Sydney powerboat enthusiast Ray Murdock after racing Whitley hulls around Sydney for several years decided in 1966 to take the plunge and develop a boat he hoped would become the fastest displacement boat in Australia. The Manufacturer building the hulls with the highest recorded speeds at this time was the Howard Boat Company in California USA so plans were made, orders placed and in due cause a Howard circle race hull arrived in Sydney.
Lyle McInness and Boyd Meyers were given the job of working on the big Hemi Chrysler with the aim to produce the most powerful engine in an Australian displacement boat. Finding a suitable course on which to make timed Kilometer runs became a major issue as Murdock needed smooth water and a long lead in and shutdown area.
Ray Murdock prepares Fury for
a Kilo run at Lake Glenmaggie in 1967
The Team eventually settled on the Lake Glenmaggie course and Murdock and FURY became regular competitors in the late 1960’s setting an Australian unlimited displacement record on 12/05/1967 of 101.32 mph.
Later runs saw the figure rise to 106.8 mph before the engine was destroyed and the boat rolled and sank. Murdock luckily escaped any serious injury and the hull was recovered with minimal damage.
This picture shows
the enormous dimensions of the Hemi Chrysler power plant
Information and Photo's donated by Graeme Morley
Photo's by Trevor Woolen