"THE MAN WHO NEVER CLOSED THE TAP."

“THE MAN WHO NEVER CLOSED THE TAP.”

Colin Fair is no stranger to the older readers of MOTOR SPORT. lie was the first man to make a British outboard motorboat plane, and for some years was practically tutheatable in outboard racing. Many is the 1/6d. that has been collected on the strength of his appearance at a race meeting. He was known as the ‘man who never closed the tap.’ It was his firm belief that if a boat turned over when rounding a buoy at full bore, there was something wrong with the design. Once he had satisfied himself that there was nothing wrong with the design—well, the spray certainly flew. It seems no time since, on a memorable day in July 1928, the worthy C.D.F. was hurtling down the West Hays in his famous British Maid III, hundreds of yards ahead of the nearest competitor as usual. The crowd was glum. Why didn’t somebody ‘ push ‘ him ? Then he wouldn’t be able to slow down. But

wait He wasn’t slowing down anyway ! The ‘man who never closed the tap’ lived up to his title. But alas ; the wind was whistling across the corner with some force and suddenly the boat shot straight up into the air, submerging the petrol tank, silencer, and half the motor. “He’s in ! ” yelled the crowd. But they didn’t know their Colin. With his knees under the steering wheel, he proceeded some distance

in this undignified position until gradually the boat lowered itself onto the water and shot over the finishing line, while in the distance could be seen a press photographer mounting his motor cycle with a grin.

Several volumes of 7VIoTon SPORT could be filled with the exploits of Colin Fair but space is according to the Editor, valuable. It will be remembered, though, that he was the first holder of the ” Star ” trophy and winner of the “Motor Boat” trophy in 1929. Some races —both of them. He already has a small daughter who’s recreation consists of twisting ” Shearpin ” round her little finger. And now he has a son. Well, well !