Unowot

[littlenige]

Guy, any news from the authorities down south?

[Ciao]

Originally Posted by NickGTD40

Hi ciao dont know if it was your dad that had the boat for sale many years ago at his house in the drive minus engine but i came up to view it as i really fancied a c19 i loved the boat but was put off by all the crazing after its hard life as a race boat and the stories of it going back to buzzard marine in yarmouth having various repairs to the hull,still a great looking boat kept dreaming of it many days after,ended up buying a white c21 with a seized 175 merc on it.Started to restore the boat but someone saw it and bought it off me before i could finish it regards nickgtd40

I think my Dad's Crusader 19' was sold to a punter in Scandinavia.

It had a reasonably hard racing life - Although nothing like a 3B boat in 2012!

[Guy41]

Originally Posted by littlenige

Guy, any news from the authorities down south?

Nigel,

I am no longer in Gibraltar and have drawn a blank I'm afraid.

After initial positive responses from HMCR via my contact at the Port- and despite explaining in detail that I was interested in the boat from a historical point of view - I was basically advised not to ask too many questions about this particular boat/incident...

[littlenige]

Me too! I managed to obtain those pics of Miss Embassy posted elsewhere on here. That was it. They want to keep it hush hush. Shame!

[UnoToo]

Unowot / Uno Embassy / Uno Too - all boats I knew well as my father Barry Leith was in the interesting motor business in Poole/Bournemouth with Colonel Ronnie Hoare, the instigator of these boats, having graduated from the Diesel Cruiser class to buying Tommy Sopwith's Enfield Avenger... Ronnie had originally sold a Ferrari to Tommy Sopwith.
Tommy Sopwith had started powerboat racing in the late 1960s with that jewel of a boat...Telstar......(named after the satellite) with a single engine. I recall endless trips into Poole Bay from Poole Harbour to see the Cowes Torquay Cowes races, from the RMYC in Sandbanks, Poole.
I still have the Christmas cards from the 1973-75 period - one of which was a Beken photo, and two taken from Ronnie's helicopter which followed them all the way, just as Tommy Sopwith had. What one team had, the other HAD to have, and having a helicopter follow you at racing speeds all the way was some expense. So much so, that eventually Embassy cigarettes were brought in to sponsor the astronomic costs of Class 1 Powerboat racing. The team came 2nd in the World Championship in 1973...
I hope I have added just a little to this thread that is of interest. I knew Ronnie well, but not Don Shead (designer / helm) or Harry Hyams (Centre Point & big time property developer)
Do drop me a line if you would like to see the photos of Unowot / Uno Embassy... UnoToo is a Fairey Huntsman and used as a runaround - which still exists and I last saw her in Salcombe about 10 years ago now...

[littlenige]

If you would scan and upload any photographs that you have we would all appreciate it! Thanks.

[THUNDERBOLT]

Nige

the last we at COPC found out was that Miss E minus rear wings and fitted with 2 big mercruisers was stored in one of the caves by customs, pics I saw showed very dusty boat...this was about 2 years ago maybe more..
as regards UNO I was told after being dragged up slipway ripping out the bottom she was cut up...that was by Don Shead...it was the only boat he ever wanted to get hold of for himself.

Gee the Shead design is presumably still on the sea bottom near the harbour and Gypsy Girl was also destroyed.

Mike
COPC

[THUNDERBOLT]

These are pictures taken in the Customs/Storage caves on Gibraltar in approx 2007….the boat is/was MISS EMBASSY renamed SEE YOU LATER…powered by 3 Mercruisers and minus the wings…these photo’s were supplied to a boatmad thread in 2010…I doubt very much if she is still there as the current thread mentions that the enquirer has been warned not to ask too many questions!

Pictures can be seen on www.classicoffshore.com

[littlenige]

Graham Stevens confirmed to me that it was indeed Miss Embassy as she had received chine modifications seen clearly in the 3/4 shot of the stern.

I still can't help but wonder that if the Gibraltarian authorities were approached in the right manner, and somebody out there had the desire and the money, that she could be saved.....? such a classic boat just going to waste. When you think that US authorities sell such items back to the boating fraternity after they've been vetted, seems just stupid for it to be left to rot.

[adykitcher]

I all, i know this is an old thread but is was my father that used to rig/ look after her at the river yar boatyard along with British buzzard and pop joy mint and the crusader 19 you talked about.

[Parga]

Originally Posted by Ciao

I think my Dad's Crusader 19' was sold to a punter in Scandinavia.

It had a reasonably hard racing life - Although nothing like a 3B boat in 2012!

Hi

I was the one who bought the Crusader i think in 1985/1986 ?

A punter ?????

i will try find a photo showing the boat in Norway and post it here later.
I do also have lots of pics from powerboat races in Bournemouth in mid 80's.
I also bought a 200 or 175 mercury in England to be put on the boat.
The engine was never delivered or shipped, it was a scam by a NOT serious dealer. But do remember the seller of boat was a serious person.
I sold the boat to a person in South of Norway who was instaling a 300 hp Evinrude or Jhonson on the boat with some modifications.
I have never seen the boat since that time. Have been lookin.
Maybe someone from the Norwegigan side knows ?
Would be nice to know if any person know the history further........

[Parga]

Originally Posted by Parga

Hi

I was the one who bought the Crusader i think in 1985/1986 ?

A punter ?????

i will try find a photo showing the boat in Norway and post it here later.
I do also have lots of pics from powerboat races in Bournemouth in mid 80's.
I also bought a 200 or 175 mercury in England to be put on the boat.
The engine was never delivered or shipped, it was a scam by a NOT serious dealer. But do remember the seller of boat was a serious person.
I sold the boat to a person in South of Norway who was instaling a 300 hp Evinrude or Jhonson on the boat with some modifications.
I have never seen the boat since that time. Have been lookin.
Maybe someone from the Norwegigan side knows ?
Would be nice to know if any person know the history further........

Will try post some pics from bournemouth races later

[Inonowt]

Don't know if this is of any relevance, but I saw Unowot at the Wat Tyler Power Boat museum near Pitsea. This was quite by chance and I can't remember when. Poss after 2000. I only saw it the once. I went back another time but the museum had gone. I'm sure the last picture in littlenige's sequence is of her in the museum.
First saw in, I guess 1973 and the memory has stuck since. I was gobsmacked to see her in a museum decades later.

[Keith Sparks]

I worked on Uno wot and Embassy with Ken Chatfield at fairy marine A1 hanger. I do not recall anyone helping us. Please elaborate

[Keith Sparks]

Originally Posted by Pennpromo

I spent loads of time on Unowot/ Uno Embassy as a kid. I helped change engines and polish her, the biggest treat was to go out to test. She lived for quite a time in the old race boat shed at Fairey Marine. I also have a few Unowot teashirts somewhere and an Embassy Jacket. I have also got the little A5 powerboating booklet that Embassy produced, and the motor racing one with Graham Hill racing. Strangely I have a couple of Uno's old props in my garden as ornaments!
I remember removing the 8 tennis balls that were strung together in the old mechanical injection trumpets, getting a squeezy bottle priming the engines and standing back as they turned over, usually with a gush of flame and plenty of bangs and pops.
Like you I last saw her at Roger Allen's yard in Yarmouth when Pobjoy owned her. I then raced briefly in Mint Jewellery with Lady Arran in about 1986 or so.
She was indeed a classic boat, those early ally monos were very tender to drive as they were quite narrow with plenty of rocker.
Cinzano, in contrast is much wider on the chine, with less rocker and is far more stable and of course much faster with modern engines.

I do not recall you at all. I worked full time on team Uno for years along with Ken Chatfield