| UK. Highs & lows of opening weekend of Honda Formula 4S Powerboat Series |
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| Monday, 26 June 2006 | |
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Nick Mott: The Isle of Man saw a fantastic weekend of powerboat racing in Douglas Bay as the first round of the 2006 Honda Formula 4-Stroke Series got under way. Competitors had to contend with varying conditions as a windy Sunday morning turned Saturday’s calm water into stormy seas. Ebel got off to a flying start in the 150hp Series securing first place in both races following the unfortunate disqualification of Sunday’s 150hp winners Manx Radio Racing after first time driver Chris Kinley swapped places with navigator Nick Warren. Despite a fantastic race, competition regulations meant the officials were forced to disqualify the pair as any change of driver contravenes race rules. The rest of the race weekend witnessed some exceptional racing with teams eager to get back into their boats after a long closed season. In the 150hp Series, Delmar Flooring and Quality Job completed the podium on Saturday in second and third place respectively. In Sunday’s race Construction Racing took second place and Delmar Flooring third following the disqualification of Manx Radio Racing. In the 225hp Series, Negotiator stormed to victory in Saturday’s race, closely followed by Heights of Abraham and Raymarine who joined them on the podium. Sunday’s winds shook up the field with Stopbox Lighting making the best of the rough seas. Heights of Abraham again finished in second, with Accucard taking third place. Ebel driver Graham Foster-Vigors said: “It’s a shame for the Manx boys because they raced really well. We had an average start and were back in seventh or eighth going into the first few corners. We backed off as it was quite tight around the turns with so many other boats but it turned to our advantage as we were able to get in a tighter turn and move up to second. We worked well together and to be leading the championship after the opening round is fantastic.” After winning race two in the 225hp Series, Stopbox Lighting’s Simon Bucknall commented: “We like it rough and got the trim just right. The boat was going well and settled quickly in the conditions”. The most consistent team of the weekend was Heights of Abraham taking second place in both races. “It was interesting going into turn one as we were all so close to the promenade. We lost communications on second lap and it was hard slog to keep it together on some of the bigger waves which really grabbed your attention” said Rupert Pugh. He added: “In seas like this it’s always the driver with the biggest arms that wins so I’ll be heading to the gym before the next race.” The Honda Formula 4-Stroke Series moves to South Shields on the 22 - 23 July for the Grand Prix of Tyneside. Honda Formula 4-Stroke 150hp Series Saturday – 9 Laps 1. Ebel Graham Foster-Vigors / Mick Horsfall 2. Delmar Flooring Tony Crossley / Mark Glanville 3. Quality Job Tom Plant / James Plant 4. Construction Racing Marcus Bradshaw / Emma Brady 5. Claygate Bathrooms Nick Clemson / Paul Trow-Smith 6. Honda Happiness Rose Lores / Jason Cropper Honda Formula 4-Stroke 150hp Series Sunday – 9 Laps 1. Ebel Graham Foster-Vigors / Mick Horsfall 2. Construction Racing Marcus Bradshaw / Matthew Dorril 3. Delmar Flooring Tony Crossley / Mark Glanville 4. Team Mermaid David Hobson / Kirsty Clark 5. Premier Cru Neil Crabb / Jonny Twelvetrees 6. Neptune Communications Vernon Hunt / Alan Young Points standings (after two of ten races): 1. Ebel 30 2. Delmar Flooring 22 3. Construction Racing 21 4. Claygate Bathrooms 14 5. Team Mermaid 13 6. Quality Job 12 Honda Formula 4-Stroke 225hp Series Saturday – 12 Laps 1. Negotiator Gavin Parsonage / Nathan Libby 2. Heights of Abraham Rupert Pugh / Lee Darbyshire 3. Team Raymarine Shelly Jory / Libby Keir 4. Stopbox Lighting Jack Glendinning / Simon Bucknall 5. Fat Boy Racing Rob Lister / Will Nocker 6. Accucard Phil Haynes / Gareth Ebenezer Honda Formula 4-Stroke 225hp Series Sunday – 10 Laps 1. Stopbox Lighting Jack Glendinning / Simon Bucknall 2. Heights of Abraham Rupert Pugh / Lee Darbyshire 3. Accucard Phil Haynes / Gareth Ebenezer 4. Evans Heritage Developments Rhys Evans / Haydn Evans 5. Negotiator Gavin Parsonage / Nathan Libby 6. Team Raymarine Shelly Jory / Libby Keir Points standings (after two of ten races): 1. Stopbox Lighting 24 2. Heights of Abraham 24 3. Negotiator 23 4. Team Raymarine 17 5. Accucard 17 6. Evans Heritage Developments 15 |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 26 June 2006 ) |
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