race hull arrived in Sydney.
#Ray Murdock prepares Fury for a Kilo run at Lake Glenmaggie in 1967

FURY - Ray Murdock

Sydney powerboat enthusiast Ray Murdock after racing Whitley hulls around Sydney for several years decided in 1966 to take the plunge and develop a boat he hoped would become the fastest displacement boat in Australia. The Manufacturer building the hulls with the highest recorded speeds at this time was the Howard Boat Company in California USA so plans were made, orders placed and in due cause a Howard circle race hull arrived in Sydney.

Lyle McInness and Boyd Meyers were given the job of working on the big Hemi Chrysler with the aim to produce the most powerful engine in an Australian displacement boat. Finding a suitable course on which to make timed Kilometer runs became a major issue as Murdock needed smooth water and a long lead in and shutdown area.

The Team eventually settled on the Lake Glenmaggie course and Murdock and FURY became regular competitors in the late 1960’s setting an Australian unlimited displacement record on 12/05/1967 of 101.32 mph.

Later runs saw the figure rise to 106.8 mph before the engine was destroyed and the boat rolled and sank. Murdock luckily escaped any serious injury and the hull was recovered with minimal damage.

#Information and Photo’s donated by Graeme Morley – Photo’s by Trevor Woolen

VH99 Lindi-Lou V.S.B.C.

Information about my late father’s boat ‘Lindy Lou’. He purchased the Lewis hull new in Sydney 1952, he fitted a 6 cyl. side valve Dodge (dry sumped) with triple su carburettors & 6 tuned length megaphone exhaust pipes & maximum 5400 rpm. He won many trophies including the Bill Burrell trophy & was the Australian Title Holder in 1953 winning the Robert Dewhey trophy at an average speed of 59.35 mph for the 10 mile race on the Hume Weir. The boat was timed at 68 mph during the race (not bad for 1953). The fastest timed speed of Lindy Lou was 76 mph at Lake Cooper in Vic. The boat was sold in 1959 & was seen racing at Negambie in the mid 1960’s on an Easter Sunday. *Written by Wayne Crump

#By my records ‘Lindi-Lou’ became ‘Shiraz’ (Jack Eddy boat?) Leigh

Atomic VSBC Albert Park Lake
Coom-Bro VSBC Albert Park Lake
GV 17 Flash
VS 78 Fugitive
Mandy - VSBC
Jo-Blo VSBC
Green & Yellow Flag Victorian Speed Boat Club V.S.B.C ~ 1950s
Victorian Speed Boat Club Member's Cloth Badge ~ 1948
Copyright ©2024 Vulture 1970’s
Scroll to Top