British winner at Euro 3B

Mike Ward · 21-08-2007, 08:44 PM

Did anyone realise there was a British winner of the European 3B Championship held at Nynashamn, Sweden last weekend?

He is some guy called Morten Olaussen and there is even a photo of him on the podium waving the union flag !

The title was held in conjunction with the Euro 3C champs and there appears to be an incredible number of entries which failed to score a single point in both events.

DAVE · 22-08-2007, 06:25 AM

There's a good old 'Ampshire name.

Nemesis · 22-08-2007, 10:36 AM

I am pleased someone else has picked up on this! Which UK affiliated Powerboat club is he a member of? Dont all UK applicants have to become members of a UK club to qualify for a licence? Does he have a UK address?

If this facility is now open to other NA's competitors - it would seem correct that the same would apply to UK guys. Is this now a loophole through which UK competitors can buy cheaper overseas licences also. The precedent has now been set guys.

More importantly - why is the UK Powerboat racing manager agreeing to sell licences to overseas competitors - under our underwritten UK Insurance. Was this agreed by any committee prior to the event?

Hey ho - rules are now clearly open to be changed whenever needs must.

Pennpromo · 22-08-2007, 10:56 AM

Nemesis, (for those of us with a long memory we know who you are !!), as you say this has now created a very important precident. One would imagine that the Norweigen National Authority must be a bit upset too as they will have lost income ...
I guess that it could be a case of shopping around to see who offers the best deal. Perhaps Pecky could create a Cayman Islands National Authority and offer International Licences for £50 ? Who needs to be afilliated to the UIM now anyway !

Lets all hope that Cowes is good ...

Nemesis · 22-08-2007, 12:42 PM

Hi Pennpromo - good to see some dont forget, although the name does have a slight twist!!
The Cayman's - that could be well worth pursuing for the future 'bigger picture' - how's Pecky doing out there?

see you in Cowes this weekend.

Woody · 22-08-2007, 03:00 PM

So has the rule of having to complete 4 national races to be eligable for a licence to race international of Worlds gone out the window ???? surely they would have had to comply and race those 4 races for their licence to apply ????

From a compliance and risk management point of view it would have been interesting to see what would view the liability insurers would have taken in this instance as susch they are an unknown quantity !!!!

verytricky · 22-08-2007, 03:47 PM

If I go to live in Portugal, and I want to race in Class3 C in the Europeans or the worlds, the Portugese authority will accept my racing CV from the UK as proof of my experiance, and will issue me with a Portugese international licence. I do not first have to race four ordinary races in Portugal to become able to race internationally.

There is a definate issue with an authority point blank not allowing someone to obtain a licence of another country:

For example Ana is Spanish, and has a Spanish passport, yet she races under a UK licence. The fact that she owns a house in Spain does not require her to go to the Spanish authority to get a racing licence. Ana can not have ESP next to her name on the results and on the records, as she is licenced by the UK authority. So the records we have set are by two British crew, and we have GBR next to our names.

Another example - if you had a South African passport, you could never race V24 offshore, as the South Africans dont issue offshore licences for any class except class 3, so you can never get an applicable licence and could never race.

So there are times when exceptions are made and should be allowed.

If you now decide to go to Portugal and buy yourself a Portugese licence for £50, you will find you can not race in the Nationals, as in order to accept a 'foreign' international licence, the national event would have to become an European invitational, and then you still could not gain National points. And I dont see the clubs stumping up £200 extra fees per race just so that you can save the money on your licence.

You could race in the worlds or in the Europeans, as those events are by design accepting foreign nationals into the race - but you cant race in the UK Nationals with the foreign licence.

Besides - isnt is nice to have someone 'british' winning something? Kevin Peterson does it for the cricket - as an 'englishman', and half of the SAS are South African, but they call themselves part of the British Army....

Ben · 22-08-2007, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pennpromo

Nemesis, (for those of us with a long memory we know who you are !!),

Somehow I'm reminded of a 3C cat from a number of years ago.

SMS Racing · 22-08-2007, 09:52 PM

Hi all,
If you knew the facts, I dont think you wold see this as a problem. The Norweigans starteed a new assossiation cause they were dissapoited with how their old one was run. The new one has 100% of the members, well not quite, there is one 3B driver still racing under the old one.
The poblem is that they are not connected to UIM, cause the old one still is. So the only chance for them to race in the EC, was to be a member of a foreign club and NA. Some of them chosed GBR, and some SWE. Personally I feel a bit sorry for them, cause they had to pay full membership and pay the full cost for licenses. Thats why 6 boats chosed not to race at all... Thats not for the best of the sport...

Hope for understanding...
Why not be happy, you have a EC winner in 3B!!!

Bjorn Lind

Tony Davis · 22-08-2007, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by verytricky

The fact that she owns a house in Spain ...

Is it available for 2 weeks in October?

Safety · 22-08-2007, 10:50 PM

Bjorn. Thanks for your reply. However, it does not explain why the RYA Powerboat Dept. are prepared to issue international licences willy-nilly to foreign nationals, while expecting British nationals to jump through hoops.
I am stunned to discover that these people have been issued with a British licence, because their own NA would not issue one - after they had joined a so-called breakaway organisation.
When I think back to what they tried to do to Rory Power, and now they are doing it themselves.
There is now total disregard for the spirit or actualite of the Rules. By the people who should be upholding them.
They get around it with "Dispensation request"!