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Powerboat Racing World

Frode Sundsdal

What is prw.

It’s a powerboat racing website that has covered circuit racing, offshore racing and PWC since 2016. Maintained by The Race Factory based in Norway who have specialists in event planning and promotion, social media, graphic design, and photography. We are currently working on our vision and believe that we can and will make a different in powerboating. We will dedicate our time to produce accurate factual stories and to promote the sport to a wider global audience.

The 2016 RYA Powerboat GP Championship this weekend headed north to St Helens for the second round of the competition for the Lancashire Grand Prix.

Five championship classes battled throughout the course of the weekend entertaining the local Lancashire crowds as the weekend’s events unfolded.

In the junior GT15 class Lincoln’s Jonathan Brewer launched an attack on the championship following a disappointing result for the youngster at the Lowestoft Grand Prix earlier this month Jonathan was set to soar this weekend. Securing Pole position during qualifying Brewer knew getting the best start would be vital to keep Thomas Mantripp and Harvey Smith in his wake.

Taking the lead in every heat Jonathan drove his way to win the Lancashire Grand Prix leaving his peers to battle it out behind him. Two strong second places saw Harvey Smith secure the silver medal podium spot forcing Mantripp to settle with bronze.

The GT30 class saw Ben Jelf secure his second Grand Prix victory of the season as he led the way round the Lancashire course securing pole position and three dominating heat wins the youngster once again returned to the podium top spot.

The GT30 class saw Ben Jelf secure his second Grand Prix victory of the season

The only female racer in the championship Tiegen Goodfellow put in a commanding performance after qualifying in third then a fourth place finish in the first heat Goodfellow came back fighting in the second and third heats taking two second place finishes to secure the silver medal.

Whilst an epic battle ensued for third place with local lad Jack Pickles, duelling it out against Jamie Norris and Thomas Mantripp to take the final podium place. Taking his second podium finish of the weekend Mantripp managed to hold Pickles and Norris at bay to claim bronze.

Making their first outing of the season was the T850 monohull fleet, on home water Wigan’s Bill Owen was looking to make a strong start to the season and took the first heat win. But Bill endured engine problems in the second heat it was team mate Steve Cash capitalised on his misfortune to take the win.

It would go down to the final heat to see who would win the first Powerboat GP Grand Prix title of the season. As the start lights went out Steve Cash stormed towards the first turn with Jason Brewer and Nigel Edwards both alongside him but there was no sign of Owen who was left on the start.

He soon got away and at a blistering pace set off to catch the rest of the fleet. Steve Cash established a strong lead but Owen chased him down and on the final lap he’d caught up with his team mate.

Pushed every inch of the way Steve Cash managed to hold Owen off and managed to secure the Lancashire Grand Prix Title and his first win in twenty years.

The F4 Catamarans saw Rob Veares throw down the gauntlet to championship leader Sam Whittle

From pole position he controlled the first two heats leading from start to finish despite immense pressure from Whittle.

But determined to hold on to his championship lead in the third heat Whittle got a flying start to beat Veares in to the first turn and claim the last heat win.

A strong second place finish in the final heat was enough to secure Veares his first Championship win and leave him in a very strong position to challenge for the British championship title. Elsewhere in the F4 fleet, Matt Wood one again showed he has the pace to soon start challenging for the lead and Ben Jelf seemed to have overcome his starting issues.

Newcomer Leon King fell foul of the gusting winds that resulted in a spectacular flip. Not one to be down for long, Leon & team worked hard and were back in the final heat.

Really hotting-up was the battle for the lead in the Powerboat GP RYA British F2 championship.

Using home water to his full advantage was Warrington’s Paul Balfour

Picking perfect lines around the course to secure himself Pole position and control over the weekends proceedings. Championship leader Colin Jelf qualified in second and reigning champion Steve Hoult bounced back from a disastrous opening round to secure third on the starting grid.

With less than a second separating the top four boats spectators waited in anticipation to see who would claim the lead going into the first turn. But Balfour reigned supreme taking three out of three heat wins to secure the Lancashire Grand Prix title and joint championship leader.

Jelf kept his championship dreams alive securing three strong second place finishes behind Balfour and the silver medal position. Looking to make his first podium finish of the season was Matt Palfreyman who looked set to claim the bronze medal position from Steve Hoult until disaster struck in the closing stages of the final heat as he dislodged a turn buoy and then used it as a ramp sending his boat skyward in a spectacular fashion.

Crowd pleaser Matt Palfreyman

With Matt out of the race Steve Hoult returned to the podium securing the bronze medal spot.

Powerboat GP promoter Jason Brewer reflected on a fantastic weekends racing,

Once more we’ve had some amazing racing this weekend. In every single class there wasn’t just a battle to take the lead there were battles going on throughout the fleets with every racer pushing for position; Its been fantastic to watch. The banks have been lined with spectators all weekend and the racers certainly put on an awesome show. The 2016 Powerboat GP Championship is set to be the closest campaign to date in every class and looks like it will go down to the very last race of the season to declare our champions. A huge thank you to the Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club, all the competitors, crews, officials and safety crews for a great event.

Attention now turns to the Kingsbury Grand Prix at Kingbury Waterpark, Bodymoor Heath on the 2nd and 3rd of July.

Photography: Bryan Scott

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Great powerboat racing - Carr Mill Dam

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Very nice place to go for a walk, nice views over the dam and fairly well maintained, there is a... read more

Visited for the first time today with my dog. Such a nice nature walk. It was very peaceful sitting... read more

Great powerboat racing

If you have not been and wAtched the powerboat racing at Carr mill dam then I recommend it t you. We travelled up to watch the British national championship racing on May bank holiday weekend and racing was really good. Boats racing at speeds up to 120 mph and really close to watch. Whilst only one national event there each year the local club (Lancashire powerboat racing club) holds regular club races there you can watch. There us even a chance for juniors to have a chance to have a go in clubs training boat. Additionally there is a nice walk round lake you can take in.

The meal was lovely (carvery) and if you have an AA membership you get discount 👍 It was a lovely evening so we sat out overlooking the water and had really pleasant time - the pub was clean and the food was plentiful, the man who serves us was very nice very good at his job, so all round a pleasant expereince ... Enjoy

really lovely for a stroll round. lovely views, excellent for fishing. you could take a picnic with you on a nice day and just admire the views.

its 2 miles to walk around the dam on foot, a level path with a few steps on one section, you'll need help or strong arms to carry a baby stroller, I would say suitable for a family trek, but certainly not suitable for a wheel chair or safe enough if you intended to walk the complete loop, and if its wet I advise wellington boots as water feeds into the dam, so in a wet season you'll need suitable footwear, but a great place for a stroll, has the waterside pub and large car park just off the east lancs road, and plenty of other spaces for car nothing of interest, historically . but if you love nature and be outside, this a great walk

Fantastic place to see wild life. Great walk alone or talk the family.good place to fish. Something for everyone.

Lovely stroll round Car mill Dam with your friends partner of even family. It's a lovely walk with. Lovely view which makes it relaxing and peaceful. Kids can do canoeing in the dam. Can take dogs on walk around it.

[email protected] +44 (0) 15394 43284

Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club

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Powerboat racing at WMBRC since 1925

Come and watch the racing at the oldest powerboat club in the world, come and watch the racing, race days at wmbrc are open to the public.  the gardens overlooking the lake and foreshore offer a fantastic vantage point in a breathtaking setting., see our contacts page for directions, refreshments and toilet facilities, play area for supervised children, to find out more about getting involved in the racing or support roles contact the racing secretary at   [email protected].

Please note that parking is NOT available on race days

LIVE POWERBOAT RACING

Our racing calendar includes race days at WMBRC and races held at our sister club - The Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club (LPRC) at Carr Mill Dam near St Helens, Merseyside

13 April 2024

Test & Training Day at LPRC

20 April 2024

Race Day 1 - Sustainable Race Day

04 May 2024

Racing at LPRC

11 May 2024

Race Day 2 - Rear Commodore's

15 June 2024

Race Day 3 - Vice Commodore’s

22 June 2024

06 July 2024

Race Day 4 - Summer Regatta

20 July 2024

17 Aug 2024

28 Sept 2024

Race Day 5 - Commodore's

19 Oct 2024

If you have attended our race days on Windermere, your feedback is invaluable to WMBRC and The Lake District National Park Authority.  Please take a few moments to complete our race day visitor survey.

Sustainable Racing

The E1 series has recently brought sustainability to powerboat racing;  On April 20, 2024, Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club and Coryton Advanced Fuels Ltd hosted the first Sustainable Handicap Racing Event.

Sustainable Race Day Brochure

Drivers get set for WMBRC Sustainable Race Day 2024

Featuring various sustainable fuel sources, from Coryton's Sustain range to HVO fuel and even an electric Nissan Leaf-powered Formula 2 Catamaran piloted by Club Commodore Ted Walsh, the event showcased green technology's future in the sport.

20th April 2024 - Sustainable Race Day on Windermere - Image Matt Dust Photograohy

History of WMBRC and motor boat racing at Broad Leys

There have been various Water Carnivals on Windermere since the 18th century, but the post war Regattas and Carnivals held in 1923 and 1924 also included events for motorboats and hydroplanes.  Between the carnivals a group of friends who owned boats met to race informally and the first trophy was presented in 1924 by Harold Pattinson to add interest to the event.  This trophy is still in existence and current drivers compete to win it annually. As more people became interested in the sport and came together, the Windermere Motor Boat Club was born on 24th October 1925.

Early powerboats at Waterhead in the late 1940s

'North of England whippet class' racing in 1939

Initially the club occupied a boathouse situated in Bowness Bay, the original building having been demolished now forms the headquarters of the Lake District Boat Club.  The initial design of the burgee had a "W" on the blue, but this was later altered to the red rose of Lancashire that is still currently seen on all the club boats.  It was also decided that ladies be admitted to membership of the club and several joined in 1927.  They took part in racing and the winner of the first official race was in fact a woman.

Read more about the history of the Club in the History section of this site

Timeline of 100 years of racing

click on image to enlarge

In the 1930s a shotgun was used to start the racing, but this was sensibly replaced by a chronometer in 1939.  Boats were wooden craft inboard hydroplanes with the crew often sat right at the back of the boat and the engine amidships. In those days the drivers would not get their hands dirty, relying on professional mechanics to maintain the boats.  They would literally arrive, cigars in mouth, remove their jackets and start racing.   ….no helmets or life jackets for them!

1938 at  Wateredge, Ambleside

Racing Today

The racing season begins in April and runs until September with eight race events taking place; four on Windermere and four at Carr Mill, St. Helens which is the base for LPRC.  The race course is in front of Broad Leys within the bay area South of Storrs Hall Hotel to Rawlinson’s Nab and is marked by orange buoys on race days.  Typically, there are up to seven races, each with a designated trophy. Most races are five laps which last approximately 5 minutes each and there is usually one ten lap race.

All races are handicapped according to the performance of the boat and the experience of the driver. Due to the handicap system all boats from the fastest to the slowest have an equal chance of winning. All types of boats can take part from recreational boats to full blown racing outfits, but all must be fitted according to Circuit Powerboat Association (CPA) guidelines.

Drivers observe the start clock and begin their laps at their allocated start time. It is then a race to the chequered flag to be the first over the finish line. Sometimes it is not the first across the line that wins a race though, because if you bust your handicap time then you drop back in the results order.

How to get involved

Powerboat racing in the UK is organised and regulated by the Circuit Powerboat Association (CPA) of which WMBRC is an affiliated club. WMBRC is one of several clubs in the UK where powerboat racing takes place. Members who prefer not to race are welcome to join in with this sport through rescue and patrol as well as the all-important time keeping. So why not come down to the club on a race day and see what it’s all about. You’ll be made very welcome.

For more information please contact the chair of racing via [email protected] or come along to Broad Leys on a race day

For full details of national rules & licences please follow this link to the cpa website.

For details of Lancashire Powerb oat Racing Club and their venue at Carr Mill Dam near St Helens

See these documents for details of WMBRC Racing Rules and a more detailed explanation of the WMBRC Handicapping System 

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Club activities had to be discontinued during the war but in the summer of 1946 it was reformed. Carr Mill at this time had come under the owner ship of Messrs. Bell & Smith – Mr. C. Smith being one of the founder members, Messrs. Bell & Smith commenced a programme of improvements to the lake and surroundings which, when completed, was of great assistance to the club.

The first race meeting after the war was held in the latter end of 1946 with a total of seven boats. Post-war difficulties hindered the supply of boats, engines and spares, most of the racing engines being of American origin, but the situation is much improved to-day. The membership of the club has increased until the total now stands at over’ 100, of whom 3I are racing members. During the 1949 season it became apparent that the method of timing boats by stop-watch was not sufficiently accurate, and that the timing clock in use could not be seen clearly by the drivers. It was decided therefore, to design and build an electric timing machine which would eliminate stop watches, also to build two new electric timing clocks to comply with Marine Motoring Association regulations, that is, with the faces 7 feet in diameter. Work on both these projects was carried out during the winter by club members, and the new clocks were installed on the balcony of the timing office. The timing machine was tested and showed considerable promise and has since proved entirely successful, being accurate to a fraction of a second.

The racing members of the Club are not confined solely to the male sex. There is one lady racing member who has been racing since 1950, during which period she has been the winner of several Trophies and other awards, The club endeavours to send a strong contingent to meetings in various parts of the country. They are also sponsoring meetings at Yeadon, near Leeds, organised by that enterprising body, Yeadon Charities Association, whose excellent work for the hospitals and aged people is well-known in the North of England. The club also organised meetings at Rhyl, Rochdale, Leeds, Lytham St. Annes, and Southport. During the 1952-53 Seasons, Club members were successful in all National Meetings, winning no less than five Championship Races, The activities of the club are greatly facilitated by the excellent co-operation of Mr, A. E, Cartlidge, the present owner of the lake.

Predicting volcanic eruptions 43 years after the Mount St. Helens blast Free

There’ve been “spectacular” gains, but super-precise forecasting is still a ways off..

Forty-three years ago today, Mount St. Helens erupted, triggering a magnitude 5 earthquake and spewing ash, mud and debris across southwest Washington.

The explosion killed 57 people and changed the mountain’s landscape forever.

The eruption wasn’t a total surprise. Months before, a series of small earthquakes and steam-venting alerted scientists that a major blast was on the way.

Decades later, advancing technology is making volcanic monitoring easier and more accurate. But there’s still a long way to go before exact volcano predictions can be made weeks or months in advance. It’s an important issue to consider in a state that is home to volcanoes considered to be some of the nation’s most dangerous .

“The things we can do now are pretty spectacular,” said Weston Thelen, a seismologist at the U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory. “Every instrument that we have up there is more sensitive than any of the instruments that were available in 1980,” he added.

At the time of the 1980 eruption, there was only one seismometer to detect activity on Mount St. Helens, Thelen said. Today, there are at least 20 monitoring sites on the volcano.

The U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network use a number of tools to track volcanoes. One of the biggest is earthquake patterns.

The equipment used now is sensitive enough to tell what caused an earthquake. For instance, if it was from a fault in the earth’s crust, or from liquid, such as magma, moving through a crack. That can give scientists a general idea of where magma is stored and where it comes out, Thelen said.

One indicator alone doesn’t necessarily mean an eruption is imminent. Take the last 30 days, when Mount St. Helens has seen 14 total earthquakes and Mount Rainier 40, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. But the seismic data, along with satellites that track changes in volcanoes’ shapes, the types of gasses released, and the geological history of the mountains, help give scientists a picture of what’s happening underneath all that rock, snow and ice. It can also help them model what could happen in the future.

Because Mount St. Helens has erupted more recently than any other volcano in the Cascade Range, scientists are able to track the signals it gives off before it erupts more easily than other volcanoes, such as Mount Rainier, Thelen explained.

“We don’t necessarily know the personality of the other volcanoes,” he said.

Still, scientists monitor the other volcanoes in the range and will often compare their activity to that of similar volcanos located elsewhere, Thelen said.

All of that monitoring still doesn’t mean scientists can predict the odds that a volcano will let loose on a given day.

Generally, the forecast window for an eruption in a system that is not very active, like the Cascades, would be one or two weeks. It often takes about seven days for an eruption to ramp up, Thelen said.

The Volcano Observatory issues weekly public alerts based on volcanic activity to help people understand the risks.

As of last week , the volcano alert level for Oregon and Washington was normal.

Because it is the most active volcano in the Cascades, Mount St. Helens has the most complete set of instruments used to predict activity, Thelen said. Other high threat volcanoes, such as Mount Rainier or Mount Hood, have sufficient monitoring, but he said that more is still needed.

This summer, Thelen said his agency is working to improve its network at Glacier Peak. In the next few years, they’ll do the same at Mount Baker. The observatory is also installing a lahar detection network near Mount Rainier to help determine where a volcanic mudflow would travel during an eruption.

In a severe eruption, lahar debris flows, often described as rivers of concrete that can be laden with rocks and downed trees , could pose serious hazards to communities in their paths.

At Mount St. Helens, an immediate concern for volcanologists is reworking monitoring equipment that was cut off by a landslide this month near the Johnston Ridge Observatory . The slide has indefinitely closed parts of State Route 504 and a number of recreation areas.

Long term, scientists would like to get to the point where they can predict eruptions weeks, months, or years out. But they’re not there yet, Thelen said. Although the monitoring technology is significantly better than it was in past decades, it still doesn’t allow for very direct measurements of what’s happening in the earth’s crust. That will likely take more time, along with further research and new technology.

Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: [email protected] . Follow Washington State Standard on Facebook and Twitter .

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Your Reflections On The 40th Anniversary Of The Mount St. Helens Eruption

On Sunday, May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens in Washington erupted. The volcanic blast and its after effects killed 57 people and caused millions of dollars of damage, sending ash and sulphuric acid into Idaho, Oregon and across Washington. 

"Every year when St. Helens Day comes along, I think of Dave [Johnston] and I think of the eruption." - listener and retired geologist Mark Utting

To look back on that historic day,  Idaho Matters  called up Norm Gunning, former assignment manager at KOIN-TV in Portland. You might recognize his voice from his time as a volunteer here at Boise State Public Radio. He’s joined by his former journalism colleagues Carol Thomas-Koon and Bill Diez. 

And we asked you to send us your stories of the day Mount St. Helens blew, and you did. One story was from an eye witness account from Mark Utting, a retired geologist who lives in Boise. He tells us the story of his friend, David Johnston, the USGS geologist who died from the eruption: 

And listener Scott Ross shared his experience of life in Spokane after the eruption, which has some interesting parallels to life these days during COVD-19: 

We also heard from listeners who wrote us about their memories from that day. Lois McDonald lived in Kennewick in 1980, and remembered a strange configuration of gray clouds after church that Sunday. Lisa Lombardi was a student at the University of Idaho, and told us how the Moscow Renaissance fair was cancelled as the sun was blotted out with ash. Tom von Alten managed to doge six inches of ash on a harrowing hitchhiking trek from Moscow to Anacortes. And Dave Peckham wrote that he could hear the blast all the way from his hammock south of Donnelly. Thanks to everyone who sent us their stories! 

Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters

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Mount St. Helens memories: Ash

Greenhouse was like a cave

Volcano posse ventured out after a week.

Photo by J. Bart Rayniak / The Spokesman-Review

The old man and Mount St. Helens

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