English Boat Racing at its Finest: The Cowes-Torquay Experience

Reprinted from Boats.com

Cowes, as I step off the ferry from Southampton onto the Isle of Wight, an overload of impressions captures each of my senses. The scent of saltwater, the sound of the ship horns and powerboat engines, the Union Inn pub, begging us to quench our thirst with an English Ale as we walk toward the docks, the “No Wash” instead of No Wake sign, my skin prickling with excitement—and a bit of a shiver! Its quaint English flair, rugged coastline and waters have attracted vacationers and avid boaters to Cowes from the mainland for generations—it is like a step back into another age.

Traveling several trains, the Underground “tube” and the Red Jet Ferry to arrive from London is part of the adventure that is Cowes, and the docks, filled with a myriad of performance boats of every size, shape and power, have beckoned international speed enthusiasts to test their mettle in this historic racing Mecca for the past 63 years.

The Cowes-Torquay-Cowes Powerboat Race has drawn me here for over 15 years to savor the sights, sounds, scents, and feel of this town and the people who mold its unique personality. The toughest of racers step up to the challenge of taking on the tempestuous seas for the 210 -mile grueling run from Cowes to the town of Torquay and then to return, hopefully in one piece.

Through the Years

The first time I arrived here was with the Outerlimits Powerboat team of Mike Fiore, Joe Sgro and Nigel Hook. The company sought an international presence, countering the formidable English Fountain Powerboats Race Team of Craig Wilson and James Sheppard. After a hotly contested season and schooling for the brashly American team, a prestigious Italian racer, Giancarlo Cangiano bought the Outerlimits boat because “like a beautiful jacket” it fit him and looked handsome—and coincidentally wore the sponsorship of Italian fashion brand, Kiton.

Another prestigious throttleman, Englishman Drew Langdon, later purchased that impressive 120+mph boat, which is still racing and winning with his driver, Miles Jennnings—and this year placing–in the Cowes race, now under the name of “Silverline”.

When I returned to Cowes two years ago it was to follow the exploits of famed racer and powerboat historian, Christian Toll, Director of the British Powerboat Racing Club, who was brought up on these very shores in a series of boats owned by his grandfather and father, Ian Toll. The father-son duo has lived each event and can recount the history of every race boat that has gone through Cowes and every other legendary race course in the world, from London to Monte Carlo and Round Britain, to the Miami to Nassau or Miami to New York races.

Betty Cook’s 36 Cigarette “KAAMA”

The Tolls have purchased, adopted and renovated relics of the sport for years but I was intrigued by an exact replica of Betty Cook’s 36’ Cigarette, “Kaama”. That boat was driven by the first American woman winner of the Cowes Torquay Race in 1978 and the second American winner after Cigarette’s own founder, Don Aronow. With her famed throttleman, John Connor, and Cowes native racer, the late Mike Mantle as her navigator, Cook made a place in history for herself, Cigarette, and the U.S.A.

The Cigarette renovation was a work of art and a competitor in 2021 with Christian Toll driving, James Shepard at throttles, James McCrae, Toll’s cousin, as navigator and Cook’s nephew Shawn Christensen along for the adventure. John Conner and Mike Mantle were among the spectators, bringing great pride and memories to each.

This year, the Tolls took on another American piece of history, the “Kiekhaefer Aeromarine III” Cigarette designed by Mercury’s iconic Carl Kiekaefer and returned her and her throaty 1500 HP engines to glory. Though met with drama, breakdown and long hours of wrenching and replacing broken parts, the team earned a trophy and a courageous return to run her home on her own power.

1963 Bertram 31 H-400

Also this year, another priceless piece of marine history drew me to Cowes, the 1963 Bertram 31, H-400, “Thunderstreak”. The boat was originally owned and raced by legend Tommy Sopwith, whose father, Sir Thomas Sopwith, was a yachter, America’s Cup race and aeronautical engineer, whose company designed the renowned Sopwith Camel single-engine fighter. “Thunderstreak” had enjoyed glorious wins, then fell sadly into disrepair, became a sullen houseboat on the Thames River, only to be recognized, purchased, renovated and respectfully returned as a running powerboat.

But then, a magical twist of fate reunited “Thunderstreak” with boating enthusiast, Hugo Peel. The boat enticed him as a young lad when he heard that Bertram 31, sporting Holmon and Moody Ford 800 HP engines, roar by while watching the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race in 1963. “It was love at first sound,” Peel reminisced, recalling the lure of the power as the new renowned American race boat flew by the transom of his father’s boat and he vowed to experience that thrill himself one day.

While Peel did do some racing in his 20s, he realized it was tougher on his wallet and body than imagined so many years passed before the thought again crossed his mind. But again, serendipity had the sound of “Thunderstreak” cross Peel’s path as he cruised by on another boat. It literally turned his head. Now, with the means and a desire to take on a racing project, the English gentlemen put together an arduous, expensive, time-intensive plan and team to make “Thunderstreak” again a racing competitor. And that they did, over three years, with numerous trophies, wins and awards to demonstrate their success.

I have a natural affinity for the aura of the Bertam 31, as evidenced in the “Cult Classics” documentary “Legend of the 31 Moppie” that I co-produced with Ryan McVinney and Chris Collins from the talented videography team at Deep See Visuals last year for Yachtworld. We included Peel and “Thunderstreak” to show the full circle that the Bertram 31 had taken, from racing to fishing, back to racing. I had to return to see her run her last Cowes race with Hugo Peel at the helm, leading his Royal Yacht Squadron team. After three victorious years, he was ready to hang up his helmet, retire from racing and turn the legend over to a new owner.

Rough Racing Weekend

Neither the boat nor the event disappointed as despite typical English summer weather—a mix of cold blowing rain, wind, high seas and intermittent sunshine, a 3-race series weekend ensued with the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes 200+-mile race and the Cowes-Poole-Cowes an 80-mile race on Saturday and a 60-mile Round the Island race on Sunday.

All Types Of Boats

The docks were alive with boats from the U.S., Belgium, Sweden, Scotland, England and Italy, RIBs, fiberglass and aluminum, with all types of power–diesel, gas, inboards and outboards. There were bespoke models, American names like Fountain, Cigarette, Skater and Dragon, an FB Design by the late, great Fabio Buzzi, English brands like Shead, Planatec and Enfield and engines from Mercury, Kiekhaefer, Ilmor and customized growling and spitting big and small block Chevys.

Trophies and Wins

Under a new partnership with P1 Offshore, UIM rules introduced equality-designed, speed-bracketed racing so for the first time, these teams ran in classes divided by speed maximums. It also moved the
C-T-C and C-P-C to Saturday from Sunday and added the Round the Island, a virtual “run what you brung” event, giving the teams that survived Saturday’s race another chance for a Sunday free-for-all on a shorter course. And while rain wracked the visibility and conditions on Saturday, higher winds literally blew up the course on Sunday, despite the sunnier weather.

Curiously in the C-T-C race, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd finishers were American Boats, a new Outerlimits, “Good Boy Vodka”, an older Fountain, “LaLa”, and even older Outerlimits, “Silverline”, respectively. In the C-P-C race, it was Uno Embassy, a rare Planatronic, the Bertram 31 “Thunderstreak” and “Team 25 Patriot Marine”, a Phantom 21, placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd. In the Round the Island race, the same older Fountain and Outerlimits placed 1st and 2nd, with the Dragon boat, AT Offshore Racing, built by Craig Barrie after he left Donzi—the first time–placed 3rd.

All the boats and racers were beaten to bits, but most made it and believed it was worth the beating, surviving to tell the stories and win prizes, trophies and this year, bottles of Good Boy Vodka. The liquid prize was awarded by the American sponsor and race team, owned by Alex Pratt, racing a new Outerlimits owned by Englishman, Rob Lockyer.

The highly competitive and admired Mango Crazy team was penalized for overrunning its allotted time, but in typical British style, the team took it genteelly, acknowledging the rules. They were consequently awarded the Renato Sonny Levi trophy for “Outstanding Determination.” Race results can be found at the Cowes Powerboat Festival, presented by new sponsor, Experience Kissimmee, here under the Results Tab.

The Future

The good news, Lockyer and others inspired the next generation to take up racing’s thrill! Emma Lockyer and her co-pilot won the C-P-C race in the 55-MPH class bracket, but she also took trophies as the “Youngest racer,” “1st Throttlewoman,” 3rd overall finisher, “1st Lady Finisher” and “1st Production Boat to Finish.” James Dodge joined his father, Chris Dodge in the unique Skater V-hull, Smokin’ Aces, taking the “Concours d’Elegance” trophy, and Christian Toll’s nephew, James McCrae was the navigator on the historical Kiekhaefer Aeromarine III boat, earning the “Best Presented Entry.” Newlyweds Andy and Amy Twemlow in AT Offshore Racing brought another young woman to the helm of the C-T-C race winning many awards including “1st Throttlewoman,” “1st Lady Finisher,” “Youngest Competitor to finish” and 4th boat overall.

While we memorialize the rough and tough offshore racers who led the way in innovation and determination, with no safety equipment and few rules, it is the youth, today’s and tomorrow’s racers who will reshape and carry the sport forward. They will still need guts, crave glory, and have the spirit to respect what got them into the driver, throttle or navigator positions, but they are the future of offshore racing.

The Past and Present

Drawing on their racing history, the Brits have amassed a large sum of Perpetual Trophies that are awarded annually, held for a year and then re-awarded for many criteria beyond a team’s place in the race. Several of them were noted above and others have names such as the “Best Presented Boat,” “1st Overseas Finisher,” “Boat Designer,” “Outstanding Determination and Service to the Sport,” all etched on beautiful plates, cups and artistically designed gleaming silver. Many are memorial awards in the name of a particular racer, sponsor or boat, or given by another racer.

This year the Miles Jennings Trophy, created for the 7-time C-T-C winner by racer and boat builder, Jackie Wilson, father of father-son performance duo, Mark and Craig Wilson who carry on their heritage in the U.S., was awarded by Jennings to two teams.

Both Double Trouble and Rob Lockyer of Good Boy Vodka demonstrated what Jennings felt was the “Most Outstanding Performance” and will each keep the trophy for a half-year. Another new Perpetual Trophy will be created for 2025 in the name of Thunderstreak for “Sportsmanship, Embracing Heroic, Self-sacrificing or Courageous Behavior,” a way for Hugo Peel to keep the memory of the iconic race boat alive in perpetuity. He and his team earned 10 awards and Perpetual Trophies for the “First Historic Boat to Finish,” for the 4th time, the “Oldest Driver Finishing,” for the 3rd time, the “Best-presented Boat” over both days, for the 3rd time and the “John Mace Boat Designer’s” trophy—the others were Class wins, overall placings and endurance awards.

Awards Ceremony

The awards ceremony is one that no American will forget. Unlike in the States, where awards are often completed at the podium amid sweat and sometimes champagne showers, in Cowes, the podium show is followed later by a “proper” party, complete with a staunchly uniformed marching band providing not just entertainment but true English Pomp and Circumstance—a sight and sound to behold.

Many memories fight for rank as I think back on the week of racing, including the camaraderie of “old” buddies, new friends; walks down the quaint cobblestone streets; exploring tiny boutique shops; the impressively laden Sir Max Aitken Racing Museum, home to the heiress of the family treasures, Laura Aitken Levi and her husband, Martin, Event Director of Cowes Offshore Powerboat Racing and son of famed boat designer Sonny Levi; the lovely Caledon Guest House which has been our respite for our last two visits; fantastic Asian seafood at The Smoking Lobster and the charm of the English Pubs that welcome with beer, spirits and the Cowes-made Mermaid Gin.

But the memory that is etched in my mind, body and spirit, is the thrill of riding on-plane, with Hugo Peel proudly at the helm of his fabulously and lovingly restored, repowered and renovated “Thunderstreak”. Feeling the throaty rumble, the speed as “it took off like a frightened frog” and exhilaration of wind blowing through my hair, heart and body. I better comprehend the racing mindset and why a man like Peel invested countless man-hours and a bloody fortune into building a winning team for a legendary boat.

It is the Bertram 31’s heritage and his diligent efforts that make him proud to have re-created and owned an icon of the sport in which he and his team excelled yet allowed the boat to be the hero. At the docks of the Royal Yacht Squadron with its ensign billowing in the wind, I felt a part of Cowes racing history, and Thunderstreak’s 61 years of proud and powerful glory.
Read more about her in my article Thunderstreak – Iconic Bertram 31 Ready to Return Home? The Saga Continues…