Guernsey

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AN ATTEMPT will be made on the 12-year-old round-the-island record during the weekend’s Condor Ferries Guernsey Powerboat Grand Prix.

The current one of 27min. 40sec. was set in 1995 by Ricky Leslie and Gerry Gill in Ricky’s Rooster.
With boats racing in a number of classes tomorrow and on Sunday, the record seems set to fall, but which one takes it will depend on weather conditions.
The two days of racing are part of Nautical Guernsey’s programme for the year.
Chairman John Elliott is looking forward to the weekend.
‘These races signal the start of this year’s Royal Yachting Association national championships and Guernsey can be very proud to host the event and showcase our waters.’
The grand prix weekend is based around St Sampson’s Harbour, with the pits and presentation area on the Crocq.
Multiple world champions Pete Little and Dave Arthur head Class 3C, in which competitors will not only be seeking championship points, but also using it as a dry – or not so dry – run for next year when the Guernsey Powerboat Association host the class’s world championships.
Little and Arthur start the season with high hopes after touching 95mph in their catamaran during speed trials on Coniston at the end of last season.
Among their potential challengers is another former world champion, Jerseyman Roy Smith, who is back in racing after a serious accident.
He will compete in a boat carrying the livery of event sponsor Condor Ferries.
In all, about a dozen boats in this class are expected to come to the start line for the races tomorrow and Sunday.
There are three catamarans in the fleet, with the remainder monohulls or Bat boats.
The weekend includes races for other classes, with 18-year-old Josh Brown the youngest driver in the V24, or Bat boat class.
Also racing will be Ribs, including Guernsey’s Jon Rowe and Mark Fox in the 27ft Blue Dart and a class for basic boats as well water-ski racers. The pits area is open to the public throughout the event and will be the scene of the post-race presentations.
The best vantage point for spectators is the Castle Breakwater, particularly on Sunday when the action will be nearer the shore.

Should be able to post some pics over the weekend.

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http://www.derwentmarine.net/gsy2007/IMG_1403.jpg

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[Morgs]

Cheers John finally signed up. I will get some more photos later (After the Missus makes me go to B&Q!)





www.derwentmarine.net

[ciao]

Take Gerve with you!:D

[Morgs]

I thought I would post the Local BBC article for (before the race)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guernsey/content/articles/2007/05/24/powerboat_weekend_2007_feature.shtml
Sundays Weather - Hope you like your swell big chaps

0600 - 1200
Pressure - 994 mB F
Temp max/min - 14/10 degrees C
Wind speed - F5-6 becoming F3-5
Wind direction - S becoming W
Max gust in knots - 38 becoming 30
Sea state - Moderate
Visibility - Good becoming Very good
Sig weather - becoming

[Ben Mazur]

Nice pics Ciao. Keep them coming.

[Ben Mazur]

Welcome to Proprider Morgs.

Ah Guernsey, one of my very favourite places. We went to all the races between 89-94 and even raced in 92!

[Morgs]

Well racing here had a lot to do with me moving away from Caterham.
Little and Arthur Won. C-31 Took their eye off the ball and flipped after the finish. Roy Smith expressed his dislike of the sea conditions out there and described it as rather lumpy and that with a two day event he was happy that he didn't manage to break anything.

A wet C-31 http://www.derwentmarine.net/gsy2007/IMG_1442.jpg

[Morgs]

http://www.derwentmarine.net/gsy2007/IMG_1444.jpg

[Morgs]

Finally before the bad weather gets in. Tomorrow is looking very unlikely to be a full course with a F8/9 Gale tonight the Sea state even if the storm blows through the sea is going to be pretty nasty (I am quite gad I am not doing safety this year now)
http://www.derwentmarine.net/gsy2007/IMG_1454.jpg

[Rupert Munro]

Nice set of pictures.

[Rupert Munro]

Is C-31 ex Brita water filters or is that another boat?

[Morgs]

Day 2, shortened 7 lap course. Not a day for the Cats. No particular order just my best shots (espcially V24's request for clearance from Air Traffic Control! I had to leave all the outcome, ouch) No one tipped over today either.http://www.derwentmarine.net/gsy2007/IMG_1546.jpg

[Morgs]

http://www.derwentmarine.net/gsy2007/IMG_1556.jpg

[Morgs]

http://www.derwentmarine.net/gsy2007/IMG_1564-2.jpg

[Morgs]

And for those of you who know that feeling the bump, before the bang.
http://www.derwentmarine.net/gsy2007/IMG_1565-3.jpg

[Morgs]

Ahh, chewing dashboard
http://www.derwentmarine.net/gsy2007/IMG_1566-4.jpg

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[Morgs]

http://www.derwentmarine.net/gsy2007/IMG_1470.jpg

[Ben Mazur]

Great shots. Looks like it was a bit lumpy.

[ciao]

Good work H! Another new profession? Love the yellow V24 shot!

[Rupert Munro]

Great set of photos, was it a standard digi cam or a dslr?

[Morgs]

It was using a DSLR - Canon EOS 300D with a 90-300mm Lens. The lens wasn't really strong enough for the distance but a bit of cropping and resize and touchups in photo shop does the trick.

[Rupert Munro]

Cool - I'm thinking of getting the 400d with that lens, so glad to see the pics look good!

[ciao]

It was using a DSLR - Canon EOS 300D with a 90-300mm Lens. The lens wasn't really strong enough for the distance but a bit of cropping and resize and touchups in photo shop does the trick.


and of course VAT free!

[Rupert Munro]

and of course VAT free!

Ah, I understand - bought in Guernsey!

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POOR weather conditions took their toll on the grand prix weekend and yesterday’s strong winds meant the round-the-island race was cancelled, in favour of a shorter course.
Mark Bridges, navigator for class V-24 team Bat Out of Hell who won Saturday’s race, said he was disappointed the record wasn’t up for grabs.
‘It’s one of the most adventurous courses in the calendar, so to miss out was a bit of a blow.
‘Our dashboard split in half, so our driver, Cliff Smith, had the steering wheel in his lap for half the race.
‘All in all, it was quite a race.’
The competition had its fair share of dramas, with V-24 team Lamco Design launching an official protest against their disqualification on Saturday.
Organiser Kevin Walsh explained the harbour master had ruled any boat caught overtaking in the Gouliot Passage would be automatically disqualified.
‘One of the observers saw Bat Out Of Hell ahead as the boats entered the passage.
‘But when they left, Lamco Design were ahead, so they must have overtaken illegally and were disqualified. Personally, I don’t agree with it, but we have to stick to health and safety regulations.’
Lamco Design, who would have won Saturday’s race had it not been for the disqualification, maintained the Bat Out of Hell boat slowed down so much they were unable to avoid overtaking them. But the Bat Out of Hell crew refused to comment on the matter, saying there was ‘already some bad feeling between the drivers’.
The competition was not without crashes, with Sark Pirates John Guille and Kieran Perree getting thrown out of their class F200 boat, Insouciance.
Peree suffered swelling on his face from the force of the impact with the water, but neither racer was seriously hurt.
‘We were going really fast into the Gouliot Passage and the water changed,’ said Guille.
‘Our boat hit a wave, which flipped us right out of the cockpit.
‘We managed to swim back to the boat and then we drove back to St Sampson’s as we didn’t want to risk carrying on in case either of us had concussion.’
Class three driver Val Bryant was hospitalised on Saturday, after rolling his boat, Frenzy, at high speed on a corner.
Although kept in for observation, he was not seriously injured and was allowed to leave that night.
However, he and navigator Barry Culver were unable to race yesterday, because their boat was too badly damaged.
A highlight of the weekend was the presence of ski-boat racers.
Unfortunately, the bad weather forced the event to take place further out to sea and compromised spectators’ views.
European champion Kim Lumley was still jetlagged after her long haul from the World Championships in New Zealand, which had finished only the week before.
‘This weekend was all about demonstrating the sport to people, rather than competitive racing.
‘It’s a shame the sea was so rough, as we had to limit our speed to around under 50mph instead of the usual 100mph.
‘I’ve never been to Guernsey before, but it’s an excellent venue for watersports.