SOUTH AFRICA: GEORGE WRAGG OF SOUTH AFRICA WINS 'OC' CLASS WORLD HYDROPLANE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Record ID: 191344

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: GEORGE WRAGG OF SOUTH AFRICA WINS 'OC' CLASS WORLD HYDROPLANE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
  • Date: 21st April 1976
  • Summary: 1. SV PAN Boats 14 (Bill Badsey), 15 (G. Wragg) and 77 (E. Zimmerman) prepare for start of final heat; PAN ON Badsey going out onto course 0.15 2. GV Crowd 0.17 3. TV PAN Start of race; boats pass stand 0.27 4. GV PAN Boats around first bend; PAN ON 15 (Wragg) leading 0.43 5. SV Boats around buoy 0.48 6. TV PAN 14 (Badsey) racing 0.59 7. LV PAN Boats around buoy; PAN on 30 (P. Dessertenne - France) 1.15 8. TV 15 in lead, with other boats in pursuit (3 shots) 1.28 9. SV 15 around buoy 1.31 10. SV PAN 77 in pursuit 1.38 11. TV Race in progress 1.42 12. CU Finish - judge waves chequered flag 1.46 13. TV 77 being towed in 1.52 14. SV 125 driving in 1.57 VARIOUS SHOTS DURING THE HEATS, INCLUDING THE OVERALL WINNER GEORGE WRAGG OF SOUTH AFRICA (BOAT 15): SECOND, ERWIN ZIMMERMAN OF AUSTRIA (BOAT 77): THIRD, BILL BADSEY OF SOUTH AFRICA (BOAT 14): PIERRE DESSERTENNE OF FRANCE (BOAT 30). Initials CL/2125 CL/2140 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th May 1976 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOCH VAAL, SOUTH AFRICA
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: LVA76H7441UPKQ9V6KK0Z928U6AA
  • Story Text: South Africa's George Wragg won the 'OC' class World Hydroplane Championships at Loch Vall, near Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday (17 April).

    Nineteen boats took part in the championships held over two days. There were four heats of eight laps over the one mile (about 1 1/2 kms) course. The eventual winner was decided on the best three times of the divers taking part in the four heats.

    Bill Badsey of South Africa, got off to a good start by winning the first heat. But in the third heat his boat was damaged during the massed start and the dropped out quite early from the fourth and final heat. His overall performance was good enough thought to give him third position in the championships.

    Austria's Erwin Zimmerman came to the championships with a high reputation in the hydro-planing world. He has won the World and European championships three times. But despite driving to good placings in this year's competition he could not quite catch Wragg and finished second overall.

    After finishing second in the first heat, Wragg went on to finish well in the other three heats. He adds the 1976 World Championship win to the South African title that he took last year.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register