Powerboat race in Scotland

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uncledekka

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Just read Ray Bullman's column about how difficult it is to find people to organise powerboat races, & it got me thinking. After competing in this year's Round Britain I've caught the bug, & fancy organising (and competing in) some sort of "Round The Islands" race off the west coast of Scotland. Nothing flash, just a bunch of like-minded idiots spending a day or two racing their boats in some of the most stunning scenery & varied waters in Britain. Does anyone else feel up to the challenge?
I'm open to suggestions as to the format, but first I need to know if there's enough interest out there to take it further.
 
Round Britain powerboat race- hasn't happened for a few years now (round England/Wales and a bit of Scotland, lorry up beside the canal, - that happened!)
 
You forgot to mention that most of us didn't go round Land's End either. Trust me- five of us crammed into an Audi A2 from Plymouth to Milford Haven was one of the tougher legs!
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I'd love to take part in something like that, but don't have the funds to buy a suitable boat at the moment.

But as I live on the West coast, I'd be happy to marshal or drive a safety boat or something.

Keep us posted as to what develops.

Cheers

Al.
 
Thanks for the offer Al, much appreciated!

I've just realised that I should have titled this thread "MOTORBOAT race in Scotland", since I think that a fleet made up of everyday boats like Beneteaus, Bayliners and Fairlines would make for an amazing spectacle, and something that people would find easy to relate to, as opposed to out-and-out race boats.

And what could be finer than crossing the line ahead of your contemperaries, then popping below to put the kettle on for a celebratory cuppa?

(OK, maybe getting a cold beer out of the fridge, but you get my point...)
 
Try posting this on Boatmad.com as well - they're mostly racing nuts on there and several posters - including John Fuller, who runs the site - took part in the Round Britain Race. I'm sure you'll find some nutters who'd want to get involved.

Great idea! Good luck.
 
Thanks for the support & offers of help guys, it's much appreciated.
I'll be asking the hardcore racers if they want to join in, but I'd like to see a good turn-out from the "everyday" boats as well. Perhaps if it was more of a Poker Run, people might be a bit more interested? It would also keep the RYA and Elf & Safety pencil-necks off our back...
Let me know what you think, 'cos I'm only making it up as I go along anyway!
 
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Not enough commercial interest in Scotland, and weather too variable. Solent would be a much better venue.

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That's the whole point! Why should racing or Poker runs be limited to the South coast? Up here we've got much more variety in sea conditions- a challenging swell in the exposed areas, then round the corner (or up a loch) and you're into calm water. Add to that the intricacies of the odd tidal race & importance of navigational skills and you've got yourself an event that isn't just about speed but also skill and tactics.

Not sure I get your commercial angle- if you mean sponsorship, it's widely aknowledged that sponsorship isn't worth squat these days. Not that it's an issue for what I'd like to organise anyway, since I'm more about getting a bunch of random boats together & going for a long thrash. If ITV4 won't show the Honda Formula 4-stroke during daylight hours, what chance would I have?

Anyway, time to get down off my high horse & drink vast quantities of Morgan Spiced. If anyone wants me I'll be in the drinking room...
 
It sounds interesting, more details needed.
Out of curiosity which boat was yours in the race and would you be bringing this along or do you have something a bit less exotic as well
The more exotic machinery would be nice to see close up without all the fuss and stuff, chatting in the pub afterwards sort of thing?
When you have details of the event please post to see whether it is possible for us, its a long trek norf!
 
Hi Oldspice,
Thanks for the interest but I think I'll be dropping the idea of a Scottish race- at least for a while. Nearly 300 people have looked at this post, but you're the only one so far to have shown any interest in actually racing, and that would make for a pretty poor start line! (No offence to the guys who offered to help out- they're just as important as the racers!)
To settle your curiosity, I joined 5 different teams to cover the Round Britain for MB&Y, but I'm currently boat-less (but not for long, fingers crossed...)
As for the "exotic" stuff, I'm sure we would have seen a decent assortment of hard-core boats come up, since everyone seemed to really enjoy the Oban leg on the Round Britain, but my focus was always more on the everyday boats- but I think I may have already mentioned that...
If things change I'll post details on here.
 
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