Helvetia Wealth crew Shelley Jory-Leigh and Dan Smith are aiming for a strong conclusion to the Hull Grand Prix of the Sea weekend this evening (Sunday, 31 July) after a simple error with fuel quantity caused retirement during Saturday evening’s opening P1 SuperStock encounter.

Running in fifth position in the headline P1 250 Panther class up until lap eight, the boat began to slow and soon after came to a complete standstill...well, as much as you can come to a standstill on the waters of the Humber!

New Peters & May crew Daniel Cramphorn and Kim Collins took a dominant win in the P1 250 Panther class during the opening race of the P1 SuperStock Championship’s Hull Grand Prix of the Sea this evening (Saturday, 30 July).

Despite cool temperatures, crowds flocked to Hull Marina to witness Britain’s top stars of Powerboat racing in action and they weren’t disappointed with a thrilling encounter which was led until lap five by Pertemps crew John Wilson and Neil Scarborough - who had earlier won the Match Racing time trial.

Wilson and Scarborough still lead the provisional standings, albeit by a reduced margin of 10 points, with their second place while third went to the Edox crew of Rupert Pugh and Anthony Crossley.

Long time boat racing star turned master boat builder Massimo Roggiero has turned his little boat shop in Busto Arsizio, Italy into a giant killer on the UIM F1 H2O World Championship tour in just six short years.

Massimo's hulls have won two of the last four World Championships with Sami Selio of Finland at the controls of his Mad Croc Team BABA in both 2007 and again in 2010 and hopes to win this weekend as well as the tour stops this weekend for the Grand Prix of Ukraine in the town of Vyshgorod just north of Kiev on the 28th and 29th of July.

“We have been unlucky so far this season as we chase our first victory this season,” said Roggiero, the winner of three Grand Prix victories.

Spirit of Qatar 96 throttleman Steve Curtis is confident that the team can make further improvements as they look to carry the fight to Victory in the title race, with just five points now separating the sport’s top two outfits.

Despite the disappointment of missing the opportunity to draw level with the defending World Champions at the top of the points standings due to the cancelation of race 2 in Arendal,

Curtis is upbeat about the teams overall performance. “It was a fantastic weekend for the team, taking the win and another podium for Matteo and Ali,” he said. “Unfortunately we didn’t have the right set-up for Matteo in the race and I think if we had had all the right equipment we could have had a first and second.

Hometown hero Ian Brusby is hoping for plenty of local support in Hull next weekend, 29/30/31 July, when the P1 SuperStock Championship brings the UK’s top powerboat racers to East Yorkshire for the third round of the 2011 season.

Although now based in Doncaster, the Rough Cut Racing team driver was born and bred in Hull and with family still living in and around the city Brusby is keen to produce a winning display when the P1 SuperStock competitors take to the River Humber in a week’s time.

Ably assisted by experienced navigator Dan Whapples (Poole, Dorset), the pairing is unquestionably one of the strongest in the headline P1 Panther 250 Class.

Daren – thank you for joining us today it must be difficult with the upcoming Barry Island GP knowing that you will just be a spectator, tell us what happened in the Round 5 final at Edinburgh?

We got caught up with #25 (Angry Hornet) and #73 (Bluesheets II) and came out with 7ft rip in the side of our boat and a dinked collarbone, no one’s fault that’s racing even worse #25 is my team mate.

I know you don’t try and make a habit of these things but you always seem to have at least one fairly spectacular racing incident each season along with a handful of spills and flips – when you are on the beach at Barry in a couple of weeks do you think you will relive in your mind how you felt last year with Sam?

Edox closed the gap at the top of the P1 SuperStock championship points table after two emphatic wins in Plymouth Sound. Driver Rupert Pugh (Matlock) and navigator Tony Crossley (Sidmouth) were unstoppable as they blazed away from the field to win both rounds and score a maximum 40 points.

The double win comes on the back of retirement from the second race in Jersey and puts the Edox Swiss Watches crew firmly back in the title hunt. “It’s a great feeling to win after the frustration of retiring from the lead at the opening round in Jersey”, said a delighted Rupert.

The outstanding performance by Edox was not without its share of drama though as the crew lost  vital radio contact after just a few laps.

Ocean Terminal, Leith Docks, Edinburgh - home to Britannia and host to the only Scottish and City Championship venue this year.

Fantastic warm sunshine welcomed the teams, the majority having travelled up from the south coast of England facing the prospect of a tight, technical and tactical course in front of a large number of spectators keen to see lots of high speed Zapcat action on the flat water.

Friday "press day" saw STV Scotland Today reporter Liz Monaghan try a Zapcat for the first time and the footage broadcast on the evening news adding to the pre event publicity.

This weekend Southampton based P1 SuperStock Team Helvetia Wealth piloted by Shelley Jory-Leigh will power into Plymouth for the second round of the five part RYA National Championship. The 15th – 17th July will see around twenty teams in the Powerboat P1 SuperStock Championship battle it out for glory in the Plymouth Sound.

Sitting currently in 5th place in the RYA National Championship Team Helvetia Wealth will be looking to make an impact in Plymouth to work their way up the leader board and claim back some points on the championship leaders. Navigator Dan Smith can’t wait for the challenge “Jersey was all about us getting used to each other as a team,  about how the boat handled and the competition we faced. We’ve now had that chance and we’re ready to fight for the top podium spot.

A Zapcat Grand Prix decided by count back of heat wins, an amazing 180 degree spin out and gale force winds all played their part in making Edinburgh 2010 the most exciting City Championship event ever!

Were you one of the many thousands of spectators who saw some of the amazing action last year?

Or did you see the photos in the papers and wished you had gone to one of the best free events of the summer?