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Sail-World.com : Australian Offshore Superboat Championships - A rough final round
Australian Offshore Superboat Championships - A rough final round
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Competitors at the 2011 Australian Offshore Superboat Championships (OSC) were greeted with a ‘Tough day at the office’ last weekend by howling southerlies and temperatures that were more reminiscent of winter rather than summer, in addition to a rolling chop.
Racing off Williamstown on the windswept Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne, it was rather surprising that despite the conditions fewer boats experienced problems than was the case at Geelong one week earlier when placid conditions were the order of the day.
New National champions have been crowned in the four classes, with ‘Maritimo’ claiming Class1, ‘The Good Guys’, Supercat Lite, B.B.C.Digital, Supercat Outboard and ‘It’s About Time’, Supercat Outboard Lite.
In an astonishing scenario, none of the newly-crowned champions won at Williamstown!
In Class 1, Tom Barry-Cotter (driver) and Pal Virik Nilsen (throttles) turned in an outstanding performance aboard ‘Mustang’ to record a fine victory.
However, the pair will remember season 2011 as a 'wretched one', as a series of DNF and DNS results shattered their hopes for a fourth successive title win.
OSC President Adam Gilbert described it as 'amazing' that ‘Mustang’ consistently hit 100mph (160km/hr)-plus in such conditions.
Luke Durman (driver) and Ross Willaton (throttles) cruised home in second place on Class 1 after enjoying a season relative free of mechanical problems five victories and three seconds from ten starts.
'We knew we had accrued enough points to take the title and we were experiencing some minor issues with a solenoid in a starter motor, so we more or less took it easy than would normally have been the case,' Durman explained.
The win gives Durman his second Australian title to add to his 2005 effort, while Willaton can now lay claim to three national Class 1 crowns.
The Maritimo team also claimed a third placing, with Peter McGrath and Garry Smith taking ‘Mainlube Express’, a boat designed and built at the Maritimo.
In the competitive Supercat Lite Class, series leader ‘The Good Guys’, the Frier brothers Brendan and Christopher aboard, claimed the national title, but failed to finish at Williamstown.
 | They weren't kidding when they said conditions were rough off Williamstown - 'Maritimo proves it can handle the rough. - Williamstown offshore - Andrew Gricks |
The race was won by Global Racing’, Mike Beil at the wheel and Steve Jellick on throttles; ‘Team 3’, Travis Thompson and Steve Nugent in the cockpit claimed second.
Consistency enables ‘The Good Guys’ to win the class; the sleek catamaran registered six wins and two seconds from its ten starts.
It was still a first class effort from ‘Team 3’ after a relatively late start top the season.
Three wins, five seconds and a third would have left team owner Adam Gilbert feeling well pleased.
Sadly the same could not be said of ‘Global Racing’, with mechanical worries, mostly of a fairly minor nature, forcing a DNS twice and a DNF to go with its sole victory, four thirds and two seconds.
Supercat Outboard was competitive throughout the season and again it was season-long consistency that saw Graham Fraser and Scott Gehrman pilot ‘B.B.C.Digital’ to the national title.
Five wins and four seconds from ten starts would put a smile on any offshore racer's face.
‘Saracen’, Antony DeFina and Nigel Craven at the controls, was not far off in the consistency department; the pair registered four victories and four seconds, and only mechanical problems forcing them to miss two starts troubled their season. ‘SUV Dodge Ram’ and ‘Kwozzy’ failed to start.
In Supercat Outboard Lite, only one boat, eventual Class winner ‘It’s About Time’ turned up to race. Paul Fowlds was a 'ring-in’ driver for Mark Taylor, while Adam Nicolls handled the throttles. 'The conditions meant we were on the side of caution, but we had barely crossed the start line when one engine stopped,' he said. 'We were trying to get on the plane when the other engine overheated and we had to call for a tow.'
'It was no surprise than an engine was stopped, as there was a large rope wrapped around one propeller,' he added.
‘It’s About Time’ still scored the 2011 title from the consistent F.G.I. by a mere 150 points.
Fowlds says he will be back next year in his own boat, ‘Kwozzy’, complete with new engines and a new paint job.
Although the season has ended, the OSC executive won’t be idle. Adam Gilbert said detailed discussions on next year were already underway. 'We’re looking at ways and means to attract additional competitors and our current venues are all being investigated as we seek ways and means to improve things for both competitors and race fans,' he said. 'There may also be some radical changes to the dates.'
'It has been our aim to host races in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, but settling on actual venues takes a lot of work and, in some cases, considerable finance to obtain approvals.'
'We have not given up on the possibility of a Sydney race, although Sydney Harbour is out of the question financially.
'Perhaps Botany Bay would be a possibility,' he added.
Mr. Gilbert expressed disappointment at the number of competitors who failed to show at the Victorian rounds.
'That will be a component of our off-season discussions.' he said, 'perhaps the dates are unsuitable to a majority of competitors and if that’s the case we’ll make every effort to introduce suitable changes.'
by Bob Wonders
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3:17 PM Sat 10 Dec 2011 GMT
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