The
V24 offshore powerboats were in action at the Ramsgate Grand Prix last weekend
(14/15 June) thrilling the crowds with fast, close racing and the fantastic noise
of the V8 engines.
The fleet of new V24 powerboats had grown again with
three boats racing on Saturday and four out on Sunday prior to the start of the
V24 Championship at Exmouth on 6/7 July.
Saturday's Force 5 wind and rough
sea did not faze these stylish boats and a true shakedown race was had between
ex Class One racer Richard Carr and James Sydenham (V69), European 2 litre Champion
Ricky Hill and Alan Leyton (V24) and four times World Champion Pete Little who
drove the newly rigged secondhand boat V27 with navigator Tom Powell.
Two
of the boats had only been completed the day before the race and they all put
on a superb display of exciting, close racing.
Pete Little and Tom Powell
(V27) led the race over the start and ran second overall (they were racing alongside
the FX and F1) down the start straight. The V24s then veered off on their own
course. Having started the race fairly spread out down the field by the end of
the first lap the V24s were closely bunched with V69 (Carr and Sydenham) taking
the lead and offering the huge crowds some thrilling racing round the tight turning
mark just off the harbour wall. Confident handling from all three drivers gave
the spectators 'edge of the seat' viewing with V27 (Little and Powell) cutting
in tighter on the turn to snatch the lead back from V69 (Carr and Sydenham).
Over
the next lap it was all change again with Ricky Hill and Alan Leyton (V24) taking
the lead. Having raced V24 successfully at Torquay, Ricky certainly had the measure
of the boat in these rough seas. V27 fell foul to the seas with a massive stuff
taking off an air intake and consequently taking water into the engine.
Having
started the race with such promise, over the next lap V69 retired, not wishing
to damage the boat unnecessarily in such rough water and V24 lost all engine power
due to a blown fuse.
Not an entirely satisfactory end to some fabulous racing
but a highly promising taste of things to come in the V24 series.
Mark
Pascoe and his team are working furiously to complete the rest of the boats in
production ready for the start of the V24 Championship in 3 weeks time. They managed
to complete Shelley Jory and Gavin Brown's boat V8 late on Saturday night and
Shelley and Gavin arrived at Ramsgate at 2am on Sunday morning determined to be
out for their first race.
Pete Little and Tom Powell worked most of the
night to change their engine but sadly had a problem with oil pressure and did
not make it to the start line. However, the other three boats were raring to go
racing against the Class 3 2 litre boats and the ribs on Sunday.
The water
was much calmer and V69 (Carr and Sydenham) tore down the start straight leading
the entire fleet with breathtaking panache. Ricky Hill started towards the back
of the fleet but was soon literally flying up the order to catch V69. Having only
got in her new boat on Sunday morning, Shelley Jory and Gavin Brown (V8) gained
confidence and speed with every lap.
Carr (V69) and Hill (V24) enjoyed superb
dogfights throughout the entire race with V8 making fast progress through the
rest of the field. The V24s certainly achieved the aim of close racing, never
being more than a hundred metres or so apart underlining the benefits of the one
design race concept. There was no shortage of driving skill or determination to
win.
Three quarters of the way through the race and V69 had an engine problem.
Carr decided to call it a day leaving Ricky Hill and Alan Layton to take 1st place
and V8 (Jory and Brown) to take 2nd.
All in all a suberb outing for these
new boats, three of which had never even been in the water prior to the event
and a valuable shakedown exercise in preparation for the start of the V24 Championship
at Exmouth.
Average speed V24: 65mph
photograph
Anthony Muir-Brockett
- ends -
For
further information and colour photos, please contact: Bambi
Gardiner V24 Powerboats Unit 3 Oak Park Industrial Estate
Northarbour Road Portsmouth Hants Tel: +44 2392 221717 Fax: +44
2392 221111 pr@v24powerboats.co.uk
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