The Harmsworth Trophy is the popular name of the historically important British International Trophy for Motorboats.
The Harmsworth was the first annual international award for motorboat racing. Officially, it is a contest not between boats or individuals but between nations. The boats were originally to be designed and built entirely by residents of the country represented, using materials and units built wholly within that country. The rules were somewhat relaxed in 1949http://www.lesliefield.com/races/1949_harmsworth_trophy_race_of_the_giants.htm and may have been relaxed further since.

It was founded by Alfred Charles William Harmsworth in 1903.

In the beginning, it was a very primitive affair, with many boats failing even to start. http://www.lesliefield.com/races/1904_harmsworth_trophy.htm England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 won the trophy in 1903 with Dorothy Levitt

Dorothy Levitt

Dorothy Elizabeth Levitt, was a motorina and sporting motoriste of the early 20th century. On 4 July 1903 she was reported as the first woman ever to compete in a motor race...

 driving a Napier

Napier & Son

D. Napier & Son Limited was a British engine and pre-Great War automobile manufacturer and one of the most important aircraft engine manufacturers in the early to mid-20th century...

 powered, steel hulled, boat at 19.53 mph at Queenstown (now Cobh) in Cork harbour

Cork Harbour

Cork Harbour is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area" . Other contenders include Halifax Harbour in Canada, and Poole Harbour...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. It was owned and entered by Selwyn Edge

Selwyn Edge

Selwyn Francis Edge was an Australian businessman, racing driver, and record-breaker. He is principally associated with selling and racing De Dion-Bouton, Gladiator; Clemént-Panhard, Napier and AC cars.-Personal life:...

 the owner of Napier Motors. France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 won in 1904. In 1907, it was won by Americans for the first time. http://www.lesliefield.com/races/1907_harmsworth_trophy_british_international_motorboat_club.htm The US and England traded it back and forth until 1920. From 1920-1933, Americans had an unbroken winning streak. Gar Wood won this race eight times as a driver and nine times as an owner between 1920 and 1933.

Time Magazine said of the 1920 race: "Many a race between shadowy contraband-carrying rumrunners and swift, searchlight playing patrol boats has been run on the narrow Detroit river. Last week 400,000 persons lined the river's edge to watch millionaires race millionaires." http://205.188.238.181/time/archive/preview/0,10987,737847,00.html

The Harmsworth was reinstated in 1949http://www.lesliefield.com/races/1949_harmsworth_trophy_race_of_the_giants.htm and remained in American hands until 1959. In 1959, Canadians won the award. http://www.lesliefield.com/races/1959_harmsworth_trophy_us_loss_good_for_boating.htm The driver, Bob Hayward

Bob Hayward

Robert D. Hayward was a Canadian powerboat racer who was a three-time winner of the Harmsworth Cup as the pilot of Miss Supertest III....

, won the Harmsworth again in 1960 and 1961. He died in another race in 1961. The Harmsworth was not run again until 1977, and continued to be run until 1986.http://www.lesliefield.com/races/all_harmsworth_races.htm

The trophy has been awarded sporadically from 1986 through to 2010. In 1989 it was awarded to Stefano Casiraghi

Stefano Casiraghi

Stefano Casiraghi was an Italian sportsman, heir, socialite and businessman. He was the son of Giancarlo Casiraghi and wife Fernanda Palici, and became the second husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco.-Early life:...

, husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco

Caroline, Princess of Hanover

Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Monaco , formally styled Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover , has been heiress presumptive to the throne of Monaco since 2005, a position which she previously held from 1957 to 1958.She is the wife of...

.

Trophy Winners

Year	Venue	Boat	Owner	Country	Driver	Ave. Speed (mph)
1903	Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland	Napier I	Selwyn Edge Selwyn Edge Selwyn Francis Edge was an Australian businessman, racing driver, and record-breaker. He is principally associated with selling and racing De Dion-Bouton, Gladiator; Clemént-Panhard, Napier and AC cars.-Personal life:...	UK	E. Campbell Muir/Dorothy Levitt Dorothy Levitt Dorothy Elizabeth Levitt, was a motorina and sporting motoriste of the early 20th century. On 4 July 1903 she was reported as the first woman ever to compete in a motor race...	19.53
1904	Solent, England	Trefle-à-Quatre	Emile Thubron Emile Thubron Emile Thubron claimed to be French motorboat racer and Olympic champion. He was English, and his real name was Ernest Blakelock Thubron....	France	Hemri Brasier	26.63
1905	Arcachon, France	Napier II	Selwyn Edge Selwyn Edge Selwyn Francis Edge was an Australian businessman, racing driver, and record-breaker. He is principally associated with selling and racing De Dion-Bouton, Gladiator; Clemént-Panhard, Napier and AC cars.-Personal life:...	UK	Lord Montagu	26.03
1906	Solent, England	Yarrow-Napier	Lord Montagu	UK	Lord Montagu	15.48
1907	Solent, England	Dixie I	Edward J. Schroeder	USA	Barkley Pearce	31.78
1908	Huntington Bay, New York	Dixie II	Edward J. Schroeder	USA	Barkley Pearce	31.35
1910	Huntington Bay, New York	Dixie III	Frederick K. Burnham	USA	Frederick K. Burnham	36.04
1911	Huntington Bay, New York	Dixie IV	Frederick K. Burnham	USA	Frederick K. Burnham	40.28
1912	Huntington Bay, New York	Maple Leaf IV	Sir E. Mackay Edgar	UK	Thomas Sopwith Thomas Sopwith Sir Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith, CBE, Hon FRAeS was an English aviation pioneer and yachtsman.-Early life:...  Sr	43.18
1913	Osborne Bay, England	Maple Leaf IV	Sir E. Mackay Edgar	UK	Thomas Sopwith Thomas Sopwith Sir Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith, CBE, Hon FRAeS was an English aviation pioneer and yachtsman.-Early life:...  Sr	57.45
1920	Osborne Bay, England	Miss America I	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	USA	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	61.51
1921	Detroit, USA	Miss America II	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	USA	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	59.75
1926	Detroit, USA	Miss America V	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	USA	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	61.12
1928	Detroit, USA	Miss America VII	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	USA	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	59.33
1929	Detroit, USA	Miss America VIII	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	USA	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	75.29
1930	Detroit, USA	Miss America IX	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	USA	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	77.23
1931	Detroit, USA	Miss America VIII	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	USA	George Wood	85.86
1932	Detroit, USA	Miss America X	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	USA	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	78.49
1933	Detroit, USA	Miss America X	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	USA	Garfield Wood Garfield Wood Garfield ‘Gar’ Arthur Wood was an American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer who held the world water speed record on several occasions. He was the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water....	86.94
1949	Detroit, USA	Skip-a-long		USA	Stan Dollar	94.1
1950	Detroit	Slo-Mo-Shun IV		USA	Lou Fageol	100.6
1956	Detroit, USA	Shanty I		USA	Russ Schleeh	90.2
1959	Detroit, USA	Miss Supertest III Miss Supertest III Miss Supertest III was a Canadian-designed and built hydroplane that won the 1959 Detroit Memorial Regatta and the 1959, 1960 and 1961 Harmsworth Cup races -- the only four races it ever entered. It was the only three-time Harmsworth Cup winner and the first non-U.S. winner in 39 years.Racing out...	J. Gordon Thompson	Canada	Bob Hayward Bob Hayward Robert D. Hayward was a Canadian powerboat racer who was a three-time winner of the Harmsworth Cup as the pilot of Miss Supertest III....	104.0
1960	Picton, Lake Ontario	Miss Supertest III Miss Supertest III Miss Supertest III was a Canadian-designed and built hydroplane that won the 1959 Detroit Memorial Regatta and the 1959, 1960 and 1961 Harmsworth Cup races -- the only four races it ever entered. It was the only three-time Harmsworth Cup winner and the first non-U.S. winner in 39 years.Racing out...	J. Gordon Thompson	Canada	Bob Hayward Bob Hayward Robert D. Hayward was a Canadian powerboat racer who was a three-time winner of the Harmsworth Cup as the pilot of Miss Supertest III....	116.3
1961	Picton, Lake Ontario	Miss Supertest III Miss Supertest III Miss Supertest III was a Canadian-designed and built hydroplane that won the 1959 Detroit Memorial Regatta and the 1959, 1960 and 1961 Harmsworth Cup races -- the only four races it ever entered. It was the only three-time Harmsworth Cup winner and the first non-U.S. winner in 39 years.Racing out...	J. Gordon Thompson	Canada	Bob Hayward Bob Hayward Robert D. Hayward was a Canadian powerboat racer who was a three-time winner of the Harmsworth Cup as the pilot of Miss Supertest III....	100.2
1977		Limit Up		England	Michael Doxford
1978		Taurus		Australia	Doug Bricker
1979		Uno Mint		England	Derek Pobjoy
1980		Long Shot		USA	Bill Elswick
1981		Satisfaction		USA	Bill Clauser
1982		Popeyes		USA	Al Copeland
1983		Fayva Shoes		USA	George Morales
1984	UK/Bahamas			UK	Hill, Jones & Wilson
1985	UK/Bahamas			UK	Hill, Jones, Wilson & Williams
1986	St.Louis,USA/UK			USA	Seebold/ Seebold, Thornton
1989	Atlantic City, USA	Gancia Dei Gancia		Monaco	Stefano Casiraghi Stefano Casiraghi Stefano Casiraghi was an Italian sportsman, heir, socialite and businessman. He was the son of Giancarlo Casiraghi and wife Fernanda Palici, and became the second husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco.-Early life:...
1993	Cowes, UK	La Nueva		Argentina	Daniel Sciolli
1994	Cowes, UK	BP Marine		Norway	Andreas Ove Ugland
1995	Cowes, UK	Admiral Casino Tivoli		Austria	Hannes Bohinc
2002	Cowes, UK	Super Classic 40		Italy	Buonomo/De Simone
2003	Poole/Cowes,UK	Wettpunkt.com		Austria	Hannes Bohinc
2004	Cowes, UK	Grand Argentina SONY		Italy	Fabio Buzzi/Lord Beaverbrook
2010	Cowes, UK	Red FPT			Fabio Buzzi

External links

• http://www.1kpl.com/harmsworthtrophy/homepage.htm The Trustees, British International Harmsworth Trophy
• The Speed Boat Kings at Channel4.com
• http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,746044,00.htmlThe 1933 race race in Time magazine.
• http://www.cowes2011.co.uk/harmsworth.htm The Harmsworth Trophy to be competed for in 2011
• "Racing Boat Like Flying Fish Triumphs For England" Popular Mechanics, November 1930 photo and story of Miss Britain I