The Queen gets to meet the man himself
Powerboater Steve Curtis was presented with his MBE this week at Buckingham Palace.
The Southampton man was named in the Queen’s 80th Birthday Honour’s List earlier this year. His MBE is for Services to Sport.
Curtis took his eighth Class One World Championship title at the start of December, an unprecedented feat. He also won the US Offshore Championships earlier in the year.
“It was a very proud moment indeed to receive the award from Her Majesty and I am delighted that powerboat racing has received this recognition,” said Curtis.
Curtis lifted his first two world titles in the USA in 1985 and 1987, taking his third 11 years later with Bjorn Gjelsten in Spirit of Norway in 1998.
Since 2002, Curtis has dominated Class One, winning the World Championship five years in a row, four with Gjelsten and one with Bard Eker in 2005.
He has competed in 105 Grand Prix, winning 36 and alongside his eight World Championship titles has won the European Championship four times, the Middle East title three times and the Pole Position Championship seven times.
