ROBYN PARKES
On Easter Saturday in April 1925, owners of various power boats met for the purpose of forming the Rotoiti Power Boat Club.
Mrs Merrick presented the club with a silver cup, to be competed for annually by the boats on the lake, so it was decided to hold a race on Easter Monday.
The race started at 10.30am, with the course being from the head of the lake to the northern end. Three launch boats, the Ngaire, Eileen and 303 were watched by a large number of spectators. The winner was 303, completing the course in 42 minutes, 30 seconds.
Two years later the race was held on New Years Day with around 200 people watching.
More were expected but the bad road conditions on the last few miles to the lake forced some to turn round while others who persevered became stuck in deep mud. The racecourse for this year was up and down the lake, a distance of around 12 miles. W. Bradley was appointed handicapper and J. Pye-Smith appointed as judge and starter. Six launches contested for the Merrick Cup, the Ngaire, No Catch Em, O I Say, Heathen, Ted and the Eileen, with O I Say winning on a time of 1 hour, 18m, 13s. A lady’s race was held over the same course with Mrs Jarrett piloting the Eileen.
The popularity of the event grew and by 1932 there were hundreds of people lining the foreshore to watch an aquatic carnival on Easter Monday.
Spectators from Nelson to Murchison travelled to the lakes to either participate or to watch, expecting to see speeds of 35 to 40 miles per hour. A new triangular course of one mile long was set with boats completing three laps, allowing the whole of the racing to be within close view of the public.
Having originally started with one race in 1925 there were by now multiple races to cover all ages. The Raglan Shield race for motor power boats had a big entry with almost every Rotoiti-owned boat starting and was won by Miss Motueka.
The races that were most enjoyed by the public were the high-powered, visiting outboard motorboats piloted by Messrs J. Coote, of Nelson, Buckman of Havelock and B. Spiers and L. Scott of Murchison. The Rotoiti Speed Boat race of three miles had four entries, Hopalong, Long Jack, Senorita and Pelorus Jack. Two of the boats retired with engine trouble but the remaining two boats provided some spectacular racing.
Pelorus Jack was disqualified for a false start, leaving Hopalong to take the cup. The Havelock Speed Boat Handicap of three miles was won by Hopalong, the ladies Motor Boat Race by Kowhai (Miss Fitzsimmons), the Girls Dinghy Boat won by Heather Ingram in No-catch-em No. 2 and the Boys Dinghy race won by J. Pye-Smith Jr with Bell-bird. The final event was the Consolation Race for speedboats, and it was this race that provided the greatest thrill of the day.
As Senorita, who was well in the lead and going at a high speed, rounded the second buoy in the last lap, it suddenly reared up and almost poised in mid-air for a moment before capsizing and throwing the pilot (B. Spiers) out of the boat.
Spiers was brought ashore none the worse for his adventure. The race was stopped at that point and later a run-off was held with Hopalong the winner. The day was ended with the demonstration by S. Buckman on Pelorus Jack of speed racing, performing various stunts for the crowd.
