This is a compilation of hydroplanes that have competed in power-boat events in Tasmania over the years. It includes Tasmanian owned boats and a number of visitors that competed in events such as national titles held here, and boats invited to compete at the Devonport Regattas.
Some boats were well known to race fans whilst others slipped quickly into obscurity without fanfare.
Three point hydroplanes arrived on the scene in the mid 1950s following the success of “Slo Mo Shun” and other Jones design hydroplanes in Gold Cup racing in the US . Jones plans were made available free of charge to Australian powerboat racers.
I was taken by surprise by the number of boats that have come and gone over the years.
 I am only a “compiler”. I have only assembled material supplied to me by others.
Recognition and gratitude is due to those who have assisted me in this project. They include Francis Ransley, John Palmer, Len Robinson, Allan Mansfield, Nigel Lovell , Grant Lovell and Brian Mahoney.
Please note that it is merely a work in progress, and that as more material surfaces over time, it will become a comprehensive volume. Any contributions you may have would be gratefully received.

About Time
M. Healey, Victoria, one of a number of  visiting 4.2 hydros that raced in difficult conditions at Devonport in 1988.

Afternoon Delight
Nigel Lovell ,
Afternoon Delight, DeSilva design from the USA . 19 ft long 8 ft wide built by Nigel Lovell in 1976, powered by a Waggot built 350ci Chev. Driving a H&H gearbox and Cary prop. Did one kilo run at Franklin at 112mph also held the lap record on the long course at Lake Dulverton .
Sold to Adam Brinton then to John Palmer and re-named The Poacher. John said that he put a match to the boat and burnt it.

Atom

Harry Crocker

Beer N Boats,
Greg Holland, Victoria 5.2 litre hydroplane class. Competed at the Devonport Regatta.

Ben Hur
Tim and Bill Targett. A mini hydro built by the brothers who lived alongside Diana’s Basin on the East Coast. Powered by their Dad’s 50hp Mercury outboard which caught fire during testing. Unsure if it was ever used in competition.

Country Boy
Grant Lovell, Nigel Palmer.
Grant Lovell designed and built the Country Boy- he always liked the American Lauterbach built hydros so he wrote to them to see if they would sell a plan or a kit boat, they answered in the negative but would build one if he wanted to wait as they had a two year waiting list. Grant decided to have a go at a copy which turned out to be the best hydro Grant had ever run. He built it a bit on the light side and it needed to be a tad longer but over all it went very well, it was a bit flighty but had good speed. She was powered by a 327ci Chev,  put together from bits that were laying around the shed, only had a four barrel carby but seemed to put out a bit of power. Country Boy had a H&H gearbox and a Cary & Record prop, she was 17 ft.6in x 7ft 8in. and was first run in 1982. Later sold to Nigel Palmer who achieved 125 (118?) mph in this boat.
The boat is under restoration with a new owner and may soon return to competition.

Crackerjack
John Palmer, originally Orca, built in Victoria and raced by David Jessup.
Powered by a 350 Chev, John Palmer achieved his 100mph badge in this boat.
Later re-named Jubilee by R. Gallahar.

Cyn Sue
Grant Lovell, Dick Lovell.
Cyn-Sue was built for Hockey Treloar by Ern Peard in 1958 and was named Jag, powered by a D type Jag. engine. She was the 3rd boat in Australia to reach 100 mph. Later called Diablo she was then owned by Jim Broadley, then sold to Bob Lockey who raced her in the Sydney area as Cyn-Sue, named after his two daughters. Bought by Dick Lovell in '67 or '68 for $800 she was in very bad condition. A lot of it had to be rebuilt. It achieved a first kilo run of 101mph and later with a few mods. set a state speed record of 119mph which she held for a number of years. With a 327ci Chev she was unbeatable for some years, winning the cock of the Mersey in 1974. She was 16 feet 6 inches long and 7feet 6 wide, had a H&H gearbox and a Stellings prop. She was sold on , raced by the new owner for a season. She was rescued from a paddock near Port Arthur in very poor condition and is now owned by Ian Gravely of Hobart ..

JAG, being launched in Sydney with a V8 engine.

Doodles Second

Donald Gorringe

Doodles Last

Donald Gorringe

Dynamite
G Goodsall. Keith Bennett was involved in building and racing, probably a modified Noddy, 1958.

Fidget

Senator Justin O’Byrne, USA designer David Beech as (Noddy) Ford 105E  then to Ernie Quon 1958-59 Fidget was capable of 62mph

Driver has knees up in cockpit due to lack of room

Fireball
Queensland hydro Fireball came to Rosevears to contest the 300ci open title in the mid 60's .  It wasn't in the best of condition, but was very fast and cleaned up the locals. The hydro was round the 16-17 feet mark and I think powered by an early Ford motor. A few years ago there was a hydro in the Bundaberg area by the same name running in the vintage class but from photos is a different boat. The owners surname was W.Dunne. Achieved 139kph on the Brisbane River in 1965

Fireball
(See Gi Gi)

Freebooter
Freebooter ran at the 1984 Devonport Regatta, was from Vic.,owned by Ben Fox. The hydro was built of fibre glass about 20-21 feet long and had a small block Chev. It was recently listed on E Bay.

Gi Gi

George Oliver, Bill Ford,

15’6” x 7’ built and raced by George Oliver, probably a David Beech design. Powered by a 283 Corvette, 250bhp, 16” pitch prop, 84mph.

Later a 360cid Sidevalve Dodge. Raced later by George Petropoulos and re-named Fireball, it was capable of 99mph.

Geronimo

David Llewellyn MP
David built Geronimo, a Pluto (similar to Simcat) design hydroplane in 1960 at St Marys. The frame was constructed substantially from King William pine ( Australia ’s lightest native timber) sourced from Strahan, together with a marine ply skin.  It originally  had a Ford 10 engine then a Simca Flash motor.  It raced at Diana’s Basin, near St Helens . It was subsequently sold to Gerald Aulich from St Marys and on-sold to someone from the North East of Tasmania.

Happy Daze

Happy Daze was built by Joe and John Sidnell, who owned a joinery factory in Launceston.They had a workmate who had a grumpy disposition, so as a joke they all called him 'Happy' , so the boat was named after him. They raced it at Rosevears - probably  1950's / 1960's.John Sidnell is holding 'Happy Daze' in the water while 'Happy Holmberg' is in the cockpit.The Sidnells also built a number of inboard runabouts including the very successful Susan, which won a Cock of the Mersey

Havoc
Havoc raced at Rosevears in 1970, she was owned by Allan Eddington of Victoria , a very fast 75ci hydro, about 14 feet long. She won all the events entered in.

 Hold On
Brian Richards (See Troubles)

Hot Canary
John Palmer, Ford Cortina engine, Maximum speed 75-80mph. Sold to a Melbourne buyer around 1975.

Hurricane
Les Owens. Performed demonstration runs at the 1960 Devonport Regatta. It held the Australian water speed record at 118mph. Owens was killed in the boat 2 years later.

Hurricane
Keith Bennett- same Champion Boat Co. (USA) plan design as Tornado but slightly longer. Initially a Cortina engine, then a Lotus twin cam (achieving 88mph), then to Peter Smith with a Toyota engine 1970-71
Currently being restored in Melbourne .

Hydromania
George Oliver, Paul Stoddard, Kevin Bryan, Robert Parsell. She was built in Victoria and powered by a turbo-charged Ford Falcon engine.

Jet

Driver-Alan Conn

Owned and built by Lindsay Guy

Holden 6

Joe’s Joy
Harry Clements

Jubilee

Jubilee / crackerjack is now owned by Scott  Adams and is being restored.
(Also see Orca)

Jupiter
B Class outboard hydroplane. Clocked at 56.49mph at Rosevears in 1969.
There was a chap from Burnie who built and raced a few boats, possibly a cabinet maker .  This hydro was very small, about 10 or 11 ft, one of those that you kneel to drive with a special racing outboard. He used to carry the boat to the waters edge and rest it on trestles.  

Lette 111
D. Forsyth. Then raced by D. Sattler as Slo Mo Shun. Then raced by Ted Dyas.

Lightning
Built and raced by Percy Crocker, a David Beech design (Pluto), achieved around 65mph powered by a Side Valve Ford V-8 around 1957-58, then twin Holdens. She was later sold to Warren Nicholls.(?)

Lil Roo
R. Sharman, 1500cid Ford Cortina engine. Maximum speed 68mph.

Li'l' Screama, owned by Gary Marks of Hobart

Midget
Kerrison, another Noddy design (?) then to Kevin Bryan

Midjet (On the left)

Mini Muscle
Peter Smith. Built in Victoria by Donzi Boats to Formula 1.6 Hydro, she was powered by a Toyota engine. She later returned to Victoria .

Mirage
Kevin Bryan, R. Lourll. Built in Sydney .

Miss Bayswater Bulk Freight
“Miss Bayswater Bulk is the first unlimited in the world built from a fiberglass mould. Joint owners Stan Jones and Dick Carnie built the plug, with Gilflite Boats carrying out the lay-up. Extensive amounts of end-grain balsa and carbon fibre filament went into the hull, topped by a timber deck.
Between the sponsons, a “pod” protrudes into the tunnel allowing the engine to be mounted low in the hull, thus facilitating a low shaft angle. The driveline is offset to the port side of the hull. This idea came from Bill Muncey’s champion thunderboat “Atlas Van Lines”. Power is from a Rolls Royce Merlin engine producing 4000bhp @ 4500rpm. Power is transmitted to a 2 blade propeller via a 1 1/4 inch monel shaft from a 286% step-up gearbox.
A 40 gallon fuel tank supplies the 30 gallons of fuel consumed during each race.
The boat was sold to Ron Burton, re-named Aussie Connection, and won the 1989 Griffith Cup. It is still competing in Victoria .

(Pictured later in life as “Aussie Connection”)

Miss Boron
Miss Boron, a little Jones hydro from N.S.W. 12ft x 6ft 6in., raced at Franklin in Aus. championship for 75ci, about '63-'64, was powered by a 4 cyl. 2.5 litre Coventry Climax engine and built, owned & driven by Thornton Simpson.
Recorded 95.49mph at Glenbaum Dam in 1963.  I believe he built a bigger hydro (Miss Boron 2?) and it's possibly owned by Dave Pagano now. Pictured below is Goldust, pictured on the cover of Australian Powerboat in 1995 where it is said to be the old Miss Boron, but is more likely Miss Boron 2.

Miss Bud
Driven by Bob Saniga, “Miss Bud” competed in the 1979 Devonport Regatta, winning the Cock of the Mersey .
One of the most significant hydroplanes ever built, she raced in the US as “The Pride of Pay n Pack” from 1969 till 1972. She featured a then radical pickle-fork design, and was wider, flatter and less box shaped than her contemporaries. Despite taking some time to develop, she would revolutionise the sport and take hydroplane design in a new direction. Originally powered by 2 x supercharged 426cid Chrysler hemis, she was converted to Rolls Royce Merlin power in 1971. Designed by Ron Jones originally as a cab-over, she was also changed to conventional configuration for the 1971 season.
At the end of the 1972 season a new “Pride of Pay n Pack” was planned, and “Miss Budweiser” owner Bernie Little bought the boat.
From 1973 to 1975, as “Miss Budweiser”, the boat was overshadowed by the new “Pride of Pay n Pack” but managed to take the 1973 APBA Gold Cup when “Pay n Pack” lost a propeller blade. That year she set a world 3 mile lap record of 125.878mph.
She managed to remain competitive due largely to the skill of drivers Dean Chenoweth in 1973 Howie Benns in 1974, Mickey Remund in 1975, and the leadership of Bernie Little.
A new Ted Jones designed “Miss Budweiser” was being built for 1976 to rival the new cabover “Miss US” and “Atlas Van Lines” (formerly “Pay n Pack”). Norman Putt then purchased the boat, re-named it “Miss Bud” and campaigned it in Australia , selling to Ron Burton in 1977.
From 1976 to 1981 (INCLUSIVE!) it won the Griffith Cup with Bob Saniga at the wheel.
(Bob Saniga had also competed in the American 1974 APBA Gold Cup in Stan Jones’ “Solo”, but the boat succumbed to mechanical problems despite having competitive speed.)
She also won the Eppalock Gold Cup, the Morwell Hazelwood Cup, the Yarrawonga Cup, and the Glenmaggie 500 for various owners including Burton , Joe and Steve Cooper, Vern White, and Ken Warby. The boat returned briefly to the United States in 1978, competing at Tri-Cities and Seattle with Bob Saniga driving. The boat was purchased from World Water Speed Record Holder Ken Warby in 2001, and returned to the United States . It is being restored and will run at various historic Unlimited Hydroplane events organized by the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum in Seattle .

Same boat as “Pride of Pay n Pack” as a cab-over with twin Chrysler V-8s


Miss Faria,
Greg Holland (Vic) Formula 4.2 Hydro, raced at 1988 Devonport Regatta, aka Steamline.
(Not sure if this is the same Miss Faria)

Miss Hobart
Doug Elliott

Doug, and George( Doug’s Father)  went to a suburb of Launceston to Darrel Forsyth’s house to see “Lette Too” (pronounced Letty) later known as “Miss Hobart”. Doug drove his Wolseley car up with the idea if the speed boat was suitable they would bring the boat home. When they arrived at Darrel’s abode they were shown into  the garage where on the wall the plan of the boat based on hydroplane “Slo-mo-shun IV” was drawn in different coloured pencils. The plans were drawn from the offsets sent from the USA by Stanley Sayer’s the owner of “Slo-Mo-Shun IV”. The Plans were sent to Darrel to make a boat similar but smaller to Stanley Sayer’s boat “Slo-Mo- Shun 1V”. The size of “Slo-Mo-Shun IV” was 28 feet in length 11 feet 5 inches beam, “Lette Two” or “Miss Hobart” was 18 feet long, 8 Feet 6inches beam.

“Lette Too” was purchased with out an engine or propeller on the spot for Two hundred Pounds and towed back to Hobart .

George ordered a 1958 Chrysler 313 cubic inch V 8 Motor from Chrysler Australia with a purchase price of Four hundred & eight pounds for the Boat “Miss Hobart”. The propeller was made by “The Pulfer Brothers” Hobart .

Darrel Forysth had a side valve ford V- 8 engine (flywheel facing forward) in the Boat, as the Chrysler was some what heavier (mounted flywheel to the rear) and it was as far back in the boat as possible, Miss Hobart now needed a Co- driver as well as the driver to bring the balance rearward. The first race was at the Lindisfarne course with Garry Shadwick as co-driver & Doug as driver. Miss Hobart did her time trial lap, the lap time results being Miss Hobart starting last in the race with the fastest time recorded to her. Most of Miss Hobart’s race results recorded fastest times & a very few wins. During the Summer Season Doug raced every 2^nd Saturday at Lindisfarne . Every alternate Sunday Doug & crew raced at Rosevears North of Launceston. Doug raced every year at the Regatta’s Hobart, Bellerive, Sandy Bay & New Norfolk.                                                                              

Every year in March “The Motor Yacht Club of Tasmania” (MYCT) held their Commemoration Race from Lindisfarne to New Norfolk. Each time Miss Hobart raced in the Lindisfarne to New Norfolk Race she obtained fastest time.

Never a win as she was handicapped out of the race.

Miss Hobart & Doug won 2 Unlimited Tasmanian Championships in 1960 & 1961.During the summer season the boat racing at Rosevears was held on every second Sunday as there was a church on the opposite side of the river “The Northern Tasmanian Speed Boat Club” requested the speed boats have mufflers fitted to each speed boat. Doug obeying the rules fitted mufflers to each side of the boat. As Doug approached the buoy for the first scratch race off came one of the mufflers plonk into the river with the result Miss Hobart missed the scratch race. Doug took the other muffler off never to be fitted again.

Sold to a Mr Keats of New Norfolk who ran it as “Casper” with a sidevalve Ford till it threw a conrod throuth the sump AND the hull.

Later owned by former Bathurst winner, John Goss, who used it as a ski boat.

She was at one time seen left unattended at the Austins Ferry boat ramp after running out of fuel, and was swamped as the tide rose before the owner returned.

It was last seen in the West Moonah area, and I’m told may have fallen victim to the ’67 bushfires.

Mongrel
J. Jago. Built by Donzi, it was a Formula 1.6 litre hydro. .Currently owned by Ian Gravely of Hobart

Moonraker
J. Heggarton, Formula 4.2 hydro that raced in the 1988 Devonport Regatta.
Was the first 4.2 hydro to crack 100mph when owned by Joe Cummins (pictured).

Moonraker
Built and raced by Len Robinson, a scaled up Thunderball. 302 Windsor engine, later raced by Darren Robinson, achieved 116mph in 1979.

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