Following a successful test with their third ‘new generation’ Class 1 raceboat in Australia last week, throttleman Peter McGrath and a clutch of technicians will head to the team’s European base in Plymouth, England, next week to make the required  modifications to Maritimo 11 and 12.

The team had a frustrating return to full-time racing in Class 1 at the season-opener in Qatar, and were hampered by one or two technical glitches and some handling issues - described by McGrath as ‘like driving a fork lift on ice’ - and which saw him and team newcomer, Giorgio Manuzzi, fail to make the Grand Prix after spinning out in pre-race practice and damaging their boat, and team-mates Tom Barry-Cotter and Pal Nilsen retiring on lap 5. 

“We had a good run in the new boat and with the modifications we have introduced, I reckon we are 80-90 percent of the way to rectifying most of the issues we had in Qatar,” said McGrath. 

“We will now modify the hull and back end of both of our current raceboats, change an engine and hood and check all the wiring on number 12 and if we have to, replace the wiring loom.  If time allows we will run them in Plymouth before we ship out to Norway.”