British Grand Prix of the Sea Report

Cowes, located in Southern coast of England is renowned for its maritime history. Ranging from sail boat racing, to the home of the Royal Yacht Squadron, it is also the birthplace of powerboat racing, started by Lord Beaverbrook’s son Sir Max Aitken, and carried on by his son and daughter, Lord Maxwell Beaverbrook and Lady Laura Levy. As the site for the Powerboat P1 British Grand Prix of the Sea, Cowes provided the perfect backdrop for a weekend of endurance and sprint racing for the fleet of Evolution and Super Sports boats. Though a trek to get there for traveling teams--it involved a flight to London, a 2-hour ride to Southampton, then a ferry ride to the Isle of Wight--the British tourism spot also drew Brits for this long-weekend “Bank Holiday.” So while the Island bustled with visitor traffic, the earlier week’s gloom, rain and cool temperatures, gave way to three days of sunny skies and gentle breezes, just in time for the Friday race.

However, powerboating teams came braced for the notorious rough waters for which Cowes is known. Instead, they got only a mild chop—a disappointment for the bigger diesel boats who wanted the rough-sea advantage—as well as the Mercury-powered Lucas Oil Outerlimits team, who built its boat—and team for those tougher conditions.

For Friday’s endurance race, the team chose British-born, American citizen, Nigel Hook, to throttle, while Joe Sgro maintained his driving role. Sgro and Hook normally alternate driving days with Mike Fiore, Outerlimits’ owner and president at throttle. Being familiar with the Isle of Wight, which would be circumvented on this race, Hook had an advantage as a navigator. The teams first did a 6-lap sprint course, before taking off for the lap around the island. Though the back-side was to have promised rougher water, which proved to be a rumor this day as well, team were left to re-plan their set-ups and race strategies.

An all-out speed race developed in the early laps as boats in both classes tore through the mild chop, blending their skills at the tight turns on the laps and throwing down the throttles on the endurance portion. All was great racing action until it got down to final laps and many teams realized that they had only a little time left to keep within the 87 mph average speed limits that Powerboat P1 enforces, as part of its Pleasure Navigation Racing rules. Strangely, a number of boats slowed down to a near stop at the finish line. Fans were confused, wondering what happened, but those who understood saw the foibles of the rules. Though the rules were created to maintain safety in a “recreational” racing division, they showed the clash of old rule books and new technologies. Speeds had not been a problem in former rough water races, but the issue started to show in Travemunde and reared its ugly head in Cowes. The strategy that some used to pace themselves and not “break-out” of the speed limit (which results in serious penalties, risky in these tight races for the points title), ended up being a last-minute reaction to save face and pace, that contradicts the spirit of racing.

Lucas Oil Outerlimits had planned its laps just right, and dashed ahead of King of Shaves in perfect timing to take the victory—despite the fact that Fainplast had crossed the finish line first and was awarded the checkered flag—before its time penalties were assessed. The same issue occurred in the Super Sport class so the podium for Friday’s races was postponed.

After a day of Honda 4 Stroke races on Saturday, the P1 fleet was ready for the Sunday showdown—again on calm seas. This time, with Fiore at throttles and Sgro at the helm, the Lucas Oil Outerlimits team took its Mercury Racing 662 SCi’s to a perfectly managed 13-lap rout of the other Evolution boats. Sgro’s handling of the Outerlimits SV40 in turns was the decisive factor, as he swung around the buoys so tightly that no one else could catch him. The boat’s straight-away speed with the Mercury engines was also impressive and the team led from the 6th lap to the end.

Since the podium presentation from Friday had been postponed to Sunday due to delays in arriving at the proper finish order, the awards were particularly festive—with much Jarvis St. James champagne sprayed and guzzled. An additional trophy made this podium extra-special, as the local Sir Max Aitken Museum awarded the Beaverbrook Trophy to the Lucas Oil Outerlimits team. This trophy remains in the museum but is awarded periodically to teams for achievement in certain races. The awardees are noted on the trophy and go down in powerboating history.

This experience was especially meaningful to Hook, who as an American, was able to bask in the glory of winning this prestigious award in front of family and fellow Brits. Beyond beating them in their own backyard, was the honor of being remembered for generations to come, in the museum founded by the same British business and boating leader who established the sport there 47 years ago. Then, Hook, as a child, watched Sir Max Aitken himself as well as his uncle race there—the inspiration for Hook’s own racing accomplishments. Hearing the Star Spangled Banner played while they held their trophies and hats over their hearts gave everyone on the team shivers up their spines and broad smiles on their faces.

Next, the teams head to Zeebrugge, Belgium—another site noted for rough water where the North Atlantic Ocean meets the North Sea. Two transatlantic flights within two weeks will not deter the Lucas Oil Outerlimits team! Mercury Racing engines and adrenaline run this crew and with its first sweep under its belt, the Americans are poised for another victory.