London, 16 February : Rally driver Simon Wing (Newark, Nottinghamshire) is the latest powerboat racing newcomer to join the P1 SuperStock Championship as entries for the 2012 season continue to flood in thick and fast.

Wing, who celebrates his 37th birthday today (Thursday, 16 February), has been competing in club-level motorsport for 20 years and intends to dovetail his ongoing rallying involvement with his maiden season of powerboat racing.

“I’ve never been on the water in my life so this is all totally new but I wanted to do something different, alongside the rallying, and with the P1 SuperStock season being just five weekends it all fits in really well”, said the powerboat novice, “I wasn’t sure what to look at doing originally but I saw P1 advertised, thought it looked really interesting and here I am.”

The Nottinghamshire clubman, who is a kitchen manufacturer by trade with his own business Newark Joinery, has competed in a variety of cars over the years in rallying, from Ford Escorts and Ford Sierra Cosworths to Peugeot 205s and Subaru Imprezas.

Particular rallying highlights include finishing first in class in the 2007 Carlton and District Motor Club Single Venue Championship andsecond in class in the Rainworth Skoda EMAMC Multi-Use Stage Rally Championship.

Wing’s powerboat racing debut will come during the opening round of the season on 19/20 May, the Plymouth Grand Prix of the Sea, but before then he will be required to undertake official training in order to obtain his competition licence. “I start my licence training in a couple of weeks so I’m looking forward to that and hoping I can do all four days in one go”, he added.

There is a strong synergy, of course, between P1 SuperStock and rallying with the use of a driver and navigator in both sporting disciplines. Before the start of his maiden season in powerboats, Wing is on the look-out for someone to partner him in the five events between May and September.

Any navigators interested in teaming-up with Simon Wing in the headline P1 250 Class are invited to contact SuperStock UK Championship Manager Paolo Callea on 07826 947092 or by email to JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING

London, 13 February : Nick Williams (Amersham, Buckinghamshire), son of former Formula One Powerboat Champion Tony, will make his debut in the P1 SuperStock Championship this year after becoming the first racer to sign-up for Britain’s biggest powerboat series in the headline P1 250 Class.

The 32-year-old, who is Managing Director of Mayfair-based International Foreign Exchange, one of the UK’s premier currency exchange and international payment consultancies, will pilot a 250hp Panther 28SS boat alongside navigator and close friend Aaron Emmett (Amersham).

Despite his father’s tremendously successful heritage in powerboat racing, Williams will go into the 2012 P1 SuperStock season very much a newcomer to the sport having only ever contested a couple of small club events in his youth. On dry land, he has competed in karting and off-road enduro-motorcycling.

“My company, IFX, looks after the currency exchange for P1”, explains Williams, “I spoke to the organisers, had a meeting and I was asked if I’d like to consider racing in the championship – I said of course I would like a go, so it’s all come together from there.

“I really am going into this completely new, I’ve only done a couple of small club races before when I was younger. Other than that, I havedone a bit of go-karting and KTM enduro but that’s it. This will be a new experience and I’m very much looking forward to it.”

Like Williams, 37-year-old Emmett is a complete racing novice although he is used to the adrenalin rush of high-speed as a regular exponent of trackdays – both in supercars, like his Ferrari F430, and riding superbikes such as his Yamaha R1. Such is his love of all things mechanical, he is also currently eight hours into his pilot’s licence course.

Day to day, Emmett is a highly successful serial entrepreneur, currently Managing Director of movie streaming and download business Filmlounge.com, and also an active member of his local community through his role as an Amersham town councillor.

“I’m brand new to powerboats, Nick has a bit more heritage where that’s concerned from his family, but it’s all completely new to me”, he commented, “I’ve never been in a powerboat, let alone raced one, so this is very much starting from the ground up. We’re coming in at an entry level without experience but we’re both very competitive and have a serious intention to win.

“We want to make our mark this year, we’re not underestimating the opposition and those teams who’ve been doing this for a while, but we do intend to move forward as the season progresses and begin to challenge up at the front.”P1 SuperStock is preparing to build on a fantastic 2011 season in which the then reigning P1 150 Class champions John Wilson (Coleshill, Birmingham) and Neil Scarborough (Monks Risborough) won the inaugural P1 250 title in their Pertemps-backed Panther.

The 2012 campaign is scheduled to begin on 19/20 May with the Plymouth Grand Prix of the Sea before moving on to Hull on 16/17 June and then Eastbourne, a new venue on the SuperStock calendar, over the weekend 14/15 July. Cowes in the Isle of Wight will host the fourth event of the championship on 25/26 August with the grand finale once again scheduled to take place in Liverpool on 15/16 September.

In addition to the boats from P1 SuperStock, the UK’s only jet-ski category to compete on the sea – P1 AquaX – will also feature at each of the five events.

On Saturday 04 February, over 350 racers, supporters, friends and family, turned up to celebrate the success of British Powerboat racers from across the sports many disciplines at the RYA Powerboat Racing awards ceremony 2011.

A staggering 52 awards were presented to the crème-de-la-crème of powerboat racers who last year clinched a whole host of British, European, World and Speed records across the sports many racing classes.

Hosted by world renowed powerboat racer Shelley Jory-Leigh and RYA Powerboat Racing Manager John Puddifoot, the evening proved to be truly inspiring for everyone attending including Geoff Holt from the Disability Powerboating Trust who came along to present the awards.

“I am really honoured to be here and to present the prizes to all these worthy winners.  There are so many that it took nearly an hour and half to present them all!” commented Geoff.

The awards ceremony is a highlight in the powerboat racing calendar when racers from across the disciplines get together and celebrate their successes.  “It’s great to see the sport so healthy and alive” concluded Geoff.

The evenings winners:

Commenting on the success of the evening, RYA Powerboat Racing Manager John Puddifoot said: “We had a fantastic turn out for the evening and it was great to see the youngsters in the sport receiving so many accolades for their achievements. We have some phenomenal young people in the sport who are going from strength to strength”

He continued “We’d like to thank everyone in attendance for such an enjoyable night including the evening’s sponsors RB12.com who the evening was in association with and  who were delighted on the night to announce Saxo Capital Markets as a Global Corporate Partner for Round Britain 2012 Race.”

View the video from the evening at http://youtu.be/l-ITNpsjiSE

Saxo Capital Markets, the specialist in online trading and investment, announces sponsorship of Round Britain 2012, the Land, Sea and Air marathon. This is a unique endurance event taking place from 21 June - 30 June. It’s the first time 50 cars, 50 boats and 50 aircraft will compete around Britain simultaneously, 10 legs, head to head in each element. The event starts and finishes at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, venue for the 2012 Olympic sailing events.

Saxo Capital Markets UK CEO, Torben Kaaber said "We are thrilled to be a part of RB12. This is a dynamic, challenging event, we look forward to getting involved with the competition, and engaging with competitors, our clients, and spectators across the country. I am also pleased to announce that we will be launching the inaugural Saxo Challenge Trophy, where entrants in the land, sea and air elements will join forces to compete as a single team. We wish everyone the best of luck in their preparations for the event and look forward to seeing them on the starting lines in June.”

Hugo Ambrose, Director of RB12, said " Saxo is a leader in the fast paced world of trading and financial markets, and therefore a perfect match for the pace and reach of RB12. Our global corporate partner scheme allows us to invest further in the infrastructure of this event. This will benefit both our competitors and the venues, and we’re looking forward to entertaining thousands of people around Britain with this truly unique event.”.

Details can be found on the RB12 website, www.rb12.com.

Round Britain 2012, the Land, Sea and Air Marathon, “RB12”, is to visit some of the most beautiful and challenging parts of Britain.

“RB12”is a unique endurance event, taking place from 21 June - 30 June. It’s the first time 50 cars, 50 boats and 50 aircraft will compete around Britain simultaneously, 10 legs, head to head in each element. It starts and finishes at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, venue for the 2012 Olympic sailing events.

Organisers have revealed that Falmouth, Swansea, Conwy, Troon, Kyle of Lochalsh, Thurso, Edinburgh, Hull and Ramsgate have all been selected as the ports to host the overnight stops for the Sea element and the Finish/Start points of the Land element. For the first time in a competitive race the boats will go around the top of Britain, facing the challenges of Cape Wrath and the Pentland Firth.

For those in boats it will be an endurance test equivalent to 10 of the famous Cowes-Torquay races, back to back; for the cars it’s over 2, 500 miles and on the road for around five hours for each of the 10 days with other competitive challenges along the way. In the air, precision and timing will be the key to success.

All three elements of the marathon will come together at the end of each day when the venues host prize giving receptions for the competitors.

Commenting on the route, Event Director, Fred McCaig says, “We are delighted to reveal the route for the marathon. It has taken many months of planning to ensure that we offer a challenging endurance event for all competitors.  We were always keen to offer the SEA competitors the chance to conquer the top of Britain and that has meant some hard work to secure the logistics for both the cars and aircraft.  We are proud that the route has finally come together. We are thoroughly enjoying working with the venues to put on a safe and enjoyable stay for the competitors and a fascinating event for those who live in and around the venues.”

Whilst most Powerboat Racers are in training for the summer season or enjoying the off season with their boats and ski’s put firmly away for the winter, six times World Jet Ski Champion and the World’s ranked number one James Bushell is still hungry for more titles, in what some would describe as an already the perfect year for him.

Britain’s James Bushell (27) from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, has been racing Jet Ski’s for just over nine years now and has already racked up 33 titles including six World Championships and over 20 RYA British titles and is currently competing in Dubai at the UAE Jet ski Championship for his 34th.

The UAE International Jet Ski championships since its launch have grown into a very strong international competition with participation from all of the regions of the globe and attracting the World’s very best Jet Ski racers.

The championship is run over six rounds, three in Abu Dhabi and three in Dubai. The Abu Dhabi course is set near the shores of the Abu Dhabi Breakwater allowing spectators to follow the thrilling races up close.

Following a perfect season in 2011 that saw James secure two British RYA titles, two European and the World IJSBA 2011 Pro-Am GP Runabout and Pro Runabout Open Championships the youngster just keeps going from strength to strength.

During the first round of competition in Dubai (12 Jan), a collision on the first lap saw James forced to return to the beach to check that his ski had no damage. Satisfied there were no problems James returned to the race but by this time he was right at the back of the fleet. But in what was probably the race of his career he steadily worked his way through the pack of 20 riders to take the chequered flag and the lead in the championship.

Next week (23 January) sees James make his way to Dubai for the second round of the UAE International Jet Ski championships where he is already leading the Pro Runabout Open Class and is also competing in the Pro Ski Open Class. Competing against the World’s top Jet Skiers and looking to continue his domination at the top of the sport, James will need to remain focused on the job ahead and rely on his skill and determination to take the title.

“Following the collision I had two options to continue to race where I was out front and potentially make any damage there could have been to my ski worse or return to the beach to check everything was ok. Luckily there was no damage unfortunately problems can occur but you can’t let them stop you, re-joining the race I was at the back of the pack not somewhere I like to be so that just made me even more determined to win and while it’s not a situation I want to be in again in a hurry the race was superb.” explained the World Champion

He continued “I live to race and the highlight of my career has been securing the 2011 IJSBA World Pro Runabout Open Championship.  It’s the title that everybody’s after and means you’re ranked number one in the World which means a lot. There will be many racers trying to take the title from me in 2012 so being able to compete out here in the UAE championships means I can remain on top form and hopefully add another trophy to my cabinet at the same time.”

Building and racing human-powered submarines may not be an Olympic sport, but the inaugural European International Submarine Races (eISR), being held at Gosport, Hampshire, UK during the week of 25 June 2012 is set to capture the imagination – and test the engineering expertise and stamina of enterprising university students from three continents.

The eISR will take place in QinetiQ’s Ocean Basin, the largest freshwater tank in Europe, which at 122m x 61m and 5.5m deep has the capacity of 16 Olympic swimming pools, and is normally used to assess the manoeuvrability of scale ship and submarine models in different sea conditions. From 25-28 June it will be the setting for teams from Canada, France, Oman, UK, and USA. They will all have designed and built their own submarines and will then race them flooded, piloted and pedalled by a scuba diver, with the teams constantly modifying their craft during the week to perfect their performance. Typically the submarines range in length from 3m to 4m and travel at up to 7kts.

“This is the first time these races have been held outside the USA and already teams have registered from École Polytechnique de Montréal; École de Technologie Supérieure, Quebec; Sultan Qaboos University, Oman; University of Bath, UK; University of Michigan, and Texas A&M University – both from the USA,” explains Race Director, Dr William Megill, FIMarEST, Director of the Ocean Technologies Lab in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Bath, who has taken teams to the US races on three occasions . “We are hoping there may be several more entries from either side of the Atlantic.

“The Races combine an engineering design challenge with the technical skill development, and sets them in a unique and exciting sporting competition. There are very real applications for the science and technology employed in these craft as we seek to find ever more effective ways of exploring the waters of the world using autonomous underwater vehicles.”

The challenge will run over a week, with a first day of final readying, ballasting, dry judging and diver checkouts. The races proper are planned to start on the second day, and run through to the end of the fifth morning. The final afternoon will be reserved for a playoff round, where the best boats will go head to head. Awards will be made for speed, manoeuvrability (the course includes a slalom element which has never been tried before), and design – the latter to encourage creativity and innovation.

The eISR is sponsored by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), the Society for Underwater Technology, and QinetiQ. The judging panel will be chaired by Vice Admiral Sir Robert Hill, KBE, FIMarEST, and consists of experienced submarine engineers.

“QinetiQ is delighted to be host to the inaugural eISR event at our Haslar site in June this year,” says Sarah Kenny, Managing Director, QinetiQ Maritime. “We have a long and prestigious history of being at the heart of UK Naval Platform and Equipment Design and Test, and our Ocean Basin, which is the largest facility of its type in Europe, will provide the ideal setting for this exciting event. The Ocean Basin is used today to de-risk and evaluate platform design integrity, measuring the manoeuvring and sea-keeping performance of surface ship and submarine models which are powered using electric motors. As a consequence, the use of human power represents quite a departure and offers an exciting opportunity to witness the relative performance of innovative design solutions developed by the competitors.”

The history of submarine racing – and the rules

Submarine racing has a twenty-year history, which began in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida in the late 1980s. The International Submarine Races (www.isrsubrace.org) have been held every other year since 1989, though the venue moved to a US  naval testing facility after the third race – a move which greatly simplified the logistics, and which allowed the focus of the competition to shift to innovation, especially in the propulsion systems. In the most recent races, 28 teams took part, fielding 36 submarines.

The basic rules of the competition are straightforward – teams must design, build and race flooded submarines piloted by one or two scuba divers, who must be fully enclosed within the hull of the machine. All propulsion power must be provided by the diver during the race (no energy storage devices such as flywheels or batteries are allowed), but otherwise the design rules are open to whatever innovation teams decide to use.

“All the teams entering the eISR have competed in the USA, but I am delighted to know that three of them (from Oman, Montreal and Michigan) are building brand new boats designed especially for our race,” says William Megill.

Engineering innovation and sporting achievement

The students’ designs are submarines in the fullest sense of the word, minus the one constraint of watertight hull. The removal of that constraint ensures that the competition is about engineering innovation and sporting achievement, rather than just about waterproofing. Innovation comes in the design of the hulls to minimise drag and maximise thrust while optimising transmission systems to make best advantage of the pilot’s limited power production. The importance of buoyancy, trim and directional control is highlighted, and innovation encouraged. One-man propeller-powered submarines are now achieving speeds well over 7kts, while those in the non-propeller class are over 5kts, all on less than 600W input power.

The competition is also about developing real, practical engineering skills. In the funding-constrained university environment, the practical elements of curricula have been replaced with theoretical calculation and computer modelling. A submarine big enough to contain a diver is a real, tangible machine, and the mechanisms have to take real forces. At the same time, the challenge isn’t so great that the students can’t make the parts themselves - this provides an invaluable learning experience as they see their CAD drawings come to real life.

Finally, the competition is about working as a team in a time-critical, adrenaline-charged atmosphere. During the build-up to the race, the students learn to exploit each other’s strengths, and design into their machines what they think they will need to succeed at the races. In initial testing, they learn where the weaknesses are, and make considered adjustments to their designs. Then, once they arrive on the racecourse, and really put their machines to the test, they invariably find new challenges, and have to bring out their engineering knowledge to find solutions on-the-fly with limited facilities. Such experience is invaluable to them later in their careers, regardless of the direction they take.

Capturing the imagination of school pupils

Schools and engineering clubs in and around the Gosport area will be invited to see parts of the races. “We want to show budding young engineers just how exciting it can be to take a concept from the paper and computer stage right through every element of building and then put it to the test under competition rules – we’d like to inspire them to consider marine engineering degrees as a result of the eISR,” says William Megill.”We will also be inviting guests from military and civilian organisations to see for themselves the astonishing capabilities of the students.”

The eISR will play host on 27 June to a graduate fair and to master classes on underwater technology in all its guises; and formal and informal social events will take place throughout the week. Further information on all aspects of the Race Week is available at www.subrace.eu

Icom UK are supporting two British Firemen who are taking part in ‘The Atlantic Challenge’, one of the world’s toughest races. The team appropriately called ‘Team Atlantic Dash’ comprises John Haskell and Jamie Windsor, both from Cardiff. They will be attempting to row 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Their goal is to raise awareness and over £100,000 for 4 charities. The Firefighters Charity; Help for Heroes; WRVS (Women's Royal Voluntary Service) and Breast Cancer Care. Icom UK will be supplying their rowing boat with an MA-500TR Class B AIS transponder, IC-M505 VHF/ DSC transceiver and IC-M23 buoyant VHF Handheld.

The Icom equipment provides a complete, compact and waterproof communication solution providing VHF communication, Digital Selective Calling (DSC) and Automatic Identi?cation System (AIS). The MA-500TR Class B AIS transponder will provide the rowers with the ability to monitor other vessels in their area as well as the ability to actively notify other vessels of their exact location, thus aiding their navigation and increasing their safety at sea.

Asked why are they were doing the Atlantic Challenge, John Haskell said, ‘3 years ago my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is now recovered but it was a life changing experience. The support we had from everyone was amazing and I wanted to give back and raise some money for charity. This was the reason for choosing Breast Cancer Care as one of our charities. I've always been an armchair adventurer and was looking for something special as a project. The Atlantic Ocean row always seemed a bit extreme and to be quite honest I found the idea quite terrifying. But when I was offered the loan of an ocean class rowing boat it took me a nano second to say “yes please!” I've always loved the ocean and have a healthy respect for it.’

He added,’ the idea was seeded over two years ago with the offer of the boat. The plans, preparation and fundraising have accelerated into complete full time work. These last few months have seen us working on the project until midnight most nights of the week. This includes totally refurbishing the boat from the keel up.’

Asked why they need radio and AIS equipment on this Voyage, John said.’ Besides being vital equipment on the scrutineering list these items above all will give us piece of mind. Even though the Atlantic Ocean is massive there are busy shipping lanes with traffic going in all directions. Having such a small freeboard with no masts for radar reflectors we are totally invisible as a radar target. This leads to major collision dangers and small boats are regularly involved in such cases. The modern Icom AIS will give us the best possible chance of being visible to these ships and also alert us to the proximity of any vessels. An absolutely vital piece of equipment. Besides being crucial for portage and comms when close to shore radio equipment can be used to hail these vessels and also be used if involved in search and rescue operations.

He added,’ obviously with the remoteness and hostility of the environment we will be facing, equipment has to be user friendly and extremely reliable. Word of mouth when looking for reputable manufacturers lead to Icom’s name repeatedly 'popping up'. This led us to wanting this company's products.’

Ian Lockyer, Marketing Manager of Icom UK Ltd said, "Everyone at Icom UK wishes both John and Jamie every success in this epic voyage. Good luck!"

To find out more about ‘Team Atlantic Dash’ and follow the adventure, which begins on 4th December 2011, visit www.atlanticdash.co.uk.

16 January 2011

The RYA Scotland Awards are set to be an illuminating celebration of the many individuals and clubs that deserve recognition for their efforts and achievements over the course of the year. We are now taking nominations, so make sure your vote is counted before the closing date on Friday!

The winners will be announced during the ceremony dinner, which will be held during our Big Weekend on Saturday the 25th February at Largs, Inverclyde. We have a fantastic assortment of prizes for the lucky winners, which have been kindly provided by our sponsors.

The RYA Scotland awards consist of the Volunteer of the Year; which is sponsored by Talisker, who are donating a bottle of their finest whisky. The Instructor of the Year is sponsored by Port Edgar marina, which has provided a full set of coastal waterproofs. Coach of the Year is sponsored by Cumbrae Watersports Centre, providing a waterproof camera. SLAM, the fashion and technical clothing retailer, are sponsoring The Young Sailor of the Year by donating a SLAM jacket worth £130. The Scottish Club of the Year award winner will receive a set of flags and race related equipment to enable the club to organise race events. This is kindly provided by Bosuns Locker.  The prize for The Young Volunteer of the Year will receive one adult and one child voucher worth £130 each, which can be redeemed for an RYA course or a direct boat hire at SailLaser in Strathclyde.

The winner of each award will be decided by our judging panel of esteemed members of the sailing community. The judging panel consists of Jeremy Glen the RYA Scotland Chairman, Boyd Tunnock CBE the Managing Director of Tunnock’s, Chris Tiso the CEO of The Tiso Group LTD, journalist Andi Robertson, and Ian Beattie the Vice Chair of sportscotland.

Jeremy Glen the RYA Scotland Chairman, since being appointed last March, is a solicitor by profession.  Glen is also a sailing enthusiast and regularly sails in his spare time.

The Managing Director of Tunnock’s, Boyd Tunnock has received recognition for his charity work and gained the honour of CBE in 2004, as well as being an enthusiastic sailor and race competitor.

Chris Tiso the CEO of the Tiso Group LTD, is also the owner and Managing Director of Stormbird, luxury and race yacht charters, which highlights his interest in sailing.

Journalist Andi Robertson is currently the Racing Editor for sailing magazine, Yachting Life. Robertson also writes articles related to sailing, for The Herald and The Scotsman. He joined the Yachts and Yachting magazine’s Olympic reporting team in 2004 is set to cover this year’s London 2012 Olympic Games.

Ian Beattie, the Vice Chair of sportscotland and Chair of their audit committee, is also the Director of Scottish Sports Council Trust Company. In his spare time he enjoys long distance running, having taken part in over 80 marathons; and is currently the Race Director of The West Highland Way Race.

The 2012 RYA Scotland Awards nominations are closing very soon so please visit our website to get your nomination in before Friday. www.ryascotland.org.uk

For more information please visit the RYA Scotland website www.ryascotland.org.uk

London, 11 January, 2012 – P1 AquaX UK is set to go from strength to strength in 2012 thanks to progressive category changes, the introduction of modified skis and a major overhaul of the calendar.

This season AquaX UK will be contested by riders in three new classes whilst Promoter Powerboat P1 has added an all-new AquaX UK Cup in response to massive interest from potential new riders. All five races are being staged alongside the P1 SuperStock national powerboat championship in a combined event under the title ‘Grand Prix of the Sea’.

“We have had an incredible response to our first season of racing and lots of potential new riders have contacted me to say they’ll be racing in AquaX this season”, commented AquaX Championship Manager Lisa Barsby. “We have had very positive feedback from the riders and now have a clear strategy to broaden the series’ appeal.”

The change in format is designed to make AquaX even more accessible so the Amateur and Elite categories are gone opening the new classes to more riders. Technically skis remain strictly stock except for handling modifications and like for like (no performance gain) replacement parts.

Newcomers will still qualify for the reduced rate RYA Race licence fee and stand a chance of collecting the Rookie of the Year Award at the end of the season. The age limit in the 200 class will be lowered to 16 years at the time of competition, whilst in all other classes will remain at 17 years at the time of competition.

The 2012 AquaX Championship Classes are as follows:

AquaX 200 - modified 2-stroke and stock naturally aspirated 4-stroke 160bhp and below

AquaX 250 - stock 4-stroke including turbo/supercharged 250bhp and below

AquaX 300 - stock 4-stroke including turbo/supercharged 300bhp and below

Championship points will not be awarded in the AquaX Cup as its purpose is to spice up competition for the overall winner on the day. The AquaX Cup is open to all, including those with modified craft falling outside the new class structure, but who want to experience the thrill of racing in AquaX.

“AquaX Cup opens up the racing and makes it more competitive for all the riders as it brings more potential skis into the ring. Although there are no points, the AquaX Cup riders can fight for overall victory and if they win the race can claim the top step of the podium and the weekend’s glory”, added Barsby.

New venues Eastbourne and Hull join favourites from last season Plymouth, Cowes and Liverpool. “We have a new-look calendar with two new venues and much easier access for the racers”, Barsby said. “I am really looking forward to July when we will team up with the Eastbourne Extreme Festival giving us the opportunity to launch skis from the beach and create a really colourful and exciting atmosphere. Hull is another new venue with a great marina location in walking distance from Hull’s city centre. The high banks of the river Humber will provide excellent views of the race course, allowing the spectators to get close to the action.

P1 ‘Grand Prix of the Sea’ events 2012:

Saturday/Sunday 19th and 20th May – Plymouth

Saturday/Sunday 16th and 17th June – Hull

Saturday/Sunday 14th and 15th July – Eastbourne

Saturday/Sunday 25th and 26th  August – Cowes

Saturday/Sunday 15th and 16th Sept – Liverpool *

*subject to change

The 2012 P1 AquaX UK Series is being launched on Thursday, 12th January at the Autosport International Show for the second year running. Both P1 AquaX and Superstock UK will be exhibiting on Stand 6245 throughout the show until 6pm on Sunday, 15th January.

For further media information please contact Simon North, P1 AquaX Media Officer on 0203 179 1959 (office) or 07979 498559 (mobile). Email: JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING

January 2012 – With new builds being rare Vripack is proud that their solid 177’ Research Vessel Yacht is brought to live by her Owner. Project named Chuggaboom the American yard New Castle Marine, well known for their expedition yachts, is progressing smoothly with the built.

Bart Bouwhuis Director of Design from Vripack: “This globetrotting family yacht is a true dedication to the original philosophy of our Research Vessel design. She is outrageously spacious and has been designed for a very experienced yachting family with the typical no-nonsense attitude we love. Even we have difficulty holding her down on our drawing tables, as the adventure that goes together with her design makes the drawings come alive.”

“Besides all the effort our Design Studio has put into this yacht’s powerful appearance”, Bart continues, “Vripack’s naval architects captured an excellent sea going comfort. A rigorous Hydrodynamic Research program, in combination with our 50 years of in-house knowledge are the key components in the development of her lines plan.”

“Her robust and masculine appearance is accompanied by a softer and luxurious Andrew Winch interior, Chuggaboom really provides her family with the best of both worlds.”

“A special feature of this semi commercial yacht is the dedicated motorbike store with workshop. The shop is directly connected to the forward boat deck enabling the bikes to be rolled on a tender with integrated ramp giving easy transport of their motorbikes onto the mainland to explore back lands on remote islands.”

“Once back on the yacht, the owner is able to relive the adventure on his full owners deck with extensive panoramic windows and a front facing observation launch. With this new yacht the owner will have the freedom to navigate without any restrictions, and thus explore and admire multiple remote areas of the world, just as he asked the design team to do.”, concludes Bart.

Technical Specifications:

LOA                            : 54 meter | 177ft

BOA                           : 11,50 meter | 37,09FT

Cruise speed                : 12 knots

Designer                      : Vripack

Naval Architect           : Vripack

Engineering                 : Murray & Associates

Interior Designer         : Andrew Winch Designs

Yard                            : New Castle Marine

About Vripack®

Established in 1961, Vripack has been a leading full service design, naval architecture, engineering and brokerage studio. Aiming for long term relationships with private customers, yards, fellow architects and their personnel, Vripack believes that Quality is the sum of Workmanship and Enthusiasm.

For more information, please contact Marnix Hoekstra ( JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING ) or Nienke Tromp ( JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING ) at +31 (0)515  436600 or visit www.vripack.com.

Raymarine has been announced as the Navigation Partner for the Sea element of RB12, the “Land, Sea and Air marathon”. Up to 50 cars, 50 boats and 50 aircraft will be pitting their skills against the others in their discipline on a route which takes them around Britain – on the sea, in the sky and on roads.  The event starts on 21 June 2012 at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, venue for this year’s Olympic sailing events, and finishes back at Weymouth some 10 days later.

Raymarine, the world’s leading manufacturer of marine electronics, safety and communication products will provide valuable support for this prestigious event.  Not only will Raymarine’s state- of-the-art technology be used by the race organisers for route planning, but the company will also be helping participants with special offers on the purchase of key navigation and safety equipment. Raymarine’s sales and technical team will be present with the Raymarine support trailer at the start and finish of the race, assisting with last minute technical enquiries. Raymarine will also be donating a variety of prizes for the winners and runners up on each of the 10 legs, and a prize for the overall sea race winner.

Hugo Ambrose, Director of RB12 says, “We are delighted to welcome Raymarine to our sponsor programme as the first of our Sea equipment suppliers. Their experience and expertise will be invaluable to our competitors”

Sarah Brooke, UK Sales and Marketing Executive at Raymarine, commented: “We are delighted to be the Navigation Partner for RB12 Sea and pleased that the organisers will be using Raymarine technology to plan the route and the legs. Many of the boats competing will be relying on Raymarine to find the quickest, safest and shortest routes around Britain. It’s a unique and fantastic event and we are thrilled to be involved.”

RB12 is recognised by the UIM as a World Cup status event, and is being run under the auspices of the RYA, the national body for power boat racing.  The winner of the Sea race will also receive a £35,000 cash ‘purse’ as well as the prestigious Beaverbrook Round Britain Trophy, which will be presented by Lord Beaverbrook.  More details about the RB12 can be found at www.rb12.com

Global adventurer Alan Priddy and the team he has selected for an attempt on the world powerboat circumnavigation record are delighted to announce the appointment of Company85 as their title sponsor.

Company85, a technology consultancy specialising in cyber security, data storage and IT transformation, provides advisory and project services to private and public sector organisations. Global technology companies and international outsourcers rely on Company85’s expertise to help deliver innovative solutions for their end customers.

Now the Company85 Global Challenge team has the solid backing they require to support their attempt to powerboat around the world in under 50 days. The rules for that record attempt dictate the craft must pass through the Suez and Panama Canals and that the journey must start and finish in the same place. While that can be anywhere in the world, the team has chosen the British territory of Gibraltar as the start/finish. The team's proposed route will be made up of five 4,800 mile legs, with fuel and provisioning stops supported by an F1-style pit crew to minimise time spent in harbour. Anticipated stops include Panama, Honolulu, Guam, Singapore and Suez.

Adrian Spink, CEO of Company85 said, “The project is a positive, forward-looking association for Company85, and its bold and visionary spirit is a good fit with Company85’s ethos. In difficult and turbulent economic times, we believe it is important to demonstrate how agility, tenacity and creativity can create British winners and we look forward to working with the team to achieve that end.”

Alan Priddy said, "A long term sponsorship arrangement has to have a common cause and Company85 fits directly into what we are doing. It gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction to be working with Company85 and my team and I are very much looking forward to our association moving into the Global arena."

The craft for this challenge, named Accomplish More, is a revolutionary new boat. Built entirely to Lloyds specifications, the design is 90’ long, 16’ wide, has an estimated top speed of over 45 knots and a range of 5000 nautical miles. Her twin engine, jet-drive design breaks new boundaries, with the hull shape created from a frame to which aluminium plates have been shaped – minimising the build time, cutting down on welding and creating an incredibly strong and elegant design.

More information about the project can be found at www.Company85GlobalChallenge.com

Two of Britain’s talented young RYA Powerboat Racers, Anya Colley (19), from Nottingham and Matthew Palfreyman (19) from Lancashire have both received special recognition awards for their participation in the sport adding to their ever increasing list of accolades.

Anya, the 2011 British RYA Jetsport IJSBA Ski Champion, British RYA Jetsport Ski Limited Champion and 2011 IJSBA European Ski Ladies Limited Champion, attended the Derbyshire Sports Awards after being crowned Sportsperson of the Year at the annual Erewash Sports Awards in October.She joined the other eight overall category winners to represent Erewash in the Derbyshire County Sport Awards and was one of three finalists put forward for the 2011 University of Derby Sportsperson of the Year award.

Anya took a dignified runner up in the University of Derby Sportsperson of the Year Awards, with 18-year-old table tennis star Liam Pitchford, from Chesterfield, being announced as the winner of the title during the ceremony at The Roundhouse in Derby, which was attended by 300 people.

Meanwhile Palfreyman, who finished second in the British RYA F4 2011 Championship and has been representing Britain in the International F4-s competition as part of Team Atlantic where he currently sits in second in the championship, was announced runner up in the Sports Personality of the Year Awards at the West Lancashire Advertiser Sports Awards Ceremony.

The Awards Ceremony that took place at Edge Hill University saw players, coaches and volunteers recognised for their efforts and achievements in sport over the past year.From cricket and football to motor racing and archery, the rich diversity of West Lancashire’s incredible sporting talent was represented on the night, with a total of nine awards up for grabs.

Matt who’s next race starts in Dubai on the 7th of December was blown away at receiving the award: “To represent your club, county and country in sport is a great honor and to be recognised by the local press and people for doing something I love makes the award all the more special! I’d like to thank everyone for voting for me and for their continuing support.”

RYA Powerboat Racing Officer Nicola Drummond concluded: “We are delighted for both Matt and Anya.  They are both extremely talented at what they do and it is wonderful to see them getting the recognition in their local areas for the hard work and dedication that put in to their sport.  We all wish them continued success.”

Zodiac Milpro (Military and Professional) International has become the first inflatable boat manufacturer to make a commitment to training with the introduction of a full year syllabus of training courses. The programme was launched with two Zodiac courses in October. The first took place during the Genoa Boat Show where daily sessions on boat care, commissioning and operation were held for Zodiac agents and distributors. This was followed later in the same month by the first formal course in helicopter deployment and drop techniques. It was held near Moscow for the Russian armed forces and dealt with loading the packed boat into the helicopter and all of the technical and safety aspects needed for its airdrop, inflation and subsequent recovery.

The groundbreaking new Zodiac 2012 training syllabus has been developed to enable anyone, regardless of whether they are customers or not, to learn how to operate RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats) and other types of inflatable craft efficiently, safely and economically.

The courses on offer include commissioning a new boat and its optimisation, helmsmanship to advanced standards, repair and maintenance and a range of special techniques relevant to military or safety service users. These can include air drop or helicopter launch, underwater cache deployment, search and rescue and ship assault. The syllabus also includes training for jet-ski operations as part of a search and rescue capability.

The courses have been devised to cover a wide range of Zodiac-related activities and are intended to enable users to maximize their boats’ abilities, to extend their service lives and operational readiness while also taking account of each trainee’s specific requirements. Depending upon the topic, the courses may be held at a Zodiac factory or at a client’s premises where Zodiac instructors can provide valuable guidance and personal tuition.

The course instructors employed by Zodiac MILPRO are all experts in their field and are drawn from industry, the military and special forces and from national coast guard services and typically have over 20-years of operational or technical experience.

Students are likely to participate as groups from organizations that have identified a need or perceive that positive benefits will come from their gaining a better understanding of their boats and how to use them. With better knowledge customers will maximize their boats’ working lives while an ability to undertake maintenance tasks in-house will provide a measurable cost benefit. An additional incentive is being offered by Zodiac with the provision of an extended warranty and free replacement parts for any new customer who participates in one of the maintenance courses.

Following the results of the first courses Zodiac is confident that there are numerous armed forces and government agencies that will recognize benefits from the availability of such training. Besides enabling them to gain maximum value from their boats and to reduce running costs, they gain access to the highest standards of training whenever they need it and without any costly investment in training infrastructure of their own.

Full details of the new training programme can be found on the Zodiac Milpro website at www.zodiacmilpro.com . The company is based in Paris and supplies inflatable and semi-rigid craft for professional users such as police, coast guard, special forces, anti-terrorism units, fire teams, the offshore industry and other military users. The boats manufactured by Zodiac Milpro International range from 4m to 12m long and are available in configurations that include inflatable and rigid inflatable boats with aluminium or fibreglass hull designs, inflatable or foam tubes, diesel inboard or petrol outboard engines.

Matt Palfreyman of Aughton, Lancashire continued in his battle for the 2011 Eurofin Trophy F4S championship title in the penultimate event of the season in Abu Dhabi (08-09 December) .

Heading into the event, the 19 year old Team Atlantic driver sat in second in the Championship behind Team Sweden's Bimba Sjoholm who had a nine point lead on the British youngster. Matt qualified for the first of the events races in second position. From his second position on start line he got an amazing start and clinched first place by the first turn. He held off tough competition from the rest of the field to maintain his lead throughout the race.

Meanwhile Team Sweden's Bimba Sjoholm lost the chance of extending her lead by hooking on a turn buoy while challenging the Team Atlantic's pilot. The win saw Matt boost himself back up the leader board and into 1st in the championship standings with a six point lead. Friday’s race in the intense heat of the UAE again saw the British pilot in second on the grid and with everything to drive for, the youngster remained focussed on the task ahead and the chequered flag at the end of it.

Palfreyman produced another stunning display of controlled driving to secure his second victory of the weekend in the Eurofin F4S championship. Driving for Team Atlantic, Palfreyman swept into the lead ahead of Qatar's Rashid Al Shamlin with Team Sweden's Bimba Sjoholm in third place. Only a mechanical or driving error would stop the flying Brit. Sjoholm and Al Shamlin enjoyed a hard fought battle for the runner-up place which eventually went to the Swedish girl with Mad Croc's Filip Roms filling 4th place Xiong 'Leo' Ziwei crossed the line in 5th.

Matt now goes into the final two races of the season with a 9 point lead over Team Sweden but knows he will need to remain calm and focussed if he is to walk away with the title. Sjoholm looked unbeatable in the early part of the season but Palfreyman has now set up his Molgaard to almost perfection and with just two races left in Sharjah (15/16 December), it’s gearing up to produce a tight finish to 2011 for the F4S teams that is sure to go down to the final chequered flag.

With less than 200 days until the start of the most gruelling RYA Powerboat Race, the 2012 Round Britain race (RB12), preparations are well under way. Taking place on the 21 June 2012, for the first time ever, this unique marathon event will see 50 boats, 50 cars, and 50 aircraft compete simultaneously against each other in their disciplines in the 2012 Round Britain Race.

The race itself is 10 gruelling legs over 10 days which will start and finish at the Olympic Sailing Venue, the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy. Unlike its predecessors in 1969, 1984 and 2008, the 2012 RYA Powerboat race will entail a complete circumnavigation of Britain making it, without doubt, the toughest endurance powerboat race in the world. The stopover venues have now been finalised with the longest day being the third leg of Swansea to Liverpool covering 238 nautical miles.

Organisers of RB12, the Land, Sea and Air marathon are delighted to announce a thirty five thousand pound (£35,000) cash “purse” for the overall winner of the Round Britain 2012 Sea race. The winners will also receive the Beaverbrook Round Britain Trophy. This will be presented by Lord Beaverbrook whose family have long been involved in prestigious international power boat racing. The “purse” will include a fifteen thousand pound (£15,000) cash prize together with a “goody bag” worth five thousand pounds (£5,000) and free entry into the 2016 Round Britain powered marathon, worth up to fifteen thousand pounds (£15,000). Cash prizes will also be awarded to the second and third place competitors.

The Sea race is recognised by the UIM as a World Cup status event. It is run under the auspices of the RYA, the national body for power boat racing. RB12 Director Hugo Ambrose said “As organisers we are keen to put marathon powered racing on a professional and sustainable footing and to raise the level of reward for successful competitors. We hope the race for the “purse” will add further challenge to what is already one of the biggest endurance tests for the teams and their power boats” Commenting on the awarding of the trophy for this edition of the Round Britain race Lord Beaverbrook said “I am delighted to offer the Beaverbrook Round Britain Trophy to the overall winner of Round Britain Sea 2012. This edition of the race will be particularly exciting as it offers the competitors in the Sea race the chance to compare their endeavours with those in the air and on the roads. I am looking forward to meeting all of the competitors at the end of this unique marathon”.

From 31 October to 4 November UK Powerboat Racers from all over the country will head to Coniston Water in Cumbria for the 41^st Annual Coniston Records Week, in the bid to set new National and World speed records.

Coniston Power Boat Records Week is the only event in the powerboat racing calendar to bring together all classes of boat. From tiny hydroplanes, through inshore circuit racers to the largest offshore boats, entry is open to all. Competitors and officials from all over the country assemble annually for what has been a popular event since its inception in 1970, and is regarded as the grand finale to the racing season.

Spectators are welcome to come along and cheer the racers and on and enjoy the spectacle of these fearless racers in action.

“Coniston Records Week is always a highlight on the racing calendar.  You never know how things are going to turn out, who will clinch a new record or if the weather will be just right to provide the optimum conditions for maximum speed.

“The RYA will be providing a daily update from the event to keep everyone up to speed with the results”, explained RYA Powerboat Racing Officer, Nicola Drummond.

With preparations well under way for the 41^st Coniston Records week, teams are making their final arrangements before they head north for what is set to be an exhilarating week of pure speed and adrenaline.

To find out more about Coniston Records Week visit http://www.conistonpowerboatrecords.co.uk/ or if you want to find out how you can get involved in powerboat racing visit www.rya.org.uk

Looking back

For almost a hundred years Powerboat record attempts have been made on several of the English lakes including Ullswater, Windermere and Coniston Water. Following the introduction of the Windermere speed limit in early 2005 and after a good deal of effort from many volunteers, Records Week 2005 took place on Coniston Water over a newly surveyed kilometre course.

The most famous drivers to take part in records week in the past have been Sir Henry Segrave, Sir Malcolm Campbell and Donald Campbell. Coniston, the ‘spiritual’ home of record breaking, since the Campbells, is most welcoming to Records Week and looks forward to their return this year. Drivers, support crews, officials, families and spectators are always welcome to enjoy the beautiful Coniston area, surrounded by its spectacular mountain scenery.

2010 saw over 100 individual record attempts during the 40^th Coniston Records week with over 23 records being broken or set. Highlights of the week saw the first three attempts set new World and National records in excess of 100mph.

First to take to the water was Jim Noone in his FR1000, the existing speed was 89.60mph set by Jim in 2008. It only took one attempt recording 102mph on the outward run and 105mph on the run back Jim smashed the record by over 14mph setting a new World and National Speed record at 103.87mph.

It was success for the second run of the week also as Ted Walsh in his O3000 took to the water. With an existing record of 143.03mph Ted took to the water in the hope of achieving the illustrious 150mph record. Achieving 151.76mph on the outward run but only managing  142.028mph on the run back meaning the new World and National Record taken from the average was set at a phenomenal 146.89mph and the fastest speed of the week.

Hydroplane racer Julian Codling who had already had an extraordinary year securing both the National Circuit Outboard Champion and National Circuit Outboard Sprint O:250 Championship titles and taking a European Bronze Medal in his first year of international competition. He went to Coniston in search of a new World Record to add to his list of achievements, the existing record held by Malcolm Goodman set at 100.56mph back in 2006.

So as the mist lifted and conditions looked good he set off on the 3^rd run of the week in what would be his first and only run.  Coming ashore Julian was confident he had broken the existing record but was staggered when it was announced that he’d achieved an average speed of 112.27mph smashing the existing record by over 12mph and earning himself a coveted K7 gold star from the K7 Club.

The question now is; what will happen in 2011?

Following recommendations by the coroner at the Dover Inquest last week (13-15 September 2011) for the RYA to conduct an in depth review of crew protection and side impact protection in OCR style boats the RYA has decided to temporarily suspend racing in OCR style open boats.

To clarify the position regarding the temporary suspension; in light of the coroners  recommendations and following legal advice from the RYA barrister RYA CEO Sarah Treseder made the decision that head to head racing in OCR style classes would be suspended with immediate effect however time trials and “Top Gun” style racing could continue.

The RYA will continue to review the position and would stress that this temporary suspension applies only to OCR style open boats with a crew of two. Organisers of the UKFFORC race at Weymouth over the weekend of 17-18 September did make the decision to cancel the event and any clubs who still have races scheduled will be contacted by the RYA and updated concerning the current position.

The RYA remains confident that it will be possible to resolve this problem and to satisfy the expectations of the coroner and the authorities in general. The RYA will therefore prioritise all matters relating to safety and ensure that positive action is taken as quickly as possible to address this particular issue.

The RYA can confirm that a full safety review will be conducted for all classes in Offshore, Circuit and Jetsport disciplines and that recommendations arising from this review will be incorporated into the racing rules for 2012.

The RYA recognise the disappointment this temporary suspension will have within the sport but hope that all race organisers will appreciate the situation and work closely with the RYA in order to resolve the position as quickly as possible.