Fairey Swordsman

Major refit completed This 1967 Fairey Huntress 23 is the ex Captains launch from HMS Blake. Hull number 211, Admiralty number 6768 and powered by a Perkins 6354T marine diesel engine. She has had a bare wood rebuild and has been completed to the highest standard, and still to Royal Navy spec with freshly powder coated electrical boxes. Every part of this boat has been removed painted and replaced. She's had a complete rewire as well as new fuel tank, new throttle cables all new sensors, new dash control panel with gauges. The list is endless. There is a very large folder of receipts available. She had 5 coats of Awl grip 545 primer, left for four months before flatted, then 4 coats of Awl Grip Flag Blue followed by 3 coats of Awl craft 2000 lacquer. All the rubbing strake has been replaced with mahogany by a master ship builder and has 8 coats of Epifanes Varnish. She really does look like it's been taken fresh out the box. The Fairey Huntress was the brainchild of Richard Fairey. Richard was a keen follower of powerboats and would often watch the Miami - Nassau race. He contacted Raymond C. Hunt, designer of Bertrams and many other boats, and asked if he could use his hull drawings. So began the birth of the now classic Fairey Marine Motor Cruisers.

The Huntress claim to fame were in the James Bond movie 'From Russia with Love'. James Bond's boat was a Huntress fitted with a V8 Interceptor petrol engine along with "extra fuel" carried in the oil drums mounted in the cockpit. This oil drum arrangement had been made at the Hamble factory and was tested in Southampton Water to ensure the drums would roll off the transom without a hitch.

The 'chief baddies' boat was driven by former world airspeed record holder Peter Twiss ( 1,132 mph in 1956 in a Fairey Delta 2 aircraft). Also driving one of the boats was former Fairey Marine sales director Charles Currey. Apparently they had a wonderful time on location in Scotland and were well looked after by the film company.
 
The Fairey Huntress model competed in and won awards in various Cowes - Torquay powerboat races over the years often winning the 'production boat', the 'lowest powered finisher' and the 'fuel economy' awards.