picture by EMB photographics

Rough seas off the coast of Mackay for Round 2 of the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships put racing in doubt for the much anticipated round of the Series. Unseasonal conditions saw the pole shoot out round on Saturday cancelled, which left teams in doubt if any racing would take place in the 30 knot winds. Sunday started wet and windy, but the decision was made that racing was on. 12 boats lined up to compete in Mackay in a 2 race format of 30 minutes each.

Aus 1 champions Mustang were out to perform well after their disappointing round in Newcastle for the start of the Series. This was short lived as they ran in to mechanical issues after the sighting lap of the first race. They came back in the second race but couldn’t catch their rival Maritimo who performed consistently throughout the 2 races and took out 1st place for the Class One category.

The Supercat 1000 class was going to be the class to watch with 5 boats competing in Mackay. The home town team of Chris and Brendan Frier in the The Good Guys boat were out to put on a good show for their fans who lined the Breakwater Wall to cheer them on. It was clear from the start of Race 1 that they were the team to beat as they stamped their authority on the race taking out 1st place. Global Racing were back on the water after a disappointing round in Newcastle and looked strong throughout the 2 races. Adam Gilbert’s new Team 3 boat out of Dubai was the boat to watch; and the Supercat 1000 class were keen to see how the international boat would perform. Travis and Steve took the boat out gently in the first race, but came home to win the 2nd race proving that they are a contender for the title in the Supercat 1000 class for 2011. Townsville based team Mazlin Electrical ran in to problems in race 1 which saw them drift dangerously close to the rock wall and inevitably ended their day of racing. After a solid performance in race 1 by Australian Vehicle Wholesale, the new crew ran into problems early in the 2nd race which ended their day abruptly close to the rockwall. The Good Guys team disappointingly had solenoid problems while in the pit area prior to the 2nd race and although they managed to get out for 1 lap, brought the number 6 maritimo back in early. Standings for the day ended in Team 3 taking our first place, Global Racing taking out 2nd, The Good Guys coming in 3rd and Australian Vehicle Wholesale 4th and Mazlin 5th.

Supercat Outboard 600hp had 3 teams travel to Mackay and given the conditions, they performed well over the 2 races. SUV Dodge Ram and B.B.C Digital each moved up a place from race 1 to race 2 but unfortunately the winner of race 1, Kwozzy didn’t finish race 2 due to a blown engine. Overall standings for the round placed B.B.C Digital 1st, SUV Dodge RAM 2nd and Kwozzy coming in 3rd.

Supercat Outboard Lite 400hp were the most consistent of all the classes with each of the 3 starters managing to cross the finish line. The smallest of all the classes, the Supercat Outboard Lites seemed to get around the course with ease. FGI and Hogs Breath Racing were neck and neck over the 2 races and came in tied for 1st at the end of racing in Mackay with It’s About Time Racing coming in 3rd.

The teams will pack up their boats and travel to Townsville next weekend for the 3rd round of the Championships. Some teams will manage a break between the 2 rounds and some teams will have a busy week repairing their boats ready to compete and stay in the race for the overall Aus 1 Championship.

Round 3 of the Australian Offshore Superboat Championship will take place in Townsville on the 2nd and 3rd July at the Breakwater Marina.

Article and pictures courtesy of http://www.superboat.com.au

picture by Andrew Gricks photographics

High winds and large seas had the offshore Superboat teams taking flying lessons during the 2 races for Round 2 of the 2011 season.

Mackay Harbour had thousands of spectators viewing the race from the rockwall and in the highrise apartments, with the offshore superboats putting on a great display.

Race 1,

Class 1 team of Luke Durman and Ross Willaton aboard Maritimo lead from start to finish.

Supercat 1000hp had a 5 boat class with local team “The Good Guys” with Chris and Brendan Frier taking firt place followed closely by “Global Racing”, “Team 3″ & “Australian Vehicle Wholesale”.

Supercat 600hp “Kwozzy” with Jim Harris and Paul Fowlds take the win with B.B.C. Digital 2nd and S.U.V. Dodge Ram 3rd.

Supercat 400hp “Hogs Breath Offshore Racing” with Paul Gibbs & Gryff Ethell 1st with “F.G.I.” closely behind followed by “It’s About Time”.

Race 2,

Class 1 had “Maritimo” & “Mustang” fighting for 1st place, with “Maritimo” Taking a second 1st place for the day.

Supercat 1000hp, “Team 3″ with the dedut of the new “Victory Cat” with Travis Thompson and Steve Nugent aboard had a great first weekend on the water taking 1st place in race 2 ahead of “Global Racing”.

“The Good Guys”, “Australian Vehicle Wholesale” & “Mazlin Electrical” all had a DNF (Did Not Finish).

Supercat 600hp, “B.B.C. Digital”with Graham Fraser and Scott Gehrman took 1st with “S.U.V. Dodge Ram” 2nd and a DNF for “Kwozzy”.

Supercat 400hp, “F.G.I” with Mick Walker and Gary Smith took 1st with “Hogs Breath Offshore Racing” 2nd and “It’s About Time” in 3rd with their new boat to the class.

Over weekend results.

1st, Maritimo

2nd, Mustang

1st, Team 3

2nd, Global Racing

3rd, The Good Guys

4th, Australian Vehicle Wholesale

1st, B.B.C. Digital

2nd, S.U.V. Dodge Ram

3rd, Kwozzy

1st, F.G.I.

1st, Hogs Breath Offshore Racing

3rd, It’s About Time

(tie for 1st place)

Article and pictures courtesy of http://www.superboat.com.au

Another new team to debut in Mackay will be the ex “Team 3” Victory Cat purchased by Mark Harrison at the end of 2010 as a turnkey setup.

The old Victory Cat was showing signs of wear and tear after competing in (2) Australian seasons and (1) New Zealand season, so it was decided that a full rebuild was in order. The boat was stripped bare with old paint sanded off, revealing some minor areas of concern.  This boat was built very strong (old school) carbon Kevlar and epoxy laminate.  With all the small laminate repairs done, the hull and deck were sanded dead straight and repainted and new signage applied. 

When the hull was finished, attention turned to the mechanical side of things.  Motors were checked, fuel cells were replaced, and all hoses were checked and replaced where necessary. New propellers were also purchased.  As she stands now, the new boat looks brand new and sleek.

Also a welcome addition to the new team is Andrew Searle on throttles over from the Acme Racing Team.  He brings his wealth of experience in mechanics and offshore racing after many years in Class 1.

Mark Harrison and Andrew Searle tested this boat for the first time on their maiden voyage together.  The boat was great straight off the trailer.  It was tested in 2.5 meter swells off the Southport seaway with Global Racing also testing along side.  Upon its return, Mark and Andrew both commented that the boat was ready to race.  Now it’s up to us to deliver.

So here we have it !!!   A  fully rebuilt boat, a new partnership in crew members in a very competitive class of Supercat 1000.  They could cause a massive stir amongst this class when seat time and a build up of trust in this boat matures.  This will not take long as they are both very capable racers.

This boat is capable of winning championships so………. watch this space……

Story by Dion Peel
Offshore Team Media Liaison
dpeel66@hotmail.com

Article and picture courtesy of http://www.superboat.com.au.

ABU DHABI

Faced with the logistical enormity of transporting the F1H2O fleet from Milan to Kazan in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia – leg1 of a seemingly endless journey that later in July carries on to Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv, by truck, and then in August by sea from the port of Odessa to China – championship promoter Idea Marketing enlisted the expertise of international freight forwarders JAS Worldwide.

The freight train – dubbed the F1H2O Express – loaded with Idea Marketing’s 20, 40ft HC containers loaded with 32 boats consisting of F1 and F4 raceboats, the two-seater and rescue boats, plus TV broadcasting material, with spares and tools plus event management and timing equipment, left Milan at the start of a 3600kms marathon journey on June 16 and is due to arrive in Kazan on July 6, via Hupac European hub in Ludwigshafen and Moscow.

All articles and pictures published in PowerboatPro´s F1H2O news section courtesy of F1H2O

ABU DHABI

We saw the first of these engines undergoing tests in Sharjah at the end of 2010 and although the exhaust note was impressive. South African based Caudwell Marine have been working hard on their own designed sterndrive to make it reliable and competitive.

Caudwell Marine have yet to decide which boat they will choose but its clear the craft will have to be specifically designed to take the new engine and transmission.

All articles and pictures published in PowerboatPro´s F1H2O news section courtesy of F1H2O

ABU DHABI –

Who is this guy?

Well, if you’ve been following the world of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship for powerboat racing in 2011, you know it can only be rookie Shaun Torrente, who, sponsored by  Peters & May and racing for Team Sweden with his “gift” for driving has already earned himself notoriety while raising eyebrows from critics in the paddock at the same time with his “never give up” aggressive style of driving that seems to be his signature wherever he goes in the racing world along with his unlimited talents.

The 32 year-old currently sits tied for sixth in the World Championship with nine points and is hoping for more when the series moves to Kazan for it’s next race at the third round of the championship at the Grand Prix of Russia on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of July.

At the opening round at the Grand Prix of Qatar in March, Shaun, in his first ever race in his teammate Jonas Andersson’s older DAC hull, misjudged his qualifying set-up and started 12th on the grid. At the start of the event he quickly jumped up to sixth on the opening lap and later challenged French driver Philippe Chiappe for third position and a podium finish only to have a piece of his propeller break off during the race forcing him to settle for fourth place at the end of the day.

Nice beginning to Shaun’s introduction to UIM F1 racing and nine big points.

In Portimao, Portugal Torrente was quickest in Q2 qualifying only to drop back and start sixth off the dock from the Grand Prix start. On the opening lap he leaped to third passing a host of established stars and eventually slid into second position when Team Abu Dhabi driver Ahmed Al Hameli crashed out of the race on the ninth lap.

Norwegian driver Marit Stromoy of Team Nautica, who put the racing world on their ear the day before by earning pole position being the first women in international motor sports competition to start number one in a Grand Prix, was doing a great job holding off her male competition leading the race when the accident with Torrente occurred.

The incident happened on the re-start. Shaun, sitting behind Marit, shifted to the left lane pushing for his first ever Grand Prix lead, he and Marit got together, touched and both blew their boats over together in spectacular fashion ending their dreams for their first UIM F1 H2O victory.

Both drivers were thankfully unscathed after the incident, but their boats would need major repairs to race again. The UIM officials handed out two yellow cards to Shaun and now the driver from Miami, Florida must be careful not to receive another in the next four Grand Prix’s or he’ll be forced to sit out a race.

“People ask me if I am an aggressive driver and I say ‘Hell, Yes!”, said Shaun. “I promise all my fans that I will always give 110% effort. Not every decision and move you make as a driver will work out but I always learn from them and become better.”

The two-time North American F1 Champion went on to say, “The unfortunate accident for the race lead with Marit, I truly believe that neither one of us did anything egregious,” said the 32 year-old rookie. “I do not agree with the fact that I received two yellow cards but I also understand I am the “new guy” in the series.”

Torrente has a remarkable resume in racing. He’s always done well in every class he has competed in and he’s won a title in each series. Coming from the SST-45 class and moving up to SST-120 (F2) in America five years ago, Shaun teamed up with Californian ex-driver and then owner Fred Bowden making an instant mark in F1 and eventually winning titles the last two season’s in North America  while capturing nearly 75% of his starts in the process.

“I always wanted to race in the UIM F1 H2O series,” said Shaun. “I’ve proven what I can do in North America and now want to carry that same success over to the world tour as well. Linking up with Jonas Andersson and having a great sponsorship with Peters & May International Yacht Transportation is a real blessing, a dream come true.”

Shaun went on to say, “My team has gone to the UIM F1 H2O series and we are exactly where we expected to be which is we are fighting for wins. My boat has been fixed and now we’ll have to re-wire it when we get to Kazan to get her ready again.”

The driver who attended Florida State University and has his own high performance marine business in South Miami in the city of Homestead, oddly enough had never raced against fellow American and points leader in the championship Jay Price of the Qatar Team until this season.

“When I am racing, I am doing just that, racing…whatever it takes,” stated Torrente. “I said before Portimao that I thought I truly believed I could win and I was in position to do just that. Now, I just have to close the deal. By the way, next time I’ll leave my helmet on my head and not take it off only if I am unlucky enough to have another stoppage in a Grand Prix again. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen however.”

Shaun and drivers from 12 different nations are expected to ascend on the junction of the Volga and Kazanka rivers at the lovely ancient city of Kazan which is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, in Russia for the 12th Grand Prix of Russia on the 16th and 17th of July. The full weekend’s activities with the one hour qualifying for pole on the 16th of July and the Grand Prix event on the 17th can be followed exclusively live on the official website at www.f1h2o.com .

Be In The Know – With F1 H2O!

All articles and pictures published in PowerboatPro´s F1H2O news section courtesy of F1H2O

ABU DHABI –

Well, until, last month that is, at the Grand Prix of Portugal, when one Marit Stromoy of Team Nautica shocked the racing world when she put her brand new BABA Italian built boat ahead of 16 other drivers (all male) to lead the field for the first time as a woman at a Grand Prix in the four decade history of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship for power boating.

Marit’s not all about racing however, she is a very complex and talented woman with many other gifts in life.

Plain and simple, she’ll tell you her first love is racing an F1 boat. However, her other passion, which keeps her energized fully day after day away from the water, is her growing entertainment career.

Marit’s resume is a long and successful one. She has been performing on stage and singing in concerts throughout Northern Europe for over a decade. This past week alone, she gave a concert in Sweden and later a special concert for one of her sponsor’s Energima.

However, one of her new projects she is setting out to begin is a reality TV production in France. It will mark a return to Southern Europe for the first time since she was the headline performer at a lavish gala awards dinner in Monaco back in late February.

All this activity combined with her shortly heading off to her next race on the UIM F1 H2O tour which is scheduled for the 16th and 17th of July in the ancient city of Kazan in the Republic of Tatarstan for the 12th Grand Prix of Russia.

“Portugal was something very special to me,” said Marit. “The race in Portugal was fantastic and bad at the same time with crashing out with Shaun Torrente while leading. I have really enjoyed my new boat, my mechanics who did a fantastic job in giving me the perfect setup to take it all the way to the top. Now, I will focus on the next race in Kazan and hopefully fight for pole position and a win for the first time as well.”
 
Portimao marked for the 35 year-old from Oslo, Norway her first pole in 33 starts. She began racing in the S550 class and moved up in F2 before taking on the challenge of F1 back in 2007. Oddly enough, her previous best effort in qualifying with a sixth place starting spot in last years Grand Prix of China in Shenzhen.

Marit has a pair of fifth place finishes back in 2009 in Linyi, China and the final event of the year in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. She has made wonderful strides since her nightmarish season in 2008 when she appeared for six events, failed to start two of them, crashed out in three of the four she did start and never saw the finish line during that time.

“It seems light years away from 2008,” Marit stated as she looked into the distance. “A dream that is now left me and now I see nothing but good things ahead. All of Norway followed me at the Grand Prix in Portimao and was devastated when I crashed out with the lead. They take me more seriously now and realize I have turned a corner in my career and am ready to do more as a driver as I chase my first win. It’s all very exciting.”

Entertaining thousands, whether it’s on stage or on the water, is something Marit hopes she can continue to do for a long time as her name continues to grow larger around the world. She takes her inspiration from others.

“I’m really not in this sport because of the fact that I want to be the only woman inside a man’s world.” she said recently on a warm summer evening in Oslo. “But simply because I was born into it and powerboats are my life. Naturally, I cheer for great female drivers in motor sport such as the Danica Patrick’s from Indy-car racing and the like and I hope that we can be an inspiration for other female race drivers around the world in whatever sport they have a passion in like I have in F1 powerboats.”

Well said, Marit. Well said and your actions in Portugal backed up your words and dreams of making a difference in the sport of power boat racing.

Marit’s next action will be at the third race of the 2011 UIM F1 H2O World Championship for power boating at the 12th Grand Prix of Russia in Kazan, Tatarstan on the 16th and 17th of July. Live qualifying on the 16th and the Grand Prix on the 17th can be followed live on the official website of the tour by going to http://www.f1h2o.com

Be In The Know – With F1 H2O!

All articles and pictures published in PowerboatPro´s F1H2O news section courtesy of F1H2O

By Zapcat Racing

I am here today with Rob Wickham owner and pilot of Zapcat # 77 Exe Jets, thanks Rob for agreeing to our second pilot interview of the season, firstly Exe Jets where did that name come from?  How long have you been racing Zapcats now and what was your interest in the sport?

Our name the Exe Jets comes from where we live, Exmouth, which is right on the river Exe  and jets because my old co pilot and I own jet skis which we use a lot.

This is my 3rd season now, because Graham and I are mad on watersports and any waterborn activity, we thought at the start when we saw the boats at the boat show, that it looked like a good challenge!

This year is the first time we have experimented with weight classes, how do you feel it is going?  As a bigger chap who works out frequently, weight is an issue but does fitness still come into play and are there any specific exercises you do to help with your racing?

The weight classes are working well I think, its bringing a lot closer racing not just on the water but in the different points system as well.

Massively as you do need to keep fit and on top of your game, I visit the chiropractor a lot !! Lots of cardio and a lot of strength is needed in the upper body and legs, because as you say being slightly larger than normal you do have to move up and down a lot in the boat!

You have a new co-pilot this year, how is that working for you?

My new copilot Jim, he is fitting invery well, it normally takes quite a while for a team to gel and get into the rhythm, but Jim has slotted in straight away which is ace! That is mainly due to the fact that he really wants to do it which for a copilot is paramount and the rest is down to my training skills!

You have been unlucky in two finals so far this season out of the four Rounds do you think you can change things around in Edinburgh at the weekend?

Yes Edinburgh will be our turning point, in racing you do need a bit of luck but also you need consistancy, we are winning more heats and finals than we are losing so we will be looking to get it together up there which I think now for the third Grand Prix of the season we are due!

Leith Docks is a unique venue for Zapcat Racing and even though it is pretty flat water what challenges does it present to teams?

A flat course will end up usually with some tight turns and an extended pit lap so full concentration is as key as a good start !

This year it is the only City Championship venue – do you think that will be an extra incentive for the teams?

Yes this year especially, because its our only flat venue, some of the teams not normally in the running will be looking to do well because its flat, however if your boats running sweet and you are on form, you really have got the venue that can deliver the results you need before you get back on the open sea, which can throw you some tricky conditions easily upsetting the applecart (or Zapcat!)

We always get very well looked after by Ocean Terminal and there are great crowds, would you like to see more Scottish or Northern events or is it too far to travel for a weekend?

Well tricky one! Yes it is a great venue and yes I personally would like to see more venues up north but it is an awful long way to go as well, however if you want to compete and to win I think you should be prepared to travel anywhere in the UK as we have done in the past!

Which is your favourite Zapcat venue and why?

Well thats an easy answer – Fistral the Zapcat racers’ venue, the place, the water and the ultimate challenge!

Good Luck for Edinburgh Rob & Jim and hopefully we can catch up again soon

Thanks and hopefully that will be with the Ocean Terminal Grand Prix trophy too!

Article and pictures courtesy of ZapCat Racing.

Shemchuk’s race boat, Ukrainian Spirit, a 42’ Vee bottom and the 40’ Seagull plan on racing this year in the 21st Annual New York Grand Prix and 31st Annual Key West World Championship events. SBIP will act as the representative and management organization of the Ukrainian race teams in the United States.

This contract has set a new era in Super Boat Racing making it World Wide and racing under one rulebook. I look forward to working with Viktor and all of the race teams that will be racing in our events and in the Key West World Championship.

Article and pictures courtesy of Super Boat International