Ben Mazur
02-20-2008, 10:26 AM
Latest from the Australian Offshore Powerboat Club
Back-to-back superboat victories in Melbourne\
Perfect conditions on Port Phillip Bay yesterday saw a number of superboats secure back-to-back wins in the two Melbourne-based rounds of the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships.
In an awe-inspiring display of endurance and speed, Class One superboat Maritimo overcame engine problems in the early stages of the Williamstown Offshore Powerboat Classic and raced to victory from the back of the field, completing 12 laps of the 13.7km circuit and lapping its closest competitor Impact Steel.
It was a disappointing day on the water for Class One rival Simrad – having lead the field for much of the race and looking like cruising to a Round Four win, mechanical problems forced the team out of the race after eight laps. Similarly, ACME Racing retired after just four laps.
Melbourne-based boat Saracen followed in Maritimo’s footsteps to make it back-to-back victories in the Supercat Outboard class.
A busy week on the water fulfilling media commitments didn’t seem to bother Saracen drivers Simon Thomas and Antony De Fina, who racked-up 10 laps of the circuit in an hour.
Saracen remains undefeated this season.
In the Supercat Outboard Lite class, Gold Coast-based Ezy Does It raced true to its namesake, rocketing to victory a full lap ahead of its nearest competitor. The win tasted pretty sweet for drivers Graham Fraser and Ian Harris, who experienced battery problems during last week’s race off St Kilda when they finished in third place.
Yesterday’s race completed an exciting two rounds of offshore powerboat racing in Melbourne, during which thousands of people turned out to experience the sport – many for the first time.
Round Five of the Offshore Superboat Championships – the Sydney Superboat Grand Prix – is schedule to roar into action on Sydney Harbour 8-9 March.
Back-to-back superboat victories in Melbourne\
Perfect conditions on Port Phillip Bay yesterday saw a number of superboats secure back-to-back wins in the two Melbourne-based rounds of the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships.
In an awe-inspiring display of endurance and speed, Class One superboat Maritimo overcame engine problems in the early stages of the Williamstown Offshore Powerboat Classic and raced to victory from the back of the field, completing 12 laps of the 13.7km circuit and lapping its closest competitor Impact Steel.
It was a disappointing day on the water for Class One rival Simrad – having lead the field for much of the race and looking like cruising to a Round Four win, mechanical problems forced the team out of the race after eight laps. Similarly, ACME Racing retired after just four laps.
Melbourne-based boat Saracen followed in Maritimo’s footsteps to make it back-to-back victories in the Supercat Outboard class.
A busy week on the water fulfilling media commitments didn’t seem to bother Saracen drivers Simon Thomas and Antony De Fina, who racked-up 10 laps of the circuit in an hour.
Saracen remains undefeated this season.
In the Supercat Outboard Lite class, Gold Coast-based Ezy Does It raced true to its namesake, rocketing to victory a full lap ahead of its nearest competitor. The win tasted pretty sweet for drivers Graham Fraser and Ian Harris, who experienced battery problems during last week’s race off St Kilda when they finished in third place.
Yesterday’s race completed an exciting two rounds of offshore powerboat racing in Melbourne, during which thousands of people turned out to experience the sport – many for the first time.
Round Five of the Offshore Superboat Championships – the Sydney Superboat Grand Prix – is schedule to roar into action on Sydney Harbour 8-9 March.