Blue Sheets 1 (Craig Davis & Rob Martin) current Zapcat National Champions held off the challenge from Gloucestershire based BladeRun in Prestatyn, North Wales today for the Round 7 win.

This is the first time Zapcat Racing has been to Prestatyn Sands and there was eager anticipation from the large crowds that had gathered to watch the event.  Denbighshire County Council and Pontin's are the joint sponsors and together they managed to bring the event into their peak season calendars with only a few weeks notice after an enforced date change.

Unfortunately the date change meant headaches for the on water safety team fighting a rapidly falling tide and a very shallow shelving beach, instead of the rising tides in September as originally planned.

Raffaele Chiulli, President of the Union Internationale Motonautique (U.I.M.), the world governing body of marine motorsport, has vowed to spare no effort in unifying Class 1.

Attending last weekend’s BMW Norwegian Grand Prix in Arendal to host a series of U.I.M.-led initiatives and seminars on safety, headed by Bob Wartinger, and on the environment in conjunction with representatives of the governing bodies of the world’s leading motorsports, the FIA, FIM, FAI and UNEP, Chiulli was clear that he will “not allow the sport to split apart”.

Commenting on the current situation in Class 1 and what can be done, he said “I think we are certainly in a transitional phase. Not only powerboating, not only Class 1, but I think many sports sectors and disciplines are right in the middle of the [economic] crisis which everybody knows about.

Zapcat Racing’s Prestatyn debut has been further boosted by the news that two-time National Championship winning co-pilot Baz Minns will be joining Dan Smith in Bluesheets Racing II.

Minns will race for the first time in the 2010 season as The Pontin’s Prestatyn Zapcat Grand Prix comes to the shores of Barkby Beach on 24th and 25th July.

He replaces Naomi Sareth Wood for rounds seven and eight, which take place on consecutive days over the weekend. The action starts at noon on each day.

The weekend of 17th-18th July 2010 saw UK Formula Future take round 4 of their RYA National Championship to the sunshine coast and the Eastbourne Extreme festival.  Unfortunately someone forgot to tell the wind it is mid July!

Saturday saw winds gusting to well above 30mph which meant unfortunately there was no racing.  This didn’t stop our teams who took their polished boats up to the stand on the seafront, and joined in with the festival talking to the public about powerboat racing. 

Sunday dawned with a reduced wind and the fleet headed out.  The junior F400 and S250 fleets completed their parade lap and practice laps but the decision was made to postpone the race as the wind and waves were on the limit.

Randy 'Mad Dog' Schleuss and Colby Lawrence overcame mechanical problems and several slow heat race starts to win the SuperVee Lite Class  of the Powerboat P1 USA Offshore Invitational; the race was held in conjunction with the 101st running of the APBA Detroit Gold Cup July 9-11. In addition to bragging rights, the Team Typhoon names will be inscribed on the historic "Gar Wood Trophy," which is on permanent display at the APBA Museum, located at the organization's headquarters in Eastpointe, Michigan.

Typhoon, a 30' Extreme, was part of a 10-boat field of vee bottom offshore race boats invited by APBA, the Detroit River Regatta Association, and Powerboat P1 USA, to perform at the historic Gold Cup hydroplane race ...

Dubai’s Victory Team produced a racing master-class in race 2 of the BMW Norwegian Grand Prix, with Fazza 3 and Fazza 1 finishing first and third, and the newest design to emerge from the Victory stable, Spirit of Dubai, finishing second.

After a spectacular and dramatic start, which saw home favourites Welmax win the drag-race to the first turn and lead the race for a lap-and-a-half and Fazza 1 almost flip before the first turn, a series of breakdowns reduced the numbers on the water to leave the Fazza crews and Spirit of Dubai out on their own to race for the podium places.

For the second time in two Grands Prix the defending World Champions, Arif Al Zafeen and Nadir Bin Hendi, completed the win-double to take their eighth consecutive race win and extend their points lead in the Championship.

Shelley Jory Leigh, Britain’s leading female power boat racer, has suffered head injuries and a broken nose in a serious accident during testing for Rounds 5 & 6 of the UIM World Championship Grand Prix of the Sea in Poltu Quatu, Sardinia.

The severity of the crash and the impact on her family have caused her to seriously consider her future in the sport, despite not reaching her long held goal of a world championship.

Shelley was racing in the 41ft, powerful race boat called Spirit of Belgium with throttleman, Patrick Huybreghts. The team were back on the water after enduring a frightening spin out and emergency rescue in the previous round in Malta.

In a season of many firsts for Zapcat Powerboat Racing, the Pontin’s Prestatyn Zapcat Grand Prix will offer yet another new venue for competitors and spectators alike.

The first of a Welsh double header – Barry Island is next up on 7th and 8th August – the action begins on 24th July at Barkby Beach, with rounds seven and eight of the National Championships taking place on consecutive days.

Those in attendance should expect some big waves for pilots to contend with in what is a regular windsurfing and sailing location.

As well as the National Championships, teams will also be competing for points towards the Team, Mixed, Rookie and Celtic categories.

Ian Brusby and Andy Wilby became the first team to topple the previously unbeaten Heights of Abraham outfit as the new 300 Class kings won their inaugural P1 SuperStock Championship trophy in north Wales.  

With the pulsating powerboat action set against the breathtaking Llyn Peninsula backdrop, the Doncaster team pushed its powerboat to the limit and found superior pace than its rivals, Maurice Lacroix, and Evans Heritage Developments. A delighted Brusby said: "It was magnificent. The team's really starting to gel and even though this is only our second event together, we've got a good chemistry going and we can only get stronger.

With the race action starting 24 hours overdue courtesy of Saturday's persistent blustery gales, the P1 SuperStock 150 Class fleet powered across the Lleyn Peninsula shoreline in magnificent sunshine in north Wales.

The race began at a frenetic pace with Flying Sparks surprisingly storming into the lead out of turn one, which witnessed a close shave between Team Fox and Eclipse and a less than comfortable start for Premier Cru.

The lead changed hands five times in the opening two laps with Rose Lores and Sara Cureton jostling for first position with Premier Cru duo, John Wilson and Neil Scarborough, as well as Team Fox pair, Martin Colligan and Gideon du Val.