While the support classes, especially 25hp/550cc and Junior Classes provided plenty of action with close and competitive racing, it was the Formula GP boats that captured the crowd’s attention.

Running for the first time at a new venue always presents problems with engine and propellor set up but by the time qualifying came around most of the Formula GP teams were up to speed. Sam Lucas (RM Marine Jackson) currently sitting second in the championship claimed pole position with a blistering sub 50sec lap of 49.02sec. Less than a second covered the next three with Simon Troy (888 Racing) currently third in the series with a 50.11, Ewan Bricker (Team Bricker Racing) 50.30 and current series leader Rhys Coles (Butler Vehicles) debuting a new hull with a 50.98.

Qualifying 5th was Kye Cornall (117 Motorsport) ahead of Dean Allison (Allison Racing), Paul Sain (Trim King Racing) and Riley Whellam (Whellham Racing).

The organisers were incredibly pleased to see a vast number of spectators lining the banks as the boats exploded from start located at the island in the centre of the course and powered towards the first turn buoy. Lucas on pole was a little slow getting away while Troy, who was alongside him on the start grid and is known for his fast starts headed the field into the first turn.

Lucas keen to make up for his slow start bolted back into the action and as they turned all held their breath as the boats disappeared into a mass of spray waiting for all the boats to reappear. The race settled down with Troy leading from Lucas and Coles followed by Cornall who was hotly pursued by Bricker.

With just a couple of laps remaining Bricker pulled up the inside of Cornall but, the gap between the two disappeared, the resulting collision sent Bricker’s boat rolling over the top of Cornall’s, bringing out a red flag and a premature end to the race. Fortunately, both drivers escaped unscathed, and Team Bricker are expecting to be back on the water for tomorrow’s races.

Following today’s result, the championship fight between the top three of Coles, Lucas and Troy has tightened and the two Formula GP races on Sunday will decide the Australian Series Championship winner.

Once again Michael Quinlan was on the scene capturing all the action images.

We, Cohen Brothers Racing, are writing to advise that we are withdrawing from all competition here in Australia indefinitely, effective immediately.

All of our race winning equipment is available for purchase from gearboxes, spare parts, boats, trailers, engines, propellers, etc.

The #55 Baba boat will be re-built, re-rigged and tested prior to sale.

We will be making no further comment or discussion regarding this topic.

Thank you.

Brock & Damon Cohen – Cohen Brothers Racing

Fortunately, it’s not often you hear the rescue teams saying that they had an extremely busy weekend but many of them probably came off Lake Macquarie thinking that they had witness a season’s worth of incidents in just one weekend.

Prior to the Final on Sunday afternoon, they had already been called into action during the Group Two reverse grid heat when the local racer Kaine Casson (360) collected Greg Banks (49) as the pair exited the turn. Casson, who is running the only Moore hull in the series felt that it was a racing incident and just before going out to race he had mentioned to the TV crew that the lap times were so close

Everyone is right there on top of each other!

The heat was eventually restarted, and it wasn’t long before Rhys Coles, Damon Cohen and Joel Smith were all battling to the lead. Smith was passed by Simon Troy (88) and was soon snapping at the heels of Coles for second place. The time was soon up and Cohen, who had not been able to carry out much testing whilst he was waiting for some boat parts to arrive from BaBa Racing in Italy took the chequered flag and maximum points.

The Group One reverse grid heat had already been won by Brock Cohen, who was back competing after his recent ‘time-out.’ It had taken him a while to get past Dean Allison who had changed his power supply from an SST120 to the 2.5lt Mercury version. Allison who had enlisted the help of the highly experienced Craig Bailey was beginning to get more comfortable with their setup changes. Cohen was extremely fortunate to finish the heat as making his way back to the pit his flywheel fell off.

Once safely ashore Cohen said

I felt something was not right with four laps to go, I was so glad to see the chequered flag come out.

With a brief break from the torrential rain the teams lined up for the fifteen minutes plus one lap final. As the flags dropped Brock Cohen made a clean get away with Troy in hot pursuit. Damon Cohen and Coles followed them. Meanwhile back on the start pontoon was Sam Lucas who finally managed to get his engine to fire but had left himself a lot to do. As Lucas was charging through the field, he took a tight turn around the pit turn buoy with Allison on the inside, an impact was inevitable and out came the red flags to halt the proceedings.

In the rolling restart Brock Cohen made another great start but so did Coles who moved into third place just behind Troy. With scarcely a whole lap completed Coles took a tight line around the turn furthest away from the pit. He left just enough room for Damon Cohen, but the closing speed of Cohen’s BaBa meant he was unable to turn as tight as Coles and collected him in a massive impact remarkably like that of Lucas and Allison just minutes earlier.

With all the drivers safely ashore unhurt torrential rain arrived back on the scene leaving the race officials with little choice but to abandon any further racing.

Coles said

It’s been a wild weekend of racing, I’m ok and many thanks to all the rescue crew you did a fantastic job. We will rebuild and come back..

Although picking up the maximum points haul race winner Brock Cohen said

Another bittersweet victory for the team as prior to Damon’s accident, the possibility of a one-two finish was highly likely. There is lots to be done before the final round of the championship at Moree Water-ski Park on July 23 -24.

Crash sequence images by Rooters & Co Photography

Troy & Cohen images by Michael Quinlan at Quinnos Quick Snaps

Round Three of the AFPGP Series see’s the tour heading approximately two hours north of the Sydney to Rathmines on Lake Macquarie, which is the largest coastal saltwater lake in the Southern Hemisphere. It covers approximately 120 square kilometres (four times the size of Sydney Harbour).

Brock shared his thoughts on the event when speaking with PRW

It is always great to go to a new venue as no one really knows what to expect. Thousands of people lined the shores of Lake Macquarie last weekend as the Fast & Loud Festival roared into life with the offshore racing guys. Let’s hope we can also attract a big crowd because we have an incredibly competitive sixteen boat entry list, so I am sure we are going to put on a show.

Despite Brock missing Round Two and Damon only coming home with two hundred points, the boys find themselves in third and fourth respectively and still within reach of the championship lead.

Following his crash Damon understandably felt disheartened

Yes, after the crash and all the carry on that came with it, I did feel disappointed but after seeing how well we are still doing in the championship it has fired me up and I can’t wait to get back in my boat and go racing.

Brock continued by saying

Damon and I want to prove a point this weekend and we’re determined to do so. If we don’t have any dramas mechanically, I don’t see why one of us can’t win the final. We have worked hard to be competitive, and we are on a mission to win.

Both boats will look slightly different at Rathmines as their relationship with long time major sponsor, Simmons Landscaping, has come to an end due to the sale of the business. Simmons Landscaping had been a loyal supporter of Cohen Bros Racing since 2015. Both boats will still carry sponsorship from the Eagle Development Group, Whittley NSW Sales Sydney & Newcastle, Riverfront Logistics and Simmons Projects.

The organisers of the Fast & Loud Festival have now made this a free event due to the wet weather forecast. They have stated that at this stage they are planning for the event to go ahead as usual, now as a free event, where they may need to make some quick changes on the day in response to the weather.

The current championship standings are below:

You can follow Cohen Bros Racing on their respective social media platforms below:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CohenBrosRacing

Instagram: @CohenBrosRacing

Website: www.cohenbrosracing.com.au

Main image by Michael Quinlan at Quinno’s Quick Snaps