Taming the P1-28SS Panther
From my arrival I was made to feel very welcome by Martin and his staff.
They are doing a great job over there.
The Friday afternoon and evening consisted of a “welcome” gathering with drinks and snacks and it was great to meet and chat with people that were either interested in buying the new boat for pleasure or getting involved with the SuperStock race series in the US.
On Saturday we went to the Fountain (Liberty Associates) factory to test the new boat and to have a tour of the facility.
It was quite windy, which contributed to choppy sea conditions for testing. I was pleased about this as it meant I would get a good idea of how the boat handled in conditions similar to those in the UK.
From the moment you sit in the boat you get a feeling of comfort and security from the well thought out cockpit.
From a standing start the boat got onto the plane within seconds, a testament to the Evinrude HO 250HP engine. Once on the plane the boat had no problem handling the sea state, just a bit of throttle and steering correction needed here and there,(although I did get a bit out of shape once when I over trimmed), and its cornering was superb.
On the whole I was very impressed with the boat and can’t wait to get racing with a full grid this year.
The tour of the facility was very interesting and informative, seeing each process involved in the manufacture of these well built and beautifully finished boats.
I had a great weekend and my sponsors Hesketh are really pleased with my feedback.
Ian Brusby – Rough Cut Racing
All articles published on Powerboat Pro in Powerboat P1, Powerboat P1 SuperStock and Powerboat P1 USA News section courtesy of Powerboat P1. All images used courtesy of onEdition.
