Fairey Huntsman 31 'Double Century' for sale in Bowness-on-Windermere United Kingdom

At Lake Windermere - on the owner's private mooring. Running superbly.

February 2023: Engines fully serviced; decks cleaned and sealed; new antifoul.

Offers Invited.

A very well cared for prestigious boat: Fairey Huntsman 31 ‘Double Century’ very successful in the 1972 London to Monte-Carlo boat race.

Hull Number 23. This boat was purchased from Fairey Marine by David Palengat of Allied Domecq in 1971 and entered in the 1972 London to Monte Carlo powerboat race with race number 200. He skippered 'Double Century' with the Pearce brothers (who owned Mermaid Engines) finishing 6th overall, delayed after rescuing the crew from another boat. Thus, 'Double Century' was the Guest of Honour at the 1973 London Boat Show.

Fairey Huntsman 31 'Double Century' benefits from a painstaking renovation which includes back to bare wood on the hull and fitting new FPT (Fiat Power Train) 280 hp engines with new handed PRM transmissions (invoice available) giving 35 knots. Awlgrip epoxy paint.

Faultless off-shore passage in Summer 2021 from Southampton to Dartmouth and return. The engines have just been fully-serviced with only about 100 hours from new.

Extensive history file and Part 1 Registered for secure transfer of title.

Details About The Boat's History

Fairey Huntsman 31 Double Century was built by Fairey Marine in 1971 in order to enter the 1972 London to Monte-Carlo power-boat race. Proven improvements were put into her build at the factory such as:

the addition of 2 laminates to the hull making 9 in all

the installation of a 'ring beam' in the forward cabin to improve stiffness

bolting the longitudinals to improve stiffness.

Once built, before the race, there was extensive testing of the boat and systems. Also, Double Century and the owner appeared in a film made about Fairey Marine (link available on request).

Later, in 1973, the boat took part in some powerboat races in the Mediterranean.

The iconic picture of Double Century with its side exhaust, when in the hands of  a later owner, was taken in Poole Harbour when testing on the measured mile.

2. The Fairey Huntsman 31 is regarded as the boat to have given that it was the personal brainchild of Alan V Burnard of Fairey Marine who wanted to improve on the sea-keeping qualities of the Huntsman 28 and Swordsman 33. He did that very successfully as all H31s are drier with a softer and more pleasant ride.

3. Few ex-race Huntsman 31s survive and even fewer have been extensively renovated from bare wood with new engines and gearboxes; propellors; extensive re-wiring and re-plumbing, etc.

4. The owner/vendor has many unique items from that race including the scrutineer's record; fuel carnet; race instructions; courtesy pennants for the countries visited en-route; hand-held bearing compass; and propellors, all adding to the provenance.

Broker's Notes

I first saw H31 'Double Century' when coming to the end of an extensive renovation, in its purpose-made shelter on Hayling Island, for an article in the Fairey Owners Club magazine.

The pictures in this Listing are arranged in sequence:

 - on the owner's private mooring on Lake Windermere

 - exterior pictures after the recent valet at Southampton, after the engines were fully-serviced, and the decks cleaned and sealed

 - pictures taken in the shed at Southampton and internal boat pictures

 - renovation pictures showing the: bare wooden hull; hull after epoxy application; new cockpit window frames; additional metal stiffening to reinforce the engine room structure; jig used to align the engine mounts

 - pictures that detail some of the boats's race-history.

The restorer won the Club's overall prize for renovation in 2017 and in 2018 the boat won the Club prize for best engine installation.

I was on board Double Century and crewed for the restorer on the boat's faultless passage from the Solent to Dartmouth and return.