Miss England (Speedboat)

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Miss England was the name applied to a series of used by Henry Segrave and Kaye Don to contest world water speed records in the 1920s and 1930s.

1 Miss England (Miss England I)
2 Miss England II
3 Miss England III
- 3.1 Design and Construction
- 3.2 Racing career
4 References
- 4.1 See also

[edit] Miss England (Miss England I)

Career (UK)
Miss England I
Name:	Miss England (I)
Builder:	Hubert Scott-Paine, British Power Boat Company Southampton Designer: Fred Cooper
Launched:	1928
General characteristics
Type:	Racing motorboat with hard-chine planing hull
Length:	27 ft 6 in (8.4 m)
Beam:	7 ft 6 in (2.3 m)
Installed power:	900 hp (670 kW)
Propulsion:	W12 Napier Lion VIIA aero engine vee drive to single screw
Crew:	2

[edit] Design and Construction

Miss England I was built for Henry Segrave in 1928, in an attempt to retrieve the Harmsworth Trophy from the American Gar Wood. Gar Wood's series of "Miss America" boats were using multiple high-powered aero-engines to establish an apparently unbeatable record. Segrave had already used multiple aero-engines in his land-speed record setting Sunbeam, but Miss England used a single Napier Lion engine and relied on an advanced planing hull design.

The hull was of an advanced lightweight construction, which some designers, including Gar Wood, regarded as too light and flexible. Wood made many sportsmanlike contributions to his competitor, particularly sharing his experience of propellor and rudder design - he wanted a close race with a worthy opponent.

[edit] Racing career

Miss England raced successfully against Gar Wood's Miss America VII in Miami in 1929. It had been a successful trip for Segrave, having also taken the land speed record in Golden Arrow, and he was knighted on his return.

A record for single-engined boats of 91 mph (79 kn/146 km/h) was established. The racing success though was due to Segrave's brave driving and some mechanical problems for Miss America. However Miss England was always outclassed by the far more powerful and faster American boats.

[edit] Survival Today

Miss England I survives to this day and is on display in the Science Museum, London

Cockpit of Miss England I	Napier Lion engine	Bow-on view	Propellor and rudder
Under hull view showing the planing step

[edit] Miss England II

Career (UK)
Model of Miss England II (with Miss England III behind) at the Science Museum, London
Name:	Miss England II
Builder:	Saunders-Roe Cowes Designer: Fred Cooper
Launched:	1930
General characteristics
Type:	Racing monohull hydroplane
Displacement:	5 tons
Length:	36 ft (11 m)
Beam:	10 ft (3.0 m)
Installed power:	2 × 1,800 hp (1,300 kW) @ 2,800 rpm
Propulsion:	Twin Rolls-Royce R-type V-12 aero engines Geared drive to twin-bladed 16 in (410 mm) single screw of 11.75 in (298 mm) pitch, running @ 11,000 rpm
Speed:	98.76 mph (85.82 kn/158.94 km/h), Sir Henry Segrave, 13 June 1930, Windermere 110.28 mph (95.83 kn/177.48 km/h), Kaye Don, 9 July 1931, Lake Garda
Crew:	3

[edit] Design and Construction

Miss England II was built for Lord Wakefield in 1930, who had obtained a pair of the powerful new Rolls-Royce type R V-12 engines.

[edit] Racing career

In 1931, Kaye Don began her career by setting a new record on Lake Garda.

[edit] Death of Segrave

On Friday 13 June 1930, Segrave drove Miss England II to a new record of 98.76 mph (85.82 kn/158.94 km/h) average over two runs on Windermere. On a third run the boat is presumed to have hit a floating branch and capsized, killing his mechanic Victor Halliwell. His chief engineer, Willcox, had been injured but survived. Segrave's unconscious body was recovered. He regained consciousness for a moment and, always true to his spirit of leadership, asked about the fate of "his men". He was informed that he had indeed broken the record, but died from lung injuries a short time later. Again, concerns were raised that the Miss England's hulls were too light in design and construction, particularly around the hydroplane's step.

[edit] Final record

Following Segrave’s death, Miss England II was salvaged and repaired. Kaye Don, was again chosen as the new driver for 1931. However, during this time Gar Wood took the record to over 100 mph (87 kn/160 km/h). A month later on Lake Garda, Don fought back with 110.28 mph (95.83 kn/177.48 km/h). In February 1932, Wood responded, nudging the mark up by just 1 mph (0.87 kn/1.6 km/h).

[edit] Controversy over the 1931 race

In 1931, a race on the Detroit River was billed as a match between the Wood brothers, Gar (in the new Miss America IX) and George (in last year's Miss America VIII), and the Englishman Kaye Don, driving Miss England II. Before an estimated crowd of over a million spectators, Don won the first heat of the race. Miss America IX had suffered hull damage from pounding through Miss England's wake. Despite working overnight, she was barely ready the next day and Wood requested a delay to allow repairs to be completed, something he'd previously been known to concede to. Don stuck to the rules though, a matter which still rankles with some today.^[1] Miss America IX made it to the second heat, but only by Wood racing flat-out to the start line, a mistake that cost him dearly later on. During another close race, Wood was leading Don when Miss England II suddenly flipped over rounding one of the turns, fortunately without injury to Don and his co-driver. Gar Wood finished the race first, but both he and Don were disqualified because they had jumped the starter's gun by seven seconds. George Wood completed the final race to win the trophy.^[2]

[edit] Miss England III

Career (UK)
Model of Miss England III (with Miss England II behind) at the Science Museum, London
Name:	Miss England III
Builder:	Thornycroft, Southampton
General characteristics
Type:	Racing monohull hydroplane
Length:	35 ft (11 m)
Beam:	9.5 ft (2.9 m)
Installed power:	2 × 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) @ 3,000 rpm
Propulsion:	Twin Rolls-Royce R-type V-12 aero engines Geared drive to twin screws, running @ 9,000 rpm
Speed:	119.81 mph (104.11 kn/192.82 km/h) on 18 July 1932, Kaye Don, Loch Lomond

[edit] Design and Construction

Miss England III differs from the earlier Miss Englands in using twin screws. The type R engines from Miss England II were also further developed by improved supercharging.

[edit] Racing career

On 18 July 1932, Kaye Don set a new world water speed record of 119.81 mph (104.11 kn/192.82 km/h) on Loch Lomond. The record stood until August, falling to a new four-engined Miss America X at 124.91 mph (108.54 kn/201.02 km/h). Don declined any further records, and Miss England III went to a museum.^{[citation needed]}