DEVELOPMENTS IN OUTBOARD RACING ON THE CONTINENT.

In Belgium outboard races for the coming season have now been organised to take place in Antwerp, Ghent, Liege, Namur and Ostend, and in Holland several races have been organised by the two leading Dutch motor boat clubs.

, In Germany It looks as though races will be held in different towns almost every week—such is the tremendous amount of interest in this new sport there. One long-distance race is being organised along the Rhine, and although the exact starting and finishing times have not yet been settled, it will be a two day’s race and about 150 miles in length.

In Austria four Outboard Race Meetings have been organised to take place within the next two months, and other races will probably be organised as soon as one or two clubs are formed.

One particularly interesting long-distance race which is on the cards is from Vienna to Budapest, a distance of 163 miles. I also understand a race is being organised from Pressburg to Vienna, a distance of 35 miles.

Sportsmen in Czecho-Slovakia are also commencing to take an interest in Outboard Motor Boating. Outboards have been sold there during the last few years but in rather small quantities. Now, however, in the south on the numerous lakes in that district, and also on the Danube, outboard motors are selling more freely, and one or two enthusiasts are endeavouring to organise race meetings during the coming season in that region.

Outboard motor racing is also bringing a great deal of attention to the utility of outboard motors as an auxiliary for yachts, and quite a number of ordinary ” Service ” models for pottering around are being sold to yachtsmen who in the past have not given any thought to utilising the outboard motor instead of oars.

Besides the growing popularity of outboard motors in the above-mentioned countries, it will interest readers to know that outboard races have actually been organised in the following European countries :—Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Poland, Roumania, France and Switzerland.