Venture Cup becomes the latest casualty of offshore powerboat racing after just 13 entries make the payment deadline
The Venture Cup Cowes to Monte Carlo powerboat race has been postponed due to lack of paid-up entries.
The race, due to run in June next year, had just 13 fully paid-up teams as of the last payment deadline in November.
Mike Lloyd, chief executive of organisers MPA Powerboat Events, said: “Every team – 42 in total – have known for some considerable time that November 30 was the last day for this first payment.
“Therefore, because of lack of entries, we have to postpone the Venture Cup. We cannot ethically continue to use money provided by just a few teams to continue the development of this race.”
The postponement makes this the third major offshore powerboat event in a row that has been called off through lack of entries, following the 2011 Round Britain powerboat race and RB12, the event that was due to take place this summer.
Lloyd said the fees paid by the 13 confirmed teams would be “refunded as soon as possible to the best of our ability”.
It’s a sad ending to what was a hugely ambitious but also enormously exciting offshore event, one that was hoping to build on the successful running of the 2008 Round Britain Race, also organised by Lloyd.
In his statement announcing the postponement, Lloyd did offer some small reason for cheer, in that some form of race could still take place in June next year, presumably under the direct control of a number of the race teams.
“I… wish to convey my sincere apologies to those who sent us their monies and in several cases asked whether they could send all of their entry fees,” Lloyd said.
“These are the true adventurers, the true offshore racers, who are obviously a rare breed and who want to take part in this type of long distance, multi-leg, multi-nation offshore racing.
“But we can’t run a race of this complexity on 13 teams unfortunately.”
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