10:08 PM Tue 18 Aug 2009 GMT
Organisers are finalising details for seventh and final round of the Offshore Superboat Championships, the Redcliffe Superboat Grand prix scheduled for the weekend of September 12/13.
Sponsored by the Moreton Bay Regional Council, the Redcliffe event draws thousands of spectators and offers excellent viewing as the field starts and finishes close inshore to the suburb's waterfront main thoroughfare.
Five classes will contest the event, Class 1, Supercat Outboard, Supercat Outboard Lite, Super Vee and Production.
They will race, respectively, over 180 kilometres, 150km, 135km, 120km and 90km.
Two crews have already gathered enough points to be named 2009 champions, 'Maritimo', with Tom Barry-Cotter (driver) and Ross Willaton (throttles) has claimed Class 1 and 'SUV Dodge Ram', Mat Humphrey (driver) and Simon Isherwood (throttles) are the Supercat Outboard champions.
Despite winning their classes, both crews will contest the Redcliffe event, although Barry-Cotter and Willaton will be in a different boat.
The fact that all remaining crews are 'neck and neck' should guarantee some exciting racing, with championship honours 'up for grabs.'
It has been a hive of activity at the Coomera headquarters of the 'Maritimo' race team, with crew chief Peter 'Muddy' McGrath undertaking some comprehensive engine testing in preparation for the race.
Instead of employing the championship-winning, Lamborghini-powered catamaran, the team will be running a brand-new hull with 750hp carburettor engines.
The boat was built at Maritimo's Hope Island plant and finished and fitted out at the race headquarters at Coomera, and is identical to the boats used by the team on the European and Middle East circuits.
Maritimo will also run the MerCruiser-powered 'Simrad' boat, but with regular driver Luke Durman overseas on company business, its crew has not yet been settled.
It could see team owner Bill Barry-Cotter back behind the wheel, with McGrath handling the throttles.
Class 1 is set for a 'nail-biting' finish, with any one of four entries capable of winning the championship depending on their Redcliffe result.
Although 'Maritimo' has been declared the championship victor with 2119 points, 'Acme Racing', Christopher and Andrew Searle aboard, holds second place by the barest of margins, with 1550 points as against Global Racing (Mike Beil and Travis Thompson) and its 1500 points.
'The Good Guys', with brothers Brendan and Christopher Frier in the cockpit, are on 1220 points with 'Simrad' astern on 1150 points.
'Saracen', Antony deFina and Nigel Craven aboard, has gathered 1625 points and would seem assured of finishing second to 'SUV Dodge Ram' with Blade Custom Boats (Cameron Davis and Brett Luhrmann) on 925 points and 'Kwozzy 2' (Jim Harris and Adam Niccols), with 825 points too far back to make a difference.
In Supercat Outboard Lite the Redcliffe Superboat Grand Prix will decide the eventual winner; 'Team Tiger' (Mick Walker and Gary Smith/Gryff Ethell) and 'Berwicks HF Marine' (Ian Harris and Graham Fraser) have both been models of consistency through the season.
'Team Tiger' holds a narrow lead with 2450 points, just shading 'Berwicks HF Marine' on 2100 points.
Scrutineering for the Redcliffe Superboat Grand Prix has been set for 1000hrs to 1300hrs on Saturday, September 12 in the dry pit area near the Moreton Bay Boat Club.
Practice and testing is scheduled for that same afternoon, 1400hrs to 1500hrs.
All classes must be in the start area on Sunday by1100hrs.
The start line is an imaginary line drawn east-west off Osbourne Point, Scarborough, with the finish line another imaginary line drawn east-west off the Redcliffe Jetty.
For further information visit the website,
www.aopc.com
by Bob Wonders
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Mawson, TAS
