ROUND 8 – PRESTATYN SANDS ZAPCAT GP – Race Report

Race teams for the first time in almost a year were faced with very challenging conditions that included a strong onshore wind and choppy rolling waves.  The constant breeze was not really a surprise as the UK’s oldest wind farm is located 5 miles offshore and the 30 turbine blades were spinning!

A cool and windy July day normally means very few people on a beach, however with the attraction of Zapcat Racing at Prestatyn for the first time there were many braving the weather and even more sat in the comfort of their cars viewing all the action!

Apart from the surf at Newquay, there have not been any venues this year with the combination of chop and a strong wind and the opening heats for both divisions proved to be very physical.

Several teams were feeling the effects especially within Division two and failed to make the start line through engine problems or fatigue, however there was one co-pilot who must receive a special mention.

Adam (Alvin the Chipmunk) Rich who has joined the Welsh boat Nine Lives this year also volunteered co-piloting duties on the day for the Dangerous Brothers, (replacing Ben Eldridge who departs this week for work in Kuwait until the end of the season), so Adam ended up absolutely exhausted after racing in both divisions and both finals!

To top it off he went for a swim as Charlie accelerated Nine Lives off a wave, but Adam finished the day sore but smiling.

Division two final ended up after that DQ as a three boat affair with Bluesheets III taking gold, Scaredy Cat silver and Mail Agent bronze.  Mail Agent is now tied in 11th place in the Celtic Cup their best result in a competition over the last two seasons.

Division one is proving to be a very interesting battle between Bluesheets I, Delta Jets, BladeRun and Speedy Hire with the odd contender such as Team Suffolk or the rookies SeaVacation II stealing vital points.  Bluesheets I showed their experience and class taking the Grand Prix title from BladeRun and in a tie for overall third place SeaVacation II, Speedy Hire and Delta Jets.

Sunday’s Round 8 was far more entertaining for the many spectators and photographers with Zapcats leaping into the air and just a little reminder to the teams that this is sometimes an extreme sport!

Ed Morris rejoins his brother Charles in the other Welsh Zapcat Westgate at the second Welsh tour stop in Barry in a couple of weeks, last seen dodging ash clouds en-route from Qatar to Fistral Beach, Newquay.

Neil Fraser in PatioDoorStore will also be making a welcome return, Neil who finished runner up in the championships last year also ran into the same ash cloud and missed the first event of the season and due to work commitments and a niggling injury has been unable to race and help out his team mate Speedy Hire.

Thank you to everyone at Denbighshire County Council and Pontin’s for making the event happen and we look forward to returning to North Wales in the not too distant future.

Arcticle and picture courtesy of ZapCat Racing