Peter Bonham Christie took Apache 555 out from Lymington today for her first run under his ownership, reporting a clean bill of health despite conditions that would deter most newcomers to a boat. He was joined by Bligh Julius, a multi-champion in ThunderCat Racing and a Lymington local.
Winds were gusting above 25 knots out of the south-west. PBC kept the run sensible, heading out of the haven and up the river to stretch the engines before turning at the starting platform and returning to base.
The 33-foot Don Shead hull, winner of the 1979 World Class II Championship in Venice, came onto the plane cleanly and all temperatures and pressures held steady throughout. PBC used the Lymington river for the shakedown rather than pushing into open water in those conditions – a measured call for a first outing in a new boat.
“We are back in safe, had a good run – or at least as good as possible in 25 knots plus winds from the south-west. Headed out of haven and up the river just to stretch her legs, she popped onto the plane nicely and all T’s and P’s good. Turned her around at the starting platform and headed back. Any further would have been taking more risk than needed. Very, very successful day.”
Peter Bonham Christie
Apache is entered in the 2026 UKOPRA Championships, a five-event series based mainly around the South Coast, as well as the Cowes Torquay Powerboat Race on the August Bank Holiday weekend, run by the British Powerboat Racing Club.
For the full history of Apache 555, from her origins as HTS 858 through to the 1979 world title and Nick Wilkinson’s restoration, see our earlier report: Peter Bonham Christie Takes Custodianship of Apache 555.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
