Boat racing in South Africa

[toby]

Kerry, the fist pic looks like Evander.... with the mine dump in the back ground. Pics 2,3 and 5 look like Ryanfield dam in Benoni

I stumbled upon this site a few days ago and have spent hours enthralled by the stories and pictures of races, boats, motors and people of year gone by. I prompted me to do some sharing of some of the photos etc. that I have of boat racing in the 60's, 70's and '80's in South Africa.

I raced in South Africa from 84 - 96 in South Africa before moving to the US for a while. I raced in the (720cc) petrol hydro class (equivalent to the US Mod-D Hydro class). Unfortunately, most of the pictures from when I raced have gone missing but my father, Ralph Smith, raced from the mid 50's till he retired from racing in 72. He raced in a number of classes and was part of the South African (Springbok) team to tour Europe in 70 and 72. He raced a Carniti in the 6-Hour Paris race that year. He raced with the likes of Reinhault Schultz, Dino Candiotis, Graham Campbell, and many more throughout the years. He also had the priviledge to spend a few days with Dieter at the Konig factory. Unfortunately, he died of heart failure, at 51, while helping my brother, Brent, and I test at the 84 Inter-provintial races at Rynfield Dam.

I have many photos (some in poor condition so please excuse the quality) and magazine articles from his racing days. I would like to share them with you here.

If there are any people out there with stories or information about the South African racing scene from those years, please share them with us.

[toby]

Kerry, the red tunnel boat (ON28) was driven by a chap called Tulio Del Rey (spelling) the boat was called an Abate and a similar boat ran in SA and an SE class boat also ran here built by Abate.

Some miscellaneous pictures from the races that the South African team participated in in Europe in '70 and '72. If anyone can add any info, please do. I know some shots are from Paris and some are from Berlin.

[toby]

The yellow boat in your collection # 21 looks like a Shakespear. One also landed up in SA and strangely it was made of fibre glass. Bill Shakespear, the builder was killed in the UK attempting to set a record very near to where Donald Campbell flipped.

Here are some pics of the South african team in Europe along with some of their equipment.
Picture #1 One of the South African boats being lowered into the water

Picture #4 Left to Right - Ralph Smith, ??? , Graham Campbell

Picture #6 Some repair work after hitting something in the water in Paris.

[Steve Pinson]

The yellow boat in your collection # 21 looks like a Shakespear. One also landed up in SA and strangely it was made of fibre glass. Bill Shakespear, the builder was killed in the UK attempting to set a record very near to where Donald Campbell flipped.

The yellow Shakespeare cat no21 was driven by a Belgium Factory driver Andre Derix he ran in the OI Class the picture of no 34 and 79 were both Bristol GRP Cats. I heard somewhere Bill Badseys name mentioned I was a friend of his when he was over in Europe.Bill Shakespeare was killed whilst practising for the 1971 Windermere 3hr race.

[toby]

The yellow Shakespeare cat no21 was driven by a Belgium Factory driver Andre Derix he ran in the OI Class the picture of no 34 and 79 were both Bristol GRP Cats. I heard somewhere Bill Badseys name mentioned I was a friend of his when he was over in Europe.Bill Shakespeare was killed whilst practising for the 1971 Windermere 3hr race.

Thanks for the correction on Bill Shakespear Steve. Bill Badsey was a good friend of my dad. He was a great racer, always very innovative and cutting edge. He was a super guy and always very quick in any boat. He designed and built a fancy gull wing door fibre glass car that was bolted onto a VW Beetle chassis which sold rather well.My dad had a big get off racing a Molinary tunnel. In the flip, his life jacket was ripped off. His legs wer badly broken plus major chest injuries. He could not swim and Bill came flying past , saw what was happening and jumped out of his boat at full tilt and held my old man up untill the crash boat arrived. A true hero in my book.When someone else flipped the boat again, Bill helped cut about 2 1/2 feet off the nose and made it into a pickle fork boat. They raced it together in a 6 hour and were lying second behind a very fast Cesare Scotti when the motor let go. Bill had consitantly clocked over 106 mph when they retired. He moved to the states in the 70s I think. Of Mr Badsey, we have fond memories.

[Steve Pinson]

Thanks for the correction on Bill Shakespear Steve. Bill Badsey was a good friend of my dad. He was a great racer, always very innovative and cutting edge. He was a super guy and always very quick in any boat. He designed and built a fancy gull wing door fibre glass car that was bolted onto a VW Beetle chassis which sold rather well.My dad had a big get off racing a Molinary tunnel. In the flip, his life jacket was ripped off. His legs wer badly broken plus major chest injuries. He could not swim and Bill came flying past , saw what was happening and jumped out of his boat at full tilt and held my old man up untill the crash boat arrived. A true hero in my book.When someone else flipped the boat again, Bill helped cut about 2 1/2 feet off the nose and made it into a pickle fork boat. They raced it together in a 6 hour and were lying second behind a very fast Cesare Scotti when the motor let go. Bill had consitantly clocked over 106 mph when they retired. He moved to the states in the 70s I think. Of Mr Badsey, we have fond memories.

I first time I saw Bill Badsey race in the UK. was in the 1974 Windermere 3hr race he had Clive Hook as co - driver I think Clive lived in South Africa at sometime maybe that's how he had got to know Bill.I first new Bill Badsey from 1975 he managed to get a drive for OMC at the world ON championship race in Europe but he flew his boat and broke his back he ended up in hospital we had no idea how serious this was but Bill needed to get back to South Africa and bought 4 seats on a Jumbo to fit his stretcher on.A few months later he had sold his kit car business in South Africa he was worried that his son would get conscripted in to a war that Bill thought might start anytime so he moved to the UK.He set a business up using his South African connections importing car parts I know it included alloy wheels and other car parts.When OMC brought the new 2.5 crossflow OZ outboard out in 1977 Bill purchased one and ran it on a Cougar cat`i think he lived in Birmingham near his old friend Chris Appleby who raced hydros.In 1978 I had Bill as a co-driver for the Paris 6hr race we drove a Molinari together the last time I would see him would be around 1979 I do know he moved to the US but I am not sure when.

[toby]

I first time I saw Bill Badsey race in the UK. was in the 1974 Windermere 3hr race he had Clive Hook as co - driver I think Clive lived in South Africa at sometime maybe that's how he had got to know Bill.I first new Bill Badsey from 1975 he managed to get a drive for OMC at the world ON championship race in Europe but he flew his boat and broke his back he ended up in hospital we had no idea how serious this was but Bill needed to get back to South Africa and bought 4 seats on a Jumbo to fit his stretcher on.A few months later he had sold his kit car business in South Africa he was worried that his son would get conscripted in to a war that Bill thought might start anytime so he moved to the UK.He set a business up using his South African connections importing car parts I know it included alloy wheels and other car parts.When OMC brought the new 2.5 crossflow OZ outboard out in 1977 Bill purchased one and ran it on a Cougar cat`i think he lived in Birmingham near his old friend Chris Appleby who raced hydros.In 1978 I had Bill as a co-driver for the Paris 6hr race we drove a Molinari together the last time I would see him would be around 1979 I do know he moved to the US but I am not sure when.

Again , thank you for the update and also helping me clear the cobwebs of time. I was drafted into the army in 1976 and at the time wished I could have done what Bill did but that is all dirty water under the bridge. I am sure you will agree that he was a super chap and a gent and he could go quickly in a boat. His kit car was called an Eagle and I think the mag wheel partner you speak of was Eddie Keizan , owner of a huge company called Tiger Wheels.

I am really going back now but I do believe that Bill came from a Hydro background? We had a series where a couple of Swede's came to SA and ran 3 pointers with Crecent motors . Our chaps all ran 500cc Konig motors at that stage but those sweet sounding crecent engins were very quick and if memory serves, Bill ran a hydro then.

As an aside , I commented on the boat with the square cowling and noted that it may have been an Abbate. However I think you are right about it being a British boat. I had forgotten all about them but a couple of them were raced here and left behind with new owners. The Abbate of Tulio Del Rey was also left here and looked quite similar.

[toby]

Attachment 58783

Again , thank you for the update and also helping me clear the cobwebs of time. I was drafted into the army in 1976 and at the time wished I could have done what Bill did but that is all dirty water under the bridge. I am sure you will agree that he was a super chap and a gent and he could go quickly in a boat. His kit car was called an Eagle and I think the mag wheel partner you speak of was Eddie Keizan , owner of a huge company called Tiger Wheels.

I am really going back now but I do believe that Bill came from a Hydro background? We had a series where a couple of Swede's came to SA and ran 3 pointers with Crecent motors . Our chaps all ran 500cc Konig motors at that stage but those sweet sounding crecent engins were very quick and if memory serves, Bill ran a hydro then.

As an aside , I commented on the boat with the square cowling and noted that it may have been an Abbate. However I think you are right about it being a British boat. I had forgotten all about them but a couple of them were raced here and left behind with new owners. The Abbate of Tulio Del Rey was also left here and looked quite similar.

[toby]

Incedently, this is a pic of my dad's Molinari after the second time it flipped is where Bill Badsey came in. A good section of the nose was broken off. Later Bill arived with a big power saw and chopped some more of the nose off and made it a much shorter pickle fork. The boat was quick in a 6 hour later in the year and Bill was running second behind Scotti when the motor let go.Attachment 58784

Attachment 58783

[champ20B]

One of the tow trucks and boats that the South African team toured Europe with. I think this is the one that my father (Ralph) and his best mate (Graham Campbell) raced.

Wow!!!... That is the same model Chevy truck that I currently drive as my transportation now!! I didn't know they had any of those trucks over there!!