The Zapcat season kicked off in style when 28 teams lined up for the first green flag of the season to drop. A mixture of seasoned racers and rookies were met by a warm welcome from new organisers ZCR Ltd. With perfect blue skies and choppy conditions the scene was set.
Thousands flocked to Bournemouth’s beaches to see if Reigning champion Mick Pritchard’s predictions for the season would be correct. In Division 2 Zapcat 09 Delta Jets/Marin Subsea got off to a dominating start in their heats with Westgate Zapcat 28 also claiming a place at the top of the division. Zapcat 39 Cat in the Hat and Royal Marine Team Commando Spirit in Zapcat 41 proved there was no room for complacency at the top of the division finishing their heats with some solid results.
Meanwhile in Division 1 Craig Davis and Rob Martin of Blue Sheets Racing 1 Zapcat 03 were showing why they finished 3rd in the championship year, storming into the lead with Neil Fraser and co-pilot Jeremy Nazarin of Zapcat 25 Rana Park hot on their heels.
The 4th heat of the day saw cobwebs showing in some of the Division 1 teams when a collision between Team Suffolk (98), RM Go Commando (42), Seavation (10) and Blue Sheets Racing 2 (11) saw damage to two of the boats and three of them heading back to the beach not allowed to re-start.
The racing continued with frantic action entertaining the thousands lining the beach and as we went into the days finals Ash and co-pilot Chris were leading the scoreboard in Division 2 making Marin Subsea/ Delta Jets pole position with Westgate and Cat in the Hat hot on their heels. Ash and Chris got a great start off the flag drop and led the whole way round with the battle close for the remaining podium finishes.
Tactical Manoeuvres saw Cat in the Hat (39) Jim Crooks and co-pilot Matt Clemmow securing second position, just in front of Commando Spirit (41) Pete Royston and Andy Farmer who secured the bronze medal position.
The Division One final got off to a flying start with Blue Sheets Racing 1 in pole position with teams Speedy Hire and Rana Park piling on the pressure. Tactical pit laps saw Randall & Payne Zapcat (49) and Rana Park (25) securing second and third respectively from Speedy Hire.
Ecstatic that he’d got off to a fantastic start to the season Craig Davis of Blue Sheets Racing paid tribute to co-pilot Rob Martin “To start the season off with a win at Bournemouth’s fantastic, the conditions were challenging but racing was awesome, Rob and I have put a lot of work in over the winter and it seems to have paid off. I wouldn’t want to race with anyone else at the front of the boat, it’s all about team work and Robbie and are work really well together.”
Winners of Division 2 Marin Subsea/ Delta Jets have only been training for the last month in the boat, but hours of time spent on set ups and testing saw Chris Rex grinning like a Cheshire Cat when he came off the water. “I only got in the boat about a month ago, Ash’s co-pilot Ryan’s torn a tendon in his shoulder and I was asked to stand in. We’ve spent some time in the boat and it’s paid off, we smashed it! I’m really overwhelmed and can’t wait for tomorrow.”
Presentations were made by Bournemouth’s newly elected Mayor, The Worshipful Mayor of Bournemouth Councillor Beryl Baxter, who was thrilled so many people were involved in the exhilarating sport, entertaining the crowds.
Reigning Champion Mick Commented “The day was a success, you can see which boats have put the time and preparation into training over the winter. The racing was really close and tomorrow will be fantastic to watch, the lines have been drawn and the battle has definitely begun”