Raceboat International Issue #17 by Raceboat International

raceboat F2

Issue 17 - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

CF1HPOIAINPTSPLEEADER

PORTUGAL & CHINA

international.com

PIERRE LUNDIN 2015 WORLD CHAMPION after BRINDISI TØNSBERG & CAMPIONE

PLYMOUTH OCRDA Final UK Race P1 SUPERSTOCK UK Gosport-Cardiff Bournemouth THUNDERCAT RACING Swansea-Newquay

Vector Martini Rosso

COWES CLASSIC 2015 WINNER

EAN, GUERNSEY IB R A C , S U , IA L A R T - AUS OFFSHORE RACING

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the World’s ONLY international publication dedicated to powerboat racing, providing coverage and results of the major meetings around the world. Available by subscription, or it can be downloaded from raceboatinternational.com EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES PO Box No. 4871 Poole, Dorset BH15 1HX Tel: +44 (0) 1202 625048 Mobile: +44 (0) 7946 230630 Email: david@raceboatinternational.com EDITOR David Sewell WEBSITE/NEWS John Moore www.raceboatinternational.com GRAPHIC DESIGN Carolynne Sewell CONTRIBUTORS John Moore Steve Micheal Roy Mantle Sean Henshelwood Karien Jonckheere Dave Ormiston Colin Clarke Jeremy Ward Ben Curtis PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Tapping Simon Palfrader Raffaello Bastiani Vittorio Obertone Chris Davies Arek Rejs Graham Stevens Paul Kemiel Russel Puckeridge Jeremy Ward Martin Gray Roy Roberts Mike Powell Malc Attril SUBSCRIPTIONS (4 issues) £30 per annum (U.K.) £35 per annum (Europe) £40 per annum (ROW) Post cheque made payable to: Raceboat International or pay by Paypal on-line www.raceboatinternational.com FRONT COVER PHOTO BY TØnsberg F2 - Chris Davies PRINTED BY - Headley Brothers While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in the compilation of this publication, the Publishers cannot be held liable for errors and omissions. c Copyright - David Sewell All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior consent in writing to the publisher.

NOTE from the

Editor For the first time in a decade, I’m almost lost for words. Not only has the once vibrant RYA British National offshore scene virtually fizzled out, the same can be said for one or two UIM international championships. For over three decades the National championship rubbed shoulders with a hectic UKOBA club championship with over 12 events per year. This year we have had three National races: the ORDA organised event at Torquay where two boats each competed in Class 3A and V24; Guernsey’s GPA, who ran a very successful local Club series attracting a few more for their calendered National in June, and the BPRC’s Cowes-Poole-Cowes race which only fielded two V24 boats competing for National honours. The UIM World F2 championship had the competitor interest, but three of the six races in their series were cancelled. And what can you say about the once prestigious UIM Class 1 World Offshore Powerboat Championship? A two race meeting was cobbled together in Salerno, Italy as part of the Venezia Montecarlo marathon, and the final two races are in Abu Dhabi in November. A four heat championship does not really justify a World Class 1 championship although, let’s face it, that is one more race than the 2015 UIM World F2 series! Nevertheless, it’s not all doom and gloom as the UIM XCAT World Series is going from strength to strength and have exciting developments in the pipeline for 2016 and beyond with a transition from non-EPA motors to custom-made 350hp Mercury four-strokes, and a new hull design by Ocke Mannerfelt. After a lacklustre 2014, F1H2o have enjoyed new venues this year, including a welcome return to Europe, and the quality of racing has been five star. Powerboat P1 Superstock bolted a full calendar of events together in Britain and the United States, while ThunderCat Racing Uk is very strong and in equal measure the international competition is on the up as was proven at the UIM P750 World Championships held in Malta. We will watch with interest to see whether the ‘lame duck’ series’ can follow the lead of the more successfully organised franchises, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that a better powerboat racing season lies ahead.

Dave David Sewell Editor

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24 30 36

NEWS BRIEFING Who’s WHO and what’s WHAT

F1H2O WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Philippe Chiappe wins both grand prix events in Portugal and China

UIM F2 - TONSBERG & CAMPIONE Pierre Lundin crowned 2015 F2 World Champion

UIM F2 - TOUGH TIMES AHEAD? Thoughts about this year’s F2 season and the future

GB P1 POWERBOAT SUPERSTOCK A feast of rough, tough and dramatic racing from Gosport, Cardiff and Bournemouth

COWES CLASSIC This year’s winner is Peter Dredge in Vector Martini

40 COWES-POOLE The 2015 Cowes programme included the 60 mile Cowes-Poole-Cowes race last run in 2012 42

COWES CLASSIC RALLY Survivors of past Cowes-Torquay adventures

OCRDA PLYMOUTH The third and final race in the UK offshore calendar

RYA THUNDERCAT BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP Heats 9,10 and 11 in Swansea and Newquay

52 GUERNSEY Rounds 9 and 10 of the hugely successful Guernsey powerboat Association series 54

XCAT SHOWDOWN One point between Team Abu Dhabi and XDubai as they head to the Gold Coast for Round 4

AUSTRALIAN V8 SUPERBOAT Reigning Australian Unlimited Champion put in the drive of his life to win Round 4 in Cabarita

CARIBEAN OFFSHORE RACING A large fleet of Class 1 boats arrived in Tobago for the Carib Beer Great Race

US SUPERBOAT INTERNATIONAL OFFSHORE Clearwater, Florida attracted all the major players

64 YESTERYEAR 1985 for the Key West World Championships 68

TAKING THE PIC Pit Action Photos raceboatinternational 5

hat w s ’ t e wha d scen t n a a o b r whothe powe s ’ o n o Wh

GULF NEWS

XCATS REVAMP FOR 2016 The World Professional Powerboating Association (WPPA) hopes a planned revamp of how it organises the UIM XCAT World Series will make it the world’s ‘number one extreme motorsport on water’. The WPPA, who are sole promoters and organisers of the series, have been working on a raft of changes in the rules and regulations ahead of the next UIM general assembly in Monaco from October 24 to 31. Each XCAT race attracts an average of 15 boats, which are made of multiple state-of-the-art hulls and boast two outboard engines, making them capable of touching speeds of up to 200kph. The WPPA, with a couple of seasons under its belt, is now thinking of several changes for next season, starting with changing the name from being a series to the UIM XCAT World Championships. Further, all boats will eventually make a complete transition from non-EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) engines to new, more reliable and custom-made four-stroke 350hp Mercury XCAT engines. The boats too will make way for a new design that has been worked on by the Sweden-based Mannerfelt Design Group. “We believe we are headed in the right direction. We want to make our sport more attractive and safer at the same time. We are also placing a lot of emphasis on making our sport greener and more cost-effective. The new strategy is simply to go into the new

X CATS FUTURE LOOKS EXCITING

season based on the ideology of making XCAT powerboat racing the number one extreme motorsport on water in the world,” said Ronan Morgan, WPPA CEO “For the next season we are targeting a minimum of six races, while also concentrating on getting new teams on board and heading towards new destinations around the globe. There are a lot of technological changes and alterations and these have been done to ensure maximum racing experience and safety of the participants at the same time. “We are moving towards giving the XCATs a completely new identity. We want our brand to be the best in the world.” Starting next season, the WPPA will also usher in a season-ending awards ceremony to recognise the efforts of drivers, co-drivers, teams, constructors, venues and environmental initiatives displayed by teams. The final two rounds of this this year’s seven-stop series will take place in Dubai from November 19 to 21 and in Abu Dhabi from November 25 to 27.

With the final two races in the 2015 XCAT Championship due to be held in Dubai in November, this has been the most successful season in XCAT history. 2015 has witnessed two new venues in the series, Portugal and Australia and the organisers have announced several new nations including the UK and Switzerland have expressed interest in hosting a round of the Championship next year. With new engines and boats on the horizon, 2016 looks like it might elevate XCAT into the world’s number one watersport. 6 raceboatinternational

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COMINOFF MEMBER IMPRISONED

Lawyer, Alberto Pascali, pictured above far right, who has served as the Italian representative on the UIM COMINOFF committee and raced in Endurance B-Sport, has been found guilty of embezzlement.

The judge disqualified him from public office, sentenced him to four and a half years in prison and ordered him to pay 90,000 Euros. Pascali had promised to compensate his victims, but to date has not complied. The Como based lawyer had used the savings of a client who has been in a coma for 13 years, with his position of power of attorney, The sentence could even have been been heavier if Pascali, had not opted for summary procedure, which (if convicted) offers reduced time.

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THE CURTAIN COMES DOWN ON

britain’s ON-WATER BOAT SHOW The 2015 Southampton Boat Show drew to a close after 110,000 people had enjoyed a taste of Britain’s biggest boating festival. This year saw 23 boats make their world debuts at this year’s show and over 330 of the world’s leading sailboats and highperformance powerboats on the water, enjoyed a mixed bag of weather with high winds and heavy rain together with glorious sunshine a blue skies. Strong sales have been reported throughout the duration of the Show, with many companies reporting an increase on last year’s figures including substantial multi-million pound deals and some serious marine business has been conducted with contracts between the marine divisions of companies such as Rolls-Royce and Sunseeker International being signed. The Show kicked off in style with F1 presenter, Suzi Perry opening the Sunseeker stand and a performance by

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Britain’s Got Talent winners, Collabro. The Red Arrows provided visitors with a show-stopping display over the purposebuilt marina on the first weekend, with sailing legends Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Olympian, Annie Lush all making appearances throughout the ten day event. Murray Ellis, Managing Director of British Marine Boat Shows said: “We have had yet another incredibly successful Southampton Boat Show with more than 10,000 visitors getting out on the water for free. Our attractions have been very popular this year with over 18,000 visits to our tall ship, the Earl of Pembroke, 5,300 rides on the Honda Boat Show Eye and over 27,000 visitors to the Show’s very own aquarium.

MARKETPLACE

APPEAL AGAINST, TRADEMARK DISMISSED

The F1 night race and F1H2O powerboat race brand names can co-exist after the High Court dismissed F1’s appeal against the powerboat’s trademark application.

Justice Tay Yong Kwang acknowledged that the plain F1 mark had become distinctive of Formula One here since the $150 million night races started in 2008, but the F1H2O trademark application predated it by a year. He found that the plain F1 mark was not linked exclusively with motor race before the powerboat racing promoter’s application date in January 2007. One Licensing BV (FOL), the trademark managers for the FIA Formula One World Championship, had objected when Swissbased Idea Marketing SA applied to register its F1H2O trademark in Singapore in 2007. Idea Marketing is the global promoter for the F1 Powerboat World Championship, hosted at different venues since 1993. It sought to register its brand name for products like sunglasses, clothing and footwear, as well as when organising sports competitions and online games. But the court noted the plain “F1” mark was registered five months after Idea made its application in 2007. Justice Tay ruled that before 2007, “F1 was used to a standard by which vehicles - whether motorcars or powerboats - were categorised, and the media had not associated F1 exclusively with (motor racing)”. The legal arguments in this case applied just to Singapore but almost every nation where F1 cars and F1 boats perform Mr Ecclestone and Mr san di Germano could find themselves facing a judge and the only winners will be the lawyers.

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BOOK NEWS

In the evolution of powerboat racing in the UK, the Cowes-Torquay race of 1961 must surely rank as a cornerstone in its exciting history. Now, enthusiasts and casual observers alike can read the fascinating background over how this prestigious event came about, the boats and the personalities involved.

Classic powerboat specialist Charles Lawrence has published another in his series of impressive works on period powerboats. Entitled ‘Hurry West’ (the code name given to the event by the combined services) it is a detailed collection of Lawrence’s own line drawings of each of the registered entrants, period photographs and in-depth descriptions of the people involved supported by reproductions of fascinating original paperwork. Typical of Lawrence’s artistry is a particularly impressive piece of design work, which is a timeline indicating the position of each craft as it passed critical points enroute. Charles Lawrence has gained an enviable reputation for his diligent research and detailed delivery in each of his books; ‘Hurry West’ won’t disappoint To purchase a copy of Hurry West log on to czczcz@me.com Priced at £20 10 raceboatinternational

LA GRAN ARGENTINA

DANIEL SCIOLI

Favourite to become Argentina President When Argentina’s leading presidential candidate deftly tied his tie with one hand on the country’s most-watched television show the audience applauded his ability to turn adversity to his advantage.

Daniel Scioli was one of the world’s leading offshore powerboat racers and his partnership with Italian legend Fabio Buzzi was a formidable duo. We remember in Key West in the early 90’s Daniel and Fabio winning the Superboat race in La Gran Argentina. They stepped ashore and climbed into the cockpit of La Baby Argentina and went out to win the A class race. Furthermore Mr Scioli proved to be a true gentleman when he brought the editor of Raceboat a cup of tea at the Hosptality Inn on Poole Quay as he prepared his Class 2 Buzzi hull for the Needles Trophey Race. Despite losing his right arm in a powerboat racing accident in 1989, Daniel Scioli went on to

THUNDERCATS MALTA

win several world championships over the next decade, balancing it with a business career selling household appliances. Now, with just a month to go until presidential elections on October 25, polls are for the first time predicting a first-round victory for the 58-year-old governor of Buenos Aires province. By gaining more than 40 per cent of the vote with a 10-point lead over his closest rival, Mr Scioli could avoid an unpredictable run-off vote on November 22, according to a poll by Ricardo Rouvier & Asociados. “I have prepared to be president for all of my life,” Mr Scioli recently told a theatre in central Buenos Aires that, in an ostentatious show of his support, was packed with ministers, provincial governors, businessmen and powerful representatives of the ruling Peronist party, of which he was leader until last year.

At the recent World 750 Thundercat Championship in Malta, during one of the heats, the fleet was dwarfed by the huge Super Yacht ‘Octopus’ owned by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. A full report of the World Championship will appear in our next edition. Photo: Mike Powell

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IN BRIEF

DAVID GANDY

To Race Again

Male Supermodel and 2015 Cowes Torquay Cowes winner David Gandy, ‘could be turning his back on modelling to focus on racing.’

“Powerboat racing is something entirely new to me, and something up until now, I had never experienced before,’ he said. ‘I played every sport I could at school, but now I’m lucky enough to be able to race cars and now boats when my schedule allows it.” David has driven the Mille Miglia in a Jaguar with Jodie Kidd, the Great Granddaughter of Lord Beaverbrook earlier this year and then in September won the Beaverbrook Trophy with the Vector Martini Racing team setting the fastest ever time in the Cowes Torquay Cowes 55 year history. “We won the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race and smashed the course record, averaging around 95mph and at certain points reaching speeds of over 120mph. Sea survival was a challenge and another was the immersion test, which between them exposed me to every emergency scenario that could happen whilst racing. For the majority of the day you are dunked in a boat and repeatedly turned upside down in a swimming pool. It’s hugely disorientating and you have to sit upside down without oxygen for up to a minute at a time. The training really shows how dangerous this sport can be.” “After such a great start there are a number of records that we’re looking to break or set. The next one is the cross channel World Record before a whole series of international destinations in 2016.” Incidentally, the cross-channel record was set in 1996 in a Buzzi RIB crewed by Peter Dredge, Mark Pascoe, Kim Hollamby and David Sewell in a time of 58 minutes 23 seconds which equates to 82.74mph. It’s great to see a well know personality racing in the sport again, it can only heighten the profile, which in turn will bring more supporters and much needed sponsorship.

UIM F2

Set for More Venues in 2016

We have been asked why the World F2 championship does not have a single promoter. We understand the reasons are quite simple the UIM do not wish to appoint a promoter after the problems incurred by firstly Spain’s del Palacio and later by Dubai’s Abdul Salam Fairooz. Now each race is promoted by the National Authority and after the success of Tonsberg, Brindizi and Campione races, there are several new venues wishing to host a round of the series. The length of each race has been increased by 5 minutes (30 to 35) and shoud the yellow flag be raised around the 28-30 minute stage and extra laps will be added to avoid a race finishing on a yellow flag.

NEW RIB CLASS FOR US & UK POWERBOAT P1

Next year the P1 One Class Panther monohulls will be joined by a fleet of RIBs designed specifically for Powerboat P1. Few details have been released on this newcomer although we do know the crew will be protected by ‘crash boxes’ on either side of the cockpit. The Powerboat P1Superstock Panther monohulls now make up the largest fleet of offshore raceboats with full calenders in the USA and UK. The 27 foot craft are powered by Evinride 250hp outboards which have proved to be very reliable on the relatively short multi-turn mult-lap races that are designed to be spectator friendly.

VENTURE CUP

ROUND IRELAND RACE Following the cancellation of the London to Monte Carlo Venture Cup race in 2014, plans are now in place for Venture 16 in June 2016 which will be held in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and will be billed as the Round Ireland Venture Cup, a 1,000nm course from Cork to Dublin, via Galway and Bolus Head. Organiser Aidan Foley has secured a significant Irish backer from the private and public sector, and has assured competitors that the event will be fully funded. The 2016 Venture Cup will take place from 12-19 June and Aidan is “100% the event is going to run. There are too many partners, backers and stakeholders already fully on board for it to fail.” Nevertheless the event will need competitors, and because of the previous Venture Cup track record it may prove difficult to attract a healthy entry list and officials. We wish Mr Foley well, and we look forward to reporting on the event as and when it happens!

ROSS-SMITH MARINE UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP

Rod Ross-Smith, founder of Ross-Smith Marine Ltd of Lymington, Hants, has upped sticks and moved to the island of Majorca. Ross-Smith Marine continues to trade under the new ownership of Simon Wood-Power who has inherited the legacy of the Markus Hendricks project which has taken light years to complete. The craft, designed by Adam Younger, was launched before Christmas last year and was tested with twin Ilmor 725 engines. Underpowered and only achieving speeds of around 50 knots, a decision was made to up the power and fit the hull with two Mercury 1350hp beasts. The project still has on-going issues with a lack of speed and weight distribution. Adam Younger said recently, ‘It really is a different concept in many ways and lots to learn for all of us I’m sure’. We will be keeping tabs on the boat’s progress as after spending over $1 million the ever enthusiastic German can’t give up now. raceboatinternational 13

Article: David Sewell Photos: Vittorio Obertone, Arek Rejs

Memorable Porto Victory Goes to CHIAPPE

PORTO, Portugal - August 2, 2015 Defending World Champion Philippe Chiappe of France drove his CTIC China Moore raceboat to a convincing victory AFTER chasing leader and pole sitter Sami Selio of Finland for the first third of the race, and powered away to his first win of the season at the 14th Grand Prix of Portugal in front of over 100,000 race fans along the Douro River in Porto. Article: David Sewell Photos: Arek Rejs, Simon Palfrader, Raffaello Bastiani

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WORLD F1 2015 PORTO

raceboatinternational 15

Portimao in the Algarve region of Portugal has always been a favourite haunt on the UIM World F1 tour, but the 2015 Grand Prix of Portugal was staged in a new location on the north west corner of Portugal. The City of Porto is steeped in history and is a beautiful location which attracts many tourists. Porto is around 300 kilos north of Lisbon and although both have sandy beaches, they are on the exposed Atlantic coast where the waters are inclined to be a bit on the chilly side. In recent years we have become accustomed to F1s multi-turn courses, but the layout of the circuit on the River Douro was a large (2158 m) track but simple with two turns at one end and two the other. Prerace predictions suggested there would be a few skirmishes because of the unfamiliar layout, but thankfully there were none. Finlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mad Croc Sami Selio has had a dismal start to his 2015 season and was hoping Porto would be the turning point. The former world champion left it a bit late, but did manage to clinch pole position in the top six shoot ahead of reigning champion Philippe Chiappe. 16 raceboatinternational

On a warm and lovely late afternoon, Selio in his Mad Croc Baba Racing boat took advantage of the inside lane off the start pontoon and moved into an immediate lead holding off 18 other drivers including Philippe Chiappe who stayed less than three seconds behind hounding him for the first 10 laps of the third round in the 2015 UIM F1 H2O World Championship. The driver from Rouen made a strong pass on the outside of the back straight going into turns five and six and passed the two times World Champion never looking back for the remaining 24 laps of the event to pick up his fourth career victory.

WORLD F1 2015 PORTO

Bad luck for Sami Selio when he was bit by Alex Carella sending his boat airborne

raceboatinternational 17

“We had a great race,” said Philippe. “It’s such a good feeling after losing a possible victory in France a month ago. We were determined to get it right this time around, and boy am I happy as we are right back at the top of the championship table heading to China.” For Selio, things went from bad to worse with his throttle cable sticking less than full speed. He and third place driver Alex Carella of Team Abu Dhabi were side by side for the second place battle when Selio on the back straight at the north end of the 18 raceboatinternational

circuit slowed and was hit by Carella sending his boat airborne. It finally barrel rolled to a stop ending his dreams of vital points and falling further back in his wish to win a third world title. “It was so frustrating,” said the driver from Helsinki. “We had the speed and package to win, but little things can play a factor and it took our dreams away with it. We’ll be ready to charge in China in two months, it’s not over by any means for us.” Finishing runner-up was the Swedish driver Erik Stark from the Emirates Team

who started fourth and didn’t give up all day staying right in the hunt for a podium finish. On the re-start after the Selio accident brought out the yellow flag Stark pushed hard getting past Carella and holding off the Italian for the final few laps of the event. Fourth was veteran Francesco Cantando of the Motorglass F1 Team as the driver from Milan started 11th and came up as far as second on the re-start late in the race dropping back to take fourth just in front of Drivers World Championship points leader

WORLD F1 2015 PORTO

American Shaun Torrente of the Victory Team. Torrente, now with 36 points had his lead narrowed to just one point with Chiappeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s victory giving him 35 after three races followed by both Youssef Al-Rubayan of Kuwait who was eighth today along with Erik Stark as the pair tied for third with 27 points. Swedish driver Jonas Andersson dropped out late in the race while ninth finishing without any points and slipped from second to fifth position with 24 points in the standings.

Thani Al Qamzi, who returned to racing for the first time since December of last year, finished a fine sixth position in the Team Abu Dhabi being the last of the competitors to be lapped by the winner Chiappe. Young 21 year-old Filip Roms of the Mad Croc F1 Team was sixth and tied with Carella for fifth with 19 points after earning his first ever podium in France. French driver Christophe Larigot in the EMIC Team boat was ninth and Ahmed Al Hameli of the Emirates Team was the last point paying driver taking a single point in

10th position. The tens of thousands who turned out to watch this spectacular event certainly got their moneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth. The beautivul city in the north west corner of Portugal certainly provided its F1 guests with five star hospitality. With three races in the mix there are still seven drivers right in the mix for the world title and the action is only get more heated and exciting as the tour now heads to China first and then the Far East for the final in Abu Dhabi. raceboatinternational 19

A Dream Come True LIUZHOU, CHINA - OCTOBER 4, 2015

After a long summer break it was time to pack the bags FOR race four in the series at Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier custom built watersports centre in Liuzhou

20 raceboatinternational

WORLD F1 2015 CHINA

It has taken French driver Philippe Chiappe 16 races competing in China since 2004 to reach his goal, but the defending World Champion of the CTIC China Team captured his first victory in the Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Republic at the fourth round of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship event at the 21st Grand Prix of China in front of over a hundred thousand race fans along the Liu River

Eric Chan, Team Manager of Team China on the podium with the three winners - Thani Al Qamzi, Philippe Chiappe and Sami Selio

raceboatinternational 21

WORLD F1 2015 CHINA

Shaun Torrente Alex Carella Philippe Chiappe from Rouen, driving for CTIC China Team, led from start to finish from pole position and held off stiff competition from drivers from 12 different nations on the very tricky six-pin two kilometer race circuit to win by seven seconds ahead of Team Abu Dhabi driver Thani Al Qamzi who is a two-time winner himself in China.

“It was a tough 45 lap event and I had to be very careful through the traffic today,” said Chiappe. “We had the perfect package and I feel very satisfied with the team’s performance. I had no real issues all weekend long under extreme pressure to finally win here at my team’s home race circuit.” For the veteran driver from Abu Dhabi, Al Qamzi felt pressure all race long from the third place finisher Sami Selio of Finland, who is another two time winner in China. The Mad Croc Baba Racing driver stayed hot on Thani Al Qamzi’s heals finishing just 4.46 seconds back for the final podium place position. “For me, it was an easy drive today,” said Thani. “The conditions were perfect 22 raceboatinternational

Philippe Chiappe Francesco Cantando with a little wind and really no large waves so we just cruised home from our second place on the grid. It was my first podium since being here a year ago and it felt good to pick up some points as well.” For Selio, it was almost the same feeling, “Yes, it was great to finally reach the podium after two crashes this season, and get back into my old ‘classic’ BABA hull again,” said the Helsinki driver. “We are still searching for a title, but now we need a lot of help to pull off this miracle at least in 2015. Most importantly, we are doing better, and that’s the important thing to get to the end of the road.” Kuwaiti driver Youssef Al-Rubayan in the F1 Atlantic Team machine was in a huge and long fight with American driver and points leader Shaun Torrente of the Victory Team. For most of the race the Kuwaiti, a four year veteran, came home on top, and at the end picking up nine points while the Florida driver hit a buoy and was penalized two laps giving him an eighth place in the final standings and dropping to second in the driver’s championship on 39 points at the same time.

Norwegian driver Marit Stromoy had a masterful day charging up from having qualified 14th and taking fifth in her EMIC Team BABA boat for her best finish in over two years in a solid drive. Swedish driver Jonas Andersson, who won in China back in 2009, had qualified fifth and fought hard to take a sixth after finding his race set up less than ideal in his Team Sweden Molgaard boat. He now sits fourth in the world standings with still a solid chance in the Abu Dhabi final for his first world F1 title. Duarte Benavente of Portugal in his F1 Atlantic Team boat came home seventh for his second finish of the season just ahead of the penalized Torrente, and Swedish driver Jesper Forss in the Team Sweden earned his second top ten of the year in ninth place. China’s own home grown driver Ziwei “Leo” Xiong picked up his first point of the season with a 10th place for his CTIC China Team and was happy with his breakout into the points chase. ‘Leo’ has his backroom crew to thank as he barrel-rolled during qualifying and the boat and engine had to be dried out overnight.

Christophe Larigot Sami Selio It was an abysmal journey to China for Emirates Racing. Their Swedish star Erik Stark was ruled out of the Grand Prix after crashing during qualifying and leaving him with injuries to his wrist and facial bruising. Their hopes then lay in the hands of Ahmed Al Hameli, but he ran out of luck around the half way stage when his engine expired. A footnote in the event was that three times defending race champion Alex Carella of Team Abu Dhabi dropped out early on the fourth lap with problems ending his string of victories here that date back to 2012. As the fourth round of the 2015 championship comes to a close, all attention shifts to United Arab Emirates with back to back races planned in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah on the 10th and 11th and 17th and 18th of December to determine this year’s Drivers Championship. Between now and then many teams realize they are still within a shout of the title either for the drivers or the team titles and the hard work won’t stop for another six weeks.

Eric Stark Jesper Forss

2015 DRIVERS POINTS TABLE Positions after Round 4 POS

BOAT

DRIVER

NAT

QATAR

FRA

POR

CHINA

TOTAL

Philippe Chiappe

FRA

RET

Shaun Torrente

QAT

Youssef Al Rubayan

KUW

Jonas Andersson

SWE

RET

Erik Stark

SWE

RET

DNS

Thani Al Qamzi

UAE

Filip Roms

FIN

Alex Carella

ITA

DSQ

RET

Sami Selio

FIN

RET

Marit Stromoy

Francesco Cantando

NOR

DNS

ITA

RET

Jesper Forss

SWE

RET

DNS

Duarte Benavente

POR

RET

Christophe Larigot

FRA

Bartek Marszalek

POL

DNS

Cedrio Deguisne

FRA

RET

David Del Pin

ITA

DNS

Ziwei Xiong

CHN

RET

Ahmed Al Hameli

UAE

RET

Bernd Enzenhofer

AUT

DNS

Nadir Bin Hendi

UAE

RET

DNS

raceboatinternational 23

UIM WORLD

Article: John Moore & Chris Davies Photos: Chris Davies

TØNSBERG Round 2

It’s fair to say that when you walk around a UIM F2 race paddock you soon start rubbing shoulders with some of powerboat racing most single minded, determined racers, after all without that competitive nature is hard to see how you would ever succeed. So how do you take it a step further? Well one driver who thinks he’s found the answer is Frode Sundsdal, but it’s taken him a couple of attempts to hone the idea of running a round of the UIM F2 World Championship in his own back garden of Tønsberg  How do you go about turning that dream into reality? “Start by assembling a truly dedicated team of people” said Sundsdal.  “Back in 2014 it occurred to me that the city of Tønsberg had all the right ingredients to make a superb venue to stage a powerboat race. So I went straight to the top by obtaining permissions from the Harbour Master, the Chief of Police and all the emergency services.”

Along with his partner Joyce Christine Anderssen, Sundsdal organised the Tønsberg Batrace, which had an ‘invitational’ F2 race as its main feature. 24 raceboatinternational

The whole weekend attracted crowds in excess of some 30,000 people.  “2014 was a test run” said Anderssen. “The big difference is that since that race weekend last August we have been planning for this event every day of the week. Now with the help of over one hundred and twenty volunteers, who will be working all over this coming weekend, we hope to show other cities just how good hosting a round of the UIM F2 World Championship can be.” And they did. Tønsberg was one of only 3 venues that hosted a UIM F2 World Championship round this year, in a season dogged by a depleted calendar.

Austria’s Rupp Temper terminates Erik Edin in Tønsberg F2 Match Race Final Match Racing heralded the start of the on water action at Tønsberg after a 15 minute opening ceremony.  Erik Edin from Sweden was “lovin’ it” during the heats in his McDonald’s sponsored boat until he met his match – Austria’s Rupp Temper, who took the glory under a late Norwegian sun.  Britain’s Owen Jelf took an impressive third place overall, although fellow Brit, Matt Palfreyman had mechanical issues and couldn’t put in the performance that he was hoping to.

Above: Frode (right) and his band of vikings Right: Huge crowds in Tønsberg Left: Pierre Lundin and F1’s Guido Cappellini Below: 2015 F2 World Champion

Lundin takes second victory of the season Sweden’s Pierre Lundin took the honours driving an incredible race with tough competition.  Bimba Sjøholm led Lundin for nearly 50% of the race distance after a blistering start. The very quick Swedish lady driver looked set for a maiden UIM F2 win until she was hit with mechanical difficulties.  In the morning warm up she “tripped

and stuffed’ her Molgard hull, leaving her team only 3 hours to put things right. Sadly, not everything was right and she eventually had to settle for 13th. If the battle at the front wasn’t exciting enough, “drive of the day” was by Britain’s Matthew Palfreyman. The hard charging Brit started in 9th, clawed his way through the field to second place, with some “never say die” overtaking manoeuvres that positively

had the Norwegian spectators screaming.  Erik Edin drove an extremely measured race, sitting in third position pretty much throughout. Frode Sundsdal’s dream of bringing UIM World Championship racing to his home town of Tønsberg in Norway, paid off.  A tight course enthralled the spectators, made the drivers work hard and gave all a race to remember. raceboatinternational 25

UIM WORLD

Article & Photos: Chris Davies

CAMPIONE

Round 3 FINAL F1 driver Alex Carella joined the F2 fleet for the Campione Grand Ptix.

Sweden’s Pierre Lundin took the 2015 UIM F2 World Championship crown when he secured his third victory of the season in what many of the drivers described as the roughest conditions they have ever raced in. F1 driver Alex Carella joined the F2 fleet for the last race of the season and his second place put him on the championship table in 7th place. By now the race had reached half distance and it was Matt Boating on Lake Lugano on a very hot August afternoon might Palfreyman who was battling with Johan Osterberg for third place. have a tranquil sound to it but that was far from the reality faced by The Swedish driver was finding the going tough in his Molgaard and twenty four drivers as they left the start pontoon for the start of the spun out allowing Palfreyman to challenge the leading pair. With final F2 race of the 2015 Championship. perhaps the heaviest boat in the fleet the British driver was unWithin minutes of the red lights going out the fleet were once able to make any inroads on Carella and Lundin, plus his race was again lining up for a second start. Nick Bisterfeld’s weekend to forcompromised when he lost over fifteen seconds trying to pass a get came to a sudden halt when he clashed with Stain Slaattedalen backmarker. at the far demarcation buoy. Thankfully both drivers emerged ok Lundin though was having no such problems and collected his from their upturned hulls. third maximum score of the season. For Carella it was a fantastic As the red start light went out for the second time Lundin made return to F2 and one he toughly enjoyed. another lightning bolt start off the dock closely followed by Alex With the Nottingham Grand Prix now cancelled the season ends Carella and Stefan Hagin. Meanwhile things were about to get at Campione and the 2015 World Champion is Pierre Lundin. interesting in the mid-pack when Erik Edin and Konstantin Ustinov clashed at the top turn, that had F2 DRIVERS POINTS TABLE Final Positions for 2015 seen many of the drivers struggle with all POS BOAT DRIVER NAT BRINDISI TONSBERG CAMPIONE TOTAL weekend. Edin then lost control with a 1 8 Pierre Lundin SWE 20 20 20 60 broken steering arm and spun in front of 2 13 Matt Palfreyman GBR 12 15 12 39 Bimba Sjoholm. With nowhere to go she 3 50 Nick Bisterfeld GER 15 7 DNF 22 flew off Edin’s deck, but was able to carry on. Ustinov though collided with Owen 4 2 Johan Osterberg SWE 7 9 4 20 Jelf smashing a hole in the sponson of his 5 16 Thomas Cermak ITA 9 9 18 BaBa hull. Jelf was unaware of the dam6 21 Erik Edin SWE 5 12 DNF 17 age at the time, but was soon forced to 7 74 Alex Carella ITA 15 15 retire back to the pits. 8 22 Konstantin Ustinov RUS 7 7 Out in front Lundin was opening up a 9 5 Rupp Temper AT 3 1 3 7 short gap between himself and Carella. 10 7 Tobias Soderling SWE 0 5 1 6 Hagin though, in third place, was about to 11 73 Wynand De Jager ZA 2 4 0 6 see his day come to a premature end. As 12 20 Roman Vandyshev RUS 5 5 he was lapping Sjoholm her Molgaard hull 13 11 Bimba Sjoholm SWE 4 0 DNF 4 was feeling the effects after her clash with 14 6 Ola Pettersson SWE 0 3 0 3 Edin and she was unable to avoid the fast 15 85 Luca Fornasarig ITA 1 2 3 charging German. 16

26 raceboatinternational

Pal Virik Nilsen

NOR

UIM WORLD

Article: John Moore & Chris Davies Photos: Chris Davies Article: John Moore & Chris Davies Photos: Chris Davies

Tough Times for UIM F2 The Show Must Go On!

With a fleet exceeding 20 boats you would think it should be easy to create a solid six/seven race championship, but instead this year the season was reduced to three races and three cancellations.  If any team had secured sponsorship on the strength of six races they have been placed in a very embarrassing position.  Frode Sundsdal, promoter of the Tønsberg Båtrace F2 GP, has suggested that the drivers’ representatives, team managers and venue promoters should meet up in a location agreeable to all, in order to identify a mutually beneficial format for 2016.  We spoke to others involved in the series and they gave us their thoughts on this year and the future. Pal Virik Nilsen F2 Pilot

“The 2015 season has been one to forget for our team! The first round in Brindisi was just a nightmare for me and my new team. After 300 meters on first practice my propeller shaft just broke and my best propeller sank to the bottom of the port. Our spare propeller was nothing like the one we lost when it came to acceleration. Therefore I struggled the rest of the weekend with no possibilities to perform on that course where it’s all about acceleration. After that round we struggled with everything on the boat, including me as a driver. This boat, the ex-Stark 2014 World 28 raceboatinternational

Championship winning Molgaard, needs a completely different set up for me to get the best out of it. Therefore we used the remainder of the season to dial it in. We now are closer to what we want, so I look more positively on the future. Now only have one job to do - turn around and kick back till next year starts all over again!”

Christen Molgaard

Boat Builder “I’m really sad to see the problems in organising the UIM F2 World Championship with only three events this season, plus the tendency to organise races on rough water courses, sometimes it was like “offshore” conditions, where the

competition is not just between drivers but more against the elements. As a boat builder it can be hard to understand why we work so hard on safety while it seems to be no concern when choosing race sites.  Molgaard have enjoyed the season in general, Bimba Sjoholm in her sprint boat showed her potential in the UIM F2 World Championship, gaining good start positions and leading the Tønsberg race before technical problems took her out. Fellow Swede Erik Edin in the exStark World Championship winning Molgaard sprint boat also showed his potential, again technical problems got in his way.”

Sven Sieveke Journalist from World-of-Powerboat.de “Definitely the best part of the season was seeing Nick Bisterfeld on the podium in Brindisi. As usual a very perfect place to race with wonderful people, but I hadn’t realised until the end of the race that Bisterfeld was in second place! His sister told me at the wet pits ‘Nick is second’! I can’t describe the feeling. I was completely overwhelmed. A German pilot on the podium, suddenly a complete different situation for me. It was fantastic to see those young guys Bisterfeld and Palfreyman at the ceremony with the experienced Lundin; in front of that special backdrop in

in Brindisi, the stairs full of cheering people, that was absolutely my ‘moment of the season’. The UIM F2 World Championship is something to enjoy without a ‘Big’ promoter. It’s all done by themselves - a fantastic race series which can be called a true race series, and this year, for the first time we had a warm up race in Germany which many of the teams took part in. All the signs show it’s growing, but I have seen many series grow AND die in my time with powerboats. So it will all depend on how well all the pilots, race teams, media, team association and local promoters perform as one collective body as to whether F2 has any future.”

Stefan Hagin F2 Pilot

“The best part about the 2015 season for me was that the Molgaard boat was running perfectly, just look at the results we saw in the qualifications. The worst was the crashes especially in an overlap situation. What must be really changed in F2 is the calendar. Once it’s been published the UIM need to force the National Authorities to carry out the races and not cancel them. Perhaps we need to make the local organisers pay more money to the UIM as a deposit so that way they are less likely to cancel their event and lose all the money.

What I hope is that the whole F2 family including the race officers and media don’t get too disillusioned about only having three races this season, we should always strive for quality over quantity.”

Christian Langer F2 World Championship TV producer “Being asked about the best and worst moments of the 2015 UIM F2 season, I might start with the worst. For me it was the fact that fifty per cent of the world championship events have been cancelled and as a result that there was no season final and no championship podium. From the media point of view this was a disaster. Furthermore, I learned that media work and public relations in general is a stepchild for the F2 series. It became very clear at the race in Campione, when it was not possible to get a proper shooting position for the race because for the local federation, the f2 series coverage wasn’t as important as having their own crew for a single event. Let’s leave it like that and focus on the good moments of a short season, and from my view there have been a lot. First of all at all races we had a huge number of spectators and fantastic venues. But talking about the best, and that’s a personal opinion, for me it’s the event in Brindisi with over 10.000 people

right in the middle of the city, which produced the best looking backdrop for the camera. If I think about the best race it was definitely Tønsberg. From the start there were close battles for positions all over the place. It saw drama and luck; fighting and action, so it was exactly what media guys like us need to get the heart beating faster and of course makes great coverage. When I think about the drivers who have raced this season, I think of Matt Palfreyman because he was a newcomer this year and surprised us with podium finishes throughout the year by rushing through the field gaining position by position. Also Stefan Hagin caught my attention because of his spectacular and over the edge driving, always top qualifying results with the drama of not finishing a single race. And of course Pierre Lundin, because whether he started from Pole or 11th, Lundin won each and every race, and is the deserved World and European Champion. But still there are some other things of the 2015 season in my mind way off the racetrack, like the lost bags with all my equipment on the flight to Brindisi, or Tobias Munthe-Kaas taking me back from Tonsberg to Oslo by boat, and of course catching two spectacular crashes on camera in Zarasai. ” raceboatinternational 29

GOSPORT

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH PERTEMPS GET GOING

P1 returns to Gosport to serve up a feast of rough, tough and dramatic racing that leaves the UK SuperStock Championship wide open “The toughest event in five years of SuperStock racing, and a weekend of two halves”. That’s how P1 chief operating officer Robert Wicks described the Gosport Grand Prix of the Sea which became a round of attrition in the punishing waters of the Solent. The sunshine and stiff wind on Saturday gave way to outbreaks of rain and a fierce southerly wind throughout Sunday. A large crowd lined the beach at Stokes Bay on the opening day, but it was a much smaller contingent who braved the wild conditions the following day. With back-to-back races scheduled on both days, the crews knew there would be no recovery time and that adopting a strategy of ‘racing to the conditions’ to ensure a finish and earn points was worthy of serious consideration. The difficult wave pattern in the Solent took its toll early on, and the starting line-up of eleven boats for the first race was reduced to seven for race 2. The crews returned to Gosport Marina on Saturday evening to lick their wounds and discuss how to approach the next day when conditions were expected to be even more testing. Sunday saw nine teams prepare to do battle, and with the wind gusting to more than 40 knots it was very much a time when discretion was going to be the better part of valour. The Allam Marine team of Arran Scott and Gavin Feldt arrived on the Hampshire coast level on points at the top of the championship table and drove superbly all weekend, but a flyaway hatch on their boat in the first race resulted in them being disqualified in both the opening races. Despite victories in the two races on Sunday they failed to make the podium and have slipped to second place in the championship. Robert Wicks explained on Saturday: “Whilst the decision to disqualify them may seem peculiar, our P1 rules dictate 30 raceboatinternational

that all competing boats finish the race in their complete form, and this includes parts such as the front inspection hatch and rear cowling. The rule is based primarily on safety grounds, but also on reasons of parity. I know the Allam boys will be upset by the ruling, but I’m sure they will bounce back from the disappointment and look to secure some valuable points tomorrow.” And that’s exactly what they did. John Wilson and Daisy Coleman in the Pertemps boat make no secret of the fact that they relish challenging conditions. The wily Wilson went into the weekend in fourth place in the championship and left Gosport in top spot with a nine point lead. He excels in choppy conditions, demonstrating his outstanding ability to read the sea, and followed up his two wins on Saturday with a second and third place finish on day 2 to clinch the Grand Prix trophy. Reigning UK SuperStock champions GD Environmental had a disastrous opening round in Scarborough at the end of May, but a tally of 50 points in Gosport saw the two Welshmen return to the podium. The biggest cheer of the weekend went to privateer Kevin Burdock and his navigator Jonny Allbutt in the Quantum Racing boat as, in only their second P1 race, they performed consistently to finish just one point behind the Welsh duo. Soaked in Jenkyn Place wine from his podium celebrations, a drained but thrilled Burdock said: “It’s all happened so quickly – from expressing my interest in racing in the P1 series, to buying a boat and now a top three finish. It was seriously tough out there this weekend.” The P1 teams had time to catch their breath, put right any damage to their boat and start planning for success in Hull the next month when the strong current in the Humber would present a whole new challenge.

HULL GP

DELIVERS THRILLS AND SPILLS The 2015 Hull P1 Grand Prix of the Sea saw a resurgent GD Environmental Services surge back into contention and move up to fourth in the championship table with three wins out of four races on the Humber Estuary Flat water conditions on both race days brought relief to both the teams and boats following the previous round in Gosport which saw some of the toughest conditions on record for the SuperStock series. The Allam Marine crew, with local navigator Gavin Feldt on board, will rue their incident in the opening race on Sunday after they had looked good for a podium finish all weekend. Despite being ejected from the boat during the opening race on Sunday, neither crew member was injured and they will no doubt be looking to the remaining rounds to challenge for the title and will need a miracle to get their boat repaired in time for the next round. The weekend saw a solid performance from stand-in crew of rookie Sam Coleman and Will Nurse in the Visit Wales boat as they deputised for the absent Vince Berridge. Lycamobile Racing, piloted by Stuart and Sara Cureton, were able to score some valuable points with a good performance on Sunday after being hampered by mechanical issues at the start of the season. 32 raceboatinternational

TYPHOO

CLEAN SWEEP IN WALES SURPRISES IN CARDIFF AS TYPHOO AND CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER PERTEMPS SLIP BEHIND FLYING PANTHER IN THE RACE FOR THE SUPERSTOCK TITLE The Typhoo pairing of John Donnelly and Kevin Hunt left Cardiff undefeated last night after two days of intense racing which saw them push local favourites GD Environmental into second place to lift the Welsh Grand Prix of the Sea crown. With the eleven teams competing in a qualifying round followed by several heats, the Typhoo crew steered their bright red boat around the tight Cardiff Bay course with great speed and control to earn the admiration and praise of P1 chief operating officer Robert Wicks: “John and Kevin have been rewarded for all the preparation, passion and professionalism they bring to their racing, and the performance on both days was a masterclass, securing them a maximum 100 points from the weekend. Everyone is delighted for them and I’m sure their boat sponsor will be raising a cup or two today to celebrate this remarkable triumph.” Under often grey skies, the crowds in the Welsh capital were treated to a bank holiday weekend of exhilarating racing in the amphitheatre of Cardiff Bay. From the outset it was clear the reigning P1 SuperStock and Welsh Grand Prix champions, James Norvill and Charlie Parsons-Young from Newport, were not going to have things all their own way, as Typhoo and the Flying Panther duo of Nick Williams and Martin Robinson looked ominously quick. It was a disappointing weekend for the Pertemps team, who went into this round as championship leaders but could only finish eighth after being disqualified in the final heat for an incident with New Wave Racing who were also disqualified after a review of video evidence by race officials. This now leaves Wilson and Coleman sixteen points adrift of Flying Panther at the top of the leader board with the final round in Bournemouth just twelve days away. “Conditions on the south coast will be very different from those in Cardiff Bay and the Pertemps crew will be hoping for choppy seas, in which they excel, to mount a final charge for the SuperStock crown.” said Wicks. “The scene is set for a dramatic end to the season.”

raceboatinternational 33

THE FINAL CHAPTER IN BOURNEMOUTH

The P1 SuperStock UK championship crown goes to Williams and Robinson IN FLYING PANTHER on the final day of the season despite a fierce challenge from Pertemps Network in brutal sea conditions

00 Typhoo

The 2015 SuperStock season will be remembered for a number of things: a typically British summer, often severe sea conditions, welcoming Scarborough on board as a host venue, and a thrilling title race.

Like all good thrillers, the P1 championship maintained the suspense until the final chapter, when it was a case of who will do it rather than who dunnit. Going in to the final round of racing on the Dorset coast with a 16 point lead at the top of the SuperStock standings, the Flying Panther crew of Nick Williams and Martin Robinson knew that they had to master not only the testing conditions, with a fierce southerly wind churning up the sea in Bournemouth Bay, but also resist the determined challenge from John Wilson and Daisy Coleman in the Pertemps Network boat. Williams and Robinson went into the weekend realising that to finish first, first you need to finish. And that’s exactly what they did. Thrilling stuff right to the final page. It was a case of ‘like father, like son’ as driver Nick Williams emulated his father Tony by becoming a powerboat champion. “Martin and I are battered, bruised and overwhelmed.” said an emotional Williams. Wilson and Coleman could not have done more, winning three of the four races to finish runners-up in the championship. The brutal seas took their toll on the P1 fleet, putting paid to any hopes GD Environmental may have had of successfully defending their UK title. The Welsh duo of James Norvill and Charlie ParsonsYoung now focus their efforts on retaining their USA championship 34 raceboatinternational

crown where they currently lead the series with one round remaining. But Welsh fans had much to cheer as they saw the Visit Wales boat finish third in Bournemouth to lift them to third overall in the table. With his daughter Jade alongside him in the cockpit, driver Vincent Berridge said with a broad smile: “It’s been an up and down season, but it’s ended on a great note. Finishing third in the championship is way beyond our expectations.” Looking back across the five-venue race series that began in Scarborough in May, P1 chief operating officer Robert Wicks regards the season as being probably the most competitive and demanding in the five years of SuperStock racing. “The teams have had to contend with some hugely challenging conditions at times and the battle for the title was enthralling right through to the final day of the season. Andy Warhol would be delighted that every team had it’s 15 minutes of fame. Our fleet of eleven one-design P1 Panther race boats has entertained around 150,000 spectators this summer, together with television viewers in more than 100 countries.” Wicks is well advanced in his 2016 planning and will announce the provisional race calendar at the P1 Annual Awards gala dinner in London in November. “We will be returning to some established, favourite venues and adding at least one new name. Partnerships are at the heart of our business model and we recognise the increasing importance of sports events in the travel and tourism industry.”

09 Quantum Racing

04 Arthur J. Gallagher

P1 SUPERSTOCK UK RESULTS AFTER 5 ROUNDS POS TEAM

VisitWales.com

SCAR

GOS

HULL

CAR

PTS

FLYING PANTHER

321

PERTEMPS

315

VISITWALES.COM

252

TYPHOO

100

247

GD ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

227

ALLAM MARINE

224

NEW WAVE

206

LYCAMOBILE RACING

205

PICKFORDS RACING

193

ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER

164

QUANTUM RACING

148

raceboatinternational 35

COWES CLASSIC 2015

Make That a Double

COWES-TORQUAY 2015

Vector MartinI ROSSO Wins 2015 Cowes-Torquay-COWES Powerboat Race On what has to be one of the most perfect Cowes Torquay Powerboat races in it’s fifty five year history it was stunning to see these magnificent machines racing once more from the start line outside the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes.

Fantastic race conditions soon sorted the field as the powerboats leapt from the start line and charged out into the Solent. Within the first few miles it was evident that the racing would be both exhilarating and strategic as engines were pushed to, (and in some cases beyond) their limits in an attempt to get one of the coveted positions at the front of the fleet. Leg One - Cowes to Torquay ‘Vector Martini’ led off the mark, chased closely by ‘Tommy Offshore Racing’ and ‘Silverline’. This year, for the first time the course was changed to allow the public to experience the racing up close as the boats 36 raceboatinternational

passed the shores of Christchurch Bay, zooming by Boscombe and Bornemouth Piers. Teams commented on the crowds that had gathered on the many headlands they passed as well as the amazing number of spectator craft that came out to watch the boat race. Despite, or in fact because of, the ideal conditions, several boats ran into difficulties over the course of the race. Past winner ‘Microlink’ lost a water pipe off Swansea, broke a throttle cable and then had the ignition pack up. On arrival at Torquay driver Vahid (Vee) Ganjavian was philosophical saying, “This is Marathon racing; some days it’s good and some days it’s bad.” After having gained the lead in Leg One, the Italian team ‘Tommy Offshore Racing’ were passed by ‘Vector Martini’who reported seeing a cloud of black smoke emanating from the now stationary boat (never a good sign). The retirement of ‘Tommy Offshore

Racing’ was confirmed by the Race Director John Moore. ‘Thunderstreak’ and ‘HTS Perkins’ also retired during the first leg leaving a field of eleven in the race back to Cowes. ‘Vector Martini ‘driven by Peter Dredge and Simon Powell, with their crew of Malcolm Crease and David Gandy, won Leg One from Cowes to Torquay in 01:09:39 ahead of ‘Silverline’ driven by Drew and Ali Langdon (01:19:59). ‘Smokin Aces’ driven by Chris and Nicholas Dodge took third place. (01:24:54) David Gandy, better known for his modelling and fashion career, was a guest crew member on the winning boat. “It’s been one of the most amazing experiences of my life, but I’m not sure if all my body’s organs are in the same place as when I started. I’m really impressed with the experience and professionalism of Peter Dredge and Simon Powell. It’s not everyday you get to do 115 miles per hour on water.”

Top: Race boats moored at Cowes Marina Peter Dredge and Simon Powell, with their crew of Malcolm Crease and David Gandy (left and right), winners in ‘Vector Martini’

Article: Geoff Davies Photos: Tim Tapping/Dave Ormiston/Nigel Barrett & Graham Stevens

‘Smokin’ Aces’ driven by Chris and Nicholas Dodge took third place.

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COWES CLASSIC 2015

‘Dry Martini’

Italian entry ‘Tommy One’ ‘Flyin Falcon’

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Above: ’Silverline’ in second place

COWES-TORQUAY-COWES OFFSHORE POWERBOAT RACE 2015 1

Vector Martini Rosso

Peter Dredge/Simon Powell/Malcolm Crease/David Gandy

A47

Silverline

Drew Langdon/Ali Langdon

B74

Smokin’ Aces

Chris Dodge/Nick Dodge

Dry Martini

Christian Toll/Mike Bontoft/Mike Peet

D52

Boss One

Robin Hyde/Timothy Remington/Kevin Jackson

D10

Grey Ghost

Paul Glenister/Tim Coote/David Toozs Hobson

B12

Birretta Due

Jean Pierre Neels/Thomas Vandamme/Marijke d’Hondt/Dmitry Schiller

G130

Fugitive

Rose Lores/Francis Whitley

RET

H90

Flyin Falcon

Glenn Chidzoy/Daryl Grady/Gordon Compton

RET

B110

Microlink

Vahid Ganjavian/Gareth Williams

RET

C100

Blastoff

Dorian Griffith/Ashley Nihell/Will Stevens

RET

A60

Tommy One

Maurizio Schepici/Giampaulo Montavoci

RET

H400

Thunderstreak

Robin Ward/Ole Finholt/Jeff Hall

RET

H858

HTS Perkins

Nick Wilkinson/Matthew Wilson/Jonathan Napier/Alastair Piggott

Leg Two - TORQUAY TO COWES Interviewed after winning Leg One in Torquay Peter Dredge said, “We’re going to open it up on the way home”. Sure enough ‘Vector Martini’ wasted no time in once again establishing their dominance on the fleet as they raced out of Torquay Bay ahead of ‘Microlink’, ‘Silverline’ and the rest of the fleet, already one competitor less with the withdrawal of ‘Flying Falcon’. ‘Microlink’, determined to make up for their troubled run on the first leg made a direct course for Portland Bill, and while not reaching the speeds of ‘Vector Martini’, managed to keep the pressure on all the way across the bay. By Swanage there was still very little between the two boats and it remained to be seen if the the crews and engines could keep up the effort to the end of the race. Meanwhile a running battle was being fought five or six miles behind the leaders between ‘Silverline’ and ‘Smoking Aces’ with both looking to take third place on the second leg. In reality ‘Microlink’ was the only boat with a lot to lose as their difficulties on Leg One had essentially stolen their chances of an overall podium place on elapsed time.

As a team that prides itself on its achievements, neither Vee nor Gareth Williams would be likely however to let their problems on Leg One get in the way of a victory on Leg Two, and in typical style committed everything they had. Today, however, luck was not on their side, and despite a valiant attempt ‘Microlink’ once more succumbed to mechanical problems on their way out of Christchurch Bay to the Needles Fairway Buoy leaving

Below: ‘Boss One’ crew

‘Vector Martin’i with a clear run to the finish. Winning in a time of 01:11.57 ‘Vector Martini’ cemented their place in the history of the Cowes Torquay race with a lead of nine minutes over second placed ‘Silverline’ who finished in 01: 20.59. ‘Smoking Aces’ secured third place in 01:24.20. Thanks must once again go to the organisers the British Powerboat Racing Club as well as Torbay Harbour and Microlink.

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Back to the Future COWES-POOLE-COWES 2015 COWES CLASS 2015

Included in the programme of races in this year’s Cowes Classic was the 60 mile Cowes-Poole-Cowes race which was last run in 2012

‘Fun Unlimited’ The 2015 National series has been considered to be a bit of a disaster with races cancelled at Allhallows and Ramsgate, and only 5 boats turning up for the ORDA Torbay in May. So the organizers were taking a big risk in reinstating the Cowes Poole Cowes race in a last ditch effort to host a competitive and well supported race. They had no need to worry, as by race day there were 19 boats lined up. The only disappointment was that out of those competitors only two boats were eligible for 2015 National Points. Those were the two V24 stalwarts Brian Peedell and Dan Priestly who have been committed to the championship series in spite of low numbers at both Guernsey and Torquay this year. The rest of the Cowes-Poole-Cowes entry list read like a who’s who of former World, European and National champions in RYA Club Classes 1, 2, 3, and Unlimited. Throw in some classic boats and it brought to mind the quote from the popular movie ‘Marty, I’m sending you back to the future.’ Overall winner was Richard Carlton and Phil Payter in a 40’ 1300hp ‘Bubble Deck’ Cigarette which has an illustrious racing CV and set of former owners in the United States. Former Class 3 World Champion Neil Holmes and John Evans entered ‘Fun Unlimited’, a three engined, 1500hp, 40ft Baja. 40 raceboatinternational

‘PPG Print’ Apparently this boat had once sunk on its mooring in Spain before being rescued and bought back to life. They did well with second in Club Unlimited. Third overall was PPG Print, helmed by successful race boat designer and former European Class 3 Champion Adam Younger racing with his brother Scott in the AYD twin outboard RIB. ‘Hendy Marine’ crewed by Stuart Cureton and John Donnelly put in an impressive fourth place overall and winners of Club Class 1 in their Mercury powered Cougar mono, a hull that had raced in the old Honda series then running a Japanese 4 Stroke motor. Drive of the day, Club Class 3 and ‘concour d’elegance’ winners were Jack Bobin and Jamie White coming fifth overall with just 115 hp. They averaged an outstanding 61.37 mph over the 60 mile offshore course in their P19 G, ‘Motorvated Racing’, a hull that had taken them to a 2015 UIM 3A runners up spot a few months earlier in Sweden. Their ‘weekend guest’ team mates were the Guernsey pairing of Paul Etasse and Chris Stonebridge who finished just behind them in ‘Motorvated Slayer’ in sixth overall and first in Club Class 2. Alan Goodwin, the oldest competitor racing at Cowes this year at 78 years old, along with Tony Hamilton who was a prolific racer in the 80s and 90s, had entered a

34ft Velocity, ‘Mr Noisy’. The last time this boat raced was in 2009. It has now been fitted with bigger engines, but only a week before the race blew a gear box during testing. It was a frantic effort to get the boat ready whichthey did, but ‘Mr Noisy continued its unenviable record of never finishing a race. Brian and Thomas Pelham in ‘Beavers Return’, a 25ft 600hp Revenger also retired, as did Lawrence Philp and Stewart Eyre in Warlord, a 1981 31ft Phantom, which I was informed by Lawrence was first run at 12pm on the Saturday before the race and quite possibly the first time since 1986. In Club Class 2, Rob Lister and Nick Crouch raced in a 30 year old 21 ft Forgecraft found in an open barn where it had been lying for years. The very first aluminium Forgecraft, orginally called ‘Absolute Beginners’, took Richard and Jonathan Lucas to championship victory in the 90s. Hendy Marine crewed by Stuart Cureton and John Donnelly came 4th, and in 5th place was Motorvated Racing with Jack Bobin and Jamie White, who are reigning A Class Champions. 7th in the Cowes-Poole Race, was the Sunseeker ‘Tally Ho’, crewed by Steve Banks, Brett Davenport and Jan Falkowski (a very successful navigator who has crewed with many championship winning teams over the last two decades).

‘Team Hyperactive’

‘Bubbles’ at Cowes Marina

COWES-POOLE OFFSHORE POWERBOAT RACE 2015

‘Bubbles’

NATIONAL 1

V13

Circle Express

Brian Peedell/Neil Jackson

V17

The Sick Children/s Trust

Daniel Priestley/Sam Brewster

U49

Bubbles

Richard Carlton/Phil Payter

CLUB 1 2

U54

Fun Unlimited

John Evans/Neil Holmes

U98

PPG Print

Adam Younger/Scott Younger

1-71

Hendy Marine

Stuart Cureton/John Donnelly

A26

Motorvated Racing

Jack Bobin/Jamie White

2-25

Motorvated Slayer

Paul Etasse/Chris Stonebridge

U24

Tally Ho

Steve Banks/Brett Davenport/Jan Falkowski

2-46

Hyper10sion

Barry Culver/Will Nurse

2-51

Jupiter

Rob Lister/Nick Crouch

1-53

Kickin Ass

Neil White/Dan Higgins

2-66

White Fusion

Malcolm Dopson/Edward

3-162

Team Hyperactive

Andy Hiscox/Sean Homer

RET

U10

The Beaver Returns

Brian Pelham/Thomas Pelham/Anthony Walker

RET

U31

Warlord

Lawrence Philp/Stewart Eyre

RET

U33

Atlas Mr Noisy

Alan Goodwin/Tony Hamilton

‘Kickin Ass’

Article: David Ormiston Photos: David Ormiston & Malc Attrill ‘The Beaver Returns’ and ‘Kickin Ass’

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COWES CLASSIC 2015

The Cowes Classic Rally

Article: Ben Curtis Photos: Roy Roberts It seems that finally the weather gods saw fit to smile upon the Cowes Classic Powerboat Rally. Thursday night was calm as I shot over to Cowes on Huntsman Playtime II, a few knots off the pace as I hadn’t had the chance to have a quick lift and jet wash. Friday morning saw Paul arrive on Triana Le Scarron and the arrival of more boats. To ensure that the BBQ could go ahead despite the weather we’d hired the Yacht Haven Event Centre for the evening BBQ, served on the enclosed balcony. It certainly seemed to be a popular decision and the food was excellent. Saturday morning dawned bright and calm. A quick skippers’ briefing on the pontoon planned a route around the Solent stopping to re-muster at Lepe and again at Browndown. I’m sure everyone will agree that this was the best run ever, the 42 raceboatinternational

re-grouping worked well, the fact that we had no particular destination, just out for a blast added to the fun. I was onboard Saul Empson’s newly restored Huntsman 28 Maidfast (light and fast) along with the drone camera crew. Watch the Facebook page for aerial footage of the boat coming soon. A long lazy lunch at the Folly in sunshine was great relaxation for all. Saturday afternoon back at the Yacht Haven saw the concours judging. Trophies awarded during the Pimms reception, Dave Yeabsley has done an amazing job of Spearfish 30 Whispear, she’s looking truly perfect and was well deserved winner of the Scarron Trophy. The Playtime Trophy caused some great consternation, there we’re two boats of a particularly high standard, ultimately, the authenticity of ex Naval Huntress Invincible

won the day. Dinner was served in the Royal Ocean Racing Club to 104 people, the highest number we’ve ever had at the rally by quite some margin. Due to the numbers we over spilled into the adjoining dining room. Sunday morning the weather was still calm, the classic fleet were up early to watch the start. Following the two spectacular race starts the race committee did another start for the classic fleet. I’m not exactly sure of the results, but Playtime wasn’t first! During the morning news filtered in that classic boats in the race weren’t fairing too well, Thunderstreak had killed a V-drive and HTS had hit a foreign object and damaged a prop. It just goes to show, the Cowes-Torquay Race remains the toughest Powerboat Race there is.

COWES-TORQUAY 2015

Thunderbolt won the 1961 Cowes-Torquay Race

Triana 25 Le Scarron and Christina 25 La Garoupe

Thunderstreak, previously owned by Sir Tommy Sopwith raceboatinternational 43

UK RACING

Article: David Sewell Photos: Tim Tapping

OCRDA PLYMOUTH

OFFSHORE FINALE A weaker man than OCRDA Chairman Rob McCarthy would have given up weeks ago trying to organise the final offshore race of 2015. So many obstacles were put in his way, and ironically Bob was unable to compete himself as he was serving a ban imposed on him by the RYA. However, Mr McCarthy and his trusty group of enthusiasts kept pressing on with their plans and at the very last minute the RYA finally gave their approval. The weekend of 10/11th October produced a superb two days of action in Plymouth Sound to round off a difficult British offshore season that also included skiracing. This was to be the third race in the UK offshore calendar. The first was an event organised by Offshore Driver Association (ORDA) in Torquay when only six boats turned out. The second race was the ‘big one’ the famous Cowes Clas44 raceboatinternational

sic. The GP of Plymouth attracted nine entries and it would have been more but Rob and fellow Devonian Jeremy Gibson were banned and Brian Peedell could not find a navigator to join him in his V24. Kerry Bobbin was also keen to take part but had used up his quota of two day licences. Plymouth is without doubt the most spectator friendly race circuit in Britain with views of the complete course from Plymouth Hoe, and it’s even better when the sun is shining as it was over the weekend. The field was made up of ten teams and all fitted the OCR category. The two ‘foreigners’ in the pack were Alan Power and Paul Hutchins representing Malahide, Dublin in Alan’s own designed and built ‘Dont Forget the Wiggle Tube’ and ‘AK Racing’ also from Malahide crewed by Mark Power and Noel Byfre. It was good to see Phil ‘The Doc’ Hancock back in action after surgery.

Phil, accompanied by James Goldsmith aboard ‘The Rock’, had lost none of his 2014 expertise as he secured joint third place overall with ‘Who Dares Swims’. Horse trainer Kevin Edmundson and jockey Anika Hawthorn enjoyed a successful weekend finishing second overall in their Phantom ‘Y Knot’ Two Bernico 19’s were entered - Andy Nelmes and Rich Watts in ‘Bernico Racing’ and David McCarthy and Chris Yeoman teamed up in ‘If Only’ Overall winner was Jack Bobin and Max Nichols i n their Phantom P19G ‘Motorvated Racing’. Sea conditions were perfect for this end of season finale and Bob McCarthy must be congratulated for his hard work in getting this meeting up and running. Plymouth is one of three premier sites on the south coast with facilities to host a round of the proposed new four race RYA offshore series.

Plymouth Hoe offers views of the complete course

Overall winner was Jak Bobin and Max Nichols in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Motorvated Racingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; raceboatinternational 45

THE BRAND THAT BUILDS

MANUFACTURER OF HAND TOOLS, POWER TOOLS, FIXINGS, HARDWARE AND MORE

OCRDA PLYMOUTH PLYMOUTH RESULTS

Pos

Boat Name

A26

Motorvated Racing

Crew

Jack Bobin/Max Nichols

A12

Y-Knot!

Kevin Edmundson/Anika Hawthorn

111

The Rock

Phil Handcock/James Goldsmith

Who Dares Swims

Graham Lawton/Ben Mant

Minions Racing

Neil Ives/Tanya Wilcocks

AK Racing

Mark Power/Noel Byfre

If Only

David McCarthy/Chris Yeoman

Don’t Forget The Wiggle Tube

Alan Power/Paul Hutchins

Bernico Racing

Andy Helmes/Rich Watts

2-66

White Fusion

Malcolm Dopson/Ed Ralph

Above: Alan Power from Dublin drove his own designed and built ‘Dont Forget the Wiggle Tube’ with Paul Hutchins: Right: AK Racing driven by Mark Power and Noel Byfre Below: No 9 Boat ‘If Only’ with David McCarthy and Chris Yeoman

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UK RACING

JULIUS ON A LATE SEASON TITLE PUSH AS TAPP FALTERS

Round 9/10 - 2015 RYA P750 ThunderCat British Championship - SWANSEA Article: John Moore Photos: Chris Davies, Tim Tapping & Mike Powell

THE 2014 RYA P750 BRITISH CHAMPIONS, TEAM 33 - MULTISPARK RACING PRODUCTS, BLIGH JULIUS AND CHARLIE HATFIELD, TOOK A CONFINCING ROUND 9 VICTORY, BEATING CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERS JAMES TAPP AND ED REDMAN, MICROLINK AHMAD TEA, WHO HAD A DAY TO FORGET AND FINISHED IN A LOWLY EIGHTH PLACE. Julius had been competing in a new Aquarius hull this year, an enforced switch to his old boat before the last rounds at Southsea, Portsmouth saw him bag a second in round 7 and a win in the 8th. With the trusty stead perming at its best, co-driver Charlie Hatfield back from global sailing duties, the team are seemingly making a late season push for the title. This season’s consistently consistent, Hoonigan – Ahmad Tea, Rob Davies and Darren Phillips were second overall, with Team Evolution 5 - Moku Racing, Darryn Harrison and Tyrone Pryor taking the final step on the podium. Round 9 Top 3 1st

Team 33 – Multispark Racing Products

Bligh Julius and Charlie Hatfield

2nd

Hoonigan – Ahmad Tea

Rob Davies and Darren Phillips

3rd

Team Evolution 5 - Moku Racing

Darryn Harrison and Tyrone Pryor

51 Racing - Simon Harding and Kurt Croft

Microlink Ahamad Tea crash out 48 raceboatinternational

Round 10 Above: Team 33 – Multispark Racing Products - Heat 9 & 10 winners Below: Hoonigan – Ahmad Tea - Consistently consistent

With Saturday’s race run in sunny, warm and calm conditions, Sunday was a total contrast. The teams faced a stiff wind, choppy conditions, far cooler temperatures with drizzle.

After engine issues in Round 9 left championship leaders James Tapp and Ed Redman struggling, a spectacular crash out of the second heat of Round 10 gave them an uphill task of competing with Bligh Julius and Charlie Hatfield. Going into the final Tapp had 40 points to Julius’ tally of 60. He knew that only first place would be good enough to give the Microlink Ahamad Tea boat any chance of a round win. Indeed, a win is what he got, although Team 33 – Multispark Racing Products, albeit, with a very poor start, grabbed the runners up spot to give them an overall Round 10 win. The team are now on a hat trick of wins, it is unlikely they can catch Tapp who still enjoys a 48 point lead, but they are putting in some spirited performances all the same. Talking of spirited performances, Hoonigan – Ahmad Tea – Rob Davies and Darren Phillips took third overall, their season has been one of consistency and their task now must now be to fend off Team 33 – Multispark Racing Products from the runners up spot in the 2015 championship. Round 10 Top 3 1st

Team 33 – Multispark Racing Products

Bligh Julius and Charlie Hatfield

2nd

Microlink - Ahmad Tea

James Tapp and Ed Redman

3rd

Hoonigan - Ahmad Tea

Rob Davies and Darren Philips

Photos: Tim Tapping

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UK RACING

MICROLINK/AHMAD TEA

SECURE 2015 RYA TITLE

Round 11- 2015 RYA P750 ThunderCat British Championship - NEWQUAY Article: John Moore Photos: Chris Davies, Tim Tapping & Mike Powell

A seventh consecutive RYA British Championship heat win for Bligh Julius and Charlie Hatfield in Team 33 – Multispark Racing Products at Tolcarne Beach, Newquay wasn’t enough to secure the 2015 ThunderCat Team Championship.  That honour fell to James Tapp and Ed Redman driving Microlink / Ahmad Tea and in the process, their second place in the final round also secured them Driver and Co-Driver titles.

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A typically understated Tapp commented on his 4th British ThunderCat Racing Title, “Team 33 pushed us hard in the second half of the season, it made it really interesting. Ed and I have to thank Vee Ganjavian and Microlink for their fantastic support’. Hoonigan-Ahmad Tea (Rob Davies & Darren Phillips) had a dream début of a season. The Welsh pairing mixed consistency with speed to take a worthy third placing overall in 2015. Rob Davies said afterwards on a sun drenched Tolcarne Beach, “We are totally thrilled with the result, this is a great present to our sponsors Ahmad Tea who have backed our 2015 challenge’. Julius was philosophical, “Seven wins in a row is great, but in all honesty we knew it

was going to be next to impossible to catch James and Ed for the Team Title’. The 2015 RYA ThunderCat Racing Championship enjoyed ‘rough and tough’ surf racing at Fistral and Tolcarne Beach, with a third event at Watergate Bay, all in Cornwall. The ever popular ‘extreme sport’ enjoyed events at Swansea in Wales and on the south coast of England at Boscombe, Christchurch and Southsea. The ThunderCat UK ‘Ring Mistress’, Fiona Pascoe, has to be commended for continuing to attract competitors, officials and backers to her series. The long time series sponsor, Microlink PC’s co-founder Vahid Ganjavian said, “It’s great to see so many people enjoying themselves on the water and on the beach during the season’s rounds. Perhaps I could buy a new car every year with the money I put into ThunderCat Racing, but I certainly wouldn’t see the joy and smiling faces of the community Fiona has helped me build.” raceboatinternational 51

Guernsey Channels

MORE SUCCESS The Guernsey Powerboat Association brought the curtain down on yet another hugely successful racing season with races 9 & 10 of this season’s series kindly sponsored by Stanley Gibbons Investment. Article: Colin Clarke Photos: Danielle Friend, Martin Gray Whilst the 2015 UK Offshore Powerboat racing scene has endured a somewhat tumultuous time in recent months, it is the continuing success of the Guernsey Powerboat Association which has shone like a leading light in a sport crying out for radical changes to be made by its National body. Based on a ‘rock’ measuring approximately 8 miles x 4 miles in the English Channel, and immensely proud of its former Class 1 heritage of the late eighties and early nineties, the Guernsey Powerboat Association continues to promote Offshore Powerboat Racing from a grass roots level, encouraging growth through affordable Club Racing. 52 raceboatinternational

The success of the 2014 World Class 3a & 3b has further encouraged interest in the local sport at club level where camaraderie is encouraged and protests frowned upon! This season, the Club secured a major sponsor in the form of Stanley Gibbons Investment and through their kind generosity, the profile of the local sport has been raised considerably which saw 10 races staged over 5 weekends, one of those weekends awarded National status. Due to lengthy underwater pipe laying project work taking place in Belgrave Bay, the North Beach course could only be used for the first and last race weekends.

The first race weekend of the year bringing the boats close by the QE2 Marina wall, ensured over a thousand people turned out to watch the local boys and girls strutting their stuff, and they weren’t to be disappointed as the two ‘V’24 bat boats ‘Diablo Racing’ and ‘It Wasn’t Us’ mixed it at the front with ageing twin engined catamaran ‘Cody Cat’, hotly pursued by the two 200hp B23 open cockpit bat boats, ‘Prime Suspect’ and ‘Artech Racing’ which was sponsored by the race sponsors. This was to be the story for most of the season. Continuing mechanical gremlins to fellow class competitors eventually saw

Right: ‘Prime Suspect’ - Frank La Tissier and Ben Sarent ‘Resolution Offshore’ - Olly Duquemin and Clint Roberts ahead of ‘Oracle Finance’ 2-2, the Stanley Gibbons sponsored ‘Arctech Racing’ of Niall Bougourd Left: ‘Diablo Racing’ -Kerry Le Patourel and Dave Corbet ‘It wasn’t Us’ claim this year’s U/V title and ‘Artech Racing’, the Class 200hp title. In the 115hp class and fresh from their efforts in the Worlds the season before, ‘Resolution Offshore’ continued where it left off dominating all season from the ever improving ‘Bad Influence’ who was to finish the season as overall handicap winners. The second race weekend at the beginning of June was awarded National status which saw five UK boats travelling over to swell the start line to 19 race boats. The many spectators who had lined the Havelet Bay wall were treated to powerboat racing of the highest quality as the two local V24 bat boats faced competition from two identical UK boats providing extremely close racing over both races that weekend. It was, however, local boat ‘Diablo Racing’ who was to gain the initiative over The UK entrant ‘The Sick Children’s Trust’ who had won the first National race of the year in Torquay. The GPA continues to see a steady growth amongst female competitors across the sport with two female drivers and a female Navigator competing. Next year there will be three female drivers hoping to give the boys something to think about. Numerous plans are already underway to rig new boats for next year with a third V24 Bat boat already arrived from Sweden to local owners. Although the end of season prize giving has yet to take place, potential numbers for 2016 appear already to top over 20 boats racing, not including interest from Guernsey’s sister Island, Jersey. Who knows, if the demise of offshore powerboating continues throughout the UK, numbers racing around Guernsey’s notorious and challenging waters could well be be increased further. After all, there’s no point owning a raceboat and not being able to compete. raceboatinternational 53

Round 4

GOLD COAST AUG 21-23

XCAT, short for extreme catamaran, is one of the most challenging and extreme forms of powerboat racing in the world. XCAT World Series truly is a spectacle of speed, with teams of two taking each other on in twoengined carbon-fibre boats that tear around the course at speeds close to 200km per hour.

GRIPPING SHOWNDOWN as one point separates Team Abu Dhabi and

XDubai heading into fourth round Down Under Tom Barry-Cotter – Photo: Chris Hyde

Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashid Al-Tayer and Faleh Al-Mansoori on collision course for a gripping showdown with XDubai’s Arif Saif Al-Zafeen and Nadir bin Hendi at the Gold Coast Grand Prix in Australia as one point separated Team Abu Dhabi and XDubai heading into the fourth round Down Under

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Only the Victory Team (XDubai) could deny Tom Barry-Cotter and Ross Willaton driving Gold Coast Australia to a win at their home GP. Starting as pole sitters, Arif Al Zaffain and Nadir bin Hendi led the race until their Victory teammates Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali flipped their Dubai boat for the second time in two days and the race was red flagged. XDubai stormed away at the restart as if they had launch control, and went on to take the chequered flag in the shortened race to ensure maximum points and an extension of their lead in the 2015 XCAT Racing Championship. Bin Hendi said: “It was not easy. It was tough and the conditions were getting worse and worse. They were much better than during Pole Position yesterday though, but as we were coming in it was getting worse as we were hitting the waves. We were taking it easy and didn’t push like crazy, but as soon as we saw the Gold Coast boat were getting closer we were pushing it.” Barry-Cotter and Willaton drove to a fine second place, considering mechanical difficulties experienced, “We smashed the left engine when we did a big jump before the restart. There were a few moments when we thought we may have to retire, but the engines restarted and we kept going so we were thankful for that.” Speaking about achieving the podium spot, Barry-Cotter added:

“It’s a massive weight off our shoulders and to see what this means to myself, the whole team, friends and family, the whole city is just amazing. I couldn’t be happier.” The Six boat of Tomaso Polli and Matteo Nicolini in Powertech Marine produced a fantastic performance to finish in third spot after starting the race in seventh, “It was a great race,” enthused Polli afterwards. “Our boat was perfect: the balance, the props, even the top speed where we normally have issues. We are especially happy for the overall Series standings, as we are fighting with Abu Dhabi for second spot and we finished much better than them today.” – Six have indeed closed the gap significantly on Team Abu Dhabi as they are now just five points behind them in third spot. Meanwhile, Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate was delighted with the event which attracted over 20,000 spectators to Doug Jennings Park. “Will this stay on the calendar? As long as I’m mayor! It makes common sense to keep going. We have a three-year contract with two-year option. It ticks every successful box. We love it, and the drivers love it, supporters love it and the world loves it so bring it on.” raceboatinternational 55

MULLAN MAKES IT 4-FROM-4 IN DRAMATIC V8 SUPERBOAT ROUND AT CABARITA 2015 Australian V8 Superboat Championships - ROUND 4 Tweed Coast Jetsprint Club, Cabarita Beach, NSW 8-9 August, 2015 Article: Sean Henshelwood Photos: Russel Puckeridge (Pureart Creative Images)

Reigning Australian Unlimited Superboat champion Phonsy Mullan might have claimed his fourth consecutive round victory for the season at Cabarita, but he was forced to put in the drive of his life to take the win, after an all-out attack during the ‘Top 6’ from New Zealander Rob Coley and former Australian Champion Greg Mercier. In another drama-filled round, Mullan only just made it into the final three after an epic drive by both Coley and Mercier laid the foundations for a memorable final. Coley - aided by former New Zealand championship winning navigator Kellie Minnell - looked set to endure another difficult round at the Tweed Coast venue after failing to perfect navigation throughout the bulk of qualifying, but the 705ci-Chev powered ‘Poison Ivy’ came alive in the ‘Top 6’ final to set the fastest time of the weekend. Sadly though he couldn’t duplicate it in the final, settling for second. Campaigning a new jet unit that had given him more than a couple of headaches when the championship was last on the water in late May, Greg Mercier and his ‘ACOL Skylights’ team were right on the money from opening qualifying this time around, the Victorian - with wife Dorinda alongside - set the top time in the final qualifier, and looked set to repeat the result in the final before an off on the final corner. “I’d run it close to that bank a couple of times on the weekend, and it caught me (and Mullan, and Hutton) at one point, but I knew I could shave a fraction more off, but was just slightly offline in that last run, and up the bank it went,” Mercier lamented afterwards. Whilst the 14-entry Unlimited Superboat class provided plenty of action, the pace in the 400 Class was again impressive, with little separating the title contenders. In the end, Mark Garlick kept his title hopes alive 56 raceboatinternational

with his third win of the season to take a share of the points lead with ‘Kryptonite’s’ Damian O’Leary, whilst the consistent Kevin Laugesen put in one of his best drives to claim third. Round two winner Brooke Lucas was also in the mix early, but a mechanical issue just ahead of the top six saw the former 350 Class champion forced to withdraw, allowing local driver Brad Marsden, and another former 350 Class champion Brett Thornton - into the mix. Typically the event provided plenty of ontrack action, with almost all of the leading contenders out of the water at one point. Mullan and dual-Australian champion Daryl Hutton (Total Lubricants) set the early Unlimited pace on Saturday during the opening two qualifiers, whilst Mercier suffered a DNF, and Coley kept the crowd entertained as he searched for the correct navigation. A podium finisher in both races last time out, Melbourne’s Tremayne Jukes opted for a new challenge this time around, campaigning arguably one of the most dramatic boats in the sport’s history; the appropriately named, Kamakazi. The 1500bhp supercharged 436ci V8 has had a myriad of drivers over the years, and almost all have suffered dramatic ‘out-of-water’ experiences as a result. Jukes was impressive first time out, setting the fourth fastest time, but whilst on a screamer in Q2, he clipped the bank and rolled into the channel with the boat on its side. Jukes was above water, but navigator Brett Elsworth was still submerged,

however, Jukes and the safety crew quickly extracted him from the boat to the applause of the building crowd. “We’ve been trying to get this gremlin out of the boat that’s been there since it was new, when it was Rob Colman’s boat, it used to bite him, then [Andrew] Pagey had a lot of trouble with it - it’s never finished a race meeting, and unfortunately it’s not going to this weekend either!” Jukes admitted. “We’ll pull the engine down and make sure it’s okay, but as for the hull, that’s getting cut up when I get it home, that’s it for this one!” By Sunday morning a pattern was starting to emerge, with Mullan, Mercier, Coley and Hutton all in the mix, and then the action started..! In Q3 Hutton and Mick Carroll were out of the water whilst setting some stunning laps, whilst in Q4, Hutton, Mercier and Mullan suffered a similar fate, the points leader clipping the penultimate corner to spin backwards across the timing line, taking it with him as he mounted the bank, fortunately without significant damage. Then came the biggest off of the weekend, former race winner Tony Giustozzi ran wide as he came back up the circuit towards the crowd, riding the bank before flipping over one and a half times to end up inverted in front of the huge crowd on the hill. The fans were silent as they waited for news from the crew, only to hear the sounds of Giustozzi laughing to himself as he and navigator Lockie Warner asked the

New Zealander Rob Coley - Unlimited Reigning Australian Unlimited Superboat Champion

safety crew to flip them back over. Fortunately the boat and the crew - were okay, a little bit of panel-beating back in the pits allowing Mick Carroll to take Excalibur out for his run, in the process making it all Series debutantes Mark Seddon and navigator the way through to the final six, Mitch Scott flipped the boat into the channel despite the less than pristine look of the boat. take their fight into the final, ‘Grumpy’ As for Giustozzi, his antics made him emerging victorious once again to an overnight sensation on social media, as move into the points lead alongside the onboard video of the crash went viral, South Australian O’Leary. reaching millions of viewers in the days Whilst the title contenders celebratfollowing the event, and an appearance on ed, arguably the most popular result two of Australia’s leading television netwas that of V8 Superboat stalwart works. Kevin Laugesen, the series veteran As the finals drew to their conclusion, the having one of his best seasons in the pace stepped-up again, Hutton putting in sport to claim a well-deserved third. his best run of the weekend in the ‘Top 6’ Like the Unlimited class, 400s only to miss the final cut by less than four weren’t without their own action, with tenths of a second - to Mullan! Ultimately the new Kanaris Engines team of Mark though the reigning champion, who is now Seddon and navi Mitch Scott coming just one round away from three-peating the to grief in their former Brooke Avenell championship [2013/2014] prevailed with boat, the series debutantes flipping his fastest run of the weekend, but with the boat upside down into the channel the performance of Coley and Mercier, he whilst Seddon was on an impressive knows the challenge is coming. run in the final qualifier. In 400 Class the battle between pointsThe driver was quickly out of the leader Damian O’Leary and former 350 boat, but again the crowd sat silent Class champion Mark Garlick saw the two waiting for Scott’s appearance, the two separated by mere tenths during early crew ultimately unharmed, but suffering qualifying, although both were forced to a baptism that neither of them hope to play second-fiddle to Garlick’s long-time experience any time again in the future. rival Brooke Lucas who set a stunning pace And in 350 Class, reigning 400 in Q1 to be more than a second and a half Class champion Jake Garlick was too up on the field. good for Victorian Ben Hathaway, takSadly Lucas was eliminated after the first ing ‘Evil As’ to his second round win in final with an emerging mechanical issue, as many races to lead the points headthe Queenslander talking the safe option ing into Temora for round five. and retiring, leaving Garlick and O’Leary to

2015 Australian V8 Superboat Championships Series points

Unlimited Superboat (after round 4 of 6) Phonsy Mullan RAMJET 144 Ted Sygidus Frankenstein 99 Jamie Welch Natwel Racing 98 Greg Mercier ACOL Racing 94 Daryl Hutton Total Lubricants 89 Rob Coley Poison Ivy 81 Tremayne Jukes JRE Engines 79 Darek Sygidus Frankenstein 76 Brooke Avenell Hi-Tec Oils 74 Paul Burgess Daly Transport 70 Cheryl Welch Natwel Racing 68 Mick Carroll Excalibur 44 Daniel deVoigt Q-BEARS 42 Paul Gaston Frankenstein Jnr 36 Tony Giustozzi Excalibur 24 Louise Dixon Hi-Tec Oils 24 Phil dixon Hi-Tec Oils 10 400-Class (Group A) (after round 4 of 7) 1 Damian O’Leary Kryptonite 132 1 Mark Garlick Grumpy 132 3 Kevin Laugesen spanet 100 4 Brad Marsden Allcott Transformer 96 5 Brooke Lucas Trouble Maker 90 6 Greg Harriman Pangaea Floors 80 7 Brett Thornton Obsession 70 8 Peter Monger Mongrel 66 9 Jesse Watkins Kanaris Engines 68 10 Paul Kelly Anaconda 50 11 Dave Moody Jackhammer 28 12 Mark Seddon 18 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 17

Tony Giuztozzi - an overnight sensation on social media after the biggest off of the weekend raceboatinternational 57

cariB BEER great race

Trinidad & Tobago Powerboats Photos: Marcus G Productions

It’s ironic that Europe struggles to muster two Class 1 boats yet in the Caribean they can boast a large fleet of these impressive craft THAT ARE GROUPED INTO SPEED CLASSES. Two-time defending champion boat Total Monster completed the hat-trick of wins at the Carib Great Race when it arrived in Scarborough, TOBAGO ahead of Mr Solo Too.

58 raceboatinternational

‘Mr Solo’

“

It’s like driving on a road full of pot holes at 100mph. A lot of boats are going to fall apart.

The 46’ Skater catamaran ‘Total Monster’ completed the new 116-mile course in an hour and 25 minutes, three minutes ahead of ‘Mr Solo’ (1:28:03), while 95 mph D class entrant ‘Bacchanal’ was a surprise third place finisher in 1:45:01. Also winning their classes were ‘Chris Gone Wild ‘(80mph), ‘Outlaw’ (70mph) and ‘Pum Pum Conqueror’ (60mph).

‘Total Monster’

Speaking afterwards, ‘Total Monster’ team member Alfred Bell said a prepared vessel and a skilled team were the keys to success on what was a tough course made more challenging by choppy water conditions. He said the conditions in the Bocas were particularly challenging, but noted that this is the part of the course which allows the competitors to show what they’re made of. ‘Total Monsters’ Co-navigator Daniel Peake also said the water conditions this year were the worst the team had seen in five years, noting six to 12-foot high waves and eight to ten-second hang times. Bell said the boat’s preparation team of Nicholas Gomes, Marcel Carrington and Robin Geoffroy deserved just as much credit as himself, driver Sabeeney, Peter Peake and Daniel Peake. “A rough race tells you a lot about the quality of a boat’s preparation team,” he said. “The conditions were really abusive for the onboard crew, but we’re human, we can take it. For the engine to hold together under that kind of strain, it takes a lot of hard work before the race... It’s like driving on a road full of pot holes at 100mph. A lot of boats are going to fall apart.” raceboatinternational 59

cariB bEER great race

E Class winner ‘Pum Pum Conquerer’

‘Vortex’ was running in second place until it broke down In fact, the conditions were so rough that of the 26 boats that faced the starter in Trinidad, only 11 were able to make it to Tobago. Tragedy was avoided earlier in the day when the Sheriff Lobo crew of Justin Lennard and Shameel Mohammed rescued ‘Rug Rat’s Dale Mayers and Andrew Savary after their boat, a 21” Bowen, sank along the North Coast. ‘“We were driving along and saw two people in the water,” recalled 60 raceboatinternational

Mohammed. “We asked them where their boat was and they said it was underwater... The swell was so big you could barely see them. They had been waving to the passing helicopters but nobody noticed them... We saved two people’s lives.” “It’s fantastic what they did,” said Bell. “It showed the camaraderie that power boat racing in T&T has become famous for.” Among the small group of finishers were 35-year Great Race veterans, the Tardieu

brothers, who placed second in 80 mph E Class and seventh overall in ‘White Heat III’. The ‘Total Monster’ crew are, however, already looking towards next year, saying they plan to come back even stronger although they have no major plans to modify the vessel, which is powered by two 3,000 hp engines. ‘Mr Solo Too’, is the only other vessel to have won more Great Races than anyone else in the history of the 47-year-old event,

Third in D Class - ‘Bacchanal’ 2015 CARIUB GREAT RACE OVERALL RESULTS

including two hat-tricks of wins, and a run of six straight wins, finished three minutes adrift of the winners. The 40’’ MTI Catamaran, driven by veteran Ken Charles, navigator Gino Fusco and throttleman Darin Marshal, was never really in with a chance of catching ‘Total Monster’ though, since it was behind the eventual winners and the new boys in ‘Vortex’ for much of the race until ‘Vortex’ broke down.

MONSTER

A Class