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Displaying items by tag: P1 Superstock

Appalling weather conditions washed out Saturday's racing at the Pwllheli Grand Prix of the Sea.

Consistent rain and strong winds kept the powerboats moored in the marina as the teams remained indoors to keep themselves dry and mull over tactics for Sunday's high octane action.

Whilst most of the UK was basking in glorious summer sunshine, a small pocket of miserable weather in north Wales conspired to foil the P1 SuperStock teams, who were left feeling frustrated ahead of round three of this year's championship.

Rhys Evans of 300 Class outfit Evans Heritage Developments rued their poor luck after a period of continuous beautiful British weather. He said: "It's hugely frustrating. After checking and rechecking everything on the boat, including exhausting every possible error, as well as our onboard communications, we are left twiddling our thumbs wanting to get out on the water."

For the 300 Class teams there is added caution using this year's new Mercury 300 XS engines. Evans added: "Every race you want to put 'peddle to the mettle' but if conditions are as rough as this, you always reservations about how hard you want push it.

"We are still learning about the performance and durability of the engine, so in violent conditions you want to be cautious. It's just part and parcel of motorsport racing."

Unlike in popular four-wheeled motorsports a powerboat race track is ever-changing and places the emphasis on the expertise of the pilots. Whether or not powerboats race in flat or bumpy conditions, Evans believes it is still a matter of personal preference. "Driver's can use different tactics but it all comes down to working the wheel and keeping the boat as level as possible.

"Instead of looking 100 metres ahead the pilots have to look even further in choppy waters. Keeping the prop in the water and maintaining a decent speed are the priority for every team but inevitably there is an element of uncertainty when you take off from a wave and hope to get a smooth landing."

Racing will now start at 10:00 on Sunday 11 July with each class racing twice.

Published in Racing

Dublin Bay Sailing Club Turkey Shoot Winter Series

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Turkey Shoot Series reached its 20th year in 2020.

The popular yacht series racing provides winter-racing for all the sailing clubs on the southside of Dublin Bay in the run-up to Christmas.

It regularly attracts a fleet of up to 70 boats of different shapes and sizes from all four yachts clubs at Dun Laoghaire: The National Yacht Club, The Royal St. George Yacht Club, The Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as other clubs such as Sailing in Dublin. Typically the event is hosted by each club in rotation.

The series has a short, sharp format for racing that starts at approximately 10 am and concludes around noon. The event was the brainchild of former DBSC Commodore Fintan Cairns to give the club year-round racing on the Bay thanks to the arrival of the marina at Dun Laoghaire in 2001. Cairns, an IRC racer himself, continues to run the series each winter.

Typically, racing features separate starts for different cruiser-racers but in fact, any type of boat is allowed to participate, even those yachts that do not normally race are encouraged to do so.

Turkey Shoot results are calculated under a modified ECHO handicap system and there can be a fun aspect to some of the scoring in keeping with the Christmas spirit of the occasion.

As a result, the Turkey Shoot often receives entries from boats as large as Beneteau 50 footers and one designs as small as 20-foot flying Fifteens, all competing over the same course.

It also has legendary weekly prizegivings in the host waterfront yacht clubs immediately after racing. There are fun prizes and overall prizes based on series results.

Regular updates and DBSC Turkey Shoot Results are published on Afloat each week as the series progresses.

FAQs

Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race are very welcome. Boats range in size from ocean-going cruisers at 60 and 60 feet right down to small one-design keelboats such as 20-foot Flying Fifteens. A listing of boats for different starts is announced on Channel 74 before racing each week.

Each winter from the first Sunday in November until the last week before Christmas.

Usually no more than two hours. The racecourse time limit is 12.30 hours.

Between six and eight with one or two discards applied.

Racing is organised by Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Series is rotated across different waterfront yacht clubs for the popular after race party and prizegiving. The waterfront clubs are National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC) and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC).

© Afloat 2020