Power Boats Thrill Crowds

April 17, 2007, 12:02 pm

Hundreds of spectators turned out to see the first event in the power boat racing calendar in Westcountry waters at the weekend.

The fine weather brought large crowds to witness the thrilling spectacle of some of the UK’s finest drivers battling it out in Torbay for the Torquay Grand Prix.

The event marks the start of the season for the Offshore Circuit Racing Drivers Association.

Two heats took place on Saturday, with a further two on Sunday.

Fleur Tytheridge, a member of the association who had a hand in organising the event, said it had run smoothly - despite a collision between two boats on Saturday.

She said: “Everything seemed to be OK and nobody was injured - except for bruised egos.

“Other than that, it has all gone really well. We have seen some brilliant racing, and the weather has brought a really good turn out.

“Everyone was standing on the pier watching the action.”

Gordon Oliver, chairman of Tor Bay Maritime, which helped organise the Grand Prix, said: “We have got the best natural bay in which to host events such as this one.

“This event is inshore, so it’s very spectator friendly.

“It is a relatively small event, but as we have seen in previous years, those small events can develop into larger ones. It is all good news for Torbay.

“The weather here has been absolutely fantastic. It has been like a June day.

“We couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

This weekend’s racing is the latest in a number of money-spinning powerboat events taking place off South Devon this year.

Next month, Torquay hosts for the first time in years the Honda Formula 4 Strokes Powerboat Series.

Then in September the Racing National Finals comes to Torquay for the second year in a row.

(this article was taken from thisiscornwall.co.uk)