contents September 2009
Inside 04 News Personal watercraft may be reclassified as ‘ships’, and jet skiers save the lives of a girl.
08 Postbag Your letters, including one good reason to wear a buoyancy aid.
10 Cool Stuff Zombie wetsuits, a 60mph electric motorbike, sponsons, intake grates, hoodies . . .
32 Jetski Safaris
14 COVER STORY Kwaks go Turbo
We explore Poole Harbour and the Dorset coastline with an exciting PW hire company.
Specialist engineers test out hot new turbochargers on the Kawasaki Ultra 250.
36 Readers Rides Jimmy McDougall talks us through the rebuild of his Superjet.
22 COVER STORY Wakestock
40 We are family
We head to the biggest wakeboarding festival in Europe.
Meet the PW-loving Hughes family from Northampton.
24 Competition
42 COVER STORY Out of the Alderney
Win a stainless steel Jeep watch.
Two skiers take the long ride to the Channel islands.
26 COVER STORY Apparel Guide
46 FNT
Our ultimate guide to PW-related clothing, hats, and gear.
Round 4 of the Freestyle National Tour hits Stockton.
50 Project Superjet Our ski has its cylinders rebored and crankshaft reconditioned.
54 Jet Joust Hot racing competition with sizzling slalom action.
59 Spannerman Our technical boffin sets your problems straight.
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Fog dogs Jettribe goggles - £15 Jettribe has increased its range of goggles to include a version with yellow lenses. They have also made some improvements to their line with a foam liner, swivel hinged head straps and wider air vents to reduce fogging. The lenses are shatter-resistant and have 100 per cent UV protection. These goggles float so you can retrieve them after a heavy wipe out.
www.ncjetski.co.uk/ 0151 691 0006
On the Fly Fly 53 ‘Collarbone Sweat’ - £55 In the hood! And with the wretched cats, dogs and swine-infested summer we’ve been having - you’ll be needing some hooded comfort. This cotton brushed hoody has a carbon finish, comes in black, grey, or green - and has a large Fly53 print slapped on the chest. Fly53 has nothing to do with Jeff Goldblum, teleportation, or bluebottles – but a lot to do with style, partying and clothes. So if you’re into fusing your genes with a house-fly and mutating into a terrifying-human-flymonstrosity then “be afraid. Be very afraid.” If, on the other hand you’re more into looking good - buy the top.
www.fly53.com
28 days wetter Wetsuits by diddo - £N/A Wetsuits are functional and protective, but why do they all have to look the same? Is there an unwritten law that dictates we shed our individuality to blend into the monotone waters? Not to challenge Mother Nature’s art direction but it’s high time for a change. With that in mind, designer ‘diddo’ took up the challenge to create an alternative. With custom inks and unique printing techniques, he was able to map textures onto the suits to create original designs that evoke the mysteries of the seas. The first edition contains four original designs: a rusted iron diving suit that is nostalgic of the days of Jules Verne, an anatomic musculature suit as a homage to our inner strength, a wetsuit which gives the illusion that the wearer has been attacked by a group of hungry sharks and finally a whale shark patterned suit that celebrates the brilliance of our natural waterworld. Bonkers as you like but very very different. These wetsuits will be available to buy soon – watch this space.
http://bydiddo.com/?p=152
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Turbocharging the Ultra
Greek watercraft tuner Costantinos made his dreams come true by building a turbocharger for his Ultra. Meanwhile, legendary PW mechanic Todd Boaer of Jetworx Marine in Australia visited Greece to set up his famous turbo kit on an Ultra 260X to make a point of his engineering skills. Buckle up . . . WORDS: Vasilis Moraitis PHOTOS: www.jetskiworld.gr
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Turbocharging the Ultra
I
t has been a couple of years since website reports appeared about various new turbo configurations for Kawasakis. These were set up on either 15Fs or Ultras. Last year R&D’s turbo kit was a show stopper at the Hot Products booth in the last days of the World Finals. But at the time Bill Chapin was not ready to put it in the water, since he wanted to fine tune and finalise the entire set-up for endurance testing. We also saw DCR’s turbocharger at a boat show. However, in the flesh, we have only ever seen two turbo-kitted Ultras and both of them are operating in Greece.
engine’s characteristics. The solution came from Garrett and then they tried to work out the appropriate tubing. The inox tubes were originally made for the milk produce industry which means that they have a very fine inner surface, which means there is less drag and less heat rises. Then the route for the new oil and update cooling lines were designed and built prior to assembling the charger and the tubes. One issue that concerned Constantinos was the extra heat inside the engine compartment. Thinking of the possible consequences, he designed and made a new seat for the Ultra. The seat incorporates a higher rear section and huge air duct. There are two inlet holes at the sides that allows fresh air to enter the engine whilst hot air escapes with ease. He also produced a brand new hood in order to get rid of the extra weight and enhance the aesthetics of the turbocharged race craft. Another of Costantinos’ concerns was the ignition, and how to make the whole thing synchronise with the Ultra’s stock ECU. Someone had to find a way to plug in a satellite ECU and programme it according to the new engine’s needs. A friend of his managed to sort out the problem, although the results were not satisfactory. At that time we found out that a well known PW tuner from Australia was going to visit the country in order to fit a turbo kit to an Ultra in Thessaloniki. Todd Boaer from Jetworx Marine (www.jetworx.com.au) has been dealing with these turbo kits for Kawasaki Jet Skis for the past four years. Boaer had designed and made his own ECU unit which is fully programmable and can be applied to Supercharged (Root, Vortex, etc.) and Turbocharged applications. It’s a plug-in unit to the stock Kawasaki harness and works along with the stock ECU, which uses the OEM immobiliser security system, ensuring that no matter what happens, you will be able to get back to the shore. Boaer connected the programmable ECU and after a couple of runs and fine adjustments through his laptop he finalised the ignition mapping on Costantinos’ engine. There was a certain area that Boaer
gave great attention and that was the four fuel injectors. He realised that Costantinos was using the larger injectors that were originally supplied with the R&D upgrade kit of the Supercharger. According to Boaer: “I use stock injectors on certain applications - if you are not using all the injectors you do not need bigger ones. When I need more fuel I modify the stock ones to between 650 to 675cc as the pink (Subaru) ones are not big enough”. He also mentioned that the pulse of the smaller injectors differ a lot compared to the larger and also they do not synchronize properly with that particular turbo. The turbo pressure was set to 14psi and the ECU unit was adjusted respectively. The rev limit is much higher than the stock and the new engine topped 8,000rpm so the limit was re-set to 10,000rpm. Advance timing was altered too. Most of the turbo set-ups are planned to be used on off-shore race craft and Costantinos wants to use it in Close Course racing. He made the crucial change to the hull, scoping to enhance handling, stability and top speed. The hull was equipped with an R&D intake grate while the sponsons and ride plate came from Riva. The stock pump was replaced with a Skat-Trak 158mm pump, which was equipped with a Skat-Trak drop nozzle and a Skat-Trak 16/21 impeller. The steering system came from Neken, and Costantinos put one lever for the drop nozzle and another for the manual trim tabs. To make sure that the engine runs on a safe level, four instruments (A/F ratio, boost pressure, turbo pressure and FR1 along with >
Costantinos’ Ultra turbo set up looks very simple
The Garret turbo charger which saved weight and belt service
THE GREEK VERSION During winter, the Greek owner and racer of an Ultra decided to make his own turbocharged version. The reason behind all this was the problematic Root Supercharger which might seem reliable on a stock boat but when you start pushing its limits, failures show up. This is the last thing you want when you race this craft. Therefore, he wanted to get rid of the Supercharger belt and the stock Supercharger. Costantinos hardly knew anything about turbochargers, although he knew someone who had a great background in turbos - a tuner from the automobile industry. Together, they selected the appropriate charger based on the
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It is Europe’s biggest wakeboard and music festival - with 15,000 people, some of the world’s best boarders, and big rocking bands. Matt Crowhurst was there to compete and report.
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WAKESTOCK
Checking out the big air comp at Abersoch beach
T
here is a particular weekend in the year that gets everyone in the UK wakeboard scene just a bit twitchy for the weeks leading up to it. The mutterings of excitement before long turn into full blown hysteria during the week before. Then, before you know it, you’re a good five hours into your journey winding through single lane roads in the back of beyond, still with a good couple of hours of the journey left. What other event could attract so many, from so far and wide, to such a random location and have half its namesake as
testimony to the fact that wakeboarding is alive and well here in the UK. Welcome to Europe’s biggest Wakeboard and Music festival – Wakestock. Hitting the big number 10 birthday since its conception, there was even more buzz about this Wakestock than usual. Jump on three years from that first Wakestock, where it was probably around 500 party goers on Abersoch Headland, a few bands and a bloody good time had by all, move five miles out of town to a new festival site with enough space for 15,000 people and you’ll see the whole thing has grown a wee bit. Fast forward another seven years and we have three days of world class wakeboarding, with the usual Big Air Kicker Contest on the Friday evening off Abersoch Beach, and three nights of the best musical line up across four stages you will find anywhere in the world. Add to this the Rococo Rail Tour pool gap on the festival site and a prize giving for the wakeboarding, which takes place right before the headline act on the Sunday, in front of said 15,000 fairly excitable festival goers, and you have all the makings of a rather memorable weekend. It has to be said, Wakestock is a bit hectic. The festival site is placed smack bang between Abersoch (around five miles
west) the location of the Wednesday and Thursday night rider parties as well as the Friday night Big Air contest, and Pwhlleli (about 5 miles east) where the perfectly suited marina sits, playing host to the main wakeboarding arena. Thursday morning came along with the first set of heavy heads and an early rise to session the rails in place for the contest in Pwhlleli Marina. Each morning was going to be an early morning as it is pretty much every year because the Marina is tidal and so there are literally only a few hours when there is enough water to run a boat. The obstacles as previously stated, are always a bit out there and have claimed many victims over the years. I’ve been mauled by these monsters, as any rider will if you enter the event for enough years and this year was to be no different for a good few riders. A pretty large gap rail greeted us along with the first ever floating obstacle, courtesy of Relentless: The Leviathan. Probably one of the biggest floating obstacles in the country, it combines a Fun Box, Hand Rail and Wall Ride, and stands a good five to six feet in height across the back and at least 60 feet in length. Although not as imposing as some previous structures it was there to offer riders more variety in their attacks of it, using one or more of the sections >
All eyes forward at Pwhllehli Marina
11 year old Daniel Grant nails the slider
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APPAREL GUIDE From the previous product guides you should be all set to take to the water but what to wear on your return? Following the indecent exposure at the recent IFWA Freeride in France, we urged Jetman to get out and shop for some clothes.
S
cientific research suggests humans have been wearing clothes for some 650,000 years. It makes sense, clothing not only provides us with style but also warmth, comfort and protection from the elements. Things have moved on from those early grass and fur garments. Todays clothing is a wide mix of synthetic materials and space age textiles. The resulting barrier created between skin and environment is both hygenic, limiting the transmission of bacteria and viruses and also safe by deflecting objects that could cause injury to our delicate bodies. Clothes express our personal tastes and can make a social or cultural group stand out from the crowd. This months guide offers something for everyone, tall, short, thin and ‘unthin’, Clothing for winter and clothing for summer. We are all proud of our choice in Personal Watercraft and all the manufacturers offer the chance to show off that allegiance with coordinated apparel for off the water. Dress to impress with this editions trolley full of clothing and accessories top 40.
2 Yamaha Bermuda Shorts Colour: Ice, Navy Blue Sizes: XS - XXL Features: 100% cotton canvas Reinforced seat 2 front pockets 2 leg pockets with Velcro closure 2 back pockets Yamahaembroidered pocket and waist label
1 Jetpilot Chino Walkshort Colour: Black Pinstripe Sizes: Contact for availability Features: 65% Cotton, 35% Rayon Sanded Pocket Flaps Zipper Fly with Button Closure Embroidery Details Large Printed Logo Premium Soft Hand Inks Custom Flag Label & Trim
RRP £49.95 www.ncjetski.co.uk
3 Jobe Funk Jacket Colour: Grey Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL Features: High quality breathable nylon Fleece lining for extra warmth Detachable hood Print Service available from JW
RRP £49.95 www.justwatersports.com
RRP £34.99 www.yamahamotor.co.uk
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APPAREL GUIDE 4 Kawasaki Jeans
5 Jetpilot Electro Tee
Colour: Denim Sizes: 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 Features: Classic straight cut stonewashed jeans Subtle Kawasaki detailing
Colour: Black with blue logo Sizes: Contact for availability Features: 100% Cotton Jersey Regular Fit Premium Soft Hand Inks Chest Printed Graphics
RRP £86.95
RRP £19.95
www.kawasaki.co.uk
www.ncjetski.co.uk
6 Jobe Mens Boxers
7 Yamaha Nautical T-Shirt
Colour: Grey, White Sizes: S, M, L, XL Features: Everywear Great underwear or Swim shorts
Colour: White with Blue, Blue with White Sizes: S - XXL Features: Short sleeve comfort fit t-shirt with crew neck 100% cotton Yamaha logo on left front Single jersey
RRP £9.95 www.justwatersports.com
RRP £21.99 www.yamahamotor.co.uk
8 Kawasaki Any Questions T-Shirt Colour: Black Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL Features: Dare people to question your allegiance to the brand 100% cotton
RRP £17.95 www.kawasaki.co.uk
9 Jetpilot Mishka Boardshorts Colour: Black and Grey Camo Sizes: Contact for availability Features: 100% Sublimated Baja Inset Honeycomb Nylon Panels Custom Developed Camo Print Draw cord Cinch Tie Closure Lycra Fly Micro-Mesh Lined Snap Pockets Interior Key Loop Screen Print & Embroidery Details
RRP £49.95 www.ncjetski.co.uk
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Jet Joust
In days of old, when knights were bold A joust could leave you dead. Today with health and safety law Think slalom head to head. WORDS AND PHOTOS: Jetman
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jet joust
B
ack in the 12th Century day, to settle differences, end disputes or just see who was the top dog a joust was called upon. Knights on horseback would battle two at a time using a variety of weapons. The tournaments could make or break them both physically and financially. Things have changed a lot since the 17th Century when jousting went out of favour. Personal liability, risk assessments and above all health and safety mean we are no longer able to wield a lance or swing a battle-axe. Modern knights must conquer their foes in a non-contact way. Today’s knight has also ditched the single horsepower and instead rides on the back of whole fields of them, restrained in the hull of personal watercraft. Early in July, hordes of noble PW knights descended on the battle grounds of Tattershall for the Jet Sport Racing Association’s Jet Joust. With classes for both seasoned racers and weekend warriors, the Joust is a great example of everyone getting together and having some fun. It’s the perfect opportunity for those who wouldn’t perhaps consider taking up racing but would like to have a go at carving round the buoys and feeling the pressure of competition. The format consists of two slalom courses side by side. The two buoy entry gate sends you on your way - right, left, right, left before you turn around the final buoy and perform the same on the way back to the now exit gate. Usual single slalom competitions are timed from entry to exit but having two courses side by side adds a race dimension and makes for a good cheering spectacle. Of course timing still takes place in case of a close heat, but more often than not even the smallest mistake will see you exit after your competitor. To ensure things are equal and the riders complete the same distance, they then swap courses and race again. In the event of both riders winning a heat, the fastest combined time wins. Lisa Barsby of the JSRA said: “The Jet Joust gives everyone a chance to carve the buoys in a low-risk competitive environment. Slalom isn’t an easy discipline and it’s not all about who has the fastest craft. It’s about technique and throttle control but overall it’s all a bit of fun”. So who did what?
RUNABOUT In beginner runabout, which was by far the biggest class, each rider got at least two runs of the course. Those that didn’t make it through the first round were grouped together for a Last Chance Qualifier with two positions in the quarterfinals up for grabs. Two riders shone through on the day, Paul McConnell and Glynn Baker. Both made it all the way to the final knocking out everyone on their way to glory. At the end of the day Glyn couldn’t match Paul’s lightning reactions on his borrowed Sea-Doo RXP. Nathan Proctor and Ed Thory dominated the Novice and Expert Runabout classes. The top two Novices deemed good enough to ride the expert class only went out and repeated their Novice ‘One-Two’. As they work their way up the British Championship class structure racers need to beware as expert rider Richard Cable found out in third place behind them.
SKI Beginner ski was by far the most entertaining class of the day. Ian Edwards, father of racers Matt and Joe, had the crowd in fits of laughter every time he took to the course. With his unique style above and below the water, and both on and off the craft, no one was quite sure just what he would do next. Despite this his determination paid off and Ian took the win ahead of Mick Holly and Ellena Hoyland. Expert Ski was a little short on riders but certainly not short on talent. With the event falling at a very busy time of the season the majority were either busy preparing for the fourth round of the British Championship or off racing in Europe. The event still attracted >
The battle grounds of Tattershall
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a Jeep IN
W
watch!
Jeep - one of the 4x4 leaders - has recently developed its first lifestyle range of clothing and accessories. Synonymous with Jeep heritage and reputation, the company’s collection of watches are functional and versatile, and have been designed to deal with whatever your throw at them. Including belting it at full chat on your ski. Each watch in the collection has a quartz analogue movement with high shock resistance and a built-in energy reset mechanism, which stops the watch when the stem is pulled out to extend battery life. Each watch comes in a linear stainless steel case with embossed Jeep logo. And you have the chance to win the Heavy Weight watch. This chunky, stainless steel watch and casing has a round black face, rotatable bezel and black dial. Features include a date function, second movement and a bracelet style stainless steel strap. It is also water resistant to 100 metres.
JUST ANSWER Which country does Jeep originate from? Enter online at www.jetskier.co.uk, or by snail mail to: Jeep watch comp Jet Skier&PW 49 Sidney Street Alliance House Cambridge CB2 3HX Don’t forget to include your contact details on any entry as we need to let you know if you win!
CLOSING DATE: 15th September 2009
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