I know that we have all waxed lyrical about the wonders of the designers from the US - very good they were too! But as a polite reminder - check out this first machine! It was hugely successful in the UK and around Europe - built I think in 1972/3. You can't deny it's stunning. A narrow beam, twin Kiekhaefer motors, and trophies galore! It was driven by Don Shead too! If I could wave a magic wand and bring it back.................

Don shead is also the designer of the CUV .

You are right Nigel! Shead is one of the best offshore designer and a very good driver.
Unowot,former Enfield Avenger of Tommy Sopwith in 1972,was one of the most beatiful boat of ever in offshore races.
It was my first winning boat that I see in the VBV edition of 1973. Unowot that year beat often a wild band of Cig 36'!
I saw it again in Viareggio in 1979 in Pobjoy version. Great sensations!
Then the other famous Don(Shead) designed a boat for Picchiotti-CUV but the italian shipyard don't realized a beautiful boat like the 37' of Enfield.
However the news 38' was very competitive in Europe,winning a lot of races for many years.

A couple more Shead beauties......

The lifting strakes are different than most Cigarette type boats, which strakes are better??? Seems the Europeans are always ahead, but why don't the americans use those same lifting strakes?

Rivited?

If I am correct he was also the first on to build the boats out of aluminum.

More or less yes. I suspect there were the odd one or two out there beforehand. Merrick Lewis turbine boat - was that aluminium?? (not spelt incorrectly!!)

It's a shame that Don Shead is not designing raceboats these days - it would be fascinating to think of what might be out there on the circuit if he was still designing class 1 racers.

And something else occurred to me - when Blitz ran up the beach in 1976 at Cowes the boat received a severe dent as it hit the rocks. The two crew inside survived the whole ordeal - I can't imagine many other craft from that era surviving such an impact. The strength of aluminium!

Notice how high & level the boat in post #4 is, idling along. It must be pretty light and well-balanced.