Souvenir Program working.cwk

WE’RE GLAD YOU’VE COME (The Miss Supertest Celebration Committee)
If you’re not from “The County” or you haven’t lived here long enough to remember the
excitement and the noise of power boat racing on Picton Bay and the Long Reach
......... this Souvenir Program will try to give you a feel for what the Prince Edward Gold
Cup and Harmsworth Trophy race events were all about and what they meant, locally
and beyond.
This year, 2011, is the 50th anniversary of Miss Supertest III’s third and final capture
of the British International Harmsworth Trophy. If the event had been recorded for
national television, we’d probably be suffering from an overdose of re-runs! If there is
any comparison, the event remains the “Stanley Cup” of power boat racing, and to
win it for three consecutive years was an outstanding achievement for Canada.
Perhaps, equivalent to the winning streak by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1962, 63 and
64 or even to those of the Montreal Canadiens from 1976 to 1979! And, yes, the
Harmsworth Trophy gets the royal treatment, travelling first class with an
accompanying trustee where ever it goes!
John Lyons, a local resident,
whose family has had a long
association with power boat
racing in The County, has
spearheaded a campaign to
give national recognition to the
unique achievement represented
by this boat ....... which will
result in the unveiling of a
commemorative stamp by
Canada Post and will be part of
our celebrations.
Congratulations to John for re
establishing the national
The Start of Gold Cup Races, Picton, 1937
recognition so richly deserved by
Miss Supertest (with owner, the
Thompson family and driver Bob Hayward). Did you know that there are only four
inductees into the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame who are not people ........ two horses,
the Bluenose and Miss Supertest III? Jim Thompson and the boat were both inducted
into the Hall in 1960 and Bob Hayward was inducted posthumously in 2000.
Sail boat and power boat racing have long been established activities in the Bay of
Quinte, and the Bay of Quinte Yacht Club, Belleville, was formerly established in
1867. Willis Metcalfe (“Memories of Yesteryear”, 1977, publ. Picton Gazette) records
seeing a membership card for the Picton Yacht Club dated 1881! Motor boats were
raced in Picton harbour as early as 1910 (as recalled by H. Daubney, an early
Commodore of the Prince Edward Yacht Club) and two of the boats, the Merry Widow
and the Jap were powered by Johnson 2-cylinder engines built by Jim Johnson in
Picton, these boats did very
well. The Prince Edward Yacht
Club, however, is more recent
but it also owes much of its
origin to power boat racing.
Mayor Manly Scott of Picton
officially opened the Yacht
Club building on Monday June
28th, 1937 “hoping nothing
undignified would ever
transpire in the building” ..........
formerly the electric light plant
for the town and built about
1890. The Prince Edward Gold
Cup regattas for power boat
races began at that time and
owed much to Bob Finlayson
of Toronto, then editor of
“Canadian Boating Magazine”
and secretary of region 12 of
the American Power Boat
Association. Later, as Past
Commodore of the Canadian
Boating Federation, Bob
Finlayson was Canadian
trustee of the Harmsworth
Trophy.
The Changing Face of Launching
The Crowds
While the Harmsworth Trophy was,
and is, only raced for by the fastest
propeller driven boats of the day
(the unlimited hydroplanes of the
1950s and 1960s), the Gold Cup
races (1937 to 1989) offered a
challenge to many smaller and less
powerful racing boats which were,
in many ways, just as exciting! In
keeping with these time frames, the
measurements we refer to follow
Imperial rather than metric
standards. If you want to make the
conversions just remember: 1
kilometre is about 0.63 miles, a
kilogram is about 2.2 pounds
weight and a litre is about 61 cubic
inches.
Enjoy the exhibits and the
memoriabelia, meet some of the
owners and drivers and race team
members, see recently digitized
movie and still photo records of the
Miss Supertest boats, and join with
us for the special Canada Post event.
The Dignitaries
The County has a long and proud
heritage associated with the Great Lakes and the seas beyond, of hunters and
fishermen, merchant and naval sailors, shipbuilding, commerce and trade, and its a
privilige to invite you to join with us at the Mariners’ Museum Memorial Service, at
South Bay, on Sunday August 7th, as we honour the lives and work of those who
have gone before us and enriched our heritage on the water.
A STORY UNFOLDS - THE VINTAGE YEARS
In 1902, Alfred Harmsworth (Lord Northcliffe), owner of Britain’s “Daily Mail”
newspaper, offered a trophy to support the development of power boat racing.
Designed at a cost of $5,000, the Harmsworth International Trophy, a substantial
bronze piece showing two boats rounding a buoy in heavy seas, soon became
symbolic of world supremacy in motor boat racing. Its purpose was to “advance
the design of water craft and marine engine technology”. The prize, is prestige
only, there is no money! It was and remains a trophy, similar to the America’s Cup
in sailing, to be competed for between nations and not for individual glory. The
boats had to be less than 40 feet in length and the hulls and engines had to be
made in the country of the competitor; power was not limited! Early races were
held offshore, as a competition among gentlemen from all countries. Initially held
between June and October each year, two races were held on consecutive days
(except for Sundays as per Alfred Harmsworth’s wishes).
The first victory in 1903 was England’s craft the Napier which averaged 24.9 mph.
British and French teams battled for the Harmsworth in the early years of the
event, but after the First World War, the American entry, Miss America, took the
trophy .............. the beginning of American dominance in the sport that would
prevail for nearly four decades.
The first Canadians to challenge for the Harmsworth were the Wilson Family of
Ingersoll, Ontario. In 1949, they received the loan of two Rolls Royce Griffon
engines. While their first attempts ended in defeat, their boat Miss Canada IV
eventually achieved
speeds close to 200
mph in trial runs in
waters off Picton,
Ontario. The boat
was a stepped hull
hydroplane, about 34
ft long with a beam of
10 ft 6 inches. It was
designed by Douglas
Van Patten and built
by the Greavette Boat
Company of
Gravenhurst, Ontario.
It challenged
unsuccessfully for
the Harmsworth
Trophy in 1949 and
1950. In 1950, the
Wilsons also
attempted to break
the World water
speed record of 160
mph. The attempt
was made at Picton.
The speed on the first
lap was more than
173 mph and the
boat was close to
200 mph on the
required second run
when the
transmission failed
and it stopped just
short of the finish line
....... so close but so far!
Miss Canada lV and the Supertest boats
THE SUPERTEST ERA
Miss Canada IV was sold to the Thompson Family of London, Ontario, in 1950 and
the Wilson family retired from racing in 1951. The boat was refurbished by the
Thompsons and renamed Miss Supertest I and raced in 1952 and 1953 but
without success. Plagued by mechanical problems, it was retired and did not race
again. The boat, under its original name (Miss Canada IV), is now in Muskoka for
restoration.
Colonel Gordon
Thompson and his
son, Jim, were
enthusiastic
boaters, but new to
the racing game.
They had no
previous experience
with unlimited
hydroplanes and
had to build their
racing team almost
from scratch. It
would take them
years of
heartbreaking
setbacks to achieve
success.
The Thompson
family built two
more boats, both
named Miss
Supertest, after the
Supertest gas
stations that they
owned. Their
persistence and
attention to design
and construction
had to overcome
many
disappointments
and engineering
The Challengers
challenges.
.
In the winter of
1954, they began building Miss Supertest II in Sarnia. She was 31 foot long with a
beam of 12 feet and a 7,500 pound Rolls Royce Griffon engine. On July 26th of
that year, the newly constructed boat was lowered into the waters off the Mac
Craft boat building plant for test runs on the St. Clair River.
In 1955, Miss Supertest II began to attract attention after placing second in a
series of heats in the Maple Leaf International classic run on the Detroit River. In
late October of that year, the boat set a Canadian record of almost 154 mph on a
trial run in Picton, despite a hole punched in her bottom after running over a log.
At Picton, on November 1st, 1957, the boat set a new Canadian and British
Empire straightaway record for a propeller driver craft of almost 185 mph,
breaking the previous mark of 179 mph set in 1950. The record lasted only four
weeks before it was broken again. An American boat, Hawaii Kai, attained speeds
over 194 mph on the waters of Lake Washington.
Miss Supertest lll
In January 1959, construction of Miss Supertest III began at the Thompson’s
Sunnydale Farm north of London, Ontario. The new boat was designed by Jim
Thompson, it was four inches shorter (30 feet 8 inches long) and with a beam of
12 feet 6 inches. It was also 500 pounds lighter and it was powered by a 2000 hp
Rolls Royce Griffon 65 engine. The Thompsons were building a boat to win ............
sturdy enough to stand up to the tremendous pressures exerted on the hull
surface when at full throttle, and trim enough to turn at high speeds, to grip the
water, and to accelerate as fast as possible.
The International Harmsworth Trophy race of 1959 was held on the waters off
Detroit, in August. After 39 years of American domination, the Canadian boat,
Miss Supertest III, emerged victorious. She defeated Maverick, the best American
hydroplane at that time. It was the first of three successive victories for the
Supertest team: the Thompson Family, driver Bob Hayward, mechanic Bruce
Wells, and crew chief Vic Leghorn. Having won the trophy, it was the defender’s
right to choose the site of the next challenge, and the Thompsons chose the Long
Reach near Picton. After visiting many sites and having previous experience on
this water, it was considered by far the best location for the next challenge ...........
and so the Harmsworth Trophy race came to Picton. In the races held at Picton,
Ontario in 1960 and 1961, Miss Supertest III roared to successive victories.
Perhaps the year of 1960 is best remembered because it really was an amazing
event. Picton’s Mayor, Harvey J. McFarland was a man with connections! The
Prime Minister John Diefenbaker came, and so did Leslie Frost the Premier of
Ontario, Nathan Phillips the Mayor of Toronto and George Nelms the Mayor of
Ottawa came ,and Bobby Hull (then at the height of his NHL career) acted as
emcee; there were many many other dignitaries including several from the United
States. Special trains were run from Union Station in Toronto, Picton fairgrounds
provided a free midway, and it’s estimated that 40,000 people came to see the
races! They were not disappointed! Miss Supertest III, again, beat all challengers.
In this case the Americans brought three boats, the maximum allowed to race
against the defender, Gale V, Nitrogen and Nitrogen Too. Each of the American
boats was designed and built by Les Staudacher and each was powered by an
Allison engine. Les Staudacher had also designed Miss Supertest II (but built her
in Sarnia to comply with the terms of the Harmsworth Trophy challenge). All of
the boats were prop-riding three-point hydroplanes. Miss Supertest III completed
the 45 mile closed course at a speed of more than 115 mph, and established a
lap record of 126.22 mph which has never been broken! Again, the following year,
the defender chose to race
on the Long Reach, and
again she won the
Harmsworth Trophy, this
time against the
American challenger Miss
Detroit.
Later, on September 11th,
1961, Bob Hayward was
driving Miss Supertest II in
the “Silver Cup
Challenge” on the Detroit
River. Attempting to pass
between two other boats
in in a high speed turn,
the boat flipped and,
tragically, the driver was
killed. The remains of the
boat were recovered
Winning a Race for the 1959 Harmsworth Trophy
and were stored in a barn, unfortunately fire later destroyed these remains and
other materials which had been transfered from the Wilson family. The Supertest
boats were not raced again. Miss Supertest III was the last of the unlimited
hydroplanes to race for the Harmsworth Trophy and it was not until 1977 that
challengers again vied for the trophy (most challenges are now for offshore racers
rather than circuit boats).
To this day, there is a generation of Prince Edward County residents who still
remember the summer races of the Gold Cup and the Hamsworth Trophy, the
long trailing “roostertails” from the contenders, sounds that carried for miles up
and down the Bay of Quinte, the thrill and the spectacle .......... and the fun of the
events, such as Bob Hayward’s dousing of dignitaries as he swept by the judging
stand on his victory laps, or the ticker-tape parade down Toronto’s Bay Street.
And how about the Gold Cup races? To say the least, they were popular too,
bringing upwards of 30,000 people annually to the event. These were moments of
history that are simply unforgettable but the races ended when government
regulations were changed, affecting sponsorship by beer and cigarette
companies.
AN EVOLUTION OF POWER BOATS
Since the start of the Harmsworth Trophy races in 1903, power boats have
changed in dramatic form. As aircraft evolved from wood and fabric biplanes to
sleek jets of metal and composite materials so, too, have the boats. Initially, the
hull design of race boats allowed them only to plough through the water, their
speed largely limited by the length of the hull. Over time power boat designs
allowed more of a hull to lift from the water and to begin to plane on its surface.
Eventually, they became able to skim across the surface of the water almost
without contact.
After each of World War I and II, the trickle-down of technology allowed a greater
power to weight ratio in the boats and the concepts of aero and hydro dynamics
became progressively better understood. Gone were the days of monster 6000 hp
boats (4 engines) that reflected the thinking of only getting as much horsepower
as possible into a 40 foot boat.
By the late 1950s Miss Supertest III epitomized the zenith of what are now vintage
hydroplanes, by matching available construction materials, aero and hydro
dynamics, engine technology and an outstanding driver ........... as testified to by
her victories.
The speed of propeller-driver boats seems to have reached a maximum at about
200 mph but with a further technological jump, the world water speed record of
317 mph was set by an Australian driving a jet powered hydroplane in 1978 over
a straightaway course.
HYDROPLANES 101
The sheltered waters of the Bay of Quinte attracted power boat racing well before
1937 when the Prince Edward Gold Cup races became a feature of County life.
Continuing for more than 50 years, there can’t have been too many people who didn’t
know something about those races, the drivers and crews and, in particular, the
boats. Power boat racing is sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association
(APBA) and the Canadian Boating Federation and these organizations set the race
requirements for different types of boats. The APBA separated the boats into two
main types, utilities and hydroplanes. Utilities, “Flat Bottoms” or “Runabouts” have
a “V” shaped bow and their single hull becomes progressively flatter towards the
stern. The change in shape has to be smooth and without any step or indentation.
Most of the other hull types were generally called hydroplanes. Today, many of the
classes that raced on the Long Reach are considered vintage but old or not they were
noisy, fast and their races were spectacular events.
Hydroplanes, like utilities, also use hull shape to lift part of the boat out of the water
as their speed increases, and the use of one or more steps greatly improves the
ability to plane. With less hull in the water, a boat goes faster. Stepped hulls were
used in racing as early as 1915 and tunnel drives which ride on narrow pontoon
floatation extending the length of the hull (like a catamaran) also have a long history
of racing. But what separates hydroplanes apart from other boats is their ability to
trap a cushion of air under the hull and to create enough lift to largely balance the
weight of the boat, as the hull passes through the air. The faster a boat moves, the
more lift it derives from the airfoil shape of the hull. Three point hydroplanes are
exactly that, with enough speed they remain in contact with the water over an area of
little more than the size of two pairs of hands, at the very edge of their sponsons and
the propeller. The sponsons provide pontoon-like floatation on outer edge of the boat
but only for the forward part of the hull. Three-point hydroplanes do have a rudder but
when a hull is mostly out of the water an additional pivot point is needed to create a
turning motion. A narrow skid fin is fitted immediately behind the port (left side)
sponson to provide a pivot, and circular course racing for these boats is always
anticlockwise. Turning forces are very high on the skids of such hydroplanes, ranging
from 5 to as much as 20G on the unlimited class. The single skid is little more than
the size of a pair hands!
Power is speed and most hydroplanes use large inboard auto or aircraft engines with
or without superchargers and turbochargers. Begining shortly before WW II, three
point hydroplanes raced with the propeller fully submerged but, in the late 1940s, with
increased power, the boats were able to “prop ride” with only half the propeller in the
water, further increasing their speed. If you look at the rooster tails of these boats you
can see that they are not a continuous spray but rather a series of closely spaced
ejections from each half of a propeller revolution. The sponsons of modern
hydroplanes extend well infront of the main deck and provide structural support for a
canard airfoil (a variable surface fitted between them and ahead of the main decking).
They are often referred to as “pickle-fork” hydroplanes. The canard provides sensitive
Hydroplanes of the Long Reach
adjustment of the tilt of the boat as it moves in the air and over the water. Too much
lift at high speed and the boat will flip, too little lift and the boat will drag in the water.
Generally, at a speed of 50 mph, only about 10 percent or less of the weight of a
tunnel drive boat is supported by the airfoil section of its hull (flat underside and
curved upper deck). But this can increase to more than 20 percent at 100 mph. For
three point
hydroplanes, almost all
their weight can be
carried by the
combination of the hull
airfoil and the surface
effect of the air cushion
beneath the hull, as
speeds approach 200
mph.
Modern Grand Prix
class hydroplanes, with
engines developing
1600 hp and reving at
8000 to 8500 rpm are
moving at close 180
mph; Over the period of
the Prince Edward Gold
Cup races, the average
speed of hydroplanes
more than doubled and
during that time, many
classes competed in
the races. High
performance racing
runabouts have
competition records of
about 100 mph and
tunnel boats also have
high performance
records. Course
records set for smaller
hydroplanes (145 cubic
inches) were more than
75 mph and close
Prince Edward Gold Cup Races, Nearing the End of an Era
to or above 100
mph for the larger 5 and 7 liter class hydroplanes. While the American Power Boat
Association regulates most power boat racing in North America, the unlimited
hydroplanes are now raced by a separate organization.
THE ENGINES - THE HEART OF A BEAST
The engine is the heart of a power boat. In 1903, the winner of the Harmsworth
Trophy was powered by a 75 hp Napier automobile engine (Napier was later
purchased by Rolls Royce). At about 1500 pounds, it produced one horsepower
for each 20 pounds of it own weight. That’s very distant from today’s engines
that can produce power at less than a 1:1 power to weight ratio.
The bigger (thus heavier) is better mindset regarding engines reached a pre-WW I
peak with one contender packing four 1,500 hp engines, there is no record of the
weight, into a 37 foot boat! The boat was holed during a race and sank like the
proverbial stone! National pride in technology between the USA and England
became a significant aspect of winning the Harmsworth Trophy. In 1919, the
American Gar Wood partnered with the Packard Motor Company that had spent
half a million dollars to develop the “Liberty” engines, to use their engines in his
power boats. Needless to say, he became a winner ........... many times.
After WW II, the Americans again dominated the Harmsworth Trophy races with
their Allison engines, that is until 1959. The Thompson family equipped their Miss
Supertest series boats with Rolls Royce Griffon engines. The engines, with
superchargers, were originally designed for Spitfire fighter aircraft and could
produce in excess of 2000 hp. Between 1959 and 1961, these engines were never
beaten! It’s interesting to note that the Allison aircraft engine company was also
later purchased by Rolls Royce.
In some unlimited hydroplanes like Miss Supertest the propeller shaft was driven
through a gearbox but with very high reving engines it could be directly driven from
the engine, either off the flywheel or off the front of the crank (with the engine
mounted in reverse). Gear box failures were common in vintage hydroplanes. To
save weight, anything that was not essential was removed from the engine and
often there was no cooling pump. Pickup tubes were used to force feed cooling
water into the engine once the boat was in motion. While this engineering greatly
reduced weight it meant that, once started, the boat was underway ........... there
was no “neutral”! Huge variations in stress affect race boats on the water,
particularly on turns or when crossing a wake or wavelets and these can have
devastating impacts on the engine and drive train, just as much as the hull and
steering mechanisms. Because of this, the throttle and steerage may require
control by separate members of the crew in modern very high powered race boats.
In boats like Miss Supertest, the propeller was not very large, only about a foot in
diameter. For this boat each of the two blades was wedge shaped, the leading
edge of the blade was sharp but the trailing edge was thick (more than half an
inch); it had to be, to avoid distorting the metal under the enormous variations in
stress imposed as the boat rose to its prop-riding position. Propeller design was
as much an art as a science and the Thompsons became masters of the polished
finish!
Internal combustion engines still drive most race boats, but advances continue
with turbines and other forms jet propulsion.
THE DRIVERS - RIDING THE EDGE
As a “challenge” trophy, the British International Harmsworth Trophy is no longer
contested every year. In the 42 races since 1903, the names of 37 individuals are
listed as winners. Seven of those individuals account for 21 of the victories.
American Gar Wood (1920s-1930s) won an amazing eight times, and he is followed
by Canada’s Bob Haywood who won on 3 consecutive occasions between 1959 and
1961.
The first winner’s
name is steeped in
mystery! The
boat’s owner,
Selwyn Edge is the
name on the
trophy but many
records show
Campbell Muir as
the winning driver.
And .......... more
mystery, there are
photographs that
show a third
person, Dorothy
Levitt at the wheel!
In the early years,
the rules
mandated that the
driver must have a
mechanic
onboard, just like
the early
Indianapolis 500
races. The first
boat definitely had
3 people aboard,
who was the
driver?
The drivers have
come from many
walks of life:
Lords(Montague and Beaverbrook),
The Clock, The Players, The Prize
commoners (most of them), millionaires (Sopwith of the famous aircraft fame) and
the famous and not so famous. Canada’s Bob Hayward came from a farming
background. Usually listed as a chicken farmer, Mr Hayward always insisted that his
brother took care of his chickens and he took care of the equipment and farm
machinery.
The” crew” of the boats evolved from at least two, to just the driver, as in the case of
Miss Supertest III. But nowadays, as in the early days of racing for the Harmsworth
Trophy, crews of 2 to 4 are common, again. This evolution back to multiple crew and
drivers has been the result of changes to both the race courses and the rules. Gone
are the closed or oval courses raced over by single drivers of Bob Haywards time.
Now the boats race from point to point and back, usually over a distance 250 miles or
more. The courses cover the open sea and the boats are “cigarette” design. Multiple
drivers are employed because of high speed pounding as the boats fly from wave to
wave; it’s incredibly exhausting work, requiring the drivers to take shifts.
In Canada, no driver of a race boat is
more famous than Bob Hayward. Mr
Hayward was always smiling, humble
and always dressed in his trade mark
white dress shirt. Bob drove Miss
Supertest III on the only 4 ocassions
that she raced and she was never
defeated. Bob Hayward started as a
boat mechanic for the Thompson’s
and after some test runs with the boat
(July 1957) Jim Thompson asked him
if he’d like to take her out! Yes ........
and from the start it was clear that he
was a “natural”, he had all the
instincts necessary for a successful
driver and he really, really understood
the boat ......... what a combination,
race on Bob, you did us all proud!
Bob Hayward
Driving high performance race boats is still a dangerous profession and it was and is
extremely demanding, both mentally and physically. Just like auto racing, often it
was essential to have more than one driver on a team to maintain the continuing
process of preparation, testing and racing that is demaned by the sport. Credit goes
where credit’s due and there have been many other Canadian and American divers
whose careers have brought them to Picton Bay and the Long Reach. Bill Braden
was one of the first drivers of the Miss Supertest boats and from 1953 he contributed
greatly to the Thompsons’ knowledge of racing and the improved performance of their
boats. His tragic death in a boat racing accident in 1958 was a great loss to the
sport; he was regarded as one of the best Canadian drivers at that time. In particular,
it was Art Asbury from Dwight, Ontario, who drove Miss Supertest II to the world speed
record of 184.54 mph at Picton, in 1957. Art knew these waters well, in Grand Prix
class racing he had won the Gold Cup here in 1953 and later in 1962 and 1978. In
fact, Canadian drivers did very well against their American counterparts at Picton,
winning nearly a quarter of all the races for the Prince Edward Gold Cup between 1937
and 1989 when the last of the races were held. Well known across the North
American racing circuit, Art Asbury set two more world water speed records and three
Canadian speed records, and was inducted into the American Marine Racing Hall of
Fame in 1964.
RUNNING STARTS AND CLOSED COURSES
In the early days of Gold Cup racing, the course was often set in Picton Bay and not
far from the Prince Edward Yacht Club where there were launching and nearby fuel
facilities. The course was an oval (closed course) with a lap distance of two and a
half miles. Each heat was two laps of the course (five statute miles). Points were
awarded based on the placement of boats in each heat (400 points for first place,
300, 225, 169, 127, 95, 71,53, 40 and 30 for a tenth place finish). The winner was the
boat with the highest score after three heats. The Harmsworth Trophy races and later
Gold Cup races took place towards the northern end of the Long Reach and boats
were no longer launched at the Yacht Club but from the Prince Edward County
shoreline on the reach, close to the race course. The Harmsworth Trophy was raced
for over a closed course with straightaways of two and a quarter miles in length, for a
lap distance of 5 miles. Nine laps were required for each 45 mile heat. Two heats
were run and the winner of the race was based on aggregate scores from the two
heats.
An RCMP marine unit patrolled the Harmsworth Trophy course and was present for
many of the Gold Cup races, as well. Boats came to the line on a running start. A
gun and a red flag provided the preparatory signal at 5 minutes before start. A gun
was fired at one minute to start, a white flag was raised and the red flag dropped, and
a special starting clock was started so that all competitors could judge their distance
and time from the starting line. The gun fired again at the start and the white flag
dropped. A green flag was used to signal the begining of the last lap and a checkered
flag was used for the finish. The blackout starting clock used for the Harmsworth
Trophy races in 1960 was nearly 10 foot square. It was placed about 20 feet above
water level on a starting barge. A black disc crept over the face of the clock, one
second at a time, until it was totally eclipsed and the race started. It took a dozen
people to lift the clock which weighted about 600 pounds. The clock was built by Fred
VanDusen of the Prince Edward Yacht Club. Race programs of the day carried score
sheets for the visitors to fill in and details of lap placement and other information
were announced over loudspeakers so that people could keep track of boat
performance, as the race progressed. Both the course set up and the timing
sequences of these races met the highest standards required for internationally
sanctioned races ....... the people involved were real professionals at this work.
In January 1962, local municipalities adjacent to the Long Reach approved motions
to rename the Long Reach as the “Hayward Long Reach”, in honour of Bob Hayward
and his remarkable sporting success for Canada. Unfortunately, this request for a
change in a geographical name did not follow the necessary path through
government bureaucracy and was never formally accepted. In April of this year,
however, the request was formally placed with appropriate authorities and it is hoped
that the name change will be given approval. A historic plaque above the shoreline
recognizes the significance of the races for the Harmsworth Trophy on the Long
Reach.
Rooster Tails on the Long Reach, Miss Supertest lll
ADDENDUM
Since preparation of the original brochure, it is good to note that the change of name
from Long Reach to the “Hayward Long Reach” has been made official. The
restoration of Miss Canada lV has been successful and the boat has been put through
“sea trials”. Canada Post issued a special stamp for the Anniversary of Miss
Supertest lll.
As the editor of the “Bugle”, I’d like to give special thanks to the Miss Supertest
Organizing Committee and to the Picton Gazette for permission to republish
this material, thank you.