18th May: Around the IoW Powerboats

I was on watch from 09:00 to 12:00 at NCI Stone Point on Saturday May 18th.  The Powerboat Round the Island race was scheduled to start near East Lepe Buoy at about 12:30 so I stayed on and took some photos.  However it was rather grey and the powerboats being low in profile are often obscured by spectator boats.

In flat conditions the winner, the 47ft Good Boy Vodka (seen in the first photo), apparently broke the Round the Island speed record by finishing in 30 minutes and 18 seconds.  That is an average speed of about 103 knots.  In the third photo you can see how low the powerboat is compared to a motor cruiser.  Visibility at 100+ knots must be severely limited with potential for colliding with fishing floats etc.  Not for me!