This is pre race day and provides you with the chance of practising and preparing the boat for race day. All boats are also scrutinised to ensure they are fit for racing and have sufficient safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, flares, life jackets and helmets etc. Should any of this be missing then strict rules forbid you from taking part.
Once the boat had passed scrutinising we were given 2 hours to practice on the specially laid out practice course in the Humber. The day was grey and a low mist covered the sea that meant it was extremely difficult to see marker buoys marking some of the turns for the next day’s race. However, we had a good blast around, found the markers and increased our moral ready for the next day’s excitement.
Race day and all drivers gather for the drivers briefing. This is where any changes to race instructions are given, start procedures confirmed and any other information about the race given out. Failure to attend this briefing means instant disqualification. The atmosphere was buzzing as everyone prepared for the first race of the season.
The boats were then craned into the water – nerve wracking to see your pride and joy craned 50 feet into the air and a chance to see where you missed the hull when polishing the boat the week before!
At 2.55pm every one started to move, helmets went on and we all started our engines and started to follow the start boat. The start boat then started to move and the yellow start flag was up advising people the start was imminent and to get the boat to start speed (about 50mph). Then the yellow flag was dropped, the green raised and we were off and for the first time in my short race career I had a fantastic start, clear water ahead and most of the field behind us, the boat was howling along.
The top three boats sped into action and moved to the front leaving the remaining 32 boats a little behind. Two then broke down due to engine problems leaving 30 hopefuls in the running. But this time I was level pegging with fourth placed boat in my class and throughout most of the race we would be lying fourth or fifth overtaking, being overtaken and overtaking yet again. This was real racing and very exciting. The race lasted just over an hour and by this time we had settled into a good rhythm. One or two nasty moments had occurred, the most interesting being on the back leg of the course where we hit a large wave and the boat launched some 15 feet into the air. We landed safely and powered away with no ill effects, my only regret being there were no cameras at that moment!
Then unfortunately I made a mistake, coming up between two boats, one a class higher than mine and theoretically faster, the other the same class as me. I decided to come up between them giving me the best line for the next turn. As I drew level to pass them the boat caught some messy water and hooked violently to the left nearly hitting the other. I panicked and trying to correct the hook but made it worse and caused another hook this time to the right and hence zig zagged up the course for 30 seconds losing valuable distance to the others who were now away. That blew it and I finished a few minutes later sixth when I should really have been fourth, but that’s racing!
Overall for a first national race I was pleased. No one else that day had been racing for the first time and I had beaten people who had been racing for many years. I know now that we are very capable of doing well this season.
Another first for me that day, I was interviewed on local television, more nerve wracking than racing!
The boat will be out again in Bournemouth practising for the next race. (see race calendar). Can’t wait!