Extracted from Bugantics Vol 21 No 2 Summer 1958
FRANCE EXCELSIOR
The France Excelsior was a Bugatti powered speedboat with which M. Henri Esders challenged the Americans for the Harmsworth trophy in 1926. The races were to be held in Detroit, U.S.A. under the auspices of the Detroit Yacht Club.
The builder, and incidentally also the pilot of the French challenger, was a Mr. T.A. Clark.
The power unit that was installed appeared to be two sixteen cylinder aero—englnes of World War One period, each rated at 420 h.p. (some quote 500 h.p.). Whit this amount of power available it should have been possible to propel the hull through the water at speeds in the region of upper sixties or lower seventies. This suggests that it was, in all probability, the fastest and certainly the most powerful speedboat in France and, no doubt , in all Europe.
There were three defenders, The Miss Americas III, IV, and V and each was equipped with two Liberty aero—engines having twelve cylinders each, with a rating equivalent to the Bugatti power units. The Miss Americas held certain vital advantages in that their hulls were lighter and faster than the France Excelsior and also the fact that they could draw on their previous knowledge and experience. Miss America V had indeed proved that she could reach a speed of 82 m.p.h. on the straight stretches of the course.
The races for the Trophy were unfortunately anything but a success for the challenger and the boat was withdrawn after the first lap of the first heat. The mechanics of the France Excelsior had considerable difficulty in getting the engines to run and consequently ran out of air bottles. This, incidentally, delayed the running of the first heat whilst more were located.