WATER The Classes That Bloom in the Spring Tra-la,

WATER The Classes That loom in the Sprin le>” Tra-la, THE FAILURE OF THE CADET AND COMMODORE CLASSES IS CELEBRATED BY THE INTRODUCTION OF ANOTHER ” PSEUDO ” RACING CLASS.

ONCE a year, there is an International Meeting at Brussels to decide what is going to happen to the World’s Motor Boating. The people who make this decision are a sober minded body, selected to look after their respective country’s interests. For some years now these men have been convinced of the failure of the large outboard motor and have, therefore, been trying to form an inboard class that will take its place. The result is the “International 11 litre class.” One and a half litres is a very suitable size for a small inboard runabout but in the regulations that have been adopted there appears the following :—Each boat must carry two oars and rowlocks, one boat hook, one anchor (weight 11 lbs.), 82 ft. of anchor line, 2 mooring ropes of 32 feet each,

Navigation lights, horn, self starter, electric lighting and above all—a hollard or ring for towing purposes ! The defence of the powers that be is probably on these lines, “Well, these regulations are taken practically without alteration from the Italians who are admittedly far ahead of us in motorboating matters.’ ‘

Now, the Italians have two 11 litre classes. One for real racing boats with steps, etc., and one for the type of thing described above.

So that it seems rather a pity that the feebler of the two classes has been adopted. A glance at competition history shows that as soon as the competing vehicle is made to carry a lot of irrevalent junk, the racing suffers. When, for instance, was outboard racing at its height in England ? In 1929 when hydroplanes were used

without restriction. Where is outboard racing most popular now ? In America and Italy where, in both cases unrestricted hydroplanes are used.

In the car world too, the same principal applies. Over here our chief motoring event is the T.T. Race where cars must have certain equipment, but vastly superior racing is seen in Prance and Italy where the cars are unrestricted.

It is, perhaps, a little hard to condemn a class that has had no chance to prove itself, but the new international 11 litre class has about as much chance of success in this country as the editor has with Claudette Colbert ! The folly of loading racing boats and cars with ironmongery seems such a simple lesson to learn. Per haps, some day