Dear Air Cushion Vehicle enthusiast,
Minutes of club meeting and hovercraft practice for Riverfestival on Sunday, 4th August 2002.
Attendance:- Phillip Audsley, Kerri Newton, Des Goss, Angus Kerr, Lucas Kerr, Kyle Kerr and friend, Peter Venn, David Venn and friend, Winsome Anderson, Sheree Durham and Steven Odgaard.
Apologies:- Peter Frankland and Arthur Stead.
Due to the windy conditions, Angus Kerr and Peter Venn did not attempt to travel by hovercraft from Thorneside as originally planned.
Lunch in the park at the corner of Stanley Street and Montague Road.
Winsome Anderson interviewed each hovercraft owner and took notes for a broadcast commentary.

Cruise report - Brisbane Riverfestival practice - Sunday 4^th August 2002.

Hovercraft:-
Yellow Turbo Wedge 225 - Subaru 1600cc engine
Blue Turbo Wedge 225 - Robin EC44 engine
White Turbo Wedge 240 - Yamaha 51hp engine (expo 88 design)

On Sunday, the hovercraft club attempted to launch in the Brisbane River along Riverside Drive at West End / South Brisbane. The boat ramp near the Merivale Train Bridge was barricaded and a sign read "expected completion: September". Des Goss rang the office phone number advertised for enquiries, but a lady who answered was unable to grant us permission to use the ramp during the reconstruction of the bitumen apron.
We looked at the sailing club at West End, but we did not have permission to use a private ramp. We also inspected the timber ramp at the rowing club next to the Museum and library and found this to be unsuitable.
There were three hovercraft at South Brisbane on Sunday, but we were only able to launch one and this was only possible by using 5 men to carry it over a rocky embankment at a sandy clearing next to the Pioneer Cement Pier.
A high clearance 4 wheel drive Toyota was used to deliver the hovercraft and trailer to the grassy access area where the height of the rock embankment was found to be only about 1 metre high. There is a good covering of white sand or possibly coral crush from the cement terminal on the river bank at this clearing.
With one hovercraft successfully launched, Peter Venn and myself went through the course and found it took 7 minutes to travel to the Victoria Bridge.
It took a total of 40 minutes to travel to the River Lookout pontoon, then on to the Goodwill Games Bridge, settle on a mudbank, a brief inspection of the QUT bank for a possible perching site during high tide, return to the Victoria Bridge, then back to the Pioneer Pier at West End. (Milton Reach)
This will satisfy our ½ hour segment very well. We will not be attempting any extra manoeuvres such as a nose peel between the largest and smallest hovercraft, as there will not be enough time and we wish to keep the display fairly basic and very safe.
The hovercraft owners are not very comfortable with the prospect of having to man handle the hulls over a rock wall, but this will only be done as a last resort.
Phillip Audsley's yellow hovercraft weighs 245 kilograms.

Results - Brisbane Riverfestival Hovercraft display - Saturday, 31^st August 2002:-

Winner - Angus Kerr in a Turbo Wedge 240 built by Qld Hovercraft Supplies.
Second - Peter Frankland in a Hovercruise from Fraser Coast Hovercraft.
Third - David Venn in a Hoverjet designed by Owen Ellis of Melbourne.
Fourth - Des Goss in a Turbo Wedge 225 designed by Owen Ellis and Paul Moody of Victoria.
Fifth - Phillip Audsley in a Turbo Wedge 225 homebuilt from a kit from Turbo Hovercraft Australia.
Click here for photos of the event.

Acknowledgements:-
Commentary at the Riverfestival stage:- Winsome Anderson formerly of FM101 radio.
Rivergames organiser:- Rebecca Atkinson and Lew Bromley.
Stage Manager:- Rebecca Harbison.
Original contact:- Danny Venn of Qld Hovercraft Supplies.
Photography:- Arthur Stead, Peter Venn, Peter Ledwoch and Ann Dickinson.
Craft maintenance on the launch site:- Peter Venn.
Tools to repair one craft:- supplied by Angus Kerr.
Land transport from launch site to Southbank and return:- David Odgaard.
Backup launch site:- courtesy of South Brisbane Sailing Club president Ian Mackay and Lew Bromley.
One back up air cushion vehicle:- supplied by Fraser Coast Hovercraft - Don Briggs and Wynand Brevtenbach.
Last minute driver:- Peter Frankland agreed to participate Wednesday, signed Wednesday and raced Saturday.
Chocolates and wine:- Presented to Winsome Anderson for the commentary and to David Odgaard for the land transport from launch site to a very crowded Southbank, purchased, decorated and arranged by Joan and Len Odgaard.
Walkie Talkies:- from Tandy Electronics.
Tee Shirts and caps:- supplied by Owen Ellis via Angus Kerr for advertising Terre Haute.
Friends and supporters:- Kerri Newton, Sheree Durham, David Odgaard, Peter Ledwoch, Ann Dickinson, Arthur Stead, Aaron Venn and Emma.
Thanks everyone for a perfect day.

Next Queensland branch meeting:-
7:30 pm - Tuesday 17th September 2002 .
SAAA hall at Archerfield Aerodrome.
Beatty Road Qld 4108.
If anyone took extra photos of the hovercraft display on the 31st August on the Brisbane River, please bring them along for show.

Regards
Steven Odgaard
QSH secretary