Photo's courtesy of Gary Bray - UNICOM. More to follow in the gallery shortly.

• Nitro Helmets:  E99 Co-driver Arran Scott has offered club members a fantastic discount on Nitro helmets.  RRP is normally £49.99 but club members can buy them for just £35.00  See the Absolute Aqua web-site www.absoluteaqua.co.uk for further details. 

July 2011

• Team news:  Team Benatom's new co-driver Steve Curtis has used his initiative to secure some exciting sponsorship for the remainder of the season for the team.  Full details can be found in the article by following the link -> http://powerboatmag.com/peters-may-racing-helps-mentor-young-team.html.  Well done Steve.

May 2011

• Stewartby Round 2:  Round 2 points as follows:  E1500 points are still subject to RYA protest therefore are not available at present.  Will post as soon as available.

E900 Driver	POINTS	E900 Co-driver	POINTS	F400 Driver	POINTS	F400 Co-driver	POINTS	S250 Driver	POINTS
S. Whittle	1960	B. Pocknell	1960	B. Pocknell	1844	S. Curtis	1844	T. Adlam	1920
C. Jelf	1840	T. Newman	1840	J. Heffer	1804	T. Newman	1804	T. Pocknell	1880
				J. Stoneman	1492	B. Stoneman	1492	B. Jelf	1620
				M. Ludwell	1448	M. Wills	1448	M. Coleman	1460

Denotes on an event licence

April 2011

• Stewartby Round 1:  Round 1 points as follows:

STEWARTBY - APRIL 2011

E1500 Driver

POINTS

E1500 Co-driver

POINTS

E900 Driver

POINTS

E900 Co-driver

POINTS

F400 Driver

POINTS

F400 Co-driver

POINTS

S250 Driver

POINTS

1st

J. Swann

1920

. Kendall

1920

S. Whittle

2000

A. Streeting

2000

J. Heffer

1920

T. Newman

1920

T. Adlam

1920

2nd

A. Bennett

1880

W. Nurse

1880

C. Jelf

1800

T. Newman

1800

B. Pocknell

1448

S. Curtis

1448

B. Jelf

1656

3rd

C. Ludwell

1556

M. Wills

1556

M. Ludwell

1368

M. Wills

1368

T. Pocknell

1520

4th

S. Newcombe

1236

A. Scott

1236

J. Stoneman

292

B. Stoneman

292

M. Coleman

908

5th

P. Bennett

1170

N. Grove

1170

6th

M. Pritchard

1110

C. Davis

1110

Denotes on an event licence

March 2011

• Stewartby Training weekend: The weekend saw members old and new come to test their boats for the upcoming season.  Saturday was spent having some basic classroom training which was then taken out on the water.  Sunday more practice races took place followed by Top-gun.  Everyone agreed it was well worth participating, roll on the first heat.

• Welcome: The members and committee of UKFFORC would like to welcome our new members for 2011...

                                Anne Robinson - OOD and friend of the club

                                Max, Gary and Karen Coleman (Max in S8)

                                Andy, Wendy, Little Andy and Joe Bennett (Andy in E11)

                                Stuart Newcombe and Arran Scott  of Principal Power in E1500

                                Steve Curtis (F22 new co-driver)

                                Ben, Colin and Jenny Jelf (Ben in S4)

                                Jessica and Bethany Stoneman, Shez Baker, Kelvin and George Elmore (Jessica and Bethany in F40)

• RYA Winners Dinner and Awards Ceremony: The 'elite' donned their black ties and ball gowns to attend the RYA awards dinner ceremony at the Royal Bath hotel in Bournemouth.  Hosted by RYA powerboat racing manager John Puddifoot and champion driver Shelley Jory-Leigh our 2010 champions took to the stage to collect their awards amongst the elite of the sport, then after a sumptuous meal boogied the night away and had a few beers (Sam Whittle!!).  Photographic evidence is available but I'll save that one for now.  In the meantime our 2010 winners...

February 2011

• 2011 SEASON: The 2011 season kicks off with the training weekend to be held at Stewartby on the 26th-27th March.  This weekend will give all teams a chance to blow away those winter cobwebs.  There will be training, prop testing for E1500/E900, a chance for new competitors to experience starts/finishes and short races and for everyone too participate in Top Gun, as well as testing boats ready for the new season.  As a bonus all competitors will receive 10 National Championship Points for attending and taking part.  Those 10 points could be the difference between first and second place at the end of the year - what have you got to lose!

December 2010

• ENGINES: Anybody wanting to take advantage of the discount offered from Keith at Powertech Marine might want to bear in mind the VAT increase on January to 20%.  Orders placed before the end of this year will stay at the current rate.  Full details on the equipment/info page.

• End of year summary: 2010 has been another fantastic season for the members of UK Formula Future Offshore Race Club despite Mother Nature playing havoc with the weather.  The E1500 class moved into its second year as a full RYA National Class following its 2009 experimental status with boats increasing from 3 to 6.  Newbie’s included the Premier Houseboats team comprising of Captain Steve Sutton managing, and Andy Wilby + Jonny Allbutt driving/co-driving.  Sleepwalker racing comprising of driver Nic Whitehead + Co-driver Alex Whitehead and E41 Colin Ludwell + Mike Wills.  These joined Team Big666 racing Jake Swann + Ben Kendall, Team Concorde Phil Bennett + Nicky Grove and E12 ‘have-a-go’ which has had a succession of guest drivers – two who have gone on to order their own boats for 2011.  The season started on Stewartby Lake in Bedford with a full fleet.  It then moved to Allhallows on the Kent coast, Onto Poole in Dorset.  The next venue was Eastbourne in Sussex and this event was to be the first affected by the weather.  Saturdays racing was cancelled due to high winds with only one race taking place on the Sunday.  This was to continue for the next two events, a return to Poole and a return to Allhallows.  Valuable points were lost from these events but it was all still to race for at the series finals at Stewartby in October. The RYA National Championship title was retained by 2009 holders Team Big666 racing Jake Swann + Ben Kendall.  In the E900 class last years winners Team Girlracer Millie Pascoe + Carolina Sandbrook were out to retain their title against the Powertech Marine boys Sam and Keith Whittle, and Sleepwalker racings Jack and Terry Whitehead.  This was a close battle of the sexes with the wins falling evenly between the girls and the boys which went down to the last race with the girls retaining their title RYA National Title.   If nothing else the girls certainly kept the safety crews amused with their singing and won the award for the noisiest boat of the year!  The two Junior classes also had an exciting year.  In the F400 class F22 Ben Pocknell + Tom Newman took on F14 Mike Wills + Max Ludwell and F44 Jax + Abbey Heffer.  Like the E900 class this was an exciting season with one team winning an event, followed by another winning the next making it anybodies race for the trophy.  These racers are the adult racers of tomorrow and would certainly give many adults a run for their money.  The RYA National winning driver was Ben Pocknell F22 along with the winning co-driver Max Ludwell F14.  The club championship however was won by Mike Wills F14 as driver and Tom Newman F44 as co-driver.  The S250 class, which features drivers as young as 12 years old, had an exciting year with two rookies completing their first year.  Matthew Maggs in S5 and Tobias Adlam in S6 joined existing racer Tommy Pocknell in S24.  These were joined by Ben Kendall for a couple of races during the season.  The new boys soon found their feet winning a few races but experience definitely counted for Tommy Pocknell who took the RYA National title at the end of the season.  Every team is now looking towards the 2011 season when they will be joined by 3 new E1500 teams, a new E900 team, a new F400 team and 2 new S250 teams.  UKFFORC are also going 100% green with the S250 changing to an Evinrude Etec 25hp engine.  With the other 3 classes already running green engines the club remains committed to supporting the environment.

November 2010

• Coniston records week: Well done to Sam Whittle for achieving a new E900 National record at Coniston last week with an eye watering 50.24mph.

• UKFFORC Going 100% green for 2011: UK Formula Future Offshore Race Club is updating the last of the old style engines to the latest green technology for 2011.  The S250 class currently runs a Mercury/Mariner 25hp 2 stroke engine but from 2011 is moving to the Evinrude Etec 25hp to bring it in line with the rest of the fleet.  List price for the engine is £2800 but subject to terms and conditions can be purchased through the club for an amazing £2035.  The new engine took its first run out during the 2010 Finals at Stewartby earlier this month and was warmly received. 

October 2010

• Stewartby National FINALS: UKFFORC took its series finals to Stewartby in Bedfordshire on the weekend of the 15^th-16^th October 2010.  After having the last 2 events cancelled due to weather issues the fleet were eager to get out on the water and make up lost points.  The first 2 heats were the F400/S250 classes which also featured S34 with the new Evinrude Etec 25hp out for a test run.  Tobias Adlam in S6 has obviously getting some practice hours under his belt and took the chequered flag in both heats after leading from beginning to end.  Whilst in the F400 class Ben Pocknell with new co-driver Will Nurse also took both chequered flags after taking the lead from Mike Wills + Max Ludwell.  Next the ever growing E1500/E900 took to the water.  Nic Whitehead + Alex Whitehead in E21 took off like a bat out of hell and lead the race until lap 10 when Jake Swann + Ben Kendall in E10 took the lead and finished a mere 10:86 seconds ahead of Andy Wilby + Johnny Allbutt in E75. Guest driver Dean Gibbs along with his co-driver Jan Falkowski completed the course in E12.  In the E900 class the ongoing battle between the Girlpower girls in 069 and Sam + Keith Whittle in 007 was to continue with the girls taking the first and second wins.  Jack and Terry Whitehead in 019 had a good race to take 3^rd place. Race 4 was not to be as straightforward… The battle for 1^st place between Jake Swann + Ben Kendall in E10 and Phil Bennett + Nicky Grove in E15 was hotting up on lap 17 with Phil taking the lead on the start straight, for Jake to take it back, then Phil to take it again on the back straight. On rounding buoy 2 E15 hooked and rolled ejecting its crew, then an oncoming E10 swerved but managed to clip the bow.  Both Phil + Nicky were recovered immediately by safety crew to see E15 sink to the bottom of the lake!  Thank goodness for the Rapid Response divers who refloated and recovered E15.  The race was restarted to complete the heat with E10 taking the win.  The junior fleet went back out with F14 Mike and Max taking their first win of the day, and F44 Jax Heffer + Tom Newman taking 2^nd place after Ben + Will experienced technical problems. Tobias Adlam in S6 took his 3^rd win of the day.  The last race of the day saw the tables turn in the E900 class with Sam + Keith in 007 taking their first win of the day knocking Millie + Carolina in 069 off the podium.  The E1500 win was taken by the Team Big666 boys giving them the hat-trick for the day. 

Fastest laps for Saturday were:

E1500	E10	Jake Swann + Ben Kendall	1:07:89
E900	007	Sam Whittle	1:22:25
F400	F22	Ben Pocknell + Will Nurse	0:43:94
S250	S24	Tommy Pocknell	0:45:88

Sunday the teams took to the water again with the junior fleet starting first.  Again the F22 boys saw off the competition with Ben + Will taking the F400 win whilst Tobias in S6 kept up the pace with his 3^rd win of the weekend.  Although no chequered flags for Jax Heffer and her new co-driver Tom Newman in F44, the fastest lap of the day, and indeed the whole weekend was set in this race at 0:42:86.  The last junior heat of the weekend was all change with Mike Wills + Max Ludwell taking the chequered flag for the F400 class and Tommy Pocknell winning his first heat in S24.  Next the adult classes took to the water.  With the wind having dropped today lap times decreased as the teams pushed for the lead.  Today's swimmers were the Premier Houseboat boys in E75 who ejected themselves on lap 11 after taking the last buoy a little too tight!  The race was restarted and after a further exciting 6 laps the chequered flag was taken by Nic Whitehead + Alex Whitehead in E21.  Well done boys on your first win and also setting the fastest lap of the day and the weekend.  In the E900 class the flag was taken by Sam + Keith Whittle in 007 who also set the fastest lap of the day and the weekend.  The last race of the day was a much more sedate affair with Sam + Keith Whittle winning the E900 race which gave them the overall weekend win.  In the E1500 class Jake Swann + Ben Kendall took the E1500 win completing the weekend.

Fastest laps for Sunday were:

E1500	E21	Nic Whitehead + Alex Whitehead	1:05:88
E900	007	Sam Whittle	1:20:77
F400	F44	Jax Heffer + Tom Newman	0:42:86
S250	S24	Tommy Pocknell	0:45:28

Fastest laps for the weekend were:

E1500	E21	Nic Whitehead + Alex Whitehead	1:05:88
E900	007	Sam Whittle	1:20:77
F400	F44	Jax Heffer + Tom Newman	0:42:86
S250	S24	Tommy Pocknell	0:45:28

 

STEWARTBY - OCTOBER 2010

E1500 Driver

POINTS

E1500 Co-driver

POINTS

E900 Driver

POINTS

E900 Co-driver

POINTS

F400 Driver

POINTS

F400 Co-driver

POINTS

S250 Driver

POINTS

1st

J. Swann

1960

B. Kendall

1960

S. Whittle

1920

C. Sandbrook

1920

B. Pocknell

1884

W. Nurse

1200

T. Adlam

1960

2nd

A. Wilby

1440

J. Allbutt

1440

M. Pascoe

1880

K. Whittle

1880

M. Wills (jnr)

1880

M. Ludwell

1080

T. Pocknell

1840

3rd

N. Whitehead

1372

A. Whitehead

1372

J. Whitehead

648

T. Whitehead

648

J. Heffer

1656

T. Newman

972

4th

D. Gibbs

1370

J. Falkowski

1370

T. Whitehead

648

J. Whitehead

648

5th

M. Wills

1232

C. Ludwell

1232

6th

P. Bennett

528

N. Grove

528

Weekends results:

E1500	E10	Jake Swann + Ben Kendall	1960
E900	007	Sam Whittle + Keith Whittle	1920
F400	F22	Ben Pocknell + Will Nurse	1884
S250	S6	Tobias Adlam	1960

 

Well done to our 2010 RYA National Champions:

E1500 Driver	E10	Jake Swann	2000
E1500 Co-driver	E10	Ben Kendall	2000
E900 Driver	069	Millie Pascoe	1920
E900 Co-driver	069	Carolina Sandbrook	1920
F400 Driver	F22	Ben Pocknell	1960
F400 Co-driver	F14	Max Ludwell	1840
S250 driver	S24	Tommy Pocknell	1880

 Well done to our 2010 Club Champions:

E1500 Driver	E10	Jake Swann	8048
E1500 Co-driver	E10	Ben Kendall	8048
E900 Driver	069	Millie Pascoe	8000
E900 Co-driver	069	Carolina Sandbrook	8000
F400 Driver	F14	Mike Wills	8460
F400 Co-driver	F14	Tom Newman	8540
S250 driver	S24	Tommy Pocknell	8328

September 2010

• Allhallows National round 6: Unfortunately all racing was cancelled due to high winds.

August 2010

• Poole National  round 5: Unfortunately all racing was cancelled due to high winds.

July 2010

• Eastbourne Extreme National round 4: The weekend of 17^th-18^th July 2010 saw UK Formula Future take round 4 of their RYA National Championship to the sunshine coast and the Eastbourne Extreme festival.  Unfortunately someone forgot to tell the wind it is mid July! Saturday saw winds gusting to well above 30mph which meant unfortunately there was no racing.  This didn’t stop our teams who took their polished boats up to the stand on the seafront, and joined in with the festival talking to the public about powerboat racing.  Sunday dawned with a reduced wind and the fleet headed out.  The junior F400 and S250 fleets completed their parade lap and practice laps but the decision was made to postpone the race as the wind and waves were on the limit.  A bit praise goes to these kids, the youngest being just 10 years old, as they took it on the chin and made their way back to the pits.  The adults then took to the water for what was a really thrilling race.  Again conditions were very challenging but this did not stop Andy Bennett driving E12 who took off from the start line like a bat out of hell, closely followed by the Premier Houseboat boys in E75, team Big666 in E10, team Concorde in E15, and the Bristol boys in E41.  These were closely followed by the Girlpower girls in 069 and the Powertech marine boys in 007.  Poor Keith Whittle took another battering at the hands of son Sam who just isn’t going to let the girls get away.  Places changed several times throughout the race with team Big666 taking the chequered flag just ahead of Andy and Will in E12 after a closely fought race.  Then it was the turn of Sovereign Radio competition winner Spike Matthews from Eastbourne to take a ride in a race boat.  Spike had had a ringside seat for the racing in a support safety boat, and then swapped his seat for the co-driver’s seat in E10.  A 3 lap demonstration then followed giving Spike a taste of life in a powerboat.  He said afterwards ‘I didn’t have time to feel frightened.  It was fantastic, the most exhilarating thing I have ever done’.  A short lunch/re-fuelling break followed then the junior fleet again made their way out. This time they got 3 very exciting heats in with an ongoing battle in the F400 class between F22 and F14.  Ben and Tom in F22 took all 3 chequered flags but with some setting up of their new boat to do, Mike and Max will soon be back.  The Petrol head girls also experienced some technical problems with their boat but battles to the very end.  In the S250 class our youngest competitor Tobias Adlam in S6 started all the races in the lead, but lost the first two races to Tommy Pocknell in S24 on the pit laps, however in the third and final race Tobias took the chequered flag having lapped Tommy.  A bit more work on those pit laps Tobias and you’ll be there! A big thank you to Eastbourne Borough Council for inviting us, Sovereign Harbour for accommodating us, our UKFFORC team for all the hard work, Dan, our commentator for doing a fantastic job and last but not least, our racers for making it all worthwhile.  Round 5 details to follow.

              Sovereign Radio winner Spike Matthews aboard E10                                              Weekend runners & riders

          

                                                                 

EASTBOURNE - JULY 2010

E1500 Driver

POINTS

E1500 Co-driver

POINTS

E900 Driver

POINTS

E900 Co-driver

POINTS

F400 Driver

POINTS

F400 Co-driver

POINTS

S250 Driver

POINTS

1st

J. Swann

400

B. Kendall

400

M. Pascoe

400

C. Sandbrook

400

B. Pocknell

1200

T. Newman

1200

T. Pocknell

1160

2nd

A. Bennett

360

W. Nurse

360

S. Whittle

360

K. Whittle

360

M. Wills (jnr)

1080

M. Ludwell

1080

T. Adlam

1120

3rd

A. Wilby

324

J. Allbutt

324

J. Heffer

972

A. Heffer

972

4th

C. Ludwell

292

T. Newman

292

5th

P. Bennett

262

N. Grove

262

June 2010

• Poole National round 3: Round 3 of the UKFFORC National Championship took place on the weekend of 12th-13th June 2010 on the picturesque coast off Sandbanks at Poole in Dorset.  With the fantastic facilities of Cobbs Quay Marina as our hosts our pits and the sun shining, the weekend was never going to be disappointing.  Saturday saw 3 E1500/E900 heats and 2 F400/S250 heats.  With a slight chop the fleet set off from Cobbs.  Team Big666 were on form taking the first 2 E1500 heats and in an ironic twist of fate it was the final ‘pit lap’ that was the deciding factor giving Andy Wilby and Will Nurse in E75 a well deserved first win in the E1500 class.  In the E900 class Sam & Keith Whittle in 007 also went ahead by winning 2 races with the Girlpower girls taking the last race.  In the F400 class Mike Wills and Max Ludwell had just put the finishing touches to a new F14 and with a few tweaks still to make Ben Pocknell and Tom Newman sped off with the first three races. In the S250 class new boys Matt Maggs and Tobias Adlam took the lead, but Tommy Pocknell snatched it back on the pit laps every time showing experience really does count.  Sunday we did it all again but this time it was windier and conditions were certainly a lot more challenging.  Team Big666 took the first E1500 win and E75 took their second win in the last race.  Sam and Keith Whittle took the first E900 win to give them a well deserved first weekend’s title with the Girlpower girls taking the second before running out of petrol just past the last buoy.  Was that Formula One precision planning girls or just sheer luck!!  The junior classes took a real battering but gave the spectators on the beach a real show.  F22 took home the F400 trophy with Tommy Pocknell in S24 taking the S250 showing the Pocknell boys were really on form for the weekend.  Many thanks to all at Cobbs for their help and a special thank you to Colin and Johnny for supplying the committee boats and spoiling us.  Also thanks to Gary Bray of UNICOM for coming and taking some fantastic photo’s for us.  Bring on round 4 at the Eastbourne Extreme Festival in July.  Photo's in the gallery courtesy of Gary Bray UNICOM .         

POOLE - JUNE 2010

E1500 Driver

POINTS

E1500 Co-driver

POINTS

E900 Driver

POINTS

E900 Co-driver

POINTS

F400 Driver

POINTS

F400 Co-driver

POINTS

S250 Driver

POINTS

1st

J. Swann

1848

B. Kendall

1848

S. Whittle

1920

K. Whittle

1920

B. Pocknell

1960

T. Newman

1960

T. Pocknell

1924

2nd

A. Wilby

1844

W. Nurse

1844

M. Pascoe

1880

C. Sandbrook

1880

M. Wills (jnr)

1768

M. Ludwell

1768

T. Adlam

1768

3rd

C. Ludwell

1592

T. Newman

1592

J. Heffer

1692

A. Heffer

1692

M. Maggs

1728

4th

S. Reddish

1012

J. Allbutt

1012

5th

Denotes on an event licence

May 2010

• Allhallows National round 2: Round 2 of the UKFFORC National series took place on the weekend of 15th-16th May 2010 at Allhallows on the North Kent coast.  Saturday gave our fleet a taster of the Thames conditions whilst Sunday left nothing to the imagination.  With a blowing wind over tide both our junior and adult crews went home bruised, but exhilarated.  The E1500 weekend could have been anybodies with E10, E15 and E75 changing places several times each race. With 2 wins apiece Phil Bennett + Nicky Grove and Jake Swann + Ben Kendall started the final meaning business.  It was the final ‘pit lap’ that was the deciding factor giving the team big666 boys the win.  In the E900 class the Girlpower girls spent more time airborne than on the water but put the win down to their singing! Sam Whittle was flying solo without his dad Keith but coped admirably even when experiencing technical problems with his engine. It was all change for our F400/S250 crews with Ben Pocknell and Tom Newman taking the weekends crown to put them back at the top of the class whilst the F44 girls certainly took the award for the loudest boat of the weekend with squeals and shouts coming from it every time it passed the safety boat!  Ben Kendall came out of retirement for the weekend and took home the trophy for the S250 class. Bring on round 3 in Poole in June. Weekends points below, RYA National points on the results page. Photo's in the gallery. Many thanks to Doug Woodward freelance photographer for coming - we look forward to seeing the photo's.                                                                                     

ALLHALLOWS  -MAY 2010

E1500 Driver

POINTS

E1500 Co-driver

POINTS

E900 Driver

POINTS

E900 Co-driver

POINTS

F400 Driver

POINTS

F400 Co-driver

POINTS

S250 Driver

POINTS

1st

J. Swann

1920

B. Kendall

1920

M. Pascoe

1920

C. Sandbrook

1920

B. Pocknell

1920

T. Newman

1920

B. Kendall

1920

2nd

P. Bennett

1844

N. Grove

1844

S. Whittle

1484

G.Butler/T.Newman

1484

M. Wills (jnr)

1772

M. Ludwell

1772

T. Pocknell

1880

3rd

N. Whitehead

1402

A. Whitehead

1402

T. Whitehead

720

J. Whitehead

720

J. Heffer

1728

A. Heffer

1728

T. Adlam

1620

4th

A. Wilby

1008

W. Nurse

1008

J. Whitehead

324

T. Whitehead

324

5th

M. Wills (Snr)

876

C. Ludwell

876

6th

C. Ludwell

616

M. Wills (Snr)

616

Denotes on an event licence

• Southampton Sports Boat and Rib Show: UK Formula Future will be exhibiting at this exciting show on the 22-23rd May at the Ocean Village Marina in Southampton.  Team Big666 will be taking along 2 E1500 whilst the BenaTom team will be showing their F400.  Entry is FREE so why not pop along.

April 2010

• Stewartby National Round 1: UK Formula Future kicked off its 2010 season in style at sunny Stewartby last weekend. With the E1500 fleet more than doubled in size there were an impressive 9 boats on the E1500/E900 start line.  Moving to our up and coming drivers of the future there were 6 boats in the F400/S250 classes.  The racing was fantastic with the win going down to the final heat in every class...If this is what the first race of the season bought then the rest of the season promises to be nail-biting racing!  There are 7 E1500's registered to race and with 2 more currently being set up its going to be a fantastic season. 

The first race was the F400/S250 class.  The race was led from start to finish by Mike Wills and Max Ludwell in F14 beating Ben Pocknell and Tom Newman over the line by 0:03:64 seconds with Jax and Abbey Heffer coming in 3^rd.  Tommy Pocknell headed the S250 fleet with new boys Tobias Adlam and Matthew Maggs bringing up the rear.  Fastest F400 lap was 0:48:00 set by Mike Wills on lap 2.  Fastest S250 lap was set by Tommy Pocknell at 0:51:15 on lap 5. 

Race 2 was also the F400/S250 class and this was the complete reverse of the first race with Ben Pocknell and Tom Newman in F22 leading from the start.  They crossed the line 0:03:98 seconds behind Mike Wills and Max Ludwell with the 4 other boats coming in the same positions.  Fastest F400 lap was set by Mike Wills at 0:47:04 on lap 2. Fastest S250 lap was set by Tommy Pocknell at 0:51:01 on lap 2.

Race 3 was the first of the E1500/E900 races.  This was lead by Phil Bennett and Nicky Grove in E15 in their new improved Concorde Orlando FQ until lap 11 when they were taken by Jake Swann and Ben Kendall in E10 who then took the chequered flag 0:05:59 seconds ahead of E15.  Tom Montgomery-Swan and Andy Bennett started the race in fifth position in E12 but managed to make his way up the fleet finishing in 3^rd place.  Andy Wilby and Johnny Allbutt in E75 started the race in 3^rd place and finished in 4^th ahead of new boys Mike Wills (Snr) and Colin Ludwell out in their first outing in E41. Nic Whitehead and Alex Whitehead also out for a first outing in their Concorde Orlando FQ bought up the last of the E1500’s.  In the E900 class the battle commenced between the girls in Team Girlpower and the boys at Powertech Marine with the Sleepwalker boys starting their first season in their Concorde.  The chequered flag was taken by Millie Pascoe and Carolina Sandbrook in 069 0:13:42 seconds ahead of Sam Whittle and Keith Whittle in 007 with Jack Whitehead and Terry Whitehead in 019 completing the heat. Fastest E1500 lap was set by Tom Montgomery-Swan at 1:07:89 on lap 14. Fastest E900 lap was set by Sam Whittle at 01:22:35 on lap 17.

Race 4 E1500/E900 started again with Phil Bennett and Nicky Grove leading, but were again taken by Jake Swann and Ben Kendall on lap 10.  Tom Montgomery-Swan and Andy Bennett maintained 3^rd position throughout the race.  Mike Wills (Snr) and Colin Ludwell also maintained 4^th place from the start with Nic Whitehead and Alex Whitehead taking 5^th place.  Andy Wilby and Johnny Allbutt never quite made it across the finish line due to (ahem) technical problems on the last lap, but took 6^th place points as they had completed over 70% of the race.  The battle in the E900 took a change in this race with Sam and Keith Whittle leading from the start to knock the Girlpower girls Millie Pascoe and Carolina Sandbrook into 2^nd place and Jack and terry Whitehead into 3^rd place.  Fastest E1500 lap was set by Phil Bennett at 01:07:06 on lap 2.  Fastest E900 lap was set by Sam Whittle at 01:20:70 on lap 2.

Final race 5 of the day was the F400/S250 class.  This was won by Mike Wills (jnr) and Max Ludwell ahead of Ben Pocknell and Tom Newman with Jax and Abbey Heffer bringing up the rear.  Tommy Pocknell again won the S250 class with Tobias Adlam and Matthew Maggs taking the flag after him.  Fastest F400 lap was Mike Wills at 0:50:67 on lap 2.  Fastest S250 lap was Tommy Pocknell at 0:54:78 on lap 3.

The evening was then bought to a close with a BBQ get together which all teams attended and analysed the days racing.  Our thanks go to Andy and Wendy Bennett for cooking and feeding the five thousand!

Day 2 and race 6 dawned to heavy rain, but luck was on our side and the sun returned before the first race commenced.  This was a F400/S250 class which was again led from start to finish be Mike Wills (jnr) and Max Ludwell taking the chequered flag a mere 0:07:88 seconds ahead of Ben Pocknell and Tom Newman.  Jax and Abbey Heffer completed the F400’s.  It was all change in the S250 with new boy Tobias Adlam taking the chequered flag ahead of Matthew Maggs with Tommy Pocknell bringing up the rear.  This result was then altered after a protest gave the win to Jax and Abbey Heffer moving Mike Wills and Max Ludwell down into 2^nd and 3^rd place respectively.  Fastest F400 lap was Mike Wills at 0:51:58 on lap 4. Fastest S250 lap was set by Tobias Adlam at 0:57:32 on lap 2.

Race 7 was the F400/S250 final.  This was won by Mike Wills (jnr) and Max Ludwell who took the flag 0:08:47 seconds ahead of Jax and Abby Heffer with Ben Pocknell and Tom Newman completing the event.  In the S250 Tommy Pocknell did not make it over the starting line after having technical problems with his boat and unfortunately Tobias Adlam also broke down during the race leaving Matthew Maggs to take the chequered flag and the points.   Fastest F400 lap was Mike Wills at 0:51:21 on lap 2.  Fastest S250 lap was Matthew Maggs at 0:59:02 on lap 5.

 Race 8 saw the first outing of the day for the E1500/E900 boats with 2 of the boats drivers/co-drivers swapping over.  After getting the start they needed this was lead by Jake Swann and Ben Kendall from the start taking the flag 0:04:93 seconds ahead of Phil Bennett and Nicky Grove.  Tom Montgomery Swan and Andy Bennett started this race in 4^th position behind Johnny Allbutt and Andy Wilby, but took them in lap 2 to finish in 3^rd place.  Nic Whitehead and Alex Whitehead finished in 5^th ahead of Colin Ludwell and Mike Wills (Snr) in Colin’s debut race.  In the E900 class Sam and Keith Whittle again took the chequered flag ahead of the team Girlpower girls Millie Pascoe and Carolina Sandbrook and ahead of Terry and Jack Whitehead who also had changed seats.  Fastest E1500 lap was Tom Montgomery-Swan at 01:08:60 on lap 19.  Fastest E900 lap was Sam Whittle at 01:22:31 on lap 2.

Race 9 saw Phil Bennett and Nicky Grove take the lead from the start and hold their position right through to take the chequered flag 0:05:99 seconds ahead of Jake Swann and Ben Kendall.  Tom Montgomery Swan and Andy Bennett started the race in 4^th position but took a place from Johnny Allbutt and Andy Wilby to finish 3^rd and 4^th respectively and Colin Ludwell and Mike Wills (Snr) started in 6^th place but took a place from Nic Whitehead and Alex Whitehead to finish 5^th and 6^th respectively.  In the E900 class Millie Pascoe and Carolina Sandbrook finished just 0:00:37 seconds ahead of Sam and Keith Whittle to bring the heats to 2 apiece and everything to fight for in the final heat. Terry and Jack Whitehead completed the pack.  Fastest E1500 lap was Jake Swann at 01:07:51 on lap 18.  Fastest E900 lap was Sam Whittle at 01:21:97 on lap 11.

Race 10 was the E1500/E900 final.  This saw Phil Bennett and Nicky Grove again take the lead from a 2^nd place Tom Montgomery-Swan and Andy Bennett.  He was knocked into 3^rd place on lap 2 by Jake Swann and Ben Kendall who finished a nail biting 0:02:67 seconds behind Phil and Nicky.  Johnny Allbutt and Andy Wilby finished in 4^th position ahead of Colin Ludwell and Mike Wills (Snr) in 5^th, and Nic Whitehead and Alex Whitehead who finished in 6^th.  The battle for the E900 title went down to the last race and started with Sam and Keith Whittle taking the lead.  An incident with the kill cord on lap 4 meant Millie Pascoe and Carolina Sandbrook took the lead, which led to the race, and eventually the weekends title ahead of Terry and Jack Whitehead taking 3^rd place.  Fastest E1500 lap was Phil Bennett at 01:06:89 on lap 6.  Fastest E900 lap was Sam Whittle at 01:22:42 on lap 7.

Well done to all our competitors and their families for what was a fantastic weekends racing – if this weekend was anything to go by then the rest of the seasons racing is going to be brilliant and the title (in all classes) Could be anybodies.  Weekends points and overall fastest laps below, RYA National points on the results page. Photo's in the gallery.                                                                                      

STEWARTBY - APRIL 2010

E1500 Driver

POINTS

E1500 Co-driver

POINTS

E900 Driver

POINTS

E900 Co-driver

POINTS

F400 Driver

POINTS

F400 Co-driver

POINTS

S250 Driver

POINTS

1st

J. Swann

1920

B. Kendall

1920

M. Pascoe

1920

C. Sandbrook

1920

M. Wills (jnr)

1960

M. Ludwell

1960

M. Maggs

1772

2nd

P. Bennett

1880

N. Grove

1880

S. Whittle

1880

K. Whittle

1880

B. Pocknell

1804

T. Newman

1804

T. Pocknell

1524

3rd

T. Montgomery Swan

1620

A. Bennett

1620

T. Whitehead

972

J. Whitehead

972

J. Heffer

1656

A. Heffer

1656

T. Adlam

1296

4th

N. Whitehead

1232

A. Whitehead

1232

J. Whitehead

648

T. Whitehead

648

5th

J. Allbutt

876

A. Wilby

876

6th

C. Ludwell

760

M. Wills (Snr)

760

7th

M. Wills (Snr)

554

C. Ludwell

554

8th

A. Wilby

528

J. Allbutt

528

9th

10th

Denotes on an event licence

Weekends fastest laps:  E1500 - Phil Bennett and Nicky Grove 01:06:89.        E900 - Sam and Keith Whittle 01:20:70.F400 - Mike Wills (jnr) and Max Ludwell 00:47:04         S250 - Tommy Pocknell 00:51:01

 April 2010

• ARE YOU READY??: The 2010 season starts on the weekend of the 24th - 25th April at Stewartby.                                                                      Have you got renewed your club membership?            Have you got your 2010 licence?            Is your boat ready in line with the 2010 rules?  Have you checked your safety equipment?          Any questions you may have please feel free to contact the committee for clarification.                                                

• Caps: Get your UKFFORC cap ready for the summer.  ONLY £7.99 to fully paid up club members, £9.99 to non-members. Please contact a committee member to order yours.

March 2010

• UKFFORC 2010 rules: The 2010 rules are now available on the download page.  Please familiarise yourself with them as there have been many major changes.                                                 

• The British Leisure Show: UK Formula Future took boats from all classes to the new British Leisure show at Royal Windsor Racecourse on the 19th-21st March. This was the first year of the show which had various areas including Boats & Watercraft, Extreme Sports, Outdoor & Country and Caravan & Camping.  After a slow start on Friday, mainly due to the weather, the weekend bought many people including a number who expressed an interest in powerboat racing and the racing our club enjoys.  It was also a chance for the Sleepwalker racing team to unveil their new Concorde 'Evinruder'.  The event web-site reports over 21,000 people visited.  More information can be found on their web-site http://www.britishleisureshow.com.  Many thanks to Team Big666, Sleepwalker racing and team Concorde for taking their boats to exhibit and giving up their time.

February 2010

• RYA annual winners gala awards ceremony: Saturday 6th February saw the UKFFORC winners don their best clothes and head to the De Vere Suite at The Royal Bath Hotel in Bournemouth for the annual gala dinner and awards ceremony.  E1500, E900 and F400 winners were presented with a perpetual trophy and a personal trophy each by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston who has also had a taste of powerboat racing in 2009 competing in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race with British champion Shelley Jory.  Jake Swann (E1500 winning driver) Ben Kendall (E1500 winning co-driver) Milly Pascoe (E900 winning driver) Carolina Sandbrook (E900 winning co-driver) Ben Pocknell (F400 winning driver) + Jamie Kendall (F400 winning co-driver) were all recognised for their achievements in 2009 (Apart from Milly who was off in New York, but was represented by her father and mentor, Mark Pascoe.) They were not the only ones to receive an award with our very own Denis Swann receiving a trophy presented by Rikard Coro who is the UK/Ireland Country Manager of BRP.  This was a special recognition award for his outstanding and continued efforts in developing offshore racing at grass roots level. For once he was lost for words! The evening then finished with a gourmet meal and disco.  More pictures in the gallery .

                                                                                                    

January 2010

• 2010 Licence applications: With new new season approaching, now is the time to get your admin sorted as well as preparing your boat for the up-and coming season.  The RYA have issued licence applications to all existing licence holders in the post this week, however if your hasn't arrived it is available to download here on the download page along with the RYA data protection form.  To apply for a licence you need to get your form endorsed by your club so if you haven't yet sent your club membership in, now is a good time to do it as forms cannot be endorsed unless you are a fully paid up club member.  Please see either Denis, or Julie to get your form endorsed.  As a club we also need photographic/video consent forms for all under 18's completed for 2010.  These have been emailed out, but if you have not received your copy it can be downloaded from the download page.  Please can everyone ensure a current email address is on your 2010 membership form so we can be sure everyone is getting all communications.  The rules for 2010 have been updated and are just being finalised by the RYA and will be available shortly.

• RYA National champions awards ceremony/dinner: The annual RYA awards ceremony and dinner is due to be held on Saturday 6th February in the De Vere Suite of The Royal Bath hotel in Bournemouth and UKFFORC will be taking their national champions along with our new speed record holder from Consiton to celebrate their achievements.  There is also a chance to get your annual medical done from 9:30am to 5pm at a greatly reduced rate - see the RYA web-site for full details.

• Calendar: There is a slight amendment to the date of the last race at Stewartby in October 2010, and the second event at Poole - see the calendar page for full details, also available as a printable download on the download page.

November 2009

• End of year awards and fun weekend: The end of year awards and fun weekend was held on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November at Cobbs Quay Marina, Poole.  This was meant to be a fun weekend with 'on the water' activities to include top-gun and sprint racing, but mother nature had other ideas!!  A wet n windy Saturday was followed by an even wet n windier Sunday meaning the boats stayed firmly on the quayside. This was then followed by the AGM and annual dinner and awards ceremony.  Our guests of honour were David & Hanne Wilson, David being the manager of the MDL marina @ Cobbs Quay, who presented our teams with their well earned awards for the year.  Annual awards went to the top 3 teams in each class with the perpetual awards as follows. A special award also went to young Tommy Pocknell for supporting his fellow racers at the events throughout 2009.

Best newcomer	Mike Wills	For making such an impact on the F400 class
Highest placed lady	Milly Pascoe	Highest  place was 1st and winning the E900 class
Most improved	Phil Bennett	For not living up to his name and staying in the boat all season
Best overall	Jake Swann	Most wins only losing one race all season

• End of year awards: The end of year awards are going to be held on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November at Cobbs Quay Marina, Poole.  This will be a fun weekend with 'on the water' activities to include top-gun and sprint races.  There will be a limited number of FREE event licences for prospective new racers (age restrictions apply).  This will be followed for club members by the AGM and then our annual dinner and awards ceremony.  Please click here for form for menu choices and to book your place.

October 2009

• Stewartby 17th-18th October 2009: FINALS F400 and E900 National, E1500 Experimental National and S250 plus OCR invite basic race: We finished our season where we started on Stewartby lake nr Bedford. Our first race of the day started with a fantastic turnout of 8 boats on the start line. This included the debut outing of the new E900 'Shot-Thru', the latest addition to the Sleepwalker racing team entered by brothers Jack and Terry Whitehead. Family team Sam and Keith Whittle also debuted their E900 007 and gave the Girlpower 'girls' a run for their money. They took the chequered flag for one race and nearly made it two but 'technical problems' meant they never quite made it there - (say no more!). Team Big666 also debuted their E1500 E66 for the last race which performed as hoped giving them their last win for the season. With the 2 classes racing together there was plenty of action to watch at all times. The F400 races were equally as exciting with only 68 points separating F24 BAT2 and F12 Xtreme every race counted. Unfortunately the trim problems that dogged the F24 team at Weymouth were to affect the F12 boys at Stewartby giving them a second for the weekend, but only a couple of points ahead of the F14 team. Both days ended with some top-gun heats which gave some very different results to the racing and showed that the boats are all very competitive with each other. Congratulations to our 2009 National Champions - E1500 Jake Swann & Ben Kendall, E900 Millie Pascoe & Carolina Sandbrook, F400 Ben Pocknell & Mike Reid and well done to everyone who competed and helped to make a successful year. Roll on next season.....

Pictures can be seen in the gallery.

Championship results: Final results for all of our classes for 2009. >> view race results

Weekends results

Place	Class	Driver/Navigator	Points
1st	E1500	Jake Swann & Ben Kendall	1600
2nd	E1500	Phil Bennett & Nicky Grove	1440
3rd	E1500	Johnny Allbut & Andy Wilby	648
3rd	E1500	Andy Wilby & Johnny Allbut	648
1st	OCR Invite	Nic Whitehead & James Mannion	-
1st	E900	Milly Pascoe & Carolina Sandbrook	1560
2nd	E900	Sam Whittle & Keith Whittle	1442
3rd	E900	Dave Webber & Mike Reid	1300
4th	E900	Jack Whitehead & Terry Whitehead	1232

Place	Class	Driver/Navigator	Points
1st	F400	Ben Pocknell & Mike Reid	1520
2nd	F400	Ben Kendall & Jamie Kendall	1344
3rd	F400	Mike Wills & Max Ludwell	1340
4th	F400	Jax Heffer & Abbey Heffer/Tom Newman	1300

(These results have been added to the seasons results and can be seen on the results page)

• Weymouth 10th-11th October 2009: Round 6 F400 National, Round 5 E900 National, Round 4 E1500 Experimental National and S250 basic: Weymouth provided the last stop of the ThunderTour for UK Formula Future in their 2009 season. This picturesque bay gave excellent racing for fleet with good viewing for the public, and sheltered waters from the force 4-5 winds round the corner in Portland. The F400 battle continued with the Team Big666 boys taking 3 wins over the weekend and narrowing the gap for the national championship to only 68 points. Ben-a-Tom F24 driver Ben Pocknell isn't giving up just yet and is still hoping to take the title in the final at Stewartby. F14 crew Mike Wills and Max Ludwell had their best finish yet with 2nd overall for the weekend and will definitely be the ones to watch in 2010. In the E1500 class the battle between E10 Evinrude and E15 What the Dickens never let up. Phil Bennett and Nicky Grove led for most of the first race only conceding the lead to Jake Swann and Ben Kendall 2 laps before the chequered flag. These two boats kept this up for most of the weekend as did 069 Girl Power and 060 Fast N Furious in the form of Milly Pascoe & Carolina Sandbrook and Dave Webber and Steph (who likes candle making and knitting!!). Saturday saw Dave take his first chequered flag beating the girl power team - the first of many he hopes.

Pictures can be seen in the gallery.

Weekends results

Place	Class	Driver/Navigator	Points
1st	E1500	Jake Swann & Ben Kendall	1600
2nd	E1500	Phil Bennett & Nicky Grove	1440
3rd	E1500	Johnny Allbut & Andy Wilby	648
3rd	E1500	Andy Wilby & Johnny Allbut	648
1st	E900	Milly Pascoe & Carolina Sandbrook	1560
2nd	E900	Dave Webber & Steph Lawrence	1480

Place	Class	Driver/Navigator	Points
1st	F400	Ben Kendall & Jamie Kendall	1560
2nd	F400	Mike Wills & Max Ludwell	1404
3rd	F400	Ben Pocknell & Mike Reid	1308
4th	F400	Jax Heffer & Abbey Heffer	1232
1st	S250	Tommy Pocknell	-

(These results have been added to the seasons results and can be seen on the results page)

September 2009 

• The Animal Windfest, Sandbanks, Poole 12th-13th September 2009: Round 5 F400 National, Round 4 E900 National, and S250 basic: The ThunderTour resumed at the annual Animal Windfest on the prestigious Sandbanks beach at Poole. Due to launching restrictions the E1500 fleet were unable to attend this event but the rest of the crew arrived eager and ready. Conditions were windy which was fantastic for the kite surfers and ThunderCats, and gave our monohulls a chance to show some shiny bottoms!! The E900 had an endurance race against a Thundercat who at one point took the lead, but alas could not keep up the pace and retired. The F400 had their usual battle within the class and saw Team Big666 racers Ben and Jamie Kendall in Xtreme win 2 heats to give them the win for the weekend. Mike Wills also introduced his new navigator Max Ludwell and took a credible 3rd for the weekend. This championship is definitely going to the last race of the season. It also saw the debut of 10 year old Connor Blackman in S6 in the S250 class. Unfortunately technical problems prevented him from taking his first chequered flag, but hopefully that will come soon.

Pictures can be seen in the gallery.

Weekends results

Place	Class	Driver/Navigator	Points
1st	E900	Milly Pascoe & Carolina Sandbrook	800
2nd	E900	Dave Webber & Steph Lawrence	720
Place	Class	Driver/Navigator	Points
1st	F400	Ben Kendall & Jamie Kendall	1160
2nd	F400	Ben Pocknell & Mike Reid	1120
3rd	F400	Mike Wills & Max Ludwell	1012
4th	F400	Sam Thomas & Gemma Cunningham	584
1st	S250	Tommy Pocknell	-

 (These results have been added to the seasons results and can be seen on the results page)

August 2009

• The Annual Dover Regatta, Dover, Kent 8th-9th August 2009: Round 4 F400 National, Round 3 E900 National & E1500 Experimental National and S250 basic plus OCR National round 5: The Annual Dover Regatta took Place on the weekend of the 8th-9th August 2009. This venue is a firm favourite due to the racing being within the inner harbour giving excellent viewing for both powerboat racing enthusiasts along with regatta on the beach. The day kicked off with the F400 & S250 ThunderKids race and provided close racing in their first heat. This was followed by the E1500/E900 race who were joined by OCR for round 5 of their national championship. The race provided spectacular viewing with a line up of 15 plus boats and a fantastic race ensued. Unfortunately on the last lap of the race there was a collision between 2 OCR boats which ended in navigator Alex Edmunds tragically losing his life. Our thoughts remain with Alex's family who was fulfilling a long term ambition to race. Praise goes to the safety teams both on and off water for the professional way they handled the incident. All further racing for the weekend was cancelled and a memorial was held on the water on Sunday to celebrate his life.

Pictures can be seen in the gallery.

Weekends results

Place	Class	Driver/Navigator	Points
1st	E1500	Jake Swann & Ben Kendall	400
2nd	E1500	Tom Montgomery-Swan & Clynton Husband	360
3rd	E1500	Phil Bennett & Nicky Grove	324
1st	E900	Milly Pascoe & Carolina Sandbrook	400
2nd	E900	Dave Webber & Amy Redsell	360

Place	Class	Driver/Navigator	Points
1st	F400	Ben Pocknell & Mike Reid	400
2nd	F400	Ben Kendall & Jamie Kendall	360
3rd	F400	Sam Thomas & Gemma Cunningham	324
4th	F400	Mike Wills & Mike Wills (Snr)	272
1st	S250	Tommy Pocknell	-

(These results have been added to the seasons results and can be seen on the results page)

July 2009

• Steamers Point, Christchurch, Dorset 4th-5th July 2009:  Round 3 F400 National, Round 2 E900 National & E1500 Experimental National and S250 basic: The Adrenaline Coast Festival took The ThunderTour to its next stop on the South Coast to sunny Christchurch. Our F400 drivers had a new face in F14 with Mike Wills making his debut and finishing 3rd overall for the weekend. It also saw the return of girl team Abbey and Jax Heffer. Team Big666 Ben & Jamie Kendall saw their first win together in their F400 Xtreme - this is going to be a close championship race in this class. Coastal conditions made excellent racing for all classes and saw Phil Bennett and Nicky Grove take their first win in their E1500 What the Dickens - well done and hopefully the first of many wins to come! In the E900 class Dave Webber & Amy Redsell launched their new boat 060 and soon got to grips with a mono hull after previously racing in the ThunderCats. Still leading the pack are Milly Pascoe & Carolina Sandbrook in 069 Team Girlracer - they are going to take some beating!

Pictures can be seen in the gallery.

Weekends results

Place	Class	Driver/Navigator	Points
1st	E1500	Jake Swann & Ben Kendall	1560
2nd	E1500	Phil Bennett & Nicky Grove	1480
1st	E900	Milly Pascoe & Carolina Sandbrook	1600
2nd	E900	Dave Webber & Amy Redsell	1440
3rd	E900	Clynton Husband & Simon Wilson	972

Place	Class	Driver/Navigator	Points
1st	F400	Ben Pocknell & Mike Reid	1160
2nd	F400	Ben Kendall & Jamie Kendall	1120
3rd	F400	Sam Thomas & Nicky Grove	908
4th	F400	Jax Heffer & Abbey Heffer	648
1st	S250	Tommy Pocknell	-

 (These results have been added to the seasons results and can be seen on the results page)

June 2009

• Penmaenmawr, Conwy, North Wales 20th-21st June 2009:  Round 2 F400 National, Round 1 E900 National & E1500 Experimental National and S250 basic: The Adrenaline Coast Festival took ThunderBolts, ThunderCats and ThunderKids racing to Penmaenmawr in North Wales. It was the first joint venture with ThunderCats and apart from a few teething troubles with the launching (well these Cats will launch off a beach...), all went fantastically well. Everybody went with a positive attitude, including the locals who made us very welcome - the only 'no show' was the weather!! Saturday's racing was challenging with a huge swell and gusty winds, but our teams battled it out. Sam Whittle in the E900 class had his first taste of 'offshore racing' coming from circuit lake racing, but handled it fantastically and will certainly be giving Milly Pascoe and Carolina Sandbrook in 'team Girlpower' a run for their money! Saturday evening saw the promenade come alive with entertainment, including a fun-fair and live music and bar. Sunday morning the weather wasn't much better with rain, instead of wind this time. A pre-planned timetable saw launching go smoothly without any hic-cups today and the racing th