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   John McGinnis Williams - speedboat champion
Retirement from Racing

After this win in 1925 at Brisbane, Mac decided to retire from racing and sell the champion boat. However, George Whatmore persuaded him to race Century Tire again.

In her last championship race, when her third consecutive victory seemed certain, the Century Tire was disabled.  Fate struck the boat when it hit a floating object and was forced to run ashore as the stern of the speedboat was badly smashed. The accident, which put her out of the race, damaged the timbers of the hull, but the framework remained intact.  

Mr Robert Walder who, in 1925, was Vice-Commodore of the R.M.Y.C. of N.S.W., bought the damaged boat.  He planned to take her to Adelaide in quest of the next Australasian championship. At that time the Cup had not been won in New South Wales since 1914.  

The original Century Tire, after being repaired in Sydney, was lifted out of the water on to the jetty of the R.M.Y.C. at Rose Bay, and then housed in the club’s boat shed.

Interestingly, a second attempt was made to relive the fame of the ‘Century Tire’.
Another speedboat hydroplane, Century Tire II, was constructed at Cockatoo Island Dockyard at Wing Commander Wackett’s unit. It was launched on 14 March 1932.    

Mac retired from his veneer and plywood industry and moved to Redland Bay in 1955 and later to Victoria Point in 1961.

John McGinnis (Mac) Williams died on the Gold Coast on 28^th February 1971 aged 88 years.