Manned by Antibes-based throttleman Glenn Chidzoy, Norwegian Ole Finholt and Southampton’s Gordon Compton, claimed victory in the Marathon category, the Warpath Apache V-bottom claimed first place in Class B and earned valuable points toward the prestigious Harmsworth Trophy in yesterday’s Fortitudo Property Poole Bay 100 Offshore Powerboat race yesterday. The Poole, England, contest was the opening round of the 2018 World Offshore Championship.

The Marathon-class Warpath team took first place in Sunday’s Fortitudo Property Poole Bay 100 Offshore Powerboat Race.

The event was sanctioned by United Kingdom Offshore Powerboat Racing Association.

The Poole duo of Christian Toll and Mike Bontoft and Michael Peet, racing the Chevrolet engine-powered 35-foot Dry Martini Cigarette, finished second. Dorian Griffith and Will Stevens rounded off the podium positions and also won Class C in the Yanmar engine-powered Blastoff boat.

“The navigation went perfectly,” said Compton. “On the first lap we were running fourth and we just settled in and let them do what they wanted to do up front. We did a really good turn at the North-East Shingles overtook Dorian (Griffith) and didn’t see what happened to the Cougar and then we had one boat in front of us.”

“This is what you dream of,” said Chidzoy. “You need boats like this to enjoy racing. The team gave us a great boat. I’m so grateful to be here and a big thanks for the guys who organized this race. And the English weather played ball.”

The experienced Exeter-based duo of Andrew Langdon and Miles Jennings suffered technical issues in their 38-foot Outerlimits Silverline boat and eventually retired one lap from the checkered flag. David Foa and Charles Swales, also from Exeter, completed all but one lap of the Marathon race in the Mercury engine-powered Mr Mako to take fourth and first in Class E, but the diesel engine-powered Fugitive of Rose Lores and Francis Whitley retired from Class G with two laps remaining.

Any hopes that Poole businessman and title sponsor Richard Carr and his Florida-based teammate Steve Curtis MBE—the pre-race favorites—had of winning the Marathon class were dealt a shattering blow on the first lap when their 46-foot Fortitudo Cougar sustained a broken drive shaft and they also retired.

Southend’s Kerry Bobin and Bermuda’s Errin Butterfield spun at the last turn mark in the Class 3 race at the helm of their Mercury-powered Twister catamaran, Motorvated Bermuda, and that enabled Bobin’s son—the 2016 UIM 3A World Champion Jack Bobin—and Stuart Unwin to claim the win in Motorvated Racing after a thrilling ding-dong tussle that entertained the crowds off Bournemouth Pier.

Jack Bobin and Stuart unwin celebrated their hard-fought Class-3 win.

The X77 crew of Graham Reeder and Martin Foster reached the chequered flag in a close third place in Ananab Racing on the opening round of the British Offshore Racing series, being organized by 2017 Moto and sanctioned by the UKOPRA.

Sunbury’s Thomas Pelham and Brian Pelham won Class N and finished fourth in The Beaver Returns, while Dave Sheldon and Chris Bailey entered their Phantom 19G under the co-sponsoring Multispark Race Products banner and rounded off the top five.

The Guernsey-based duo of Mark Terry and Suzanne Cosgrave retired their Evinrude engine-powered Dirty Deeds and Sandy’s David Boakes (Bad Habit) retired at the start line on Bournemouth Pier. Robert Lister and Nick Crouch withdrew Jupiter with gearbox issues on lap one.

This year’s Marathon race ran for 121.40 nautical miles over a start lap of 58.80 nautical miles, one shorter lap of 28.40 nautical miles and three laps of 11.40 nautical miles. The shorter Class 3 race for British offshore points ran for 71.4 nautical miles over a start lap of 12.3 nautical miles and three shorter laps of 8.30 nautical miles and 11.40 nautical miles.

Marathon Classes Results
1. B69—Glen Chidzoy/Ole Finholt/Gordon Compton—Warpath 1hr 43min 23sec
2. B9—Christian Toll/Mike Bontoft/Michael Peet —Dry Martini 1hr 58min 28sec
3. C100—Dorian Griffith/Will Stevens—Blastoff 1hr 59min 47sec
4. E76—David Foa/Charles Swales—Mr Mako L1
5. A47—Andrew Langdon/Miles Jennings—Silverline L1
6. G130—Rose Lores/Francis Whitley—Fugitive L2
C237—Paul Craven/Tom Montgomery—Swan Sunus Ocean Racing DNF
A69—Richard Carr/Steve Curtis—Fortitudo Cougar DNF

Class 3 Results
1. A26—Jack Bobin/Stuart Unwin—Motorvated Racing 1hr 18min 49sec
2. B25—Kerry Bobbin/Errin Butterfield—Motorvated Bermuda 1hr 20min 04sec
3. X77—Graham Reeder/Martin Foster—Ananab Racing 1hr 20min 09sec
4. N10—Thomas Pelham/Brian Pelham—The Beaver Returns 1hr 24min 25sec
5. A22—Dave Sheldon/Chris Bailey—Multispark Race Products 1hr 25min 21sec
6. B4—Max Walker/Darryn Harrison—Race R Division 1hr 26min 08sec
7. A24—Shaki Easton/M’kai Hodsol—Bermuda Motivation 1hr 26min 15sec
8. A5 —Lee Ornsby/Josh Lindsay—Licence to Thrill 1hr 29min 49sec
9. B88—Mark Terry/Suzanne Cosgrave—Dirty Deeds L1
A162—Richard Comben/David Taylor—Ace of Spades DSQ
A66 —Malcolm Dopson/Ben Brown—White Fusion DSQ

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