It’s not all bad news though, because despite the Grand Prix going elsewhere, it’s just been confirmed at the London Boat Show that the most famous endurance race in powerboating, the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes (CTC), will be returning to the Island this year.
The race will take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend and as with the previous P1 Championships, will attract worldwide interest to the Island.
It’s thought that there will be able 80 powerboats taking part and the race is expected to take around four hours to complete.
Jim O’Toole, Managing Director, Powerboat P1 Management Ltd had this to say:
“P1 respects tradition and heritage in our sport and resurrecting the historic Cowes-Torquay-Cowes is an ideal way of meeting the requirements of our UK based P1 teams, manufacturers, sponsors, and media as well as the 1.5m UK powerboat enthusiasts, for many of whom the P1 event has become an annual pilgrimage.”
“The event enjoys iconic status in world powerboating and we believe many racers from various classes and markets around the world will be unable to resist the opportunity to participate in this legendary race. We look forward to working closely with the BPRC in the months ahead to make the return of the event a resounding success.”
Lord Beaverbrook, Chairman, British Powerboat Racing Club:
[image of the 1972 race courtesy of New Jersey Performance Powerboat Club]“We are delighted that the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes will return in 2008. It is an event steeped in history and tradition and represents one of the great powerboating adventures. In the past it has been instrumental in the development of offshore motorised craft. If any race has provenance this one has.”
“The timing of its return, in the same year as the Round Britain Race, adds fresh impetus to both events as teams and manufacturers have an added incentive to make the necessary investment.”
