ZAPCAT MID SEASON STANDINGS UPDATE

With 8 Rounds completed we are at the halfway point of the championships and there are certainly no team orders applying as all Zapcats are fighting for every possible point!

We have travelled quite a few miles this year and so far visited three new venues that have included breaking surf in Newquay at Fistral Beach, the River Lagan in Belfast, Leith Docks in Edinburgh and Barkby & Central Beaches in Prestatyn so that is England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales completed.

Scaredy Cat is winning the Services Championship; unfortunately their rival competitors in the Royal Marines and Royal Navy have struggled with available personnel, as this is a new competition open to both serving and retired military or civilian teams we hope to see more new teams in the future from the Police, Army, RAF and other Rescue or Emergency Services.

In the Mixed Championship Russell & Sandra Sidney (Scaredy Cat) are holding off the challenge from Dan Smith and Naomi Sareth Wood (Bluesheets II) the other regular mixed team and are sure to have other battles with other part time mixed teams such as Team Suffolk when Adelle can take the co-pilot ropes from her brother Kieron.

The Celtic Cup will be decided over the next two GP weekends and at the moment is a battle between Bluesheets I, BladeRun and Speedy Hire.  Defending champions Delta Jets are fighting off six other teams who are all within 40 points of them with a maximum 400 more available.

The Team Championship is very finely poised with Bluesheets Racing (I & II) just ahead of the Lost Buoys (Delta Jets and BladeRun) in fact this last weekend both teams picked up 330 points, SeaVacation (I & II) have moved up to third place just ahead of Scaredy Suffolk (Scaredy Cat & Team Suffolk).

The City Championship will see no movement until we arrive in Aberdeen where Bluesheets I and BladeRun will continue their battle.

Unless the surf gets up at Barry or Aberdeen there will be no points added to the King of the Surf until possibly the last event of the season, Bluesheets I lead the way from Delta Jets, Speedy Hire and SeaVacation II.

Rookie Championship leader is SeaVacation II after a fantastic start to the season with a division two win, promotion into division one and a podium finish, Jack Weller and Nick Martin are finding their feet again after a couple of average performances and have moved into fifth place overall, their nearest challenger for the Rookie title is It’s All Greek to Us who should also be back in division one for the next event.

That leaves just the National Championships and it is no surprise, with three GP wins out of four so far that Bluesheets I are leading in 2010 just as they did in ’09 when picking up their maiden title.

A taxi driver asked one of the teams over the weekend whether the sport was amateur or professional, if you define professionalism in terms of approach and conduct rather than remuneration then Craig Davis and Rob Martin are as professional as any other top sportsmen who dominate their chosen field and in doing so others have had to raise their game to remain competitive.

The season is only half way old or young depending on your glass half full or empty approach and at the risk of a further cliché or three, most of the titles cannot be won yet, but they sure can be lost!   Don’t forget the discards as that will shuffle the pack even more!

Arcticle and picture courtesy of ZapCat Racing