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Yes we are what we say we are but and it
is a very big but we welcome everyone to
join this club, it has been founded for you. |
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The spectator who spent hours in the sun and
rain at Swanage, Allhallows, Cowes, Portland
Bill or Torquay waiting to hear who won the race
and where your favourite finished. |
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For the family and friends of competitors who
want to relive “the old days” when the sport was
young and vibrant. |
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For the owners and crew of the first through to
last boat home. |
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For those brave enough to have saved a past
classic and now want to find out more about its
history, be Class 1, 2 or 3, Cruiser, Outboard
whatever so long as it fits within the years
1961 to 1991 and share its survival with others. |
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The club is for everyone and anyone who loves
the sport of Powerboat Racing as it was and live
in the hope that it will be again. |
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Through our website you can link into other
sites around the world, find out what happened
to the winners and losers also help us trace
those boats that have vanished. With members
here and in Europe we have started the ball
rolling to save as many of these historic
raceboats as we can. |
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As
you will read in the history section some have
been lost forever, some are on the verge ie;
Tramontana, but hope remains there that she can
be saved, somehow! And the first winner of the
first modern day race in Europe, Thunderbolt, is
back to its former glory and will do the rounds
again this year (she still needs engines so is
not quite complete yet!) but most amazing of all
2 famous names from the past will be racing
again, the 40year old GEE from the Wynn /Souter
stable and the amazing CUV Cinzano Bianco No 558
not only in the Round Britain race but hopefully
in the Revived Cowes Torquay. |
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TALES OF PAIN & PLEASURE The 2008 Round
Britain Offshore Powerboat Race |
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Where do you start after an event of this nature
has finished? I think the first mention should
be of COPOC member Markus Hendrick, who was one
of the most enthusiastic entrants when the whole
escapade was announced to the world. His entry,
a superb 36ft Supermarine Swordfish, an elegant
reinterpretation of the classic Hunt /Burnard
Fairey designs of the 60's was unfortunately
lost after hitting an object on the Portsmouth
Plymouth leg of the race and now lies 60 meters
down in the English Channel. They were racing
with Gee at the time when a sudden jarring of
the hull alerted them to a problem, hatches were
opened to look for the cause and the team were
faced with a near 2 foot diameter hole in the
hull beneath the helm. Despite every effort to
control the influx of seawater nothing could be
done, there was no hope of racing to the coast
and beaching as the water quickly invaded the
electrics cutting all power.
They inflated and took to the liferaft after
snatching everything possible and awaited their
rescue, Blue Marlin, race no 99 sank within 20
minutes but no one got wet! Gee in the meantime
continued unaware of the drama astern, only
learning of Markus's fate on reaching Plymouth.
It
came as somewhat a shock then to the Gee team as
they approached the finish in Portsmouth, a week
later, to find themselves being bore down upon
by a boat carrying the no 99 and flying a German
flag with all hands waving at them frantically!
A determined to cross the line, Mr Hendricks,
had chartered a 72 ft Sunseeker Predator for the
day complete with racing no and finished in
company with Gee, the camaraderie of the race
between all crews showing through to the last.
The Sunseeker was then host to all who cared to
come and celebrate their own personal triumphs
and commiserate with Markus and his team at
their loss. |
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Considering their age, the entries in the
Historic Class did somewhat better than some of
their modern counterparts, (for out within the
first 2 days went Fabio Buzzi in RED FPT the
renamed CESA and WETTPUNKT.COM the overall
favourite finished 30th after a whole host of
mechanical gremlins) |
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Photo Chris Davies. |
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The historic class had 6 entrants, Ocean Pirate
owned by Mike Barlow unfortunately suffered
damage at the start but once fixed and refitted
she set off again to satisfy Mike's
determination to repeat her 69 adventure which
they did despite many ongoing problems. |
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The extremely fast Miss Daisy, a 30ft FAIREY
SPEARFISH owned and driven by Jonathan Napier
and his BA pilot crew, known as team 747 were
one of the main rivals to the mighty Souter
built Gee and were it not for again, problems,
encountered during the first legs, they could so
easily have been the class victors. |
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John Skuse and his 31ft Swordsman, Xanthus, also
completed the course even if part of it was on
low loader as did Jonathan Townsend and his crew
in Swordsman no 68. |
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At
the end of the day it was the team of GEE the 40
year old Jim Wynn designed and Souter built
craft, that stole the honours and 7 trophies, a
fantastic effort when you consider that even
right up to scrutineering they too were having
big problems. |
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A
canny Chris Clayton owner of this mighty piece
of powerboating history had had her rebuilt over
the 2 preceding months, re-engined with twin
Cummins diesels (almost back to her original
1000hp spec) along with new shafts, props and
modern electronics, redesigned and strengthened
engine beds, rebuilt decks and internal ribs etc
etc and finally repainted and bedecked with
sponsors logo's. Chris's team had been working
flat out to get her ready but were faced with
constant problems and a major uphill battle to
get the "old girl" ready in time. |
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Was it all worth it? |
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That is a massive yes for as they came in
dockside on Monday the elation and emotions they
were experiencing would match that of any winner
you cared to name from any major sport, this was
after all their first offshore race! but what a
race to start your learning curve on. |
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The club should be very proud that throughout
the whole race our logo clung tenaciously to the
bows of this superb and beautiful raceboat and
we should also remember that they not only raced
but jeopardised their leading position to assist
other craft that had experienced problems,
including their main rivals Team 747, who could
so easily have overhauled them. Such was the
sportsmanship shown by the team that one of the
magnificent trophies they scooped was that of
"SPIRIT of THE EVENT". |
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We
must thank the team of Gee for such a
magnificent effort and representing the club in
such a professional manner, our vision when we
formed in 2006 was that one day true offshore
racing would and could return to our shores,
Chris Clayton, his team and Gee have proved that
Classic offshore is back! |
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Photo Chris Davies. |
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Mike James |
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Commodore |
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Website - John Moore -
2007 |
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With Thanks to Graham Stevens, Boatmad, "Little
Nige", Lorne Campbell and Mario. |
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