Ski Racing World Championships

[Canboria]

Hi just got back from 3 weeks in Long Beach California at the World Water Ski Racing Championships, the team that I help out with came 3rd overall in Formula 2, a great achievement considering we ran the same 2.5 EFI Mercury outboard (280HP) for all 4 races with out any problems, engine built by Neil Holmes of South Godstone Sports Boats, the American and Belgium teams both dealer supported teams had a slection of powerheads for each race and were supported by a team of engineers.

I have put some pictures on boatones web site of some of the more extreme boats that raced bearing in mind that they all fall inside the 21 ft category

The GB team took 3rd place overall for the team trophy

Derek

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[BarryH]

South Godstone Sports Boats behind the garage. Was that not where Ring used to be or am I getting muddled.
Excellent pics, although I'm sure Martyn could get them to use Merc D120's!

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[Canboria]

Neil used to be behind the garage he has now moved further down the road, not sure of his address, only been a couple of times since he moved, Neil still races power boats and holds a number of world titles.

Mike Rings place is not in Godstone, as far as I know he has retired along with Steve baker who made Phantom race boats, Neil Holmes now makes the Phantom Evolution (RIB) using a Phantom hull.


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[pistonbroke]

Mike Ring, still alive and building boats down near Littlehampton, he moved factories a week or two ago. He mainly builds Ribs now, although his sportsboats are built buy a guy in Poole Boat Park and are now sold as Extreme Marine.

Steve Baker of Phantom boats has now retired, although his boats are now available from numerous builders dotted around the country, and Neil Holmes builds the Phantom Evolution, when he's not jetting round Europe trying to race a rather sad Cougar in Pro-Vee. He is only a hired hand though and not at all responsible for the DNS's & occasional DNF's of the boat, must be getting a bit embarrasing for the poor guy.

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[Canboria]

Good to here that Mike is still in business, he built a good friend of mine a lightweight F3 ski boat some years ago with an XR2 that Neil built with the EFI running gear from the 2.4EFI we won F3 that year, Steve Bakers Phantom 16 & 18 are built by Clive Jones in Woolwich an ex OCR driver, I was told that the 21 Phantom moulds went to Spain.

Steve built me a couple of Phantoms for Ski racing a 20 and a 21 both fine boats.



<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Canboria on 29/10/2003 21:22 (server time).</FONT></P>