MOTOR SPORT

MOTOR BOAT RALLY AT ROCHESTER. THE PROGRAMME.

AMOTOR Boat Rally will be held at Rochester on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, August 4th, 5th and 6th. The Corporation of Rochester, the Rochester Civic Committee and the Medway Conservancy are all cooperating with the Motor Boat Association to make this event a great success.

Preliminary details have now been settled and invitations have been sent to a number of clubs, and owners of craft from as far afield as Leeds. Sunderland and Portsmouth have already intimated their intention of being present. There is to be a prize for the boat making the longest cruise to the rally, and an award for the best turned out boat taking part. A large number of cups has also been offered for competition each day. In addition to cruiser races to Sheerness and numerous Speed Boat Races the Field International Gold Trophy for Unlimited Class Hydro

planes will be held over a 12-mile course. In 1931 this race was held on the Thames during the International meeting and was won by C. H. Harrison, for the second time, his average speed being 42 m.p.h.

On Saturday it is intended to hold three races for International Class outboard dinghies during the afternoon. The first is a 25-mile handicap, the second a 6-mile scratch race for C and D classes, and the third a 10-mile all-corners’ handicap, in which owners of hydroplanes will also be eligible to compete.

Finally there is to be a 20-mile handicap for standard speedboats of up to 100 h.p. which, if there are sufficient entries, should prove a most interesting contest.

The fast races will be run over a triangular course above Rochester Bridge, so that the craft will be in full view of the spectators. The Field Trophy trials will be held over a nautical mile course

stretching upstream from a Buoy off Rochester Bridge.

All boats taking part in the rally are to “dress ship “daily on a signal gun from the .Medway Yacht Club. The mornings will be occupied by official visits to Rochester Castle and other places of interest under the aegis of the Corporation. .

In the past there have been various meetings at which races have been held, but this is to be the first real National Rally and will be quite the biggest function in Motor Boating circles this year. The Motor Boat Association is, of course, to those interested in Motor Boating, as are the R.A.C. and A.A. to motorists. The opinion is freely expressed that the pool above the Bridge and the straight mile beyond it are unequalled in the Thames or in any other English river. Rochester is, therefore, likely to become the centre of Motor Boating in this country as is Cowes of yachting.