The Area 31 Racing Team passion for powerboat racing was born through driver David Jones late father David Jones Senior who raced powerboats from the mid 1950's all the way through to the late 1980's.
During the mid 1950's David Jones Senior started powerboat racing using one of the many club boats belonging to the Lowestoft & Oulton Broad Motor Boat Club that were sponsored the Daily Mirror.
After a season of using the club sponsored boats, David Jones Senior moved to a boat famously known as 'Smoky' (pictured above) that was powered by an Anzani engine and raced this outfit until the early 1960's when he then moved to Mercury powered engines.
Not having much luck with the Mercury engines David Jones Senior purchased a 500cc Crescent engine to power his Canadian Ogier hull named 'Old Thunder' and competed on both the club and national circuit.
After racing 'Old Thunder' for many years during the sixties David Jones Senior moved from the kneeling racing hull to a lay down Crescent powered Cabover hull entitled 'Hustler' and competed on the national circuit right through the 1970's. This hull had previously been raced by long serving Lowestoft and Oulton Broad Motor Boat Club member Brian Green belonging to Jeff Edwards before that.The Canadian Ogier Hull however was kept in the family and was to be the first boat that Area 31 Racing Team would compete in during the 1970's.
Getting to old for the quicker engines David Jones Senior moved to a more sedate class of Yamato racing and continued racing on the club and national circuit up until the late 1980's and became the longest serving member of the Lowestoft & Oulton Broad Motor Boat Club.
