First Race
London to Monte Carlo
World Class II Champion
Returns to Racing
New Custodian
Peter Bonham Christie
“You cannot own a piece of history like Apache. You are simply the custodian and must do your best to honour her past and ensure she lives on into the future.”
Peter Bonham Christie
Hampshire-based entrepreneur Peter Bonham Christie has taken custodianship of Apache 555, one of the most iconic boats in British offshore powerboat racing. Peter is no stranger to powerboating, having raced in various classes and championships around the world, including a World Speed Record achieved in class on Coniston Water.
Peter grew up around Apache and the people who campaigned her through her golden era. In assembling the 2026 team, he has turned to the sons and daughters of the original Apache race team — a deliberate tribute to the generation that made the boat famous.
2026 Race Programme
Back on the Water
Apache 555 will compete in the 2026 UKOPRA Championships — five events based mainly around the South Coast — and the famous Cowes Torquay Powerboat Race on August Bank Holiday weekend, run by the British Powerboat Racing Club.
The Story
From HTS 858 to Apache 555
The hull launched in 1969 as HTS 858, commissioned by transport magnate Ralph Hilton and designed by Don Shead. She won the 178-mile Inverness to Dundee leg of the Round Britain race in dense fog in her debut year, and went on to win the London to Monte Carlo race in 1972 — still regarded as the longest offshore powerboat race ever held.
Under David Hagan’s ownership in 1979, Apache won the British Championship, the European Championship and the World Class II Championship in Venice. In 2026, a new chapter begins.