They’ll be here to reap a rich financial harvest.

Some, like Jack Bullen with his 427 cubic inch, rear-engined runabout, Jo Blo, will come with their target the Gippsland Lakes events on December 26 and 27, before going to Yarrawonga on New Year’s Day.

Others will tackle both legs of the Victorian Speedboat Club’s traditional Yarrawonga meeting on December 26 and January 1.

Prime targets will be the $1000 open unlimited scratch race at Paynesville, which carries $800 for the winner, and the Yarrawonga championship, $500 and one of the most highly-prized trophies in the sport.

The invaders will then attempt a final clean-up at the VSBC’s new annual fixture on Lake Nillahcootie, near Benalla, on January 4.

PRIZE MONEY
The first two days at Paynesville will see $1800 paid out in prize money; the VSBC’s three days are worth a total of $2600.

In past seasons, one or two Sydneysiders, like Alan Bowcher, Ernie Nunn, Spencer Miller, Arthur Baker, jun., or Jack Bullen, have been able to go through Victoria like a vacuum cleaner.

This year the invasion fleet may consist of eight or nine boats, but they could easily find themselves restricted to sweeping up little pockets of petty cash.

For they are all displacement boats, and in the big money events they could find themselves pitted against six of the fastest hydroplanes in the country.

Even if course and water favors displacement boats – as it often does at Yarrawonga – there isn’t a skiff or runabout in the country that could get within half a mile of Assassin, unless the big Bendigo hydroplane suffers a mechanical breakdown.

MADE TO ORDER
Assassin will be backed by Pat Hawthorn’s Black Knight, Norm Quin’s beautiful new Thunderball (which could be made to order for the Yarrawonga course), Peter Wade’s new hydro (the old Thunderball, with two more feet of water line and length and a 427 motor) and the huge, aircraft-engined monsters, Stampede and Aggressor.

In addition to Bullen’s Jo Blo, NSW entries in the ultimate confrontation between the States – the Yarrawonga championship – include Flight (Robbie George), Cobra (Russ Neville), Melodee (George Kilpatrick), Supercharger (Garnet Soper), Jawar IV (Jack Simpson), Ron Ansell (Miss Debbie), and Robbie George’s old Michelle Anne, now owned by Jim Broadley.

Last year's winner Glyn Graham, still holds a handy lead in the voting for the 1970 Sporting Globe medal.

A faultless display at the big Gippsland Lakes boating festival, in which he drove his ski boat, Debbie, to victory in Class C of the 30-mile marathon and then switched to Debbie Too to score four wins and a second, out of five starts, in the circuit racing, earned him the maximum of three votes from each of five judges.

CONSISTANT
This keeps him 19 votes ahead of last year's runner-up, Lloyd Willian, who is again polling constistently.

Latest votes to be included are:

PAYNESVILLE November 2 (53 boats, 5 judges): Glyn Graham (Debbie Too) 15: Bob Graham (Bambi) 8: Jim Allinson (Shadow) 5: Erwin Greib (Ronda Two) 1: Ron Stewart (Panther)1.

PAYNESVILLE November 23 (9 boats, one judge): Barry Collins (Marker Too) 3: Glyn Graham (Debbie Too) 2: Jim Allinson (Shadow) 1.

GLENMAGGIE December 7 (?? boats, 2 judges): ???? ????? (Ko-ee) 3: Bob Graham (Bambi) 3: Norm Whitelaw (Jedda) 2: John Buckley (Mouse) 2: Jeff Hill (Bullet) 1: Tom Wallace (Wak Waka Terre) 1.

ALBERT PARK December 7 (27 boats, 3 judges): Lloyd Willain (Hoots Mon) 7: Ian Harvey (Screamin' Eagle) 7: John Lewis (Vulture) 4.

The position of the leaders is:
46, Glyn Graham (Debbis Too): 27, Lloyd Willian (Hoots Mon): 23, Bob Graham (Bambi): 21, John Lewis (Vulture): 14, Ian Harvey (Screamin' Eagle): 13, Ron ????? (Meteor): 13, Jack Long (Scrub Cat): 12, Stan Thorpe (Kanga): 11, Murray Inwood (Kimbo): 9, Ken Smith (Chickel): 9, Ian McDonald (Mooneyes): 9, Kevin Angel (Kevonne): 7, Don Preece (Mandy): 7, Kake Win??nt (Fox-ee): 6, Jim Allison (Shadow): 6, Les Ramsey (Cheeta): 6, Les Wh????? (Mite): 6, Ron Stewart (Pantha).