Kent Koi

[the edge]

The [if I remember correctly] 1989 Southampton race was the one where John Yeomans Cougar Unipart hit H F S and had the side ripped out of it got some good photos of it and a 2 ltr cat Valentine ? sunk as well great view of the race from Dockhead.

[Ciao]

Valentine was an old Cougar Cat driven by Steve Dyas. (ex The Specialist)

It didn't sink - the engine proved too much for an ageing transom -

We saw the motor let go!

Lots of excitement at the time - pleased to see my navigator that day steered Mr Bandit round the CPC course and straight into a boozer the other weekend.

[Bus Pass]

Bit of Hunton racing history.
The boat Gazelle, was a 39 foot Hunton cruiser hull with a flat deck. Two Sabre Marathons and Arnesons. Won the British International Trophy in 1988 for the British Class I or II boat scoring the most points in the three International races held in UK. Sadly the accident damaged it beyond repair. What happened was, the boat was launched in slings with the slings lashed back to cleats. The launch was fine the boat was floating, the slings slack and while we were untieing the the slings, the crane driver decided/was instructed by persons unknown, to recover the boat. The first we knew we were suddenly plucked up with the slings in the wrong place! Almost got away with it, but when the boat was almost over the railing, all the shouting as to what the f**** was going on caused the Crane driver to stop. We swung around and quickly went out the slings backwards, hitting the crane boom in the process.
The Kent Koi boat was being built to replace it, using the Thoroughbred Hull and was "bought" 80% complete by Glyn Evans. (He had won the Cruiser Championship in 1989 in a 35 Hunton, also called Kent Koi.) The drives were ultimately to be Keikhaefer, (later branded as Mercruiser MkVI) but the boat was initially rigged with outrigger rudder and trimable Arnesons. Evans actually for cost reasons or whatever never fitted the trim bits and ran it as fixed drives. Never fulfilled its potential, but did win the 1990 Guernsey Gold Cup, with Chris Scagg driving.
Stuart Raven along with Alan Goodwin ran a Thoroughbred, Atlas, in 1990 and won the Cruiser Championship.
As Evans never actually paid any more than the deposit, the boat came back to us. It did have the Mk VIs fitted and was to be powered with Codag Gas turbines, Mike Sheppard was involved and would have driven, but Codag never made them work and the boat sat outside the factory till bought buy Iain May and became Garmin.
Chris Scragg and Evans bought the old Roman Sabre, fitted Marathons and Arnesons, ran it as Marstons Hotel, but without the wing the boat didn't work.
Garmin is back with us again, all the Marine diesel, EPS "rigging" has been stripped out and it is being rigged properly with 575 Chiefs and Mk V drives to campaign nex season.

[blind dog]

the one called gazelle is sat on a farm in the new forest as a bare boat looking very sad

[Jon Fuller]

Jeff, where does Ab-Fab fit in to all of this?

Originally Posted by Bus Pass

Bit of Hunton racing history.
The boat Gazelle, was a 39 foot Hunton cruiser hull with a flat deck. Two Sabre Marathons and Arnesons. Won the British International Trophy in 1988 for the British Class I or II boat scoring the most points in the three International races held in UK. Sadly the accident damaged it beyond repair. What happened was, the boat was launched in slings with the slings lashed back to cleats. The launch was fine the boat was floating, the slings slack and while we were untieing the the slings, the crane driver decided/was instructed by persons unknown, to recover the boat. The first we knew we were suddenly plucked up with the slings in the wrong place! Almost got away with it, but when the boat was almost over the railing, all the shouting as to what the f**** was going on caused the Crane driver to stop. We swung around and quickly went out the slings backwards, hitting the crane boom in the process.
The Kent Koi boat was being built to replace it, using the Thoroughbred Hull and was "bought" 80% complete by Glyn Evans. (He had won the Cruiser Championship in 1989 in a 35 Hunton, also called Kent Koi.) The drives were ultimately to be Keikhaefer, (later branded as Mercruiser MkVI) but the boat was initially rigged with outrigger rudder and trimable Arnesons. Evans actually for cost reasons or whatever never fitted the trim bits and ran it as fixed drives. Never fulfilled its potential, but did win the 1990 Guernsey Gold Cup, with Chris Scagg driving.
Stuart Raven along with Alan Goodwin ran a Thoroughbred, Atlas, in 1990 and won the Cruiser Championship.
As Evans never actually paid any more than the deposit, the boat came back to us. It did have the Mk VIs fitted and was to be powered with Codag Gas turbines, Mike Sheppard was involved and would have driven, but Codag never made them work and the boat sat outside the factory till bought buy Iain May and became Garmin.
Chris Scragg and Evans bought the old Roman Sabre, fitted Marathons and Arnesons, ran it as Marstons Hotel, but without the wing the boat didn't work.
Garmin is back with us again, all the Marine diesel, EPS "rigging" has been stripped out and it is being rigged properly with 575 Chiefs and Mk V drives to campaign nex season.

[ashley nihell]

was that not barry cass based on the iow,not sure if that was a hunton..still it didnt get to far if my memory is correct wasnt it to heavy on fuel to get on the plane,didnt a cetain mss lumley break the champers at its launch ?????

[Jon Fuller]

Originally Posted by ashley nihell

was that not barry cass based on the iow,not sure if that was a hunton..still it didnt get to far if my memory is correct wasnt it to heavy on fuel to get on the plane,didnt a cetain mss lumley break the champers at its launch ?????

Yes, Barry's boat it was. and it was a Hunton. Originally fitted with a pair of Rover 3.5 V8's on Volvo drives. Later fitted with a single 425 mercruiser on I think a TRS.

I was more asking about it's history before 'Ab-Fab'. I think Barry constructed a one-off deck for the boat, so presume Jeff sold it to him as a bare hull of some sort.

[Bus Pass]

Barry Cass bought a bare 35 cruiser hull we had in stock in a special colour, from a cancelled order. He fitted a ply deck and I think Rover? engines. Barely 200 hp each I think. He was struggling to get out of the 40 knots range.
Did get on TV, Alright on The Night, when Joanna Lumley fell over launching it when the Champagne wouldn't break and told me he raised thousands in royalties from the clip for his favorite charity.
Might be on You Tube will try and find it

[Jon Fuller]

Originally Posted by Bus Pass

Barely 200 hp each I think. He was struggling to get out of the 40 knots range.

Those 3.5's are more like 150hp.

Ab Fab ran about 35mph.

I remember when I first saw it in Cowes. It floated with the chines at the transom above the waterline!

[cfun]

always thought the Atlas boat was a stunning looker

the 80's in class 2 were exciting times particularly as I was looking forward to the showdown between the 3 38'-'40 Diesel Sabre 600hp engined boats ie ... D2S the Cougar and of course the Hunton however I can't seem to recall at any one point all 3 racing against each other, how about anyone else

[Ben]

I don't think all three ever competed against each other as D2S (as 'Diesel Dancer') last raced in 89 at the Atlantic City World Championships and the Class II Kent Koi I believe first raced in 90.

[Mike Lloyd]

Originally Posted by blind dog

the one called gazelle is sat on a farm in the new forest as a bare boat looking very sad

Please PM me soonest or phone me on 07860 285438 as we have a problem about your tow across Lyme Bay!!
ML.
.

[Tom Stone]

Originally Posted by blind dog

the one called gazelle is sat on a farm in the new forest as a bare boat looking very sad

any chance of some more detail on this? the boat pictured above with gazelle on the side is fq 1, the boat dropped and scrapped after the previously mentioned incident

[blind dog]

the hunton called gazelle thats sat in a farm is owned by extreme marine in southampton nothing to do with td and the same man has got red rum the 34ft tiger shark both need total refurbs but maybe cheap.the other one the old j and b/ad fab boat is at universal having a slow renovation

[FLYING FISH]

Just a small comment re Red Rum.In actual fact it`s a Danamos built boat when Dick Durlacher was running the build yard.Is in the same stable as Fordspeed Too/RHS (East Kent Marine build),all 34ft Shead boats,and you can throw in Hot Omlette as well,the only Avenger built 34ft.All from T2/Hot Bovril ,Souter built, wood hull,which was used as the plug,so another 1969 design.

[Jon Fuller]

Originally Posted by blind dog

the other one the old j and b/ad fab boat is at universal having a slow renovation

'Spirit of J&B' is not 'Ab Fab'.

'Spirit of J&B' became the Maystar 32 sport cruiser (working plug) can't recal the designer from memory, but will at some point. 'Ab Fab' was a 35' Hunton, that is the one at Universal.

J&B originally ran triple Yams, then Joe Donohoo re rigged it in about 1990 with triple 2.4 EFI's. It was dog slow.

[Johnny Rocket]

Originally Posted by Jon Fuller

can't recal the designer from memory, but will at some point.

Colin Sylvester?

[Marinautic]

I think Maystar was a Martin Levi boat.

[FLYING FISH]

Dog slow indeed.Beken came to Shead for his opinion before he bought it and was told to forget it, as it was a load of rubbish.But what would he know!!!!
It was designed I think for patrol boat use.Anway it`s recorded as MIP build and designed by Alan Burnard.

[Jon Fuller]

Originally Posted by FLYING FISH

designed by Alan Burnard.

Of Fairy fame?