fastonwater

The following was taken from the club's records, kindly loaned by Cliff Watts (18.06.11). Many thanks for keeping such detailed records over such a long period.

Stewartby Water Sports Club Ltd
Powerboat Racing Section
The First Thirty Years

History 1971 – 2005

Stewartby Water Sports Club was formed at a meeting of water sports enthusiasts in the Bunyan School, Mile Road, Bedford, on September 16 1971. The Meeting was called by Bedfordshire C.C. after London Brick Company’s offer of one of their redundant clay pits, to the Beds C.C. for water sports, at a peppercorn rent of £1.00 per year for 21 years, with an option of another 21 years on the same terms.

Interested parties were asked to split up into separate rooms to form their committees. The number of people interested in powerboat racing numbered seven! Samuel Kidd, David Pugh, Bert Noone, Danny Keay, Cliff Watts, David Fuller and Joe Bridges. A number of meetings took place in an office of Joe Bridges, in Midland Road, Bedford, with members donating £1.00 each, to get the club funds started. Committee members were:- Commodore, Sam Kidd; Vice Commodore, Cliff Watts; Rear Commodore, David Pugh; Hon. Sec., David Fuller; Hon. Treasurer, Noreen Bridges; Committee, Joe Bridges, Danny Keay, Peter Pratt, Norman Jeffs, Brian Timson, Ken Honey and Tony Hall.

Memebership of the section consisted of Driver membership, Non-racing boat owner membership and social membership. All to include family members up to age 18.

Work started on the site straight away and the first race took place on Sunday April 23 1972. A total of 15 sportsboats and 11 hydroplanes entered for the races.
Sportsboats – Bedford County Press Shield; 1 Brian Timson. 2 R. Hall. 3 B. Hinton.
Hydroplanes – Commodore’s Cup; 1 Ron Goodall. 2 Brendan Guest. 3 Reg Guest.
Due to rough weather conditions the races were only run on two heats. The first driver to ‘flip’ was Nigel Bilton in the hydroplane race.
Lol Hopkins set the five buoy course record at 1.05 mins.

May 28 1972
Sportsboats – Secretary’s Cup; 1 D. Pratt. 2 P. Pratt. 3 A. Kelly.

July 16 1972
Sportsboats – Guest Cup; 1 P. Pratt. 2 Ken Honey. 3 Dennis Kendrick.
Hydroplanes – Guest Cup; 1 Brenda Guest. 2 Chris Applebee. 3 Alan Richards.
Tony Hall set a lap record for the three buoy hydroplane course of 48 secs.

September 3 1972
Sportsboats – Josephine Watts Trophy; 1 David Pugh. 2 Ron Varney. 3 John Clabburn.

October 1 1972
Sportsboats – Sam Kydd Trophy; 1 Alan Kelly. 2 Derek Issett. 3 R. Hall.
Hydroplanes – Charles Wells National Trophy; 1 Erwin Zimmerman. 2 Colin Cooper (fastest heat time separated the winner). 3 R. Bisterfield.
International Friendly Trophy – 1 Tony Hall (GB). 2 Jon Rhom (Swe). 3 R Bisterfield (W. Ger).
‘Le Mans Start’ – 1 R Bisterfield 5.24. 2 E Zimmerman 5.30. 3 C Cooper 5.47

A social evening was held at the County Hotel, Bedford, for the visiting drivers and mechanics on Sat. 30 September. The Prize Presentations were held at the County Hotel on the Sunday Evening.

The first Prize Presentation Dinner/Dance was held at the Dujon Bedford Restaurant on Friday 23 February, 1973.

Challenge Shield Placings
Sportsboats
1 D Kendrick. 2 P Pratt. 3 R Varney.
Hydroplanes
1 B Guest. 2 T Hall. 3 R Guest.

A total of over 50 boats took part in the first year of powerboat racing at Stewartby.

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1973

Committee Members: Commodore; Sam Kidd. Vice Commodore; David Pugh. Rear Commodore; Cliff Watts. Hon. Secretary; Norman Jeffs. Hon. Treasurer; Noreen Bridges. Racing Secretary; David Pugh.
Members: Joe Bridges, Danny Keay, Jim Harding, Chris Shuker, Malcolm Burnapp, Tony Hall, Doug Willey, Brian Timson.
RYA Delegates: Hydroplanes – Tony Hall, Doug Willey.
RYA Delegates: Sportsboats – David Pugh, Malcolm Burnapp.

April 22 1973
Sportsboats – Bedford County Press Shield.
1 Dennis Kendrick. 2 Neil Gregg. 3 David Pugh.
Hydroplanes – Commodore’s Cup.
1 Jean Fisher. 2 Reg Guest. 3 David Fisher.

May 13 1973
Sportsboats Guest Cup
1 Brian Harding. 2 R. Matthews. 3 Ron Varney.
Hydroplanes, Josephine Watts Trophy
1 Doug Willey. 2 Brenden Guest. 3 Walter McKindley.

June 10 1973
Sportsboats Boat News Trophy
1 Brian Timson. 2 Ian Carter. 3 Len Barr.
Hydroplanes Charles Wells National Trophy
1 Doug Willey. 2 Philip Stacey. 3 Brendan Guest.

July 8 1973
Sportsboats Sam Kidd Trophy
1 Alan Kelly. 2 Brian Timson. 3 Dennis Kendrick.
Hydroplanes Guest Trophy
1 John Skidmore. 2 David Fisher. 3 Ian Paskin.

August 12 1973
Sprotsboats Mercraft Marine Trophy
1 Jim Elsey. 2 Derrick Issett. 3 Alan Kelly.
Hydroplanes Outboard OF National Trophy
1 Philip Stacey. 2 Doug Willey. 3 Danny Keay.

September 30 1973
Sportsboats Paula and Michelle Gregg Trophy (Presented by Neil Gregg and named after his two daughters)
1 Ron Varney. 2 David Pugh. 3 Neil Gregg.
Hydroplanes Secretary’s Cup
1 Jean Fisher. 2 David Fisher. 3 G. Young.

November 23 – Annual Dinner Dance and Prize Presentation held at the Dujon Restaurant, Bedford.

Challenge Shield Winners
Sportsboats
1 Dennis Kendrick. 2 David Pugh. 3 Ron Varney.
Hydroplanes
1 Doug Willey. 2 Jean Fisher. 3 Philip Stacey.

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