SUPERBOATS READY TO RUMBLE AT REDCLIFFE.
The final round of the 2009 Offshore Superboat Championships will set Redcliffe alight over the weekend of September 12 and 13 when thousands of horsepower thunder into action.
Eight crews will campaign the awesome Class 1 V-8 catamarans, many developing nearly 2000hp, with another 11 crews contesting the highly competitive Supercat Outboard classes in the 600hp and 400hp categories.
Fans will have the opportunity to see these amazing craft with the pit and launching area at the Scarborough Boat Harbour adjacent to the Moreton Bay Boat Club.
The Sunday action is not to be missed as the field goes into battle close inshore along the Redcliffe waterfront at high noon.
With world class teams such as ‘Maritimo’, ‘Acme’, ‘Impact Steel’, ‘Simrad’, ‘Team 3’. ‘The Good Guys’, ‘Global Racing’ and ‘Mazlin Electrical’ there’s bound to be some tough competition.
We did say world class – ‘Maritimo’ will be driven by Tom Barry-Cotter, currently holding third place in the Class 1 World Offshore Powerboat championships being staged in Europe and the Middle East.
The Class 1 field will all run with the same engine specifications, a move guaranteed to deliver some close and accurate racing.
‘Maritimo’ and the Supercat Outboard rig ‘SUV Dodge Ram’ have already been confirmed as 2009 champions, each having compiled enough points to give them an unassailable lead on the point score table.
That will not stop them going full throttle in the final round.
‘SUV Dodge Ram’, Mat Humphrey and Simon Isherwood aboard, has had a tremendous season, making it to the podium after every round.
‘Kwozzy 2’ makes a return to competition after a crash and roll-over at the Townsville round.
Jim Harris and Adam Nicolls have had the boat stripped down, re-wired and both engines re-built and tuned for a maximum effort.
‘Saracen’, with Antony DeFina and Nigel Craven in the cockpit, managed to keep the pressure on rivals and the team is aiming to maintain further development of the boat’s capabilities for a major assault on the 2010 title.
Cameron Davis and Brett Lurhman at the controls of ‘Blade Custom Boats’ were beset with minor “gremlins” leading to too many failures earlier in the season, but after a win at Townsville they’re out to finish the championships on a high.
The result in the Supercat Outboard Lite (400hp) is set to go down to the wire.
‘Team Tiger’, Mick Walker and Garry Smith aboard, holds a narrow lead on the championship leader board.
Ian Harris and Graham Fraser at the controls of ‘Berwicks’ will open their throttles and a full-blooded attempt to spoil the ‘Team Tiger’ party.
‘Kwozzy’, Greg Collins and Karl Wall in the cockpit, claimed a third at Townsville in their first race as a team and they’ll be making every effort to at least emulate that effort.
‘Hog’s Breath’, crewed by the ‘two Pauls’, Gibbs and Fowlds, will be making every effort to again grace the podium after a tough season sorting out their new boat.
The return of ‘Shaken Not Stirred’ is crewed by Brian Dale and the fields the only female competitor, Brooke Ullrich.
The local Redcliffe crew of Mark Harrison and Craig Purton in the Australian Vehicle Wholesale Offshore Racing craft will put on a show.
Allan Quinn and Ian Purdon in Team 487 will be one to keep an eye on.
With valuable support from the Moreton Bay Regional Council, the Offshore Superboat Championships is expected to draw thousands of fans to the Redcliffe foreshore and the Scarborough Boat Harbour.
The boats will be on view at Scarborough during scrutineering and practice at 2pm on Saturday with the boats being launched and racing underway at 12 noon on the Sunday.
Be there!
For further information contact…….
Paul Fowlds 0407375951
Offshore Superboat Championship |
