Name Miss England (I) Beam 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) Launched 1928 | Status Museum exhibit Installed power 900 hp (670 kW) Length 8.38 m | |
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Type Racing motorboat with hard-chine planing hull Propulsion W12 Napier Lion VIIA aero engine
vee drive to single screw Builders Hubert Scott-Paine, British Power Boat Company, Southampton | ||
Miss England I was the name of the first of a series of speedboats used by Henry Segrave and Kaye Don to contest world water speed records in the 1920s and 1930s.
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Design and construction
Miss England 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.
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.
Survival today
Miss England I survives to this day and is on display in the Science Museum, London