How He Lost the Record

Peep at the Past

 

Boat Hits Fish, 90 m.p.h.

Mr. Ernie Nunn of Guildford hit a big fish at 90 m.p.h. while trying to break an Australian speed boat record on the Parramatta River at Cabarita on Saturday, 29th September.  He prevented the boat from capsizing – but lost the record.

When the boat returned to its base a piece of the fish was found forced up into the boat’s pressure gauge, sealing it off.  The propellor blade of the speedboat – named Do – was twisted around the propellor boss.

The president of the Parramatta Power and Motor Boat Club, Mr R Bell, who saw the incident through field glasses, said Mr. Nunn virtually broke the Australian record for the hydroplane 135 cubic inch boat.  “But it is not official because he was unable to complete the course”, he added. The official speed record for their class of boat in Australia is 85 m.p.h.

(The Biz [Fairfield], Thur. 4 October, 1951.)

 

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