40 ft alluminium cat

[Pennpromo]

When Goldrush was first launched at Souters in Cowes I was there with Don and Gerve, have some great pictures of him in the cockpit smiling from ear to ear. Went out on the press boat too and saw the flip, went for a few test runs too. Always loved the boat with the original concept of variable angle sponsons that was never achieved due to sealing probelms to the tunnel.
Years later I actually navigated in the old Goldrush when it was Pegasus for the CTC in 85 I guess. I can't recall the guys name who owned it then but he had something to do with refrigeration as I recall, or possibly double glazing ?
Let me explain: Whoever he was had shortened her, by cutting and shutting the hull and deck to take out the central tank, she was about 4ft shorter. It was a botch job, the stringers didn't meet up and the rivetting was horrendous. As I recall he did the job in his workshop.
The boat was a pig to get on the plane, but actually when she was up and running was quite good. The reason I have recollections of refrigeration wa that he also had several cylinders of refrigerant in the back nav cockpit and on the command you had to open the valves to squirt the gas down a tube into the top of the cavitation plate to get her up and running. It was a one or possibly two shot wonder before the gas ran out.
Engine was rebuilt after a sinking so was unreliable and used to slip the belt of the Kinsler Injection pump. don't think we got out of the Solent. Lovely boat, beautifully built originally and rigged by Jimmy to perfection. Probably best forgotten however !

[Jon Fuller]

So, where was it that the flip happened? Solent, or near Old Harry. (Or somewhere else)

[Tony Davis]

Studland Bay

[FLYING FISH]

Old Harry,Dear Boy.

I think Jim is still under the bedcover, being as this is part of his ongoing nightmare.I think he did a run prior to the flip.Chris Hilton,the motor racing hack got his monies worth that day.The boat had been modified with wider sponsons and was doing a press run over the press Boat`s wake,as you do for the snappers,but this went dopey.After the boat had to be cut loose from the tow line with sheer weight of water in it,it rumbled along on the seabed for a while before it was recovered all nicely corrugated,so the new owner R.Steele took on a nice little weekend job.

[Jim Brooker]

Originally Posted by Jon Fuller

looks like 'Old Harry Rock' to me.

Jimmy would probably know, as he might have been there.

Yes I was there and one more nightmare with this boat and
it was off Old Harry Rock, I had just rebuilt the the boat and this was the first runout that year, it sunk but we managed to drag the batterd hull up the beach in Swanage bay.
The guy in the boat at the back was from the Express newspaper, it was his first time in a race boat and his last. !!!!
Here is a serious of photos of the whole thing and I think I some of it on the beach.

[boatnut]

Originally Posted by Jon Holmes

It's definately not the Needles.

thanks for all the info lads, looks like the boat did quite a bit of racing, and see a bit of action, reece

[Jim Brooker]

Originally Posted by Jim Brooker

Yes I was there and one more nightmare with this boat and
it was off Old Harry Rock, I had just rebuilt the the boat and this was the first runout that year, it sunk but we managed to drag the batterd hull up the beach in Swanage bay.
The guy in the boat at the back was from the Express newspaper, it was his first time in a race boat and his last. !!!!
Here is a serious of photos of the whole thing and I think I some of it on the beach.

Just found some nice on the beach photos this was about 04.00 in the morning it was a long night.

[boatnut]

Originally Posted by Pennpromo

When Goldrush was first launched at Souters in Cowes I was there with Don and Gerve, have some great pictures of him in the cockpit smiling from ear to ear. Went out on the press boat too and saw the flip, went for a few test runs too. Always loved the boat with the original concept of variable angle sponsons that was never achieved due to sealing probelms to the tunnel.
Years later I actually navigated in the old Goldrush when it was Pegasus for the CTC in 85 I guess. I can't recall the guys name who owned it then but he had something to do with refrigeration as I recall, or possibly double glazing ?
Let me explain: Whoever he was had shortened her, by cutting and shutting the hull and deck to take out the central tank, she was about 4ft shorter. It was a botch job, the stringers didn't meet up and the rivetting was horrendous. As I recall he did the job in his workshop.
The boat was a pig to get on the plane, but actually when she was up and running was quite good. The reason I have recollections of refrigeration wa that he also had several cylinders of refrigerant in the back nav cockpit and on the command you had to open the valves to squirt the gas down a tube into the top of the cavitation plate to get her up and running. It was a one or possibly two shot wonder before the gas ran out.
Engine was rebuilt after a sinking so was unreliable and used to slip the belt of the Kinsler Injection pump. don't think we got out of the Solent. Lovely boat, beautifully built originally and rigged by Jimmy to perfection. Probably best forgotten however !

my ex father in law the owner when it was pegasus, when you navigated for was named ,reg steel he had an air conditioning firm, then i believe called airdale, which was on the side of the boat

[Jon Fuller]

Jim, was it a mechanical, or electronic injection system on Goldrush?

[Jim Brooker]

Originally Posted by Jon Fuller

Jim, was it a mechanical, or electronic injection system on Goldrush?

Jon it was a mechanical Kinsy's fuel injection 492ci about 640bhp. on 100 octane fuel with 20% Tolulene added.

[haasam]

it looks like a lump of metal...

thats realy dodgy

[LorenZo]

Originally Posted by Jim Brooker

Jon it was a mechanical Kinsy's fuel injection 492ci about 640bhp. on 100 octane fuel with 20% Tolulene added.

Hi Jim,
Wow - great to hear from you and also a great thread - I don't post much hear but got to ask...

I was wondering - was it common to use Toluene back then / is it still used now? Know it was common to use during the F1 turbo days but at much higher concentrations >80% for knock protection -I suspect Turbo's were partly got rid of for the H&S risk & not just for the drivers - from memory they had special ventalation / face masks when running in a garage which I think say's something.

What was the reason for using Toluene - could you hear knock - would not of thought so / would it be a big issue on guess a 80hp/ltr unit?

Always loved the smell from big V8's /race fuel (yes realise quite odd) guess now know why being Benzene based - hopefully the exposure levels would of been low.

Kind regards
Laurence B

[Jim Brooker]

Originally Posted by LorenZo

Hi Jim,
Wow - great to hear from you and also a great thread - I don't post much hear but got to ask...

I was wondering - was it common to use Toluene back then / is it still used now? Know it was common to use during the F1 turbo days but at much higher concentrations >80% for knock protection -I suspect Turbo's were partly got rid of for the H&S risk & not just for the drivers - from memory they had special ventilation / face masks when running in a garage which I think Say's something.

What was the reason for using Toluene - could you hear knock - would not of thought so / would it be a big issue on guess a 80hp/ltr unit?

Always loved the smell from big V8's /race fuel (yes realise quite odd) guess now know why being Benzene based - hopefully the exposure levels would of been low.

Kind regards
Laurence B

Hi Laurence.
It wasn't really common to use Toluene but in the UK we couldn't get our hands on Cam 2 which came in three octane rating's, all we could get was aircraft fuel at 101 octane.
I used Toluene to stop detonation or knock it was a big problem on the Goldrush cat, when turning, the tunnel used to wet up and slow the boat right down, and then with full throttle you would get detonation in the motor, you can hear it knocking and then bang say good by to another piston.
Toluene is very bad for your health, (Do not breathe it in)

[LorenZo]

Hi Jim,
Thank's for that insight, its really intresting hearing about just what was involved with getting boats like Goldrush to run, never realised just how sensitive the whole set-up must have been.