Zapcat Racing the World’s largest one design powerboat championship brings the action to Wales.
August 1st & 2nd  will see Zapcat Racing the World’s largest one design powerboat championship head to a brand new racing location for the series as they battle it out during rounds 9 & 10 of the 14 round championship at Barry Island, South Glamorgan.

Around 30 of the feisty little catamarans will battle it out over two days in 16 heats of racing for the title of Barry Island Zapcat Grand Prix winners.

This will be the first time the Championship has ever been to Barry Island, and will see the long awaited return for the championship to Wales, with an absence from Welsh waters for 6 years. Being the inaugural event at Barry Island racers will be faced with unknown conditions, and will need to utilise their practice sessions each morning to set their boats up for optimum performance throughout the day.

Local team Westgate, Zapcat 28’s pilot Charles Morris can’t wait for the series to come to Barry Island and return to Wales “Racing at Barry Island will be awesome, Everyone around here is getting excited about the Zapcat racing coming to Barry Island this weekend, and If have good weather there’s bound to be a huge crowd of spectators.” He continued “Barry Island is a superb venue with excellent facilities right next to the beach, it has vantage points for viewing the action all around the bay,  and whilst conditions will be quite sheltered, who knows what might happen should the wind pick up.” 

Zapcat Racing is a perfect spectator sport with the Zapcat’s launching straight from the beach and the whole course spanning just a few hundred meters from the shore line providing perfect viewing for all Powerboat Racing enthusiasts as all the action unfolds.

Reigning Zapcat Champion and Race Director Mick Pritchard is looking forward to the new location, “As racer you get stale racing at the same locations all the time this year we’ve opened the championship up introducing new locations and in that new challenges for the competitors, we have a couple of local teams to the area but practising in the waters on your own and racing around the course with another 9 boats is completely different.” He continued “Wales has always given Zapcat Racing a warm welcome over the years and to return to a new venue we hope to receive a fantastic reception in  Barry Island, The racing will be fast, furious and we aim to put on a spectacular show."

Charles Morris Westgate Zapcat 28’s  Pilot knows expectations will be high for them on their home turf  “We had a disastrous weekend in Plymouth fraught with mechanical problems forcing us to return home early so being at home we’re really keen to do well.  We’ve worked on the engine and after testing in Cardiff Bay yesterday, we are confident everything is sorted. My brother the Co-pilot, Ed is returning from Qatar for the weekend especially for the event so will be giving it his all and we’ll hope not to disappoint our spectators”

Racing will begin at 12 noon on both days with practice starting at 11, teams will complete over 16 heats each day to secure their place in their divisions final.