The Big Bay Boat Race

A big field of 55 power boats contested this year's Benson and Hedges sponsored two-hour power boat race on Poverty Bay. This year the race was held to a time limit instead of lapped distances, giving the event a tightening up, which made for very exciting racing. On these pages a panoramic view from the Kaiti Hill Cook plaza shows the boats in various stages of the race — coming into the harbour, making the harbour turn and traversing the beach and back straights of the bay.

For a change the weather was beautifully hot and sunny, and the large crowds which watched the race from the beaches, the breakwaters, and Kaiti Hill enjoyed real "Gisborne weather"as they followed their favourites lap by exciting lap.

Outright winner of the speed section was Bill Stevenson's Mystic Miss. Insets show, from left, Bill Stevenson and crew members Drew Gordon and "Tub" Halliday

Mr Tax (G. R. Train) leads some of the competitors past one of the marker boats

Section for inboards over 135 h.p. was won by Tara Too (I. Boyce, Auckland)

Seahorse Stinger (R. Weston-Webb, Auckland), won the handicap section

Skippy (B. Pearse) won the inboard section up to 135 h.p. Skippy (left) races alongside Rambler (J. Holdsworth), centre, and Tanglefoot (R. J. Wiles).

Part of the large crowd lining the wharf to watch the race

Fich'n'ski (B. Stichbury) was the lightest boat to complete the course

Nicolette (M. Sheridan) came second in the outboard over 60 h.p. section

Young Nick's Head dominates the background as dwarfed boats career backwards and forwards across the bay

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 200 : February 24, 1971

The Big Bay Boat Race