Record-breaking 137mph offshore raceboat goes up for auction

Cultured Vulture is expected to fetch £5,000-£8,000 when she goes under the hammer at Sworders’ July 9 auction

If you’re after a practical secondhand family cruiser, it’s safe to say, this isn’t the one for you…

But if you’ve got even a passing interest in offshore powerboat racing, listen up, because fine art specialist Sworders has a particularly unusual item on the block next week (July 9).

Cultured Vulture, a 28ft Skater raceboat that broke several offshore records in the 1990s, is being offered up to the highest bidder.

The estimate is a surprisingly pocket-friendly £5,000-£8,000, although this old girl has seen better days – her triple LPG outboards are no longer serviceable and the trailer she sits on is no longer roadworthy.

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Look past those minor inconveniences and there’s plenty to love – firstly, she still bears the names of her driver Charles Burnett III (abbreviated to CB III) and throttleman Peter Dredge on the side of the twin cockpits.

And as a commemorative plate in her lazarette explains, Cultured Vulture can boast a series of impressive powerboat racing achievements, from a 137.3mph world speed record on Windermere to a record-breaking 52 minute Channel crossing (averaging 82mph).

Given the right care and attention, not to mention the right owner, perhaps the vulture could fly again? Here’s hoping…

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