Description

MISS CANADA III RACE BOAT

FULLY BUILT AND READY TO DISPLAY HIGH QUALITY SHIP MODEL

Dimension Approx.: 33.5″L x 9.5″W x 7″H
The model is already built, NOT a model ship kit

In the late 1930s, as North American powerboat racing entered a new era of speed and engineering ambition, the Wilson family of Ingersoll, Ontario, unveiled one of their most refined creations: Miss Canada III. Built by Greavette Boats Ltd. and guided by the vision of Ernest A. Wilson, president of both Greavette and the Ingersoll Machine & Tool Company, the boat represented the family’s second major Gold Cup effort, following the earlier Miss Canada II. From the beginning, Miss Canada III was intended to be a serious challenger — a sleek, powerful hydroplane driven by Ernest’s son, Harold Wilson, who would remain at the helm from 1936 through the boat’s final competitive season in 1950.

Her construction reflected the best of Muskoka craftsmanship. Long, narrow, and beautifully faired, Miss Canada III carried the unmistakable lines of a pre‑war Gold Cupper, but with a post‑war heart: a Rolls‑Royce Merlin engine. This legendary V‑12, famous for powering Spitfires and Mustangs, transformed the wooden hydroplane into a formidable racing machine capable of competing with the fastest boats in North America.

Miss Canada III’s most celebrated moment came in 1948, when she captured the Silver Cup in Detroit — one of the premier trophies in American powerboat racing. The victory established her as one of the top hydroplanes of the late 1940s and affirmed the Wilson family’s place among the sport’s elite competitors. It was a triumph of design, engineering, and driving skill, achieved on one of the most storied courses in the world.

But the post‑war racing landscape was changing quickly. After Harold Wilson retired from competition in 1949, both Miss Canada III and her successor, Miss Canada IV, were sold to James Thompson of Supertest Petroleum. While Miss Canada IV was renamed Miss Supertest (I) and used as a development platform for the future Supertest dynasty, Miss Canada III was set aside — her racing days effectively over.

Her story, however, did not end there. In the 1960s, she was purchased by Bill Morgan of Silver Bay, New York, who restored her to near‑original condition, complete with a Merlin engine. Morgan used the boat as a showpiece at antique boat events, where crowds thrilled to see Harold Wilson himself occasionally return to the cockpit. Even decades after her competitive prime, Miss Canada III remained capable of impressive speed, a testament to the quality of her design and construction.

Eventually, Morgan donated the boat to the Marine Museum in Clayton, New York, where she now resides as a preserved artifact of Canadian racing history. Her legacy was further extended in 1986–87, when Duke Marine Services of Port Carling built a full‑scale replica. Launched at the 1987 Antique and Classic Boat Show, the replica continues to run today as a gentleman’s runabout under the care of Murray Walker, keeping the spirit of the original alive on the water.

Miss Canada III endures as a symbol of the Wilson family’s racing heritage and the Muskoka region’s boatbuilding excellence. From her Silver Cup triumph to her second life as a museum piece and replica, she remains one of the most admired hydroplanes of her era — a graceful blend of craftsmanship, power, and Canadian pride.