Luke Durman returns to Australia’s offshore circuit
by Bob Wonders published on http://www.superboat.com.au
Luke Durman will make a comeback to the Offshore Superboat Championships at Redcliffe (September 18/19) after missing the two North Queensland rounds due to the impending birth of his son, Oscar.
Durman has not raced since round one off Newcastle, where he and throttleman Ross Willaton, aboard ‘Maritimo’ finished in second place behind team mate ‘Aegean’ crewed by Tom Barry-Cotter and Pal Virik Nilsen.
At Redcliffe (round four of the championships), Durman, director of marketing for Maritimo when he’s not on the race circuit, will again crew with Willaton, their boat now re-named ‘Mustang’ following team owner Bill Barry-Cotter’s acquisition of the Gold Coast boat manufacturer.
Durman and Willaton scored a Class 1 Australian offshore title in 2005.
‘I’m really looking forward to Redcliffe,’ Durman said.
‘It simply would not have been fair to my wife, Kristy, to be swanning around North Queensland while she was awaiting the birth of our son. Now that we’ve welcomed Oscar into the family I’m ready to race,’ he declared.
The two North Queensland rounds of the championships, held at Mackay and Townsville, proved a disaster for the Maritimo team with both boats sustaining engine problems at both venues and failing to finish a race.
Crew chief Peter ‘Muddy’ McGrath and his team, headed by ace engine builder Kurt Davies, have been meticulous in readying the engines for both boats, Maritimo V8 power plants developing 930hp each. Flywheels have been changed at belts strengthened following the problems that emerged at Mackay and Townsville.
Article courtesy of Superboat.com.au and Mr. Bob Wonders. Picture courtesy of Superboat.com.au, Mr Bob Wonders and Maritimo.
