Royal Southampton brother Tom and James Plant were unfortunate not to pull off a second place podium position in the Honda powerboat championships at Lowestoft at the weekend.
In an action packed 150hp race, Jerry McArthur and Jonny Twelvetrees put in a stunning performance in Salcombe Racing to take the chequered flag for the second time over weekend. In an exciting battle for second place Tom and James in QualityJob showed just how well their boat was performing against local boys David Cowley and Chris Jary in Lings Racing wowing the crowds with a stunning last lap performance only to see the local boys clinch the second place on the very last corner.
Featuring a long, fast straight which runs along the beachfront, the inaugural Honda Formula 4-Stroke race course thrilled a crowd of 40,000 and racers alike with close action racing across both series.
"It’s been a fantastic weekend,” said Cowley. “We had hoped for a slightly better start but we pushed hard from the word go. On lap seven I decided to race in clear water instead of trailing directly behind the Quality Job boys as it was obvious we weren’t making any ground on them, and it paid off. The last lap was amazing and the reaction from the crowd was fantastic.”
In an eventful 225hp race, Jack Glendinning and Simon Bucknall in Airwaves Claygate made a great start snatching the lead from Saturday’s winners Nathan Libby and Gavin Parsonage in Negotiator. In a run down to the first corner, Darren Hook and David Harwood in English Heritage Buildings, who found themselves towards the front of the group, hit a rogue wave and rolled their boat – the marine equivalent of a spin-out – in the path of the oncoming fleet. Action continued until lap five when race organisers curtailed the race as a result of deteriorating sea conditions.
"Powerboat racing like any form of motorsport encourages a competitive racing edge,” said Rory Power, Officer of the Day.
“As officials we have to take responsibility and make decisions on behalf of the drivers’ safety. The sea conditions were great but sometimes the North Sea can be a bit too much, even for us.”
"It’s been a truly fantastic weekend of racing,” said Martin Sanders, General Manager, Honda (UK) Power Equipment. “This is the first time we’ve linked up with an event the size of the Lowestoft Air Festival and it’s been a great success. The last four days have offered visitors spectacular forms of entertainment on land, sea and air.”
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