Powerboat P1 radio commentator and powerboating veteran Martin Sanborn rolled back the years to claim the Production 2 World Championship at Key West last week.
Sanborn, no stranger to winning championships, had joined race partner Dan Davies to compete in the same category as Team SW1 Capital's Kim Collins and Dan Cramphorn.
Last week, the English duo of Cramphorn and Collins won impressively on Wednesday to claim their fifth successive victory in what is still only their first full season in powerboating. However, Sanborn and Davies were not to be outdone and powered their Global Warmer Fountain to victory on Friday and Sunday to snatch the title.
Sanborn, who has not raced competitively since 2004, was understandably thrilled with his first championship win for over a decade: "Going into the championships we knew we had a really good boat and we felt strong, but Key West is always unpredictable and you never know how things will turn out," he said.
"My race partner Dan Davies managed to talk me into competing this year. We'd raced a Poker run about three weeks beforehand which went well and he managed to twist my arm. This was his debut appearance at Key West and to come away with the title is a fantastic achievement.
"I certainly had a great time racing in Florida, but in terms of next year it's not a priority of mine to race competitively. I'm fully focused on Powerboat P1 and raising its profile, especially within the American market. It's going to be an exciting season once again."
Meanwhile, Nigel Hook and new race partner Michael Silfverberg raced together for the first time in Key West following the announcement that they will be partners in the Lucas Oil Scandinavian Offshore Challenge team for the 2010 Powerboat P1 World Championship.
The team headed to Key West with the intention of simply gaining some 'seat time' but guided their Lucas Oil Skater to an impressive third placed finish in the Production 1 class.
Powerboat P1 stalwart Hook is confident that the team is heading in the right direction: "Key West has always been a proving ground for new race teams. Michael and I clicked very well when we were out on the water, and a podium finish was an encouraging result. As far as we're concerned it's mission accomplished and all systems are go for Powerboat P1 2010," he said.