Team makes up for disappointment in last year's race; second spot does to Cinzano
Vahid Ganjavian and Gareth Williams, driving Microlink Fury, won the 52nd running of the international Cowes-Torquay-Cowes offshore powerboat race on Sunday.
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The pair covered the 160-mile course at an average of 68.08mph, despite tough sea conditions.
Their success was just reward following disappointment in last year’s event when they nose-dived in Tor Bay after virtually leading from the start.
The 1,400hp Microlink Fury, a 37ft (11.5m) American-built Phantom monohull, took the lead from the Buzzi RIB Pippa five miles after the start and never looked back.
It proved a disappointing race for German driver Markus Hendricks. Out to repeat last year’s winning performance, his 30-year-old Cinzano proved no match for the leader, eventually finishing second four minutes astern.
Third slot was filled by Chris Dodge aboard Smokin Aces. She set an average of 59.81mph in a trouble-free race and finished a little under nine minutes behind the leader.
Of 16 entries in the main event only eight were declared finishers.
A second event took place simultaneously for the smaller P1 classes between Cowes and Poole.
Here it was Pertemps, driven by John Wilson and Nigel Hindmarsh, which took the 250hp class with Team 73 of Rose Lores and John Donnelly collecting the 150hp prize.
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