Saturday, 28 July 2007

It’s been a Hull of a Yorkshire debut for the 2007 Zapcat National Championship. The first round of the Hull & Humber Grand Prix has provided the pilots and co-pilots in the world’s largest one-design powerboat series with some challenging conditions on the River Humber.

Challenging they may have been, but they were no match for Mick Pritchard and Baz Minns in Zapcat 8 Pegasus Vortex Racing who extended their lead at the top of the championship, despite being beaten by a single boat length in a closely contested final by 7 Potential, with David Paget and Tony Cooper on board.

Their victory moves them from sixth to second in the Zapcat National Championship standings. But, as on the water, the pack is not far behind with just 20 points separating third and sixth places.

The big surprise was 3 Pretty Buoy’s failure to qualify for the Division 1 final and it will be a massive blow to Bligh Julius and Charlie Hatfield’s championship hopes because it means they have slipped from second place to fourth.

It is the first time Zapcats have raced on the Humber and the course just outside Hull Marina proved a massive draw for the crowds visiting the city for the Wilberforce Weekender event. One Zapcat regular not racing in the Hull & Humber Grand Prix was the father and son team of 39 Cat in the Hat, Jim and CJ Crooks from Beverley, East Yorkshire. Jim is a crew member on Uniquely Singapore, one of the ten yachts taking part in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race later this year and has just raced from Rotterdam with the rest of the fleet which arrived in Hull yesterday.

“I do wish I was out there,” Jim says. “I’d have been really up for it, but CJ doesn’t fancy the mud much!”

The conditions on the water changed throughout the afternoon as the tide turned and raced back up the Humber in the face of a very strong wind. In comparison to conditions on the Clyde in Glasgow two weeks ago it was seriously bouncy and the co-pilots had to work hard to keep the Zapcats flat rather than flying. Several of them took an early bath and the Zapcats Safety Team, one of the best in the business, worked hard to keep them safe in the fierce tidal currents.

Racing continues tomorrow with Round 8 of the 2007 Zapcat National Championship. Practice starts at 10.30am and the racing starts at 11am.

Thirty-two Zapcats racing in packs of ten at a time will battle it out over 16 heats followed by the Division 1 and Division 2 finals. Spectators can get a great vantage point from Humber Quay next to the Hull Marina lock and from Victoria Pier behind the Fruit Market.

Results from Round 7, 2007 Zapcat National Championships Hull & Humber Grand Prix:

Division 1
1st 7 Potential (David Paget, Tony Cooper)
2nd 8 Pegasus Vortex Racing (Mick Pritchard, Baz Minns)
3rd 69 Energy 69 Vortex Racing (Craig Davis, Rob Martin)

Division 2
1st 46 Happy Racing (Jason Porter, Matthew Hayman)
2nd 9 Marin Subsea/Delta Jets Racing (George “Boris” Stroud, Brett Ward)
3rd 35 Natural Born Tillers (John Brooks, Rob Rackstraw)


2007 Zapcat National Championship standings after Round 7

8 Pegasus Vortex Racing 630 points
7 Potential 469 points
98 Team Suffolk 453 points
3 Pretty Buoy 452 points
16 Island Racing 435 points
69 Energy 69 Vortex Racing 433 points