Race Against the Odds
Product Description
Race Against the Odds: The Tragic Success Story of "Miss England II"
By Kevin Desmond
Paperback,160 pages.
Miss England II, the legendary British powerboat, was the first speedboat to cross the 100mph barrier. As such, it holds a unique place in the history of sport and "Race Against the Odds" is the result of thirty years of research by a powerboat historian who has successfully uncovered not simply a story of a speedboat but a profoundly human saga. What is this tragic success story; what were the odds that Miss England II came up against? Among the odds that Miss England II faced were: that such sophisticated equipment could be combined with such a fragile hull; that Miss England II could achieve a record in the muddy log-infested waters of a South American river; that she could fail on Windermere; that she could be salvaged; that she could crash twice with survivors; and, that her components might be recycled and used to break speed records in the 1930s and 1950s in South Africa! "Race Against the Odds" is a fascinating addition to power-boating history whether you are an enthusiast or not. With previously unpublished facts and photographs of record-breaking history, motor-sport history, and British patriotic history it makes fascinating reading.
By Kevin Desmond
Paperback,160 pages.
Miss England II, the legendary British powerboat, was the first speedboat to cross the 100mph barrier. As such, it holds a unique place in the history of sport and "Race Against the Odds" is the result of thirty years of research by a powerboat historian who has successfully uncovered not simply a story of a speedboat but a profoundly human saga. What is this tragic success story; what were the odds that Miss England II came up against? Among the odds that Miss England II faced were: that such sophisticated equipment could be combined with such a fragile hull; that Miss England II could achieve a record in the muddy log-infested waters of a South American river; that she could fail on Windermere; that she could be salvaged; that she could crash twice with survivors; and, that her components might be recycled and used to break speed records in the 1930s and 1950s in South Africa! "Race Against the Odds" is a fascinating addition to power-boating history whether you are an enthusiast or not. With previously unpublished facts and photographs of record-breaking history, motor-sport history, and British patriotic history it makes fascinating reading.
