Braehead welcomed Zapcat Racing with braw weather and awesome crowds, as 20 teams took part in the 3rd  Round of the Zapcat Celtic Cup and the inaugural round of the Home Nations Championship. The strong tidal pull of the Clyde and cross winds on the river was creating some flighty conditions for the racers as they took their National colours in a home nations battle.

Marin Subsea/Delta Jets, Zapcat 09 Pilot Ashley Chappell and Chris Rex racing for Scotland under their sponsors flag were flying from the word go and looked like an unstoppable team as they carried on their lead in the Celtic Cup.

Welsh team Westgate, Zapcat 28 Pilot Charles Morris and Jacqui Wood were racing as fierce as the Welsh Dragon as they took on the other teams in the days 16 heats of racing. Going head to head with the welsh team were BS Marinesport Zapcat 66 piloted by Neil Bainbridge with Richard Fallowfield flying the English flag.
There was no separating the 8 boats that made it into the days final and as the starters green flag dropped the fleet headed into the first turn buoy with nothing between them. Several familiar faces from the National Championship made the cut into the hotly contested final.

At the first turn buoy Marin Subsea/ Delta Jets took the lead from Westgate and BS Marinesport  as the pack closed in. Marin Subsea, knowing they had the boat speed opted for the shorter course to build their lead, which they maintained to take the top spot on the podium and the gold medal. A tactical race ensued between Team Suffolk, Zapcat 98, Westgate and BS Marinesport for second and third.

BS Marinesport, Zapcat 66 Neil Bainbridge and Richard fallowfield squeezed into second with Westgate’s Charles and Jacqui just holding off  team Suffolk to claim the bronze medal position.

So Marinsubsea/Delta Jets Ash and Chris’s win sees them comfortably sitting at the top of the Celtic Cup table but with another round of hotly contested action tomorrow the fight from the chasing teams is not over yet. Action will commence on the River Clyde at Braehead tomorrow again from 12 noon.