The Neva River which serpentines it’s way through Europe’s fourth largest city, St. Petersburg, Russia, holds many secrets and most of the drivers of the U.I.M. F1 H2O World Championship for power boating tour will tell you that this 2.01 kilometer six turn course can be one of the most challenging to get right on any circuit in the world. 

The city that Peter the Great founded in 1703 had been the capital of the Russian Empire for over 200 years and with its rich history, a new tradition is taking place as the U.I.M. F1 H2O World Championship returns for the seventh time on the head of the Gulf of Finland wrapping up the European season for the 8th Grand Prix of Russia on the weekend of the eighth and ninth of August.  

The Honda Formula 4-Stroke Powerboat race which was held today (Sunday) has been one of the most spectacular and memorable Grand Prix’s  the area has witnessed since the series began racing in Lowestoft in 2007.

The day began with the 225hp fleet and a marvellous win once again for home team Lings driven by David Cowley and Navigator Paul Barkshire. Leaving a tremendous gap between themselves and their opposition Team Williams they had clearly won the race before they had finished. In third were the German crew of Power of Dreams Germany who mopped up the wake of their challengers to take the final victory of the morning.

Scorching weather and enthusiastic crowds lined the coast of Lowestoft today for the Honda Formula 4-Stroke Powerboat Grand Prix which followed on from the success of the Lowestoft Sea Front Air Festival this week.

All eyes were on Ling’s in the first 225hp race of the weekend as the team were under immense pressure to dominate the first place position. Crew members David Cowley, driver and Chris Jary, navigator were on top form amid the pressure and stunned crowds in an extreme lead against the Williams boat making their position un-catchable.

Zapcat Racing the World’s largest one design powerboat championship brings the action to Barry Island, Wales on the 1st and 2nd of August.

Around 30 of the feisty catamarans will battle it out over two days in 16 heats of racing for the title of Barry Island Zapcat Grand Prix winners.

This will be the first time the Championship has ever been to Barry Island, and will see the long awaited return for the championship to Wales, with an absence from Welsh waters for 6 years.

Back in May a team of Vortex instructors and Zapcat competitors headed to Skye in Scotland to be part of the Drambuie Pursuit ’09.

The Drambuie Pursuit is an adventure race through the Scottish Highlands celebrating the gallant flight of Bonnie Prince Charlie, for whom the secret recipe for Drambuie was created in 1745.

Participants climb, bike, canoe and archer their way through the 100-mile one-day event, paddling across the River Ness and tracing the steps of the prince when he was defeated at the Battle of Culloden.