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HULL & HUMBER GRAND PRIX -
ROUNDS 7 & 8
This Weekend 32 Zapcats headed to Hull for the Hull & Humber
Grand Prix. Amongst the 32 was current Zapcat Championship
leaders Pegasus Vortex Racing team from Southampton, Mick
Pritchard and Baz Minns. The 2006 Rookie Champions are making
great progress in this years’ National Championship and going
into the weekend with high hopes that Hull would give them a
hat-trick of Grand Prix wins, after previously winning in
Southsea and Glasgow.
Co-pilot Baz Minns said ”This weekend should be interesting,
none of us have ever raced here before and it’s one mighty
river. The tidal pull through it’s going to make racing
really tricky!”
Pegasus Vortex got off to a great start safe in the knowledge
that another win would really put pressure on other teams
wanting also to secure the title for the first time too.
Saturday’s racing saw them take 1st places in the first three
of their five heats. Leading Mixed Championship team Anger
Management in Zapcat 18 fought hard in the 10th heat of the
day to stop them making it four. In their final heat of the
day with a big lead disaster struck as they hit a rogue wave
and a strong gust of wind flung co-pilot Baz Minns out of the
side of the Zapcat, spectators watched for a moment as it
looked as though they would continue to race with Baz Barefoot
Skiing on the side of the boat as he refused to let go for a
couple of minutes!
Although disqualified in their final heat the earlier effort
paid off with them still qualifying for the 10 boat final in a
third place on the grid. The final was a hotly contested with
some of the leading boats fighting it out as if the
championship was to be decided on this one race. One Zapcat
missing from the final Line up was Pretty Buoys - Bligh Julius
and Charlie Hatfield, who were forced to retire when a
collision with Dave Padget and Tony Cooper in Boat 7 popped
their hull, leaving them short of all important points. The
final was won by Potential who battled throughout the whole 4
lap race with Pegasus Vortex and on the last lap they managed
to edge in front and close the door with a very tactical move.
Pegasus Vortex took the silver podium place, ahead of team
mates Energy 69 Vortex Racing - Craig Davis and Rob Martin who
took the bronze.
Energy 69 Vortex Racing had fought their way into the final
taking two 1sts and a third in their last three heats of the
day making the most of the choppy conditions, they got off to
a great start in the final to hold their position in third all
the way to the finish line.
The wind dropped for Sundays racing and Pegasus Vortex took
advantage of the conditions securing two 1st’s, two 2nds and a
third to take them into pole position in the final ahead of
Vicky and Nathan - Anger Management Racing and Pretty Buoys -
Bligh and Charlie two of their closest championship rivals.
In the final it was business as usual with a flying start and
once in front held off the closely following pack for the
first lap and then started to ease their way ahead all the way
to the finish line and the Gold podium again. Closely followed
by two of the Top mixed teams in the championship Anger
Management’s Nathan and Vicky in second and a very well fought
third went to Rookie team Spiky Fish Simon Taylor and Lucy
Richardson to complete the podium places.
The Silver and Gold Medals meant that Pegasus Vortex Racing
had secured their hat-trick with the title of Hull & Humber
Zapcat Grand Prix Winners and a very valuable 190 points in
the championship table.
The Teams will now take a well earned rest during the month
of August before heading to the next rounds of the championship
in Bournemouth on the 1st & 2nd September – Or will they
spend the time practising and training in the Solent?!
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