Boat racing in South Africa

[KerrySmith]

Race Program for 1972 Paris 6-Hour showing the South African entries in ON, OI & SE

[KerrySmith]

Race Programm for the 1970 Berlin 6-Hour showing the South African entries in ON & SE classes

[KerrySmith]

Race Program for 1972 Berlin 6-Hour showing the South African entries in ON & SE classes

[KerrySmith]

Not sure of the date of this but around '65

[KerrySmith]

This is from an article in "Personality Magazine" from April '65

[KerrySmith]

This is an editorial from South African Yachting Jan/Feb '62. This was the only magazine that covered powerboating in SA for many years. Followed by an article in the same magazine

[toby]

Hi Kerry, wonderful to see all these super pics of your dad and days gone by. My step dad (Bill Richards) was a good friend of your dad and a another chap you may well remember, Bob White. My dad raced run abouts and cut downs in the XT class along with people like Dawie Bekker, Gerhard Jansen, Dave Spierenberg ( he was killed in a friends hydro at Boacord dam ) The Candiotis family, Bronkie Bronkhorst, Bill Badsey, and later Koenie Rontken (spelling) and Pat Farrel

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]

Not sure of the date of this but around '65

Kerry, the driver of the Volvo powered boat (number 13) was Paul Windsley. He won the RDM 200 at the Riviera club in about 66 or 67. Sonny Morgan used to run a 720 petrol hydro called Hot Stuff. He lived in a boat house across the way from ours at Loch Vaal. Reg Roseman of Bugs Bunny fame (big v8 hydro) also lived across the way at Loch Vaal

[toby]

Hi Lars, this looks like it is possibly Eligwa or th Riviera club

Hi Kerry,

I raced in the BP 200 South Africa 1975..
Two pictures of my Clerici/Evinrude OE # 44 boat

There is more about the race here..

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...?t=6727&page=5

[toby]

I knew Terry Adams and Ray Mansfield well. Ray had a panel beating /car repaair company called Mansfield Leppan

So SE90 is Terry Adams and ? Acton. SE91 is Bill Moseley and Ray Mansfield