|
 The
waters of the Humber provided a rich fishing ground for 8
Pegasus Vortex Racing, the leading team in the 2007 Zapcats
National Championship when they won their third consecutive
Grand Prix at Hull this weekend to give them an almost
unassailable lead in the Championship, the world’s largest
one-design powerboat series.
Conditions
on day two of the Hull & Humber Grand Prix could not have been
more different to those on day one. The wind had shifted and
dropped making the Humber as flat as the teams had seen it all
weekend. But, while the weather and water proved more forgiving,
the boats did not and six teams ended up sharing three boats for
the day’s competition.
Zapcat 3
Pretty Buoy and 42 Go Commando II raced with Go Commando II’s
hull and Pretty Buoy’s engine and cowling, a partnership that
proved more fruitful for the rookie pairing of Orlando Rogers
and Aldeiy Alderson from the Royal Marines who achieved their
first ever podium position.
“It’s a
great feeling – makes all the hard work and effort well
worthwhile,” said Orlando. “We’ve had a few firsts in the heats
but never had anything like it in the final.
“They broke
their boat so we lent them our boat and used their engine, which
is arguably quicker than ours so it worked quite well for both
of us,” he said.
Orlando and
Aldeiy, whose Go Commando II is sponsored by the Royal Navy,
finished third in Division Two, second place went to 50 Chap Cat
piloted by Alex Jordan with co-pilot Paul Pride and Jason Porter
and Matthew Hayman took their second Division Two victory of the
Hull & Humber Grand Prix when 46 Happy Racing took the chequered
flag ahead of the rest of the pack.
In Division
One Mick Pritchard and Baz Minns in 8 Pegasus Vortex Racing
avenged their second place from Saturday by condemning their
nearest rivals, 7 Potential, to fifth place, leaving them fourth
overall in the 2007 Zapcat National Championship.
Once again
top marks for effort go to Nathan Williams and Victoria Harris
in 18 Anger Management who have pushed and pushed all weekend,
narrowly missing a podium spot on Saturday, but secured second
place on Sunday and second place overall for the Hull & Humber
Grand Prix. It also means they are lying in third place in the
Championship.
There are
just nine points separating the second and fifth-placed teams so
there is everything to play for when the Zapcatters meet again
at Bournemouth on 1 and 2 September for the season’s final flat
water Grand Prix before the Surf Series at Watergate Bay in
Cornwall this autumn. Mick and Baz can’t relax though – their
lead isn’t totally unassailable just yet! |
