In February 1933, with the success of his Power-Napier engine to which he had exclusive rights, Scott-Paine issued his challenge for the Harmsworth Trophy. Within less than ten weeks, he had designed and built Miss Britain III in conditions of great secrecy at his Hythe workshops. The result was revolutionary,[citation needed] with stringers of metal-reinforced wood and aluminium cladding, a single 1,350 horsepower (1,010 kW) Napier Lion VIID engine, and a length of only 24 feet 6 inches (7.5 m). The attention to detail is evident in the thousands of duralumin countersunk screws with the slots all in line with the water or air flow. George Selman designed a new propeller after the existing designs proved unsatisfactory.[citation needed] Testing was carried out in great secrecy on Southampton Water in the early dawn.
Hubert Scott-Paine after presenting Miss Britain III to the National Maritime Museum in 1951
The team sailed for America in August 1933 and the contest was held on the St. Clair River at Algonac, Michigan, on 4 September. The contest was very closely fought, but Wood managed to win by a small margin, and Scott-Paine returned to Britain to a hero's welcome.[citation needed]
Following a fire on board which was quickly put out and the boat repaired, a record breaking attempt was made on 16 November 1933 on Southampton Water by Scott-Paine and Gordon Thomas.
