Youth Powerboat Racing
The un-seen Sensation
Introduction.
Picture the scene you’re watching Grandstand on as Saturday afternoon in the mid-late seventies. Frank Bough is heading up the show and there is sport going on all over the country from dog racing at Catford to a Mersey derby between Everton and Liverpool.
Suddenly a link takes you to Bristol and one of the largest powerboat races ever seen in the country let alone the world. Panning shots take you from the SS Gt Britain to the Cumberland Basin with small, fast catamarans doing their best to keep things together and doing about 100mph.
As a 10-12 year old things couldn’t get any better you’re glued to the screen watching the action, geeing on a number you’ve picked as looking cool and waiting for someone to make a mess of things-sound familiar???
Powerboat Racing in the New Millennia.
Since that time the world has changed in many ways yet the thrill and exhilaration of motor sports, no matter what form, has never changed. Whether it is formula 1 with Michael Schumacher behind the wheel or the Isle of Man TT races there is always the man/woman & machine element which appeals to everybody in one form or another.
Since the turn of the millennia there have been several attempts at re-capturing those early years of powerboat racing where there were start runs with 30+ boats all with one thing on their mind ‘get to the first turn before everyone else and win the race’.
To achieve this classes & series have been set up, altered and adjusted to make the competition as fair as possible. This has ultimately ended up with the one class race series pioneered by Honda with the Formula Four-Stroke series, then on to Zap Cats from South Africa. This in effect brought the idea of Formula Ford, Renault etc to the powerboat scene opening up racing to the public.
Even today in 2006 there are classes being set up with specific parameters designed to keep the racing as fair as possible giving even the team on the tightest of budgets the chance to compete at the same level as the fully sponsored teams with what seems to be unlimited support.
So how does this all link back to youth racing I hear you ask? Read on for the real story.
KCLASS-Start of Things to Come.
At a tender age of 17 a very competitive Vicky Crump took to the helm in her first powerboat race alongside hardened offshore racers. To the shock of these experienced racers Vicky went out and won on her debut!!! After the race Vicky came back ashore and went up to her dad, Tom-a very high ranking RYA official, and said “they’re all mad” and “how come people can just buy a boat, set it up and race without any experience or training”.
With that in mind you would have thought that was it and Vicky would not set foot in another race boat and the sport would have lost an un-tapped sensation never to be unleashed.
How wrong you could be, Vicky was determined so much so that she went from strength to strength and from class to class winning everything in her path, for national to international championships it didn’t matter they all succumbed to Vicky’s passion and driving force. The crowing glory was to become the fastest woman on water and join the K7 Gold Star club of record holders achieving in excess of 117mph on Windermere.
With such a dazzling career already established Vicky stepped back and said it’s time to put something back in, after recalling her first experiences Vicky decided with her family to set up a junior series which would allow youngsters to train, learn and compete on equal terms then when they reached the age of 17 could transfer into adult race classes already equipped with the skills and experience to take on the world and win.
KCLASS was born. With some support from the RYA, Wanda Offshore set up and a one class series for youngsters aged 8-16 in a 12’ Sorcerer with a 20Hp engine. Before they could race each had to attend training and under the watchful eyes of both Vicky and Tom would only be permitted to race competitively when their skill levels were satisfactory. Part of the RYA support included the Powerboat Racing Dept Manager, John Puddifoot, joining in and co-driving with some of the emerging stars.
The first year of racing was 2003 with Kclass appearing at events from Torquay to Ramsgate providing some of the best action close to the public so that everyone could see the high skill levels attained by these juniors. Being able to stage several short races before or after larger offshore races meant that a lot of water time was had with heats and finals each day and a National Championship like no other.
KCLASS Moves Up a Gear
During 2003 it was clear to see that some of the 15-16 year olds found it uncomfortable in a 12’ boat and needed something else to release their skills. This gave rise, in 2004, to K1000 a 16’ Phantom set up with a 60Hp 4 stroke (1L) engine. This enabled these frustrated yet skilled racers the chance to move forward but still stay within the confines of a controlled series maintaining the highest of safety standards.
2005 also saw the introduction of the K400 series as by now the 12-16 year group of the Sorcerers were too finding things a little restrictive. This took the form of a standard 14’ Fletcher combined with a 40Hp 4 stroke providing a stepping stone at an intermediate level.
During this whole evolution training and skill levels were constantly monitored to ensure that each competitor was at a level allowing risks to be kept to a minimum. Should anyone fall below this understood level they would not be permitted to race.
At the end of 2005 Wanda Offshore Race Klubb established an RYA approved syllabus to deliver a constant skill level to that of Powerboat Level 2 but endorsed with Race Skills/Qualifications which included a practical RYA assessment for all competitors including the navigators.
The Future
Following this all through there is one thing lacking, NO series sponsor! To date individuals have had to rely on family support to live their dreams. Even the organisers (Wanda Offshore Race Klubb-W.O.R.K) are all un-paid volunteers often with their own offspring competing yet being there for the benefit of all.
There are now 3 established race classes catering for youth from the age of 9 upwards. These classes are raced by highly skilled individuals whose’ skills exceed those set out in the rules and training syllabuses and are able to compete at both national and international level in venues across the UK in front of crowds in excess of 40,000. This could easily take us back to those days in Bristol which saw crowds of 100,000+ and the live media coverage so rarely seen in motor sports today.
So to be part of this un-seen sensation, either as a competitor or support, please contact the team at Wanda Offshore Race Klubb at
info@wandaoffshore.co.uk or visit the website at
www.wandaoffshore.co.uk to get the latest information.
PS these are my words and not that of an autobiography so don't panic, I might not be 110% accurate on some of the history so please be undeerstandin. Thanks all
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