1907 Sydney Motor Boat Championship

Racing in New South Wales

There is considerable interest in motorboating in New South Wales, the principal event of the season being the annual motorboat championship. This year the race was decided in Sydney Harbor on Saturday, April 21. Between fifty and sixty motorboats gathered at the starting point, making quite a show. The race was contested by two boats, the Invincible, and the Fairbanks. The Invincible is owned by Mr. Relph, and has 60-70 hp., while the Fairbanks, owned by L. J. Davies, has 15-20 hp. The Lady Eileen, owned by Dr. Piers Hatton, which won the championship last year, did not compete. As models of motorboat construction, the two craft were entirely distinct, the Fairbanks having a 36-foot length, with a 4-foot beam, while the Invincible is 35 feet long, with 5 feet 8 inches beam; indeed the Fairbanks is a racing machine pure and simple, while the Invincible is a light and speedy cruiser. After a good fight, the Fairbanks won by a mile and a quarter, averaging 21.11 miles, while the Invincible averaged 19 miles.

(Transcribed from The Motor Boat, 10 Aug. 1907, p. 26.)

[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page. — LF]