Class One World Offshore Powerboat Championship (WOPC) has confirmed that the world's fastest sport on water will return to Plymouth for the third consecutive year.
Class One World Offshore Powerboat Championship (WOPC) has confirmed that the world’s fastest sport on water will return to Plymouth for the third consecutive year.
The date set for this year’s British Grand Prix is July 27 2003. The event has become the highlight of the UK powerboating year, attracting tens of thousands of fans keen to watch the spectacular 170mph fleet battle out the British round of the UIM Class One World Offshore Powerboat Championship.
“The Class One British GP is fast becoming one of the most popular fixtures on the UK’s motor sport calendar,” comments Craig Stoehr, Managing Director of Class One WOPC. “Class One has all the speed, adrenaline and glamour of Formula One with the advantages that it is free to watch and open to all. Plymouth is a popular venue; the Hoe acts as a natural amphitheatre for spectators who get an unrivalled view of the entire course. And with additions to the fleet in 2003, the racing will be even more competitive.”
One team especially keen to take the chequered flag in Plymouth will be ‘Spirit of Norway’ throttled by reigning World Champion Steve Curtis from Southampton. “There’s no doubt that the British GP is one of the most important races of the year for me,” comments Curtis. “It’s one of the first events of the season so the championship is wide open and everyone is going full throttle to win. On top of that, Bjorn and I will be defending our world title and there’s always the additional pressure involved in racing in front of a home crowd.” “The coastline of Plymouth encourages exciting racing,” continues Curtis. “The race course incorporates both rough and calm waters, complicating the technical set-up and adding to the challenge. However, Bjorn and I won in Plymouth in 2002 and we fully intend to do the same in 2003.”
The weekend’s festivities begin on Saturday 26 July with the British round of the Class One World Pole Position championship and support races from the record-breaking Honda Formula 4-Stroke series. The most prestigious event in British powerboating takes place on Sunday 27 July.
