Tramontana II

Hello EXPAT,

I have managed to find that - Tramontana II was yard No 2564 - Spec no 2123 - General Arrangement Drawing 19143. She was passed to her original owner on 4th August 1963 - (that being before Messrs Vosper formed their partnership with Messrs Thornycroft.) She was constructed of wood, displaced 7.2 tons, powered by 4 Jaguar 250 (E) engines.

 I am indebted to the member named 'Explosion' for the above information who suggests that further details may be learned from the Librarian at Messrs VT Shipbuilding Ltd. Portsmouth UK, who is understood to be an enthusiast of all matters concerning the history of Messrs Vosper Thornycroft.

Regards

Although not connected in any way to the above,another famous offshore powerboat racer is languishing in the storage boatyard at Puerto Sotogrande,Spain.She is The Spirit Of Ecstasy,a Hagg design which I believe won a prize in the first Cowes-Torquay.A spectacular looking boat but not as speedy looking as a Sonny Levi design!

Edited by Christian

I am interested to hear that Spirit of Ecstasy still survives. For me every bit a milestone in powerboat history as the "greyhounds".

I would like to learn of her exact current location and in what state she is in.

Can anyone help?

Hi Christian.

 

That would be fantastic.

I don't suppose anything will come of it but who knows. I have done daft things before.

I don't suppose you would be able to ascertain if she had GRP hull or laminated ply? Probably evident from the state of the hull if she has been out for 10 years. I know the early Dorset Lake boats were laminated but later ones were GRP.

 

Regards, Mike.

Christian.

Not a huge amount I can add really. Spirit of Ecstasy was owned, I believe, by Steve Macey, a character in the 60's powerboat racing days, as were so many of them. The Dorset Lake Shipyard designs of that time worked on the then common slim easily driven hulls which would I imagine have been incredibly "wet riding" but also soft riding. The so called "delta" shape of the slightly later racing machines had not really evolved by then. Spirit of Ecstasy thrived in rough conditions, primarily that slim easily driven hull together with oodles of HP, and either won or came very close on at least one occasion because of rough conditions. Other competitors (racing) at the time included Max Aitkens Brave Moppie, a production Bertram cruiser and several other cruising boats.

The adverts that you included are an example of some of the slightly earlier designs I think, but still show that slim hull. A popular engine format for them were 2x Parsons Barracuda (as for early Huntsmen) rated around 100 hp each but still giving 20 knots plus to the 35 odd footers. 

I feared it might be ply. A shame. I suspect that after all this time ashore in hot sunshine will have played havoc with it. I look forward to seeing the photos.

Many thanks for your interest.

Mike