1984 london docks gp - Powerboat Archive

THE UK POWERBOAT
GRAND PRIX 1984
FORMULA OZ
The 19E4 Formula One World Series
all but came to an end in London's
Royal Victoria Dock on August Bank
Holiday. Representing the eighth
round in the Championships, the UK
Powerboat Grand Prix was scheduled
just one week after Tom Percival's
fatal accident. This should have been
the final tightening of the noose
around Formula One's neck after the
tragic track record of the season so
far (Tom's was the fourth death in
four months). and with no solution in
sight to protect drivers in the final
three Grand Prix.
Even as Formula One competitors were
completing their 'hot' laps to earn a place
on the starting grid, representatives of the
UIM, sponsors, engine manufacturers,
hull constructors and two drivers sat
around a table to discuss emergency
measures that could be taken. Just one
solution emerged: cancel all Formula One
racing from that moment on and use the
time available until the 1985 season to
develop safer hulls and introduce tighter
safety legislation.
The UIM felt they could not take such
a decision and left it to Formula One
drivers to vote. Understandably, most
drivers voted to continue racing. Just one
driver declared he had had enough. Cees
van der Velden withdrew the three-boat
Benson & Hedges team from the
remainder of the Championships with the
full support of his sponsor, and insisted
they would not return until conditions had
been improved.
"We all accept there is an element of
risk," stated van der Velden, "but the
equipment with which we now race gives
us very little chance to survive. A driver
cannot make a mistake without paying for
it with his life. And I'm not prepared to
take those sort of risks for myself or my
two drivers. when we all know the
situation can be changed."
It was a particularly difficult decision
for the Dutchman as he had been sharing
the lead in the World Championships with
Renato Molinari, well ahead of all other
drivers. "So now he has his eighteenth
World title," van der Velden agreed, "but
how much does it really mean when this is
such a crucial time in the sport's history?
Shouldn't he. as one of the most
experienced drivers and boat constructors,
be insisting on safety improvement for
Formula One? We both have a certain
responsibility for those drivers who have
joined Formula One more recently, who
don't have as much experience and are the
ones most likely to get hurt."
With Roger Jenkins' retirement earlier
in the week, and Cees van der Velden,
Francois Salabert and Arthur Mostert off
the water, the line-up proved to be a
paltry one. Racing was only made possible
by the entry of four drivers less often seen
in the Formula One camp: Barry Woods,
Bill Seebold, John Sanders and Peter
Lindenberg.
24
Woods was competing with an Evinrude
V8 powered Molinari, but it was Seebold
and Sanders who became the focus of
attention as testing began. Sanders, an
American with 25 years racing experience,
was running a unique engine created from
two Mercury two litre powerheads,
mounted side by side on to the same
lower unit: a twelve litre outboard! As the
squat and cumbersome motor was
clamped on to a Burgess hull for the first
time on Friday and lowered into the
water, the rig sank precariously low at the
back end. And the American's first test
lap had everyone running for cover as he
headed back up the course and towards
the pontoon, twitching from side to side
and looking completely out of control.
Team manager Jim Hauenstein, brother
of Mercury's ace engineer Fred
Hauenstein who developed the motor,
decided they needed more testing before
attemtpting to race and did not start on
Saturday. The boat was efficiently
eliminated from further competition
during Sunday morning's practice when
the engine ripped out the entire back of
the boat and Sanders, unharmed, went for
a swim!
But his compatriot Bill Seebold was
very much in the race, and running with
an engine that has not been seen at a
circuit event for four years. The legendary
American had a Mercury Y6 T4 clamped
to the back of his Rolatruc sponsored
boat, increased from its original 3.6 to 3.9
litres which, if the Mercury engineers were
to be believed, would run rings round the
Johnson and Evinrude 3.5 litres V8s that
are at present the standard Formula One
motors.
Perhaps Mercury's timing of this launch
was to be questioned. Why, when for so
long they had stood by a two litre limit
and the sport appeared to be proving
them right, did they choose now of all
times to support Formula One?
In fact, Mercury had wanted to run the
T4 all season. but this was the first
opportunity that racing rules allowed
them to compete against the V8s, since
OMC had successfully controlled the
racing regulations of most races to ensure
that only motors of which fifty had been
produced were allowed to race. Here, no
such rule existed since organisers insisted
on running only to UIM approved rules,
and though the T4 did not run rings
round the V8s, with capable Billy at the
wheel it gave a performance well worth
taking note of.
The American's challenge in the first of
the three fifteen lap races, however, was
brought to an abrupt half, when the
motor broke. Molinari had led the pack
away from the start line but, confident in
the knowledge that points were hardly
important, he soon allowed the high
flying Woods past. Winner of the
Champion Spark Plug Grand Prix in
Pittsburgh in early August, the American
had already proved he had lost none of
his expertise in a four year absence and
claimed the chequered flag in London, in
a pack of seven boats.
The second race gave Seebold another
chance and this time he was hot on
Molinari's tail as the depleted field flew
down the long 1.87 mile course. Eight
laps into the race, the ltalian's Martini rig
suddenly slowed and limped into the pits
the way was clear for Seebold to lead
- the pack over the finishing line. But
Woods, in a safe second place, was the
strong points leader with one race to
complete. Molinari's final victory only
took him to second overall in the Grand
Prix, leaving Woods to claim nine points
and third place in the World Series table.
Seebold was reduced to fourth overall
with a loss of power in the last lap of the
final race.
Of the English, Andy Bullen fared best
with third overall in his Trafalgar
Demolition sponsored Burgess, leaving
Nashua driver Bob Spalding to pick up
fifth and Rick Frost trailing in sixth place,
in one of the worst performances of his
short Formula One career. Underpowered
Peter Lindenberg, racing with a 2.4 litre
Mercury, finished last in seventh place,
but was nevertheless pleased with his
radical improvement over 1983: the South
African flipped in the London Grand Prix
before managing to complete one test lap!
Luckily, it proved to be a Grand Prix
without incident, but the stand taken by
the Benson & Hedges team rapidly
succeeded in part of its objective: the
UIM is already finalising regulations for
next year. Minimum boat lengths and
weights, 'super licenses', shorter courses
and a development project to produce a
survival cockpit into which drivers will be
strapped have all been agreed in principal.
Zoe Trumper
FORMULA ON
In fine weather the Formula 2 boats
lined up for the 1984 London Grand
Prix and the battle for The Standard
Trophy. Straight from the start it was
Swedish driver Bertil Wik in his
Molgaard who took a commanding
lead in front of his close rival John
Hill. They were closely followed by
Italian Pierluigi Bonvicini in his
Clerici boat and Peter Eriksson from
Sweden in his Molgaard, sponsored
by Tarkett.
POWE R B OAT A N D WATE R S K I I N G

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Over the first two laps Wik's lead
increased, while Hill gained a larger lead
between himsetf and third place Peter
Eriksson. Drivers fighting for position
further down the field kept the crowd's
attentlons.
On lap eight, the gap between Wik and
Hill was closing rapidly. At the pit turn
Wik's boat came to an abrupt halt,
leaving the way open for Hill who only
had to keep going to clinch first place.
Heat two started with John Hill in pole
position, having won the previous day's
racing. Eighteen boats roared away from
the pontoon with Hill taking an early
lead. Wik was on his tail. with John
Jones and Bonvicini close behind. On the
third lap at the far 1urn, Wik was again
plagued by mechanical problems which
left him out of the race. American
Johnnie Sanders driving a Pentax boat
and Austrian Wilfried Weiland also went
out of the heat.
With Wik gone, Jon Jones in his Diving
International sponsored boat moved into
second place, with Bonvicini third and
Ted Jelf in fourth position. German
driver Herman Gruber caught up with Jelf
and overtook him on the 7th lap. Fellow
German driver Michael Werner was not so
lucky, and retired to the pits with
mechanical problems.
Further down the field, Malcolm
Burnapp (Pentax), Mick Bridge (Century
Oils) and Mark Wilson (Rolatruc) were
locked in battle, all jostling for position.
Bridge and Wilson took Burnapp on the
9th lap and were later followed by Bill
Ormiston.
John Hill continued to increase his lead
and averaged a lap time of 56.3 seconds.
Jones was still chasing in second position
but German Herman Gruber, driving
superbly, overtook Italian Bonvicini in the
closing stages of the race to finish third
position.
The final heat saw Hill in a virtually
impregnable position. From the start Hill
raced into the lead closely followed by
Bertil Wik with Michael Werner in third
place. On lap three, Herman Gruber spun
out on the turn buoy. His boat began to
sink quickly. As always, rescue services
were superb.
ocToBER t!n4
Left: l{oods claimed first position ot Victoria Docks, London to place him third in the
World Series. Photo: Tony Pearmain. Inset: John Hill receiving the Standard Trophy
from John Trickett, Advertising Manager, a.fter a fine win in Formula ON. Photo:
Tony Pearmain. Right: Claus Askgaard G5) leoding the pock in Formula 4. Photo:
Tony Peormain.
Wik's challenge ended on lap 7 as did
that of British Champion Stever Kerton in
his Laing Homes boat. Kerton's
revolutionary carbon fibre boat had been
holed down the straight. The battle then
developed for second place between
Werner, Bonvicini and Jon Jones.
Bonvicini took Werner with 4laps to go
and Jon Jones challenged Werner for
third place.
All the time, Hill was majestically
increasing his lead. At the chequered flag
he was followed home by Bonvicini and
Werner closely followed by Jonathan
Jones and Bill Ormiston. but the Italian
and Werner had jumped the gun and were
both penalised one lap making the final
position:
John Hill: 2. Jon Jones; 3. Bill
Ormiston.
Overall Results
1. John Hill (Colt Cars/Beefeater Gin)
9pts; 2. Jon Jones (Diving International)
6pts; 3. Pierluigi Bonvicini (Emilcart)
4pts; 4. Bill Ormiston (Century Oils) 3pts;
5. Ted Jelf 2pts;6. Peter Eriksson
(Tarkett Flooring) lpt.
FORMULA 3
The meet organised by Len Britnell
and the London Motor Boat Racing
Club at the London Docks was far
better than anything else that we have
seen on the Formula 3 circuit this
year, although as the devil will have it
the number of Formula 3 entrants
was very low with less than 20,
including some Formula 4 British
entrants. Lennart Strom returned
after an absence at Liege, with a
brand new Burgess Hull contained in
an enclosed aluminium trailer which
looked like it had fallen off the back
of a space shuttle.
In practice, Strom was the quickest at
1.09 minutes, although the British time
keepers were not so generous and put him
ninth on the grid. First was John
Grootegoed who was continuing his
success with methanol, followed by
Grazzini.
At tlre start of the first heat, Strom
flew into the lead where he stayed with
ease. The battle for second place was not
so easy Dario Crazzini was trying all
the normal - Italian tricks to keep John
Grootegoed behind him. In a last ditch
attempt he tried to give John the limited
choice of hitting the wall, a rescue boat or
taking his foot. The Dutch may be crazy,
but not that crazy, so John slowed. The
understandably fearstruck rescue team
took rapid evasive action creating a large
wash which was caught by Derick Issett
and deposited him in the Outpatients of
the local hospital in spectacular fashion.
Crootegoed was not amused, nor were the
rescue team. and Grazzini was
disqualified. Poor Derrick wasn't too
chuffed himself and had to keep from
laughing or crying as such actions are very
painful with bruised ribs.
The second heat had a similar start with
Strom making a good start but blowing
up after the half way stage, to join Bill
Marshall holding onto the wall at the end
of the straight wondering if the lumps of
metal under his engine canopy and the
clear view of the crankshaft had any
bearing on his lack of forward movement.
The second heat was won by
Grootegoed with Grazzini second and
Andy Elliott third. Andy was having some
handling and laundry problems and was
spending a good deal of time airborne.
In the third heat, Strom regained his
rightful position followed by Elliott who
had lifted his engine. Grazzini came third
with Grootegoed fourth which is all that
he needed.
This gave overall positions of:
lst Grootegoed 9pts, Velden/Johnson;
2nd Strdm 6pts, Burgess,/Evinrude; 3rd
Elliott 4pts, Burgess/Evinrude; 4th
Gr azzini 3pts, Molinari,/Evinrude ; 5th
Cheappa 2pts, Molinari/Evinrude; 6th
Hiscock lpt, Burgess,/Johnson.
Bill Marshall
25

Two World Champions (left Andrew Elliott and Renato Molinari) in a reflective
FORMULA 4
The Formula 4 event proved a runaway
success for Claus Askgaard
who, in his Johnson powered
Molgaard, won all three heats
weithout any serious problems. So il
was left to the rest of the 19 strong
field to sort out the remaining
honours.
Racing in the F4 event was consistent if
not particularly exciting throughout the
long weekend, and in the first heat the
finishing order had been established by
the third lap. Stefan Lindstrom followed
his fellow Dane in second, closely pursued
by Will Taylor in his Country Club Hotels
sponsored Blu Fin. Brian Harding who
had been lying fourth at the end of the
first lap was taken by Joergen Askgaard
on the second and slipped down to sixth
on the third. the vacuum being filled by
Michael Smith in his Yamaha powered
Molinari.
By lap two in the second heat, Stefan
Lindstrom had worked his way up from
seventh to fourth, behind Claus
Askgaard, Brian Harding and Will Taylor
displacing Michael Smith to fifth.
In the third heat there was more
jostling for position than had been seen in
the two preceeding. With Claus Askgaard
way ahead irom the start, the battle for
positions was between Brian Harding,
Will Taylor and John Beale. Taylor was
looking for a cert for second when he
momentarily lost control giving Harding
an opportunity he was quick to take.
John Beale maintained his fourth placing
and was followed home by Joergen
Askgaard, in fifth.
Overall Placings:
l. Claus Askgaard Molgaard/Johnson; 2.
Brian Harding (Dunns Motors)
Molgaard/Yamaha; 3. Will Taylor
(Country Club Hotels) Blue Fin/Yamaha;
4. Stefan Lindstrom; 5. Joergen Askgaard
/Yamaha.
Louise Goodman and Belinda Maynard
TI
Racing began on Saturday with 23
boats lined up on the grid for the
first heat in the Tl event. At the
start, Andy Elliott took an early lead
closely followed by RuPert Alcock,
Colin Brewer and Andy Preston.
fr
With Alcock dropping down to
fourth place by the second lap, it was
left to Brewer and Preston to fighl
for second, a battle from which
Preston emerged the victor. With his
sights now firmly set on catching
Elliott, he powered ahead and
achieved his aim, pipping Elliott at
the post. Colin Brewer and RuPert
Alcock maintained their standings to
come third and fourth, whilst
Malcolm Cox's consistent driving
earnt him fifth.
In the second heat it was Preston's turn
to maintain an early lead. With Rupert
Alcock in second, it was left to his
daughter Denise, Andy Elliott, Malcolm
Cox and Glyn Crayson to PIY for the
remaining honours. Sadly Denise was
unable to contend with the advances, and
Elliott moved up to third with Grayson
slipping past Cox to take fourth.
It was Rupert Alcock's turn to perfect
the'lead from start to finish' tactics in
the third heat, with the real fight being
for second and third positions between
Elliott and Preston. Preston held off
Elliott for second place until the fourth
lap, and after driving neck and neck
throughout the fifth, it was Elliott who
reached the chequered flag first. Whilst
this racing was going on, Jane
Andrewartha was taking swimming lessons
after parting from her boat in the second
lap. However, undaunted she climbed
back in. and finished.
Andy Preston was victorious once again
with Colin Brewer and Andy Elliott
following him home in the fourth heat.
Denise Alcock fared better this time, with
fourth whilst Martin Bayliss, who had
moved up from sixth on the second lap,
took fifth position.
The fifth heat was shortened to three
laps due to Colin Brewer's untimely
departure from his boat whilst lying in
third position. Andy Preston led for the
first two laps but was taken by Elliott on
the third just before racing was stopped.
Denise Alcock, who had been lying in
fourth behind Brewer, was placed third,
followed by Simon Barnicoat and Bruce
Babbington. Under the watchful eye of
the Chief Rescue Officer, Tony Chick,
Brewer was transported from the race
course to the local hospital, where his
injuries proved not to be serious. Sadly
this was the last event for Mr. Chick in
his official capacity as he made known his
intentions to retire from racing at the end
of the meeting.
The last heat saw a repeat of the second
with Preston leading from start to finish.
Elliott maintained second throughout and
so it was left to Martin Bayliss, Ronald
Baker and Denise Alcock to sort out the
remaining positions. Denise, who had
been third on the first lap, lost the
position to Bayliss, and eventually
finished fifth behind Baker.
Louise Goodman and Belinda Maynard
T2
Fifteen boats lined up for the first T2
heat. Andy Elliott moved swiftly into
the lead from the start, closely
followed by Michael Pillow and
Andrew Clarke. Mick Richardson and
Geoff Goodman continued the
leading order which stayed the same
throughout the race.
Michael Pillow was challenging Elliott
for the lead in the second heat when he
hooked his boat on the fourth lap. After
regaining his composure he continued
racing, now relegated to third behind
Andrew Clarke. After an uneventful finar
lap, the leading three were followed home
by Geoff Goodman and Jonathan
Kendrick.
By the third heat the spectators were no
longer referring to their programmes to
see who was driving boat No.50.
However, it was not to be a third
successive success for Elliott as he was
pipped at the post after some exciting
driving by Michael Pillow. Andy Clarke
drove consistently to maintain third,
whilst Owen Morse who had been in
eighth position after the first lap, climbed
steadily up the field, eventually ousting
Mick Richardson for fourth.
Elliott and Clarke, gave the spectators
value for money as they fought for first
and second throughout the fifth heat,
with Elliott emerging the eventual victor.
Behind this battle Pillow. Kendrick and
Goodman were lapping consistently to
achieve respective placings.
With the fifth heat virtually repeating
the finishing order of the fourth, with the
exception of fifth placed Mark
Richardson, Elliott had now amassed
enough points for overall victory.
Having raced three times already during
the course of the afternoon, he decided to
save his strength for the final Formula 3
heat, and elected not to race in the
remaining T2 hat. This afforded Michael
Pillow and Andrew Clarke a better chance
for points in their fight for second place
overall. Unfortunately for Pillow, he nose
dived his Bristol hull by the pit turn buoy
on the third lap. Whilst he clung
desperately to his engine cover waiting to
be rescued, racing continued around him.
Clarke now had a clear path to the flag
and second overall. Geoff Goodman
worked his way up the field after a slow
start to finish third behind Johathan
Kendrick, followed all the way by Graham
Lay, who took fourth place from Mick
Richardson on the final lap.
Overall Result:
lst Andrew Elliott Bristol,/Yamaha; 2nd
Andrew Clarke Sheppard/Yamaha; 3rd
Michael Pillow Bristol /Y amaha: 4th
Jonathan Kendrick Bristol/Yamaha; 5th
Geoff Goodman Bristol/Yamaha.
Louise Goodman and Belinda Maynard
POWE R B OAT A N D WATE R S K I I N G