This
boat definitely gets attention wherever it goes. It is
one of the bigger old hydros around, and that combined
with the powerplant it has in its belly, it is also one
of the fastest. The boat was built around 1967.
WayneÕs
top speed in the boat is 110mph which was recorded by
the GPS unit attached to the dashboard.
Wayne
bought the boat about 6 years ago, after rescuing it from
a paddock in Dural NSW. The aim of the ensuing restoration
was to create a water-bourne hot rod.
Classic
Racing has proved to very reliable in the pretty much
all of the races it has entered in. ThatÕs not to say
that Wayne has been too conservative, as the team has
recorded very fast times wherever they go. A special note
is their time for the Bridge to Bridge - 42minutes, a
fantastic time for a 30 yr plus boat. This time earned
Wayne the Unlimited Hydro class win in 2000.
Some
past success for the boat includes a West Australian Championship
and Australian Unlimited Hydroplane Championship Winner
in the early 1970s.
Wayne
and Classic Racing are nearly always teamed with Wayne's
brother, and fellow NSWHC member, Chris Hayter. Chris
does most of the mechanical work on the boat and can be
often seen in wetsuit pants, waist deep in the water,
bolting or unbolting the turn fin and rudder. This is
due to the trailer being too low to allow full race preparations
before launching
Wayne
hopes to be racing and displaying the boat for many years
to come, and has definitely set a high mark for other
restorations to try and achieve.
