international event - Powerboat Archive

English team have
championship hopes
Guernsey businessman Graham Peck, will be
among those gearing up for next week's Fowerboat
Championships.
A former World Champion in 1.3 litre and 2 litre
classes and a runner-up in the World Class 2
Championships, Peck will certainly be a strong
challenger in thisyear's event.
He will partner Tony Dowley in the brand new 33
foot Thunderboat 'F\rller Logistics', built in
Southampton by Cougar Marine.
Peck, from St Martins, first started powerboat
racing over a decade ago, after watching a race.
"I was hooked on racing boats at Oulton Broad in
Suffolk and then I saw offshore boats racing in Great
Yarmouth in 1982 and I haven't stopped since," he
explained.
"I enjoy the long races and I really etrjoy winning
and my ambition is to win a third World title - it would
be great to do that in Bango!," added Peck
PeclCs codrive4 lbny Dowley also has a great race
pedigree, having set a few speed records.
The Surrey man began powerboat racing eight
years ago worked his way up foom cruiser class to tlte
powertrl Class 2 category setting a couple of speed
records on the wa;r
He also holds the fastest time from Poole to
Cherbourg in a rigid 1t61 inflxtable - so speed and
endurance, both vital for the three-race World
Championship, are his strengths.
Explaining how he got into powerboats, Dowley
said: "I used to watch powerboat racing as a young
man and ljust loved the speed on water.
"I also love fast cars but I feel I'm a better throttle
man in a boat tian I am behind the wheel of a car.
AIso in the powerboat racing any team can talk and
mix with the very best and you never feel belittled,"
he added.
Dowley, who manages a transport and distribution
company, highlights one of his most memorable
moments as getting lost in Swansea in a boat with
tlree compasses.
Luckily he will not need to use his navigation skills
in Bangor as an onboard satellite navigation system
will keep him and his co-driver on eourse.
World
champions
Previous world ehampionships
1982 GianniRosso Italy
1983 Gianpiero Lazzarone ltaly
1984 Emilio Riganti ltaly
1985 Chris Lavin USA
1986 Gigi Radice Italy
1987 Peter Hidalgo USA
1988 Roger Fletcher Britain
1989 Carlo Umbedo Bonomi ltaly
1990 Neil Holrnes Britain
1991 Andrea Bonomi ltaly
1992 Daniel Scioli Argentina
1993 Michael Flode Sweden
1994 PhilDuggan UAE
1995 Charles Burnett II Britain
1996 SaeedAlTbyer UAE
1997 Ken Thorne Britain
Local hopes rest with
international event
HOPES are high
that next week's World
Offshore Powerboat
ehampionships will
herald the revival of
the sport locally.
Up to l0 years ago the
sight of powerboats racing
up and down the north
Down coast was all too
common.
Nowtimes have changed
with Bangor man Hugh
Holmes only one of six
members left in the
Northern Ireland Offshore
Powerboat Club.
Howeve4 he hopes that
next week's racing will
bring new interest in this
exciting sport.
"We hope it will pick up
again," he said, explaining
that when he began racing
at the end ofthe 1960s ther€
was a healthy interest, with
20-30 boats racing all over
Northern Ireland.
Racing at that stage
from Donaghadee was the
Ulster Offshore Powertoat
Club.
Hugh joined that club
but later moved and
eventually joined the
Otrhore Powerboat Club of
Northern Ireland which
had its base in the Stables
in Groomsoort.
"It raced out of
Groomsport andboth clubs
actually had reasonably
good successes," said
Hugh.
This included successes
in the Manx Marathon - an
around the island race.
Among those to
successfully race in this
event were Douglas
Blakely and Peter Bullock
in'Ghost Rider'.
In 1973-74 Hugh was
navigator for Norman
Cordiner when t}tey raced
round the island. They
were second in their class,
third overall and the frrst
Irish boat home in the
Manx Marathon.
Races were also held
locally including an event
in Aquarama' - a week-Iong
festival of watersports held
in the 1970s.
Unfortunately the
increased professionalism
of powerboat racing and
the fuel crises of the 70s
and 80s led to the sport
dying out locally.
"It just petered out and
ground to a halt," explained
the Bangor man.
Hugh and five others
kept the club going and,
although they do not race
anymore, Hugh still has a
28 foot powerboat.
He now races yachts but
says: "My first love is
powerboats."
Next week he will be
helping at the powerboats
as ajuryboat making sure
that the competitors do
pass the markers.
"We always wanted to
have a big international,"
he said.
Givic
eYents
NORTH Down
Borough Council is
holding a number of
civic events for the
powertoat drivers.
On Monday drivers
are being invited to a
drinks reception at
Bangor Town Hall and
on Thesday there is a
civic reception at the
Culloden Hotel.
Aprize-giving dinner
for the winners is being
heldintheMarineCourt
Hotel on Saturday night
while the rest of the
competitors, officials
and sponsors will be
treated to a buffet in a
seafront marquee.
lera louaee filrcarvtclg

Dicin€ with
death r at
L2Omph
TIITH powerboats bouncing across the water at
speeds reaching 120mph, safety is a factor which cannot
be ignored.
Like Formula One motorsport, improvements are
continually being made to eliminate as much danger as
possible.
Measures taken to improve safety in powerboating
include enclosed cockpits and the installation of
emergency oxygen stores on the boats.
According to David Nott, a former powerboat driver,
this is an important development.
When he was racing in the 1970s and 1980s powertoats
didnothave the coclpits, although theywere notreaching
the same speeds today's powerboats can.
"These boats are doing tremendous speeds. Ifyou flick
a pedal on the wateryou get a bouncing effeet.
"There's a particular speed where the water actually
gives and accepts the body and you stop bouncing. That's
where you break things. Hence the safety cockpit," he
explained.
Helicopters with safety drivers on board are also a
requirement for present day powerboat races.
ln fact, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al
Maktoum insists thathe has his own helicopterwith diver
on board at every race.
Not only is it there to assist his Victory Team should
anything happen, but in the past has hetped other boats
in trouble.
To help rescuers each boat also has the number of
people in the team painted on the front of the boat.
"If the boat does turn over the nose nearly always
points in the air: This means the rescue helicopter can
see how manypeople need rescuing," explained Mr Nott.
He continued by saylng that there is tremendous
camaraderie amongst powerboat racers.
"You'll never get a powerboat racer passing a boat
which has overturned," he said, pointingoutthatlastyear
Ken Thorne stopped to rescue another driver during a
championship race.
"The importance of winning is there but it's not
important over somebody's life," said Mr Nott.
Pouer and the Ghry
Welshman
aims to
retain title
WELSH World
Powerboat Champion,
Ken Thorne, faces
tough opposition when
he attempts to retain his
title next week
The three-race
event. which starts on
Tuesday (June 23),
brings together the
fastest Class 2
oowerboats from
lround the world to
provide a week of
awesome racing on the
water.
Thorne will be
defending his World title
in a brand new lzomph
powerboat. A 10 metre
monohull powered by
l200bhp twin turbo
diesel, the boat has been
race-pr€pared in ltaly-
Iloweveq the Cardifr
man knows that even
with this new boat the
competition for the
World title willbe fierce.
"Winning the World
Championship wasn't
easy, but keeping it is
going to be really
difficult," admitted
Thome.
Thorne, a Cardiff
businessman, joined the
sport of offshore
powerboat racing three
years ago when he
puchased the winning
monohull, 'Baby Uno'
from the Norwegian
owner of the Ugland
International Shipping.
He raced !o his first
world title in Argentina
lastyea4 winningin the
Seatek diesel-powered
'Chrysler Jeep'. On the
throttles was boat
builder Matteo Nicolini,
who will be partnering
Thorneagain in Bangor
Itwas an eventfullof
drama, not least in the
second ofthe three race
Championship when
Thorne and Austrian
driver, Bohinc were
running neck and neck
for the chequered flag.
Bohinc jerked the
wheel too sharplywhile
aiming for a turn buoy
and the boat rolled. The
co-r'lriver was quickly
out, but it was seven or
eight minutes before an
unconscious Bohinc
was dragged from the
upturned boat.
lVo days later the
Austrian d:iver was
released from hospital
attributing his survival
to the air supply in the
boat, the speed of
rescue by the support
helicopter and giving
due credit to Thorne
and Nicolini who
immediately stopped
and dived in when they
saw the boat go over.
Thome was awarded
second place - the
position he hetd before
stopping to assist at the
accident scene. In the
frnal race, Thorne knew
he had done enough to
Ken Thom€
lift the title so he came
home in a comfortable
second place.
This year he hopes
the new Nicolini boat
will bring him his
second World
Championship title.
"The famous Victory
Team from Dubai are
bringing two boats
which they've worked
on all winter. There will
be an International freld
including the best from
Italy, Scandinavia and
other British
competitons. I recently
tested aThundertoat in
Bangor and it is a
superb venue for the
Championship.
"Over three races
reliability cuunts for all
- to frnish first, first you
have to finish," he said-
Hot staff
team hot
foots it to
Bangor
TIIE Hot Staff
Racing team heads the
Scandinavian line-up
roaring into Bangor
next week
Controlling the
throttles ofthis hot
contender is Atle Staft
from Oslo.
This former downhill
skier took up
powerboat racing 14
years ago ano rs
renowned for driving
hard in rough waten
This has taken him
to three Noruegian
Championship titles,
two World
Championship
victories and he has set
two world speed
records.
Atlewill be
throttling the 9.6 metre
hull powered by a
Seatek diesel engine.
Morten Lein. also
from Oslo, will drive for
Hot Stafr Racing and
he Imows what wiming
is all about - he
partnered Atle on their
way to the two lvorld
Championship
victories in 1996 and
1997.

Dubai team
looking for
THE Dubai Victory
Team will be out to
regain the world
championship tiile they
lost to Welshman IGn
Thorne in Argentina
lastyear.
The most successftrl
team in offshore
powerboat racing, the
Victory Team will be
competing in Bangor
next week with two 32
foot catamarans built at
its Dubai base on the
sbores of the Arabian
Gulf in the United Arab
Emirates.
The four men with
the task of carrying
grcathopes areXhahn
Harib, Saeed Al Taye4,
Ali Nasser and
MohammedAl Ghaith.
World champions in
1996, Ilarib and Nasser
will pilot tlre lead boat
while Al Tayer - class I
world champion in 1995
and 1996 - and UAE
figher pilot Al Ghaith
will form the second
parhership.
Hopes are certainly
high for a second
championship title.
Khalfaa Harib. who
combines his throttling
and boat driving duties
with the position of team
mmaging director, said:
"Noteamhas everwon
the class II world
championship more
than once so we have
inceltive to do well this
year.Nothingcanbel4
to chance."
With the backing of
His Highness Sheikh
bin RashidAl
Maktoum, vice
president and Prime
Ministerof the UAE and
ruler of Dubai, the
Victory team certainty
is a formidable forrce.
The team has
alreadywonthe class I
world championship
three times infiveyears
and finished first and
second in the class II
championship in 1996.
Among the
victory
advantages Victory has
over other teams
headingfornext week's
championships is a
climate which allows
testing throughout the
wint€r.
trIhile otler drivers
and thrnttle men have to
sit out the winter, the
Victoryteam can test at
sea from November to
Mayin the surmyGulf.
"We are lucky the
weather is kind to us
backinDubai.
"We know that
almost everydaywill be
agreeable. Our testing
programme is very
rarely affected by the
weathe4," said Saeed Al
Tayer.
They will certainly
notice a change in tlre
weather conditions
when they arrive in
Bangor next week bul
acrcording to Harib, the
team are looking
forward to racing in
Nortlrcrn Irelandfor the
firsttime.
"We've competed in
Dundee, Cowes and
Guerasey but never in
NotthembelaDdso
year's
+his
world
championship will be
particularly special fu r
u:t.
"WeVe heard a lot
about the hospitality
and warmth of the lrish
people and so everyone
is lookfurg forward to the
evenl Hopefullywe can
provide them with a
week of great racing,"
he said.
Pmtn and tbe Ghrv
Starting
line-up
The starting line up
for Class Il Srorld
Offshore Powerboat
Championships is:
Ml 'Chrysler Jeep'
driven by Ken
Thome (Wales) and
Matteo Niceolini
Otafy).
M5 'IIot
Staff'
driven by Atle M
Staff and Fredd
Mortenleen 6oth
Norray).
MZ 'Victory Team'
driven by trftalfan
Harib and Ali
Nasser Bel
Ilabala (bothUAD.
M13 'Victory Team'
ilriven by SaeedAl-
Tayer and
MohamedAl-
Ghaith ftoth UAE).
M66 Ceranica
Psnaria driven by
Mario Invernlzzi
andMaurizio Darai
Ooth ltar$.
MS Offshore
Joekeys drive by
Alamary
Mohammad and
AlgamaAli
6othUAD.
Mll Abu Dhabi
lbamdrivenbyPhil
Duggar(UAEr.lte
codriver is
still to be
auounccd"
MZI Assagai V
driven by David
Allenby and Chris
Allenby (both
England.
Little Norway
driven by Erik
Ilir*sdelenandAlle
Skaardal (both
Norvay).
T hun de rs tor m
driven by Simon
Fletcher and John
Ilampton (both
England.
Fullers Logistics
driven by Tony
Dowley and
ftahatrFeckOotb
Engfanil.
Cougar
Thunderboat
driven by Steve
Curtis (England).
lte c"o- driver is
still to be
announced.
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