TOM PRYCE TROPHY 1997
Welsh Motoring Writers Honour Powerboat Ace
In 1997, Welsh Motoring Writers switched from land to water in awarding the Tom Pryce Trophy to powerboat racer Jonathan Jones at a special evening at Pale Hall, Bala, North Wales.
The prestigious Trophy was awarded in recognition of Jonathan’s outstanding achievements over the years in the premier Formula 1 class of powerboat racing. He has won the world title three times (in 1986, 1989 and 1991 ) and come second, third and fourth several times. With two wins in 1997. he finished the Championship in fourth place. The Group also considered him to have been an excellent ambassador for Wales. Like Formula 1 motor racing this is a high-tech sport using state-of-the-art equipment including a telemetry system. And powerboat racing demands a similar level of skill, courage and dedication. In fact. with a 2-stroke engine developing 400 bhp. Jonathans Speedboat catamaran accelerates to 60 mph in under 2 seconds and pulls cornering G forces over double that of Fl cars. Top speed is 140 mph -quite something on water.
At the presentation dinner. Jonathan was seen having animated technical discussions with Richard Parry-Jones. Ford Vice President of product development. Who knows, as a result future Ford cars could well handle ever better in the wet! A few weeks after the dinner, Jonathan crashed at Abu Dhabi in the last race of the 1997 season. Despite wrecking the boat in a spectacular corkscrew accident, he was fortunately uninjured, but to add a sad note to the year-end. came the news that his sponsor, Gold Leaf, were withdrawing from the sport in 1998.
Undeterred, Jonathan is building new boats to contest the 1998 season. We wish him well in an exciting sport that disappointingly receives scant coverage by the UK media.
*The Tom Pryce Trophy commemorates Wales’ greatest racing driver who was tragically killed in a freak accident in the 1977 South Africa Grand Prix.
Triple World Champion power-boat racer Jonathan Jones, pictured with the Welsh Royal Crystal Tom Pryce Trophy which was presented to him by John Edwards, Treasurer of the Welsh Motoring Writers at a presentation dinner at Pale Hall on November 7th, 1997.
Jonathan Jones with his racing catamaran at Pale Hall