View Full Version : Enfield Marine Cowes
littlenige
29-09-2005, 04:51 AM
Anybody know what happened to all those Shead designed Enfield racers? I heard that the 37´Enfield Avenger/Uno Embassy/uno Mint jewellery etc etc etc, ended up on a beach in Gib after some kind of midnight run across the straits of gibraltar for some illegal reason. Where is it now? Scrap?? And what of Britsh Buzzard - Roger Allen´s old ex Blitz etc. It was based at River Yar boatyard many moons ago. Have they all been (choke) converted into pleasure cruisers, like the old Dry Martini cigarette 36???
Jon Fuller
29-09-2005, 06:54 AM
Originally posted by littlenige
Have they all been (choke) converted into pleasure cruisers, like the old Dry Martini cigarette 36???
I do hope not!...in theory it could be nice to have such a boat, but 'examples' I've seen have been a shocking mess.
Dry Martini
Realite Charger
....etc.
Uno Mint jewellery went down to Gib in about 1984. A lad pitched up with a bag of pound notes and then purchased it complete with 100 year old tow truck. He managed to get it down to Gib eventually.
After a few engine problems Mike Kitcher from Buzzard Engineering was flown down to sort out the problems...He did. He was then asked to drive the boat in the middle of the night!!!!
He got to the airport asap and headed back home!
The last I saw of it was in a newspaper report, it was impounded by HMS Gib customs.
Bearing in mind there is more profit in cigarettes than the white stuff I would imagine it is still going on.
littlenige
30-09-2005, 12:40 AM
Thanks for the update re: Uno Mint. What happened to Realite Charger? I saw the 36 Cig ´The Dealer´at Cowes a few years back now - was that the same boat?
Jon Fuller
30-09-2005, 12:57 AM
Originally posted by littlenige
Thanks for the update re: Uno Mint. What happened to Realite Charger? I saw the 36 Cig ´The Dealer´at Cowes a few years back now - was that the same boat?
No, 'The Dealer' is owned by John Pickwick (Johnny Clock-it) and I'm not sure of it's past.
'Realite Charger' (stagered Cigarette) got the original deck removed, and a timber cruiser deck built in it's place, it was styled similar to a Sunseeker XPS 34, but after a few years there were loads of cracks opening up in the timber joints and it looked very sad.
It never actually made the water in this form as far as I know, and sat at Eastlands boatyard (shit creek) for years, then Clive baker bought it and sold it on to a guy in Norway as 'a project' I think.
littlenige
30-09-2005, 03:27 AM
Ouch! What a numpty - wasting a hull like that. I think Realite Charger was possibly the old Charles Gill Í Like It Too´.
Anybody down in Gib reading this who knows more about the 37´Enfield? Love to know where it´s at.
Think so - who can forget I Like it too, number 69
Winner of the Cowes Torquay Cowes in '76 I think.
littlenige
30-09-2005, 03:53 AM
Perhaps I should have titled this subject ´Cigarette 36 racers, and other treasures´........................!
p.s. Did you know that the Bertram 38´Pangare Gringo was wrecked when someone tried to take a moulding? Oiks - they should be hung.
Woody
05-10-2005, 06:23 AM
Am I to assume that you are the same littlenige that has all those great powerboating images on Webshots, if you are can i say it is nice to see such a great cross section of pics from over the years and across all classes.
Jon Fuller
05-10-2005, 06:55 AM
WOW!
just did a search on webshots for littlenige, what a collection!
take a look:
http://www.webshots.com/search?query=littlenige&start=0
So, who is 'Littlenige'?
Woody
05-10-2005, 07:01 AM
It's a great site I found it a couple of years ago whilst looking to see what pics there were on the web of Richard Carr's Cougar and was more suprised to actually find some decent pics from Class III which was an added bonus.
BluFin
05-10-2005, 07:52 AM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jon Fuller
[B]WOW! wHAT A NICE COLLECTION. JFI page 4 Buzzi Cat 274 Orvil was a single 175 was not a twin set up. Was about 81 or 82 he won the european at poole, rough day as I recall.
John G
05-10-2005, 08:05 AM
Blufin - Which one is that Buzzi cat - I can't pick it out?
John G
05-10-2005, 09:21 AM
:up: :up:
How come we don't see those Buzzi 'anti-stuff steps' on the bows of cats so much anymore? - Did they work??
BluFin
05-10-2005, 12:15 PM
Originally posted by John G
:up: :up:
How come we don't see those Buzzi 'anti-stuff steps' on the bows of cats so much anymore? - Did they work??
YEP THEY DID & i THINK THEY WERE ON THE HYDROLIFT CATS THOUGH i'M NOT SURE IF THEY WERE ON ALL THE cr SERIES
(nUTS CAPS LOCK SORRY)
littlenige
06-10-2005, 01:13 AM
Yep Woody, you are spot on. Thanks for the compliment. I decided to upload them to that site ´cos at the time there wasn´t really anywhere to post them. Since moving to Spain and living at the back of beyond I have yet to get online at home (poxy telefonica!) so have only just discovered this site whilst at work!! I had hoped like many before and after me to make some cash from my pics, but what the heck - I don´t have the drive! So I wanna share and let all enjoy! I just wish I´d had a camera when all those beautiful boats like Eraf were around - I´m stuck in a nostalgia timewarp................
Jon Fuller
06-10-2005, 01:28 AM
Originally posted by littlenige
- I´m stuck in a nostalgia timewarp................
nuffink wrong with that!!
we'll set you up a gallery for your stuff if you like.
welcome to boatmad, great pics!!
do you have any as late as '95/'96/'97?
Nobba, change the nameserver!!
littlenige
06-10-2005, 01:38 AM
My collection kind of runs a bit dry mid 90´s onwards, as I found it increasingly difficult to get afloat - as a fan I always had to pretend to be freelance and go begging to race control for some kind of pass or whatever, and we all know that everyone wants to get afloat during a race - that´s what it´s all about, and everybody I knew was usually already full up! So as a consequence I became somewhat disillusioned with the whole thing, especially as I had been to Key West and been spoilt there - where you can get great shots from the shore!! Class 1 was never the same for me after the Victory team showed up and government changes in Italy meant that suddenly nobody could afford to go racing there after the mid 90´s (Malta in 93 was unbelievable - over 30 class 1 boats!). So unless I can get afloat to take pics then I am less bothered about attending. And I´ll never be able to own my own boat!!!!
Jon Fuller
06-10-2005, 02:06 AM
Originally posted by Matt
Nobba, change the nameserver!!
"Please Note: The Domain Management System is currently unavailable - we apologise for any inconvenience. We are currently undergoing major work to many aspects of our current site, soon we will be able to provide a more efficient system called the Freeola Account Manager. This will encompass many of our existing services, such as domain and web hosting, e-mail account management and advanced e-mail protection. However, it will also include all of the services normally associated with your Domain Management System - consolidating all of your Freeola services into one easy-to-manage account. "
If I get a chance (some of us have to work you know) I'll call em later and get it done manually.
Fantastic pics! Did you used to contribute to Powerboat and Waterskiing? Amazing to see a pic of one of my old boats on the first page! (its only taken 23 years to view it!)
littlenige
06-10-2005, 04:00 AM
Nope - the only things I´ve had published were a couple of reports in Señor Sewell´s Raceboat magazine from Key West. I guess my photo´s were better than my words ´cos he didn´t ask me to do it again! Glad you like the pix. :drink:
I know that feeling all too well at the moment - but gotta save up for the new boat somehow!
Originally posted by Jon Fuller
(some of us have to work you know)
Originally posted by Matt
...but gotta save up for the new boat somehow!
:eek: Hey, have I missed something?
Not at all - in fact have just ordered a few bits for the formula to start getting it back together.
Woody
06-10-2005, 08:38 AM
Littlenige,
As you were taking pics back in the early 90's would you happen to have any of B30 (le Gopher) as it was under Dave Fromow or B106 and B53 whilst under the captancy of MrAtlee (Splitpin) and myself as navigator ? We would be grateful to see anything that you may have from 1990-1993 of either ourselves or our competitors in Class III 1.3L
littlenige
10-10-2005, 12:47 AM
I shall check my collection!
Woody
10-10-2005, 01:09 AM
Many thanks.
littlenige
11-10-2005, 12:47 AM
Woody, this is all I´ve found so far - not the boat you are looking for - (I misread your reply) - shall check again later today!
Jon Fuller
11-10-2005, 03:28 AM
This is the Forgecraft that became Roys' Commodore ferries isn't it?
littlenige
11-10-2005, 04:49 AM
You may be right!
littlenige
11-10-2005, 04:52 AM
Was this racing at the same time as this? Or did Commodore Ferries become Mercury Racing?
roofer
11-10-2005, 06:35 AM
C26 races at barrow.
Woody
11-10-2005, 08:00 AM
Yes guys Dave Fromow's C30 became Roys Smiths C54 with Dave running the team for Roy. Coomodore Ferries did not become Murcury Racing, Murcury was originally Ian Listers boat that then became Multispark then became Murcury. A good boat but never as good as C30 which was the last forgecraft to be made by messrs Lucas.
The Forgecraft were certainly a good boat.
I would imagine the most successful would have been Tuffnells / Brut driven by Jonathan Lucas and then sold and raced as Alexi.
Clearly the best rough weather performer was the first Forgecraft, Absolute Beginners driven again by Jonathan Lucas.
Considering how well built they were, it is a surprise not to see more of them still racing today.
I raced in the 1.3 L Forgecraft with Roy Smith; my neck still hurts 13 years later! There was absolutely no give at all when coming off a wave, all of the energy found its way to the weakest point, the crews bodies, the engine mounts etc…
Woody
11-10-2005, 11:36 AM
John,
Your neck may have hurt but not as much as Paul Rolf's arse did after round 2 of the worlds at Folkestone in 91.
In those times of not so glorious recession I seem to remember that Paul’s job was to make “other peoples arses twinge somewhat!” – maybe Folkestone was Karma!
Still Roy never keeps a naviguesser for long!!
Woody
11-10-2005, 12:06 PM
Jon,
Becareful what you say he might come round and re-posess your taxi :jaw:
Would be the ideal excuse to get a real job again!
But having been a futures broker for 20 years prior to running this thing I don’t think I would a know a real job if it hit me in the face!
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