The British Motor Boat Club
Origins and formation
The British Motor Boat Club (B.M.B.C.) was founded in November 1904 by a group of between “fifty and sixty gentlemen well known in the automobile world...having for its objects the development of the motor boat and the encouragement of racing and cruising events for boats with internal combustion engines.” (The Times, 25 November 1904)
The formation of the B.M.B.C. was preceded in 1903 by the establishment of the Marine Motoring Association (M.M.A., the official body governing motor boat racing), the Marine Motor Committee of the Automobile Club (the Motor Yacht Club or M.Y.C., being officially formed in May 1905), the first motor boat reliability trials and the first Harmsworth Trophy race (subsequently, the British International Trophy). It was stated at the outset that the prevailing idea of the B.M.B.C. “was not one of hostility to the Automobile Club or the M.M.A., but rather that this proposed club should carry out a programme of encouragement under the rules already laid down by the existing bodies." (The Times, 25 November 1904)
The inaugural gathering of the B.M.B.C., which incidentally was "the first gathering of motor-boats ever collected in this country as a squadron", was held in May 1905 on the Thames at Kingston, where a cruise of about twenty-five boats drew large crowds.
Official recognition
The same month, May 1905, an application by the club for affiliation to the M.M.A. was accepted and, later that year, the club was represented by A. T. Arnott at the special general meeting of the M.M.A. where ratings and timescales for motor boat racing were decided. Also in attendance were some of the early pioneers in the development of motor boats: Captain R. T. Dixon, J. A. Rennie, J. Thornycroft, S. E. Saunders, A. Perman, Mr. Seaton Edge, Mr. Boverton Redwood, F. C. Blake, Mr. Linton Hope and J. A. Smith. In February 1910 three club members (L. M. Waterhouse, F. May and K. O. Scarle) were appointed to serve on the council of the M.M.A.
The club was granted permission to fly the blue Ensign of H.M. Fleet in 1905.
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Pre-War Activities
In 1906, club members participated in the annual speed and reliability trials for motor boats at Netley, conducted by the M.M.A. under the patronage of the M.Y.C. and B.M.B.C. In July the club introduced the annual Gravesend to Southampton race for sea going cabin cruisers of 30 ft. to 75 ft., described in the press at the time as “the most successful long distance motor boat event yet held in European waters.”
The B.M.B.C. organised regular race meetings and regattas principally at Burnham-on-Crouch, Oulton Broad, the River Thames, the Thames Estuary (Gravesend, Erith, Ramsgate) and Cowes. There were numerous races organised under the M.M.A. ratings and timescales. At Oulton Broad these included: ‘18 Footers’, ‘Motor boats under 30 ft.’, ‘Handicap race
for boats of 18 ft. to 40 ft.’ and ‘Boats not exceeding eight miles per hour’ and, at Cowes, the club introduced contests for ‘Cabin Cruisers’ and ‘Boats exceeding 10 knots’ over varying distances.
for boats of 18 ft. to 40 ft.’ and ‘Boats not exceeding eight miles per hour’ and, at Cowes, the club introduced contests for ‘Cabin Cruisers’ and ‘Boats exceeding 10 knots’ over varying distances.
In October 1907, the club, by now headquartered at Coventry Street, merged with the ‘Motor Club'. In December, representatives of the B.M.B.C. attended the first meeting of the ‘International Motor Yacht Association’ held at the Motor Yacht Club of Germany in Berlin, which reflected the growing international interest in marine motoring and motor boat development. In 1910 for instance, the B.M.B.C. programme of regattas and races included the ‘B.M.B.C. and Belgium Motor Yacht Club Dover to Ostend Race’, the ‘Waterford Meeting’ and the ‘Race for the British International Trophy, Long Island Sound, New York.’ By 1913, the B.M.B.C. had established their own class, the ”International 21 ft. restricted class” with races held in Monaco in April 1913 and over a thirty-two mile course between Flushing and Turneuzen at the Ghent International Regatta later that year.
First World War
Organised motor boat racing came to an abrupt halt in 1914 with the outbreak of the First World War. The club’s commodore, a surgeon named Sir Morton Smart, served as a Commander with the Admiralty during the war as Sir Winston Churchill, then First Lord, was aware of his experience of fast motor boats. Smart's obituary in 1956 summarised his role:
“As commodore of the B.M.B.C., Smart had seen the possibilities of high speed motor boats in war, and he served on an Admiralty Committee under the Admiral of Patrols. From this beginning resulted the Admiralty Motor Boat Reserve, which ultimately became the Auxiliary Patrol R.N.V.R.”
A number of club member’s boats, such as L. M. Waterhouse's motor yacht 'Amice', designed by Halliday and built by Maynard in 1912, were requisitioned by the Admiralty into the Motor Boat Reserve during the War.
Post war revival
The club resumed motor boat meetings from 1919 and, in 1920, international races were once again held at Monaco. In 1922 Smart attended the International Motor Boating Conference in Brussels as part of the British delegation, in his capacity as Vice-President of the ‘Union Internationale de Yachting Automobile’ (International Motor Yachting Union) and Commodore of the B.M.B.C. The intention was to once again re-invigorate international interest in motor boat competition and development. In a letter to the Times on 22 November he proudly announced that “Belgium, France, Holland, Sweden and other countries give official encouragement to the sport of motor boating.”
In 1926 the Duke of York attended the races at Chiswick in person and watched B.M.B.C. member Betty Carstairs, win the Trophy with 'Newg'. After the races the Admiral of the B.M.B.C., Lord Louis Mountbatten, hosted a dinner at the club's headquarters at The Hotel Cecil for the competitors and club members.
In 1923 the International Motor Yachting Union officially recognised the 1.5 litre hydroplane power boat, which became known as the ‘Mosquito class’. In April 1924 the inaugural Duke of York’s International Trophy, held at Torquay, was won by B.M.B.C. member Count Johnston-Noad, with ‘Miss Betty’. Subsequent Duke Of York's International Trophy eliminating trials and races were organised by the Joint Racing Committee, which included representatives of the B.M.B.C. and R.M.Y.C. and from 1925 the races were held on the Thames at Chiswick.
The Duke of York's International Trophy ran until 1930, succeeded by renewed interest in the British International Trophy. Other new areas of the sport were supported by the B.M.B.C. including outboard motor boat racing, which was also organised on the Thames at Chiswick by the Joint Racing Committee, under the auspices of the M.M.A. In 1929, the Duke of York once again attended the races for the International Field Outboard Trophy at Chiswick.
The B.M.B.C. "come to live in Chiswick", 1925
In late 1925, the B.M.B.C. acquired an initial three year lease on Cubitt’s Dock, Hartington Road, Chiswick as a base for its’
members boats. The move was in part a response to the establishment of international motor boat racing to Chiswick earlier that year, although the club had a good many London based members who had expressed an interest in London berths. The club's presence at the dock, "working in full force", added further momentum to development of motor boat racing on the Thames at Chiswick.
members boats. The move was in part a response to the establishment of international motor boat racing to Chiswick earlier that year, although the club had a good many London based members who had expressed an interest in London berths. The club's presence at the dock, "working in full force", added further momentum to development of motor boat racing on the Thames at Chiswick.
Progress developing amenities at the site was slow, although by February 1927 “about 36 craft of all sorts and sizes were established in the dock, while several more were awaiting entry.” A 5 ton crane was installed and Mr. George Spicer was appointed resident engineer by the club. Other amenities included a slipway and new clubhouse at the docks. In 1928 the charge for mooring varied from 15s. to 25s. per week for vessels over 85 ft. in length, to 2s. to 4s. for craft under 25 ft. A fee of £1 was charged for working the lock, and an additional docking or undocking fee of 3s. was also made.
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B.M.B.C dock was briefly described in W. M. Jameson’s book, “Sunfinders : A floating home” (1937):
“Cubitt’s Yacht Basin is an artificial sheet of water about two aces in extent, separated from the Thames by a massive concrete gate, which is only opened at spring tides. A staff of shipwrights is maintained to undertake repairs and alterations. There is an excellent hard, and a slipway on to which yachts of up to 150 tons can be floated when the dock is flooded. Many yachtsmen, however, undertake their own work. Electric light and the telephone can be laid on to any boat, and water tanks can be filled by hosepipe once a week by the resident steward. Each craft can have her own gangway to the shore. Many business people keep their yachts here all year round when they are not away cruising. The dock is five minutes’ walk from Grove Park Station, from which Waterloo can be reached in twenty minutes.”
Continued growth and merger with the R.M.Y.C.
By 1928 the Club’s headquarters had relocated from The Hotel Cecil to Whitehall Court, S.W.1 and boasted a membership of 525 of which 120 were affiliate members involved in the outboard section of the club. In addition to B.M.B.C. Dock, the club also had facilities at Welsh Harp for outboard races.
The B.M.B.C. had been entitled to fly the blue Ensign of H.M. Fleet for many years but the ‘Royal’ prefix repeatedly alluded the club. The Royal Motor Yacht Club was granted it’s ‘Royal’ prefix in 1910 and during the 1920’s the B.M.B.C. made seven applications, all of which were turned down.
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The R.M.Y.C. and B.M.B.C. had organised joint events since the early reliability trials and this friendly co-operation had continued in the post war years and 1920's with the Duke of York's International Trophy amongst others. One suspects the idea of a merger of the two clubs had been mooted for some time but it was not until 1933 that the clubs amalgamated. The history of the 'Royal Motor Yacht Club, 1905 - 1980' concludes:
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"Both the R.M.Y.C. and the B.M.B.C. had always been very friendly rivals and, thanks to the three negotiators chosen by the two clubs, namely Sir Francis Armstrong, Mr. Harry Brickwood and Colonel Bersey, the two clubs were amalgamated in 1933, with the Duke of York who had been the Commodore of the R.M.Y.C. since 1920 becoming its first Admiral, with Lord Louis Mountbatten his Vice-Admiral and with Colonel Bersey, the first Commodore and administrative officer of the combined clubs."