Powerboat Racing this Saturday

If you enjoy the thrill of Powerboats, the UKOPRA Solent 80 Powerboat Race will be taking place on Saturday 20th July 2024, and you can see these impressive speed machines from Milford on Sea Beach, Hurst Spit or Hurst Castle.

The boats leave from Haslar Marina in Gosport, and are expected to enter Christchurch Bay at approximately 11.30am.

Other annual UKOPRA Powerboat Races that can be seen from Milford on Sea:

• May: Round the Island
• June: Poole Bay 100
• July: Solent 80
• September: Lymington Challenge

For more details please visit: www.ukopra.co.uk

-----------------------

Cowes Powerboat Festival 

The British Powerboat Racing Club based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, organises the Cowes Torquay race which has been running since 1961. This was the first powerboat race outside the USA and is the longest running race in the world. International teams compete in different classes, and the race covers a challenging 210-mile course along the south coast of England. Boats reach speeds in excess of 100mph, with the fleet racing non-stop across Christchurch Bay to Torquay, or Poole, and back to Cowes.

Saturday 24th August 2024

Cowes-Torquay-Cowes Powerboat Race: Starts from Cowes at 9.30am.

Cowes-Poole-Cowes Powerboat Race: Starting from Cowes at 10am. 

Sunday 25th August 2024

Round the Island Open Race: Starting from Cowes at 10am.

 

This race was founded in 1968 for all sizes of both race and leisure boats, old and new.

For more details please visit: www.cowestorquaycowes.co.uk.

-----------------------

Madcrab Offshore Racing Team

The local powerboat Madcrab Offshore Racing Team consists of Keyhaven & Milford on Sea racers Rob Lister, a former European champion, & Nick Crouch. Both are former British Champions.

In 2023 whilst sitting third place in the UKOPRA British Offshore Championships the boys led class 3D in the Lymington Challenge Race until The Needles, where a fuel filter housing failed, resulting in lost fuel pressure and power. Despite the disadvantage, the team crossed the line third in their class.

During a race in August 2023, a blown gearbox 5 miles from the finish put paid to the season.

Cowes-Torquay-Cowes Powerboat Race 2021

Rob & Nick won their Honda Four Stroke class in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes Race in 2021, they were also 3rd overall in all classes.

The Cowes-Torquay-Cowes is a spectacular British Powerboat Racing Club race and one of the biggest events in the powerboating calendar. 

Over 30 teams, including boats and drivers from the UK, America, Germany and Italy competed in this exhilarating run to the Dorset coast and back.

The 200-mile Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race has long been recognised as one of powerboating’s toughest challenges, and comparisons have been made with motorsport events such as Le Mans and the Indy 500.

Photo by Clare Horton

The race crosses Christchurch Bay and provided great entertainment for those watching from Milford on Sea beach.

In December 2018, Rob Lister and Nick Crouch were crowned UKOPRA Offshore Class 3 British Champions.

Perry McCarthy, aka BBC Top Gear’s 'Stig', presented the Class 3 trophy at the Royal Southern Yacht Club.

Rob and Nick started the season well, excelling in rough conditions at Falmouth. Then disaster struck when whilst leading at Poole they were forced to retire due to propeller failure. Finally, a crucial win in rough conditions at Cowes Torquay/Poole Race earned them the British Class 3 title.

They also won the Tim Powell Trophy for “most outstanding performance”.

UKOPRA

United Kingdom Offshore Powerboat Racing Association
www.ukopra.co.uk