The museum has received a donation of a 1930's Vosper Viking speedboat from the family of Alan Driscoll who sadly passed away last year. Alan and Martin Graver restored the boat, and rebuilt the engine, it was Alan's wish that it should be donated to a museum as it is very rare and thought to be the only surviving example.
The engine was built in the late 1920s by a very clever marine engineer, living in America, called Joseph Van Blerck. The engine was so far ahead of its time and here are a few points about it:
• it ran anti-clockwise
• overhead cam shaft
• 4 valves per cylinder
• cross flow
• 33 HP
• 4 cylinders
• 1600cc approx
• all aluminium
His family have donated this wonderfully restored boat as a gift to the Museum "In loving memory of Alan Driscoll who restored this boat with the help of Martin Graver" Mark McNeill, Chair of The Classic Boat Museum said "Many thanks to the family for this wonderful donation and to Georgie and Martin Gravers for delivering it to Cowes. We are delighted to give it a home and it will take pride of place in the Boat Shed for others to see."