RACING BOATS
Manipulating the laws of physics …
1971 – E.C. GRIFFITH CUP – Australian Motorboat Championship Unlimited.
The Worlds most spectacular sport
It began way back in 1910, unlimited powerboat racing was in those days a sport for the wealthy or apparently wealthy few, and their mighty motors thundered a chorus that could be heard for miles as the message was bellowed out that the greatest single event in Australian motor sport was here. They were real racing men in those days and boats were not treated with kid gloves. To race your boat back in the Golden Years of the Griffith Cup you had to drive it to and from the race meeting. Often the only navigation lights were the flames from the red hot open exhausts, but they were the pioneers of Australian boat racing; they laid a foundation for the coming generations.
Easter Sunday – 11th April 1971
Event No. 4: Boat Name: Miss-Chif, Driver: WallyCooper, Hull: David Gill, Club: VSBC
Main Race: Boat Name: Vulture, Driver: John Lewis, Hull: David Gill, Club: VSBC
*These were the early days of what was to become GILFLITE!
GALLERY: Race meetings – drivers & boats (circa 1970’s)
EC-Griffith-Cup entrants 
1978 EC Griffith Cup – photo: Hydro ‘Rebel’ – sister boat to Vulture – built by David Gill 
Griffith Cup Entrants 
VSBC-winners-1948-1970 
The Prop Rider 1970 Records 
Article: D Gill 1968 Those are ‘not so young’ Dave Gill’s hands holding the article; “When a photo is worth a thousand words and thousands of boats later” not to mention designs, inventions, record holding race boats, award winning ski boats and so on. 
Griffith Cup Program 
Carnival Day 
The Prop Rider – Scrubcat driver: Jack Long – hull by D Gill 
Wally Cooper owner/driver Miss Chiff – D Gill hull – Proprider cover 1969 
Swallow Program 
Wimmera Cup 1976 
Wimmera Cup Program 
The Prop Rider 1978 – hulls for sale ( 3 x Gill Hyro’s for sale) 
For Sale: Gill Hydro – ‘Hydromania’ ex Vulture 1978 
GILFLITE Javelin. Developed from a background of racing boat success.
GALLERY: Racing Hulls designed and built by David Gill (circa late 1960’s and 1970’s) – Boat Owner/Drivers and Articles
Rascala built by David Gill 1970 – owner: Bill Babberton 
Scrubcat – owner/driver Jack Long 
Miss-Chiff – photo Albert Park Lake 
Miss-Chiff II photo by Bob-Carter 
Wally Cooper owner/driver Miss Chiff – D Gill hull – Proprider article 1969 
JAYA – owner/driver Colin Pratt (built by D Gill circa 1968ish) 
Scrubcat and Miss-chiff (both GILL Hulls) 
Caprice GILFLITE Javlin 
B Pee – photo by Bob Carter 
B-Pee-newspaper-clipping-circa-1970 
Rascala and Bpee both restored (photo April 2019 courtesy Ken Lemin) 
Miss Coldstream – Gill Hydro 
Race Boats For Sale Proprider circa 1978 – 3 GILL Hulls 
Race Boats For Sale Proprider circa 1978 
Hydroplanes: Vulture & Rebel identical boats (both Gill hulls) photo: D Gill backyard circa late 1960’s 
Hiawatha photo 1982 (built 1972) 
Rebel (later named Hiawatha,. Sister boat to Vulture) 
Scrubcat IV – photo courtesy Bob Carter 
VSBC winners 1948 to 1970 (Driver: Jack Long – Boat – Scrubcat – hull by David Gill) 
Vulture, Villian Cheetah 
Article D Gill – 1968 Article: D Gill 1968 Those are ‘not so young’ Dave Gill’s hands holding the article; “When a photo is worth a thousand words and thousands of boats later” not to mention designs, inventions, record holding race boats, award winning ski boats and so on. 
John Lewis EC Griffith Cup plaque – Vulture 
Vulture – owner/driver: John Lewis 
Vulture – owner/driver: John Lewis. Photo courtesy Bindy Lewis
