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In 1903, Sir Alfred Harmsworth introduced a new challenge cup to celebrate the modern sport of speedboat racing. At the start of the 20th century, motor racing had captured the public's imagination and Harmsworth believed that the status of speedboats could be raised in a similar way.
In the 1920s and 30s, when the challenge was a matter of national pride, American industrialist Gar Wood was dominating the sport. He made a fortune with his invention of the hydraulic hoist and used his wealth to indulge his passion for speedboats. In 1917 he won the American Power Boat Association's Gold Challenge Cup in Miss Detroit II. The boat was built with a stepped hydroplane, designed to allow the hull to glide over water rather than cut through it. Wood fitted his boats with aeroengines and soon became unbeatable. In 1920, he set his sights on the Harmsworth Trophy and took his new boat, Miss America, to England, the stage for his intended victory. The British were outraged as Wood wrested the trophy from the British.
The Anglo-American battle had begun. In 1927, Hubert Scott-Paine decided that he would enter the race. Like Wood, Scott-Paine was a successful industrialist with a passion for speedboats. He had founded the British Power Boat Company and with the Harmsworth Trophy in mind, began to work on Miss England to challenge the American's supremacy.
In 1929, famous motor racing driver, Henry Segrave, took Miss England to the World Motor Boat Championships to compete against Gar Wood's Miss America VII. The nation rejoiced as Segrave became the first Britain to beat the American in nine years.
Segrave returned home to a knighthood. With new backing from Lord Wakefield, he began to prepare for the 1930 Harmsworth Trophy. But disaster struck. Segrave was tragically killed in a water speed world record attempt on Lake Windemere in Miss England II. The boat sank to the bottom of the lake and Britain's hopes of regaining the trophy sank too.
In 1930, Betty Carstairs put up a British challenge, but her boat, Estelle IV broke down and did not complete the race. Meanwhile the Miss England II team had rescued Segrave's boat and a new racing demon, Kaye Don, took up the reigns.
In 1931, 500,000 people gathered on the Detroit River to watch the gladiatorial battle between Don and Wood. Don won the first heat, but in the second heat, disaster struck the British team once again. Spectators looked on in horror as Miss England II hit the wash of Wood's Miss America IX. She flipped and, though Don was unhurt, the race was lost. But it was announced that both Wood and Don had jumped the starting gun and both were disqualified. The trophy was won by Wood's brother in Miss America VIII. Rumours circulated that Wood had tricked Don over the line and the event became the most controversial in speedboat history.
Don made one final attempt. In 1932, he took the new Miss England III to America to compete against Wood's Miss America X – a real monster, 11.6 metres long and powered by four huge Packard aircraft engines. However, Miss England III failed to complete the course as its engines failed and Lord Wakefield withdrew his support. Once again the British attempt seemed doomed.
Meanwhile, Scott-Paine had secretly been building his own challenger. The vessel, Miss Britain III, was revolutionary – made of aluminium, it resembled a spaceship rather than a boat. Moreover, it was powered by a single engine rather than Wood's four huge Packards.
In 1933, he challenged Wood for the Harmsworth. Although Miss Britain III was quicker on the turns, Wood's boat was just too powerful. America was victorious, but Wood had finally met his match.
This would be the last Harmsworth challenge before the war. Although Scott-Paine had lost one race, his revolutionary design had gained him international respect. At the start of the Second World War, his ingenuity was rewarded when President Roosevelt invited him to the White House and requested he build the US Navy's motor patrol torpedo boats. Throughout the war his boats made an enormous contribution to the Americans' battle in the Pacific
Cutty Sark and the Great Clippers
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