5 July 2003
for immediate release
A convincing win for Southampton based Gavin Brown and Peter
Phillipson in Shelley Jory's boat Winging It Offshore (V8)
stamped the V24 Offshore Championship firmly on the offshore
racing map (Saturday 5 July).
Exmouth hosted the first round of this five race series,
sponsored by Bacardi Breezer and Whitestuff Clothing, with
calm seas and drivers adopting a flat out strategy around
the 40 mile, 10 lap course. With the boats all running at
around the same speeds there was no room for the navigational
errors which cost V9 Colour Pro Ltd and V1 Fem et Hom, valuable
time and the £400 winners purse.
The six boats started neck and neck through the start chute
giving organisers the
chance to note a requirement to widen the chute for future
races where there will be more boats racing! The V24s lived
up to expectations racing fast and close together for the
first five laps. The introduction of tighter courses than
traditional offshore racing saw their fair share of navigational
problems producing a very exciting first three laps with position
changes at almost every mark.
Former European Champions Ricky Hill, from Cardiff and navigator
Alan Layton (Portsmouth) racing in ColourPro's V9 tussled
for second place through the whole race with four times World
Champions Pete Little and Dave Arthur in Bacardi Breezer (V27)
and finally overtook on the penultimate lap.
If this first race was a taste of things to come with V24
racing, we certainly have some exciting and highly competitive
racing to come this season. Bacardi Breezer's V27 (Little
and Arthur) had steering problems halfway through the race
causing them to back off for a few laps and allowing Winging
it Offshore (V8) to blast through into a lead which they managed
to increase on each lap. Richard Carr and James Sydenham (V69)
battled it out with V24 Tom Powell and navigator David Langmead
for 4th place with V69 finally taking the valuable Championship
points.
V1 with Ireland's Dermot Kearney at the wheel and Neil Holmes
as navigator for this race had problems with trim tabs making
their boat somewhat bow heavy and consequently running a little
slower than the rest of the field but, having only taken delivery
of their boat on Friday, they finished the race in good spirits
and looking forward to the second round of the V24 Championship
in Poole on 16/17 August.
- ends -
For further information, or to arrange interviews
with any of the teams, please contact:
Bambi Gardiner
V24 Powerboats Ltd
pr@v24powerboats.co.uk
Mobile 07768 698070
