UKOPRA Offshore Powerboat Championships

Headlining the day was the emphatic return of Good Boy Vodka (1-25), driven by Rob Lockyer and American offshore ace Tim Linden. After a patchy start to the season, the Anglo-American pairing made their mark in style—blasting to victory with an average speed of 95.11 mph, leaving the Class 1 field trailing in their rooster tails.

It wasn’t plain sailing for early favourites and current championship leaders Double Trouble, the Falmouth-based team. After a strong opening burst, they were forced to shut down for a frustrating eight-minute pause due to an electrical gremlin. That moment opened the door for Lockyer and Linden, who grabbed the lead and never looked back.

Behind them, Silverline struggled with power loss on one engine, while the Swedish entry Sture Gold suffered a race-ending gearbox failure—proving again that in offshore racing, it’s not just speed but survival that counts.

Meanwhile, in Class 1L, local interest was reignited by a name from the past. Peter Hall, Isle of Wight publican and offshore enthusiast, pulled off a near-impossible feat. Having only acquired the 1973 classic Cigarette “Dry Martini” days before the race, Hall and his all-Islander crew—Tristan Ormiston and Richard Jackson—took to the water with just four hours of practice. The result? Fourth overall and a Class 1L win in their debut outing. A fine return to form for both the team and the boat.

In the highly competitive Class 3E, it was once again the silver catamaran Oblivion (E-2), driven by Marcus Dodd and Sean Girdler, that dominated proceedings. They kept things smooth and fast, outpacing their closest rivals, the Cougar monohull Renegade 2 (E-280), piloted by Andy Foster and Simon Matthews. Third place went to another well-loved hull: “Blast from the Past” (E-17), a Souter-built classic manned by Steven Tenant and Leslie Horner—proof that vintage powerboats still have what it takes to mix it with the modern machines.

There was less luck for Team NEAFS (E-24), a new outfit running a V24 hull. Despite retiring early due to technical issues, the team remains upbeat, vowing to come back stronger—and with their eyes firmly on a podium finish next time out.

With round three now complete, attention turns to the next showdown at Southampton’s Shamrock Quay on Saturday, August 9th, where rivalries will be renewed, engines will roar once more, and the championship battle will move up another gear. Expect more thrills, spills, and the kind of racing that has made offshore powerboating one of the most exhilarating motorsports on water.