A demanding 2 ½ mile Atlantic Ocean racecourse separates 12 of the UK’s finest powerboat racing teams and the inaugural title of Galway Grand Prix of the Sea champion this weekend.
Powering off Ireland’s west coast for a bank holiday weekend feast of fuel, the single manufactured SuperStock Championship racing fleet will tackle six different challenges and the unruly ocean conditions at exhilarating speeds up to 135 kph.
In the 150 Class, Penzance Grand Prix of the Sea victors Premier Cru will be hoping to continue its dominant form from the opening race of the season. Scoring three successive wins on England’s most south westerly coastline, pilots John Wilson and Neil Scarborough will face a tougher examination of their skills around Galway’s challenging circuit with rivals Team Fox and GSS Mermaid favouring the rougher conditions expected for the weekend.
Wilson said: “It was a fantastic start to the season. We couldn’t have asked for a better opening weekend. Team Fox and GSS Mermaid weren’t too far behind in Cornwall but if the boat handles as beautifully as it did in Penzance this weekend in Galway, I think we’ll be right up there for Monday’s podium.”
Local heroes, Green Machine, as well as all-female outfit, Eclipse, fancy their chances of stealing onto this weekend’s podium. Dublin-based Alan Power and SuperStock Championship leading ladies, Rose Lores and Sara Cureton, are good outside bets for spoiling the early frontrunners party in Galway.
Pacesetters in the 300 Class, HeightsofAbraham, once again look well set to dominate the weekend’s racing. After showing unrivalled speed and silkiness around the turns in Penzance, the Matlock-based crew of Rupert Pugh and Dan Whapples possess all of the tools to strike gold again in Galway.
Among those battling to topple Messrs Pugh and Whapples this weekend include Team Maurice Lacroix and Rough Cut Racing. Both teams are confident of becoming the first-ever Galway Grand Prix of the Sea champions after showing good speed in testing and the pre-match banter has already started with Maurice Lacroix’s Baggs brothers the first to throw down the gauntlet to the opening round victors.
Michael Baggs said: “We’re here to win. Whilst it was encouraging to finish second in Penzance and boat performed well in smooth conditions I’m expecting us to push HeightsofAbraham a lot closer in Galway and win our first race of the season.”
Having only jumped in a powerboat for the first time less than a month ago, The Fuel Girls will be a popular draw with the huge crowds this weekend. Bringing its all-action, fire-breathing show to Ireland’s capital of entertainment, Fuel Girls duo, Vanessa and Sam, promise to ignite the celebrations this weekend with their adrenaline-fuelled extravaganza.
Round two of the Powerboat P1 SuperStock Championship begins at the Galway Grand Prix of the Sea on 5-7 June 2010.
