This is a 1967 English hydroplane owned
by Oliver Guerin of
France. He acquired the hydroplane from Manchester, United Kingdom. He
has just started restoration of the hull and will be sending photos in
as he completes the different steps. Here's the information Oliver has
to date and is still investigating who built the hull originally and what
names/numbers it campaigned under:
"The only info I can find about my hull
is the transom hull number - HY 1017 - and under the first paintcoat an
advertising for "AUTO HIRE - GREAT.....can't read the end of this text.
I'm trying to contact Jim Noone,
who helped create and developed the R1 class hydro in UK. I hope the Royal
Yachting Association of Great Britain could give me more information on
this boat. It raced in the Midlands near Manchester, UK.
The info I do have is this is a 1967 racing
hull, 4.5 meters long, plywood construction.The boat was originally powered
by a 1-liter Coventry-Climax or Hillman marinized English engine. This
motor ran about 140 HP, at 10,000 rpm and that would put the hydro to a
top speed of about 100 mph. The class was the R1 CLASS, which is no longer
in existance.
The next season it ran, the Alfa Romeo
engine was more affordable, and so the owner put a 1750cc in the hull in
place of the 1000cc. This moved the hull up to race in the R2 CLASS (between
1.5 and 2. l engines).
After completion of the restoration of
the hydroplane's hull, I will be installing a 2-liter Alfa Romeo dohc prepared
engine producing about 160 HP.
As you can see, the hydro is a round fronted
one,
The restoration is only begining, and
I will be updating with many photos as I complete the steps toward restoration
of this English hull".
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I have some new pictures of the hydroplane.
Nothing spectacular, but the hard work is now already underway. I pulled
off the wood parts which are not secure (the first half in front of the
boat), and now I will rebuild the parts that I need. Now, I just
have to clean it up, and start sanding off the old varnish.
As you can see, the first part of the hydro
is now rebuilt, and the next step will be to varnish it.
Here we are preparing the motor for fitting
into the racing hull.
Easy it does it! Getting the motor lined
up with the mounts and prop shaft.
The motor is just about in and we are squaring
everything up.
The engine is now in and what a great step
for me and my father in law.
I'll be back to varnish work next weekend.
As
you can see, we have the plywood skins attached and the varnish is on.
Some pictures and news of my "mystery"
hydro.
These pictures are showing latest progress I've made in the past
few weeks.
Motor is back in and exhaust and steering
being fitted.
Hydroplane is back on trailer with rudder
in.
I spent the last monday with an English world speed record holder named
Len Moore. He broke the record in the 2 liter class in 1991 at 116.4 mph
on the Lake Windermere in England, and achieved a top speed at 118.5 mph.
His boat was named Shanida, which is a Bluefin-built picklefork,
and is powered by the same Alfa Romeo engine that I am using in my round-nosed
hydroplane. He is a very kind person, and he gave me almost everything
I needed to get my boat completed.......exhausts manifold, prop shaft,
6 propellers with different pitches in a very good condition, coupling
system, aluminum fuel tank, oil cooler, pistons, many spark plugs, and
the list continue.....this man is a miracle for me.
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