Thunderstreak: the Great Story of a Magnificent Bertram 31

Posted on the 18 October 2024 by Nick Creighton @starshomejob

Like all great stories, that of the Thunderstreak – a magnificent racing Bertram 31 from 1963 – is made up of several chapters, in a fascinating interweaving of heroes, antagonists, dramatic events and a happy rebirth ending that contribute to making this boat a legend with a great past and a glorious present. Among its greatest successes, this year’s victory in the 63rd edition of the prestigious Cowes Powerboat Festivalwhere this magnificent boat not only triumphed in its class, but even outperformed boats in other classes, facing weather and sea conditions unimaginable even for larger models. After an extraordinary season of victories, the Thunderstreak is now ready for retirement under the ownership of the pilot, investor and historian Hugo Peel, unless somewhere there’s a new owner who, fascinated by its honorable history, is ready to revive the glory of this marvelous racing example.

Chapter 1 – Thunderstreak, the origins

In 1957, C. Raymond Hunt&#8217s famous deep-V hull revolutionized the nautical world, and the Bertram shipyard did not hesitate to appropriate this innovative project, quickly establishing itself as the undisputed leader in the production of high-performance hulls, thanks to Dick Bertram&#8217s experience in the world of sailing and motor racing. Requests for new hulls soon followed, and customers included illustrious figures and celebrities. Among them was the wealthy and fascinating pilot Tommy Sopwith, son of Sir Thomas Sopwith, navigator and America&#8217s Cup legend, as well as designer of the famous Sopwith Camel military biplane during the First World War. In 1963, Tommy took part in the Daily Express Cowes-Torquay, sailing alongside the stern of Hugo Peel&#8217s father&#8217s boat, which left him so impressed that he later commented: “It was love at first roar”, describing the sensation he felt as he passed aboard the Holman-Moody hull.

A major racing protagonist in the early ’60s, the boat disappeared in the following decade and, after 30 years, was found thanks to a member of the Classic Offshore Powerboat Club, who recognized it by the unmistakable Hunt hull, abandoned and in a sorry state, in a marina in East London. Discreetly restored and put “back on track” by a new owner, the Thunderstreak finally passed into the hands of Hugo Peel, who, during a cruise on the Medina River aboard his Paragon 31, was captivated by the roar of the powerful Ford V8 engine. Recalling the thrill of the ’63 Cowes Torquay, Peel decided this time to buy the boat.

Chapter 2- Resoration, Part I

In 2017, under the supervision of pilot and project manager Peter Hewitt, Hugo Peel undertakes an extensive restoration and renovation of the Thunderstreak. The entire structure is repainted with Awlgrip paints, replacing the original Sopwith singed ones. The original Ford V8 engines are dismantled, refurbished, sandblasted and reassembled with new pistons, rings, rocker arms and valves, all with a blue finish. Unfortunately, the engines don&#8217t survive long, and after a thorough analysis phase, the choice fell on 435hp fuel-injected Mercruiser V8s with Bravo transmissions, offering excellent performance in terms of speed, durability and reliability, although their weight and configuration necessitated a complete overhaul of the engine compartment and transom.

In 2019, the designers are inaugurating a new phase of work that includes the upgrading of all electrical and hydraulic systems, the creation of new stringers and bulkheads, the renewal of the flooring and the engine compartment with new crossbeams, stringers and a robust reinforced transom.

The restoration work undertaken by Solent Marine Services in collaboration with Winn Willard of Ray Hunt Associates&#8217s design team is nothing short of impressive and ambitious, especially considering that the boat was originally designed to reach a top speed of 26 knots, a true record for the time.

Work will be completed in spring 2020, with the implementation of the new Hardin Marine external steering system, a new stabilization system, steel tanks and fittings, an Axiom chartplotter and a polycarbonate and stainless steel instrument panel. The cockpit and manoeuvring configuration has also been completely revised by the new racing engineers from the English shipyard Will Marine. Finally, the steering wheel. The old Destroyer doesn&#8217t fit in well with the new helm console, so Hewitt decided to donate his old leather and steel steering wheel – a true tribute to his memory and contribution to the project.

Completely refurbished, with the benefit of its past and the participation of Tommy Sopwith and Hugo Peel as venerable members of the Royal Yacht Squadron, Thunderstreak receives permission to compete under the name RYS (Royal Yacht Squadron), retaining the Historic Class designation and using the original number assigned to Tommy Sopwith, H400. After a pause due to the pandemic, in 2021 the Thunderstreak is finally ready to compete!

Chapter 3 – Competitions – 90% Preparation, 10% Racing

Peel brings together a first-rate team of professionals with totally different backgrounds in sailing and sport, but all united by a single goal: to win! Among them are throttleman Adrian de Ferranti, navigator Richard Jessel and John Simmonds, former member of the Royal Navy and Her MajestyRs Coastguard, who became the team&#8217s project manager after the death of Peter Hewitt.

The first competitions prove to be very demanding and the Thunderstreak even suffers so much structural damage that Simmonds is forced to tell his team: “You have two choices: continue like this and destroy the Thunderstreak. boat or change”. It wasn&#8217t a question of “treating it with gloves” (after all, we&#8217re talking about a fiberglass racing boat), but, in Jessel&#8217s words, of “respecting and treating this beautiful old lady well”. That said, things are falling into place. Steering, acceleration and navigation begin to be handled with skill and coordination, pushing the Thunderstreak to its limits, successfully and without dangerous excess.

The crew begins an intense testing program: more than 20 sets of propellers are tried out at sea, the on-board instrumentation is adjusted and the boat&#8217s balance is modified in a thousand different ways to achieve maximum speed and manoeuvrability. With wisdom and skill, the team began to assert themselves at sea against younger, stronger teams, racking up a large number of victories and successes over the next three years with an unfailing style that soon earned them the nickname “Gentlemen Racers”.

The Thunderstreak then became the undisputed champion of its class, winning over bigger and more powerful boats, with one success after another, from this year&#8217s victory in the Cowes-Poole-Cowes Race to the conquest of titles such as “Best Presented Boat”, “Oldest Driver Finishing”, “First Historic Boat to Finish” and “Boat Designer’s Trophy”.

Chapter 4 – The future of the Thunderstreak

Having reached the pinnacle of success and reaped the rewards of his hard work, the indispensable Hugo Peel, now 75, says he&#8217s ready to turn the page. After all, professional athletes know: the best time to retire is when you&#8217re still at the top! Peel not only delighted his team, but also, and above all, thrilled spectators and vintage boat fans alike, bringing the Bertram 31 back to its former glory.

The future of the Thunderstreak now belongs to the daring adventure enthusiast, the collector of fine craft, the connoisseur of vintage hulls, the one who deserves to inherit the legacy of a grand dame of racing. As John Simmonds commented at the Cowes Powerboat Festival awards ceremony: “It&#8217s incredible to see how four old hands have managed to please a 63-year-old lady so much!”.

With her pretty profile and extraordinary performance, the beautiful lady continues to attract attention wherever she docks, arousing curiosity and praise. The Bertram 31 is already a cult object, but the H400 has a thoroughly respectable pedigree. Its history will live on, and its hull now deserves a new port and, if possible, a return to its old American roots, where it all began with Dick Bertram and continued with Tommy Sopwith and Hugo Peel.

The price?” It’s priceless,” Peel was keen to point out.

For further information:

Hugh Rayner – Berthon International

hugh.rayner@berthon.co.uk



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