I started my boating career at the age of 4 when my parents bought their first yacht, a YM Eventide which distinguished itself by leaking as much through the coach roof onto my bunk as it did through the hull and into the bilges. I remember well a short cruise in the Solent spending a couple of hours overhauling a huge supertanker only to discover, on reaching the bow, that it was anchored. This frustration for speed has grown ever since.

A succession of sailing yachts through my youth led to the purchase by my parents of an ex-RAF Range safety launch (RSL-1659 Kubla) while I was at university. The conversion to motor was complete. In 1986 I bought my first boat, a Nelson 40. Sounds impressive until the purchase price of £7500 is mentioned, and that was about £7000 too much. By 1991(and buckets of money later) she was in the water. She was cruised and enjoyed for the next 9 years including a re-engining and a study on fitting gas turbines on waterjets.

Family arrival led to downsizing and thus into the Fairey stable. A short foray with Huntsman 28 Santa Maria led to the purchase of Spearfish Miss Daisy (named by the children after the family cat before you ask). My trust in Cummins had by now been cemented with ownership of their incredible B series engines and I decided to re-engine with the new QSB series in 2007. This gave a total of 760hp and ultimately the holy grail of 40+ knots maximum. So, do we now have the ultimate race Fairey? Let's find out...........