E.C Griffith Cup History
A picture of the VSBC from the
2014 E.C Griffith Cup
photo curtesy of the Mia Mia CFA
Power Boat Racing
The EC Griffith Cup gets its name from the trophy’s donor, Earnest Charles Griffith, who, in 1910, presented a magnificent hand-beaten solid silver trophy for the Australasian Championship. The first race for the Cup was held over a course at Manly, NSW, and was won by Anthony Horden in Kangaroo, a single-step hydroplane with a top speed of 48km/h.
Racing for the EC Griffith Cup is dictated by a Deed of Gift; a set of rules put in place by the donor and subsequently modified over the years with the permission of the Griffith family to allow for the Australasian Motor Boat Championship, open to the inboard engine propeller driven boats of unrestricted hull design and unlimited engine capacity/modifications. It is conducted under the jurisdiction of the Australian Power Boat Association and is annually conducted on the waters of last year's winner.
Today, the Cup has become the Australasian Powerboat Championship, open to boats from both sides of the Tasman. Boats can be of any design, so long as they are inboard and powered by a single automotive engine. There are no restrictions on the modifications allowed to the engine.
It has been said that the EC Griffith Cup is the world’s second oldest motor sport trophy still being contested. Two World Wars and drought have seen the Cup cancelled from time to time.
In the history of the Cup, only three Kiwis have been victorious in Australia – Len Southward, Peter Knight and Warwick Lupton. Similarly, only four Australians have won the Cup in New Zealand 2 of 4 times where VSBC members– Ernie Nunn, Dennis Parker, Greg Holland and Grant Harrison.
The golden years of the Cup may well have been the 1970s, when the aero-engined V12 Rolls Royce Merlin-powered ‘thunderboats’ challenged their auto-engined rivals. When these enormously powerful boats were on song, they were too big, too powerful and too fast for their auto-engined counterparts. But the era of the thunderboats was out lived and the fleet only ever amounted to a handful of boats.
Ultimately, the era of the thunderboat lasted until BAD's, KT's & GP's slowly took over & the thunder boat class slowly died out. Auto-engined boats ruled the sport & once more the high-powered domain of turbocharged or supercharged big-block engines in displacement or hydroplane hulls grow's stronger.
The VSBC is proud to have the Cup back at Lake Eppalock after a 19 year stint away from it's banks due to low water levels & other winning competing clubs. Ron Burton a 13 time E.C Griffith Cup Champion owner will be trying his best to defend the cup previously won by 24 VSBC members. The VSBC has hosted the running of this prestigious event, so hoisting this event will be something to remember
"E.C. GRIFFITH CUP
PAST WINNERS"
1910 FAIRBANKS Mr. A.H.
Davis (N.S.W.)
1911 KANGAROO
1912 Mr. Anthony Horden
1913 KANGAROO Mr.
Anthony Horden
1914 NAUTILUS
1915 M. F. Cornwall
(Vic.)
1916 TORTOISE Messrs.
RymiII Bros. (S.A.)
1922 TORTOISE Messrs.
Rymill Bros. (S.A.)
1924 CENTURY TIRE Mr. J.
Williams
1925 CENTURY TIRE Mr. J.
Williams
1926 TORTOISE Messrs.
RymiIl Bros. (S.A.)
1933 TORTOISE Mr. A.
G. RymilI (S.A.)
1934 CETTIEN
1935 Mr. H. McEvoy
(N.S.W.)
1937 MISS JUDITH Mr. F.
G. Glass (N.S.W.)
1939 PENNZOL Mr. Reg.
Richards (N.S.W.)
1940 CENTAURUS Mr. R.
Pickering (N.S.W.)
1941 MAX
1947 Mr. Bert McFarland
(N.S.W.)
1948 WASP Mr. E. Nunn
(N.S.W.)
1949 Inclusive REDHEAD
1959 Mr. Len Southward
(N.Z.)
1960 MYSTIC MISS
1961 Mr. B. Stevenson
(N.Z.)
1962 ELRAY Mr. L.
Appleton (N.Z.)
1963 WASP Mr. E. Nunn
(N.S.W.)
1964 VENUS Mr. Alan
Fordham (Vic.)
1965 WASP Mr. E. Nunn
(N.S.W.)
1966 MYSTIC MISS Mr. A.
Baker (N.S.W.)
1967 ASSASSIN Mr. A.
Baker (N.S.W.)
1968 WASP Mr. E. Nunn
1969 ASSASSIN Mr. T.
Mathews (Vic.)
1970 STAMPEDE Mr. S.
Jones & R. Saniga
(Vic.) (Second Place to Vulture-John Lewis) (V.S.B.C.)
1971 STAMPEDE Mr. S.
Jones & R. Saniga (Vic.) (V.S.B.C.)
1972 Aggressor Mr. D. Tenny & L. Scott (Vic.) (V.S.B.C.)
1973 STAMPEDE S. Jones & R. Saniga (V.S.B.C.)
1974 VS41 (Solo) S.
Jones & R. Saniga (V.S.B.C.)
1975 VULTURE John Lewis (V.S.B.C.)
1976 MISS BUD Norman
Putt (dr. R. Saniga) (V.S.B.C.)
1977 MISS BUD Norman
Putt (dr. R. Saniga) (V.S.B.C.)
1978 MISS BUD Ron Burton (dr. R. Saniga) (V.S.B.C.)
1979 MISS BUD Ron Burton (dr. A. Saniga) (V.S.B.C.)
1980 MISS BUD Ron Burton (dr. R. Saniga) (V.S.B.C.)
1981 MISS BUD Ron Burton (dr. R. Saniga) (V.S.B.C.)
1982 Bayswater Bulk R. Carnie, S. Jones (V.S.B.C.)
1983 BAYSWATER BULK R.
Carnie S. Jones (Driver B. Baberton) (V.S.B.C.)
1984 BAYSWATER BULK A.
Carnie, S. Jones (Driver B. Baberton) (V.S.B.C.)
1985 AUSSIE BUD Ron
Burton (driver W. James) (V.S.B.C.)
1986 THE RAT
Owner-driver Keith Harrison
1987 SHAMROCK
P.
Joyce/Con Cunningham B. Halliday
1988 AUSSIE
CONNETION Ron Burton N. Howe (V.S.B.C.)
1989 CRC LATIMER
LODGE Peter G Knight (New Zealand)
1990 CRC LATIMER
LODGE Peter Knight (New Brighton NZ)
Club conducting Event: NZPB Assoc at Lake Ruataniwha NZ
1991 CRC LATIMER
LODGE Peter Knight H Bemms (New Brighton
NZ)
1992 BOSS MOBILE 1
Peter Knight Racing (NBPB Club)
1993 RADICAL RAT W.
Jones D. Parker (Auck - Man)
1994 AUSSIE
ENDEAVOUR Ron Burton Dennis Parker (V.S.B.C.)
29.1.1995 AUSSIE
ENDEAVOUR Ron Burton Dennis Parker (V.S.B.C.)
Club conducting Event: VSBC at Lake Eppalock (Last time at Lake Eppalock)
1996 AUSSIE
ENDEAVOUR Ron
Burton Dennis Parker (V.S.B.C.)
1997 LIBERTY Brian
Mc Cosker (Upper Hawksbury Power Boat
Club )
1998 No Event
1999 RADICAL RAT
John Niddrie Brett Niddrie (Grand Prix
Hydro Club)
2000 No Event
2001 ANNIHILATOR
Warwick Lupton (NZ Grand Prix Hydroplane
Club)
2002 BIG CHIEF Ron
Burton Greg Holland (V.S.B.C.)
2003 GP 101 Keith
Harrison Grant Harrison (Aust Grand
Prix Hydroplane Club) at Wisemans Ferry NSW
2004 GP 101 Keith
Harrison Grant Harrison (Aust Grand
Prix Hydroplane Club) at Wisemans Ferry NSW
2005 TATTOO Matt Ferris (Upper Hawksbury Power Boat Club)
Event:
APBA
Victorian Council & Member Clubs at Lake Mulwala
2007 GP3 Warlord Ron
BurtonBrett
Niddrie (Grand Prix
Hydro Club) (V.S.B.C.)
2008 ANNIHILATOR
Warwick Lupton (NZ Grand Prix
Hydroplane Club)
2009 Non
event (Bad weather)
2010 G-Force Graham
Weller (Grand Prix Hydro
Club)
2011 Fair Warning Scott
Coker(Grand Prix Hydro Club)
3.3.2012 GP1
Grant Harrison (Aust Grand Prix Hydroplane Club)
Club conducting Event:Event:
New
Zealand Grand Prix Drivers Club at Lake Kirapiro NZ
28.4.2013 GP3 Warlord Graham
Weller (Grand Prix Hydro
Club) (V.S.B.C.)
Event: M.R.S.B.C Pykes Creek, Victoria
26.4.2014 GP1
Grant Harrison (Aust Grand Prix Hydroplane Club)
Club conducting Event:VSBC at Lake Eppalock
26.4.2015 GP1
Grant Harrison (Aust Grand Prix Hydroplane Club)
Club conducting Event:VSBC at Lake Eppalock
26.4.2016 GP3
WARLORD Troy Marland (Aust Grand Prix Hydroplane Club) (V.S.B.C.)
Club conducting Event:VSBC at Lake Mulwala, Yarrawonga
12.11.2016/2017 GP1
Grant Harrison (Aust Grand Prix Hydroplane Club)
Club conducting Event:VSBC at Lake Mulwala, Yarrawonga
2020 Non event (CoVID 19)
24.04.2021 GP1
Grant Harrison (Aust Grand Prix Hydroplane Club)
Club conducting Event:VSBC at Lake Mulwala, Yarrawonga
23.04.2022 Desperado Liam Holland
Club conducting Event:VSBC at Lake Mulwala, Yarrawonga
22.04.2023 Warlord Troy Marland
Club conducting Event:VSBC at Lake Mulwala, Yarrawonga
Current Winner
