Drew Langdon and Miles Jennings won the 2019 Cowes Torquay Cowes yesterday with an average speed of 92.87 mph and in the process took the UKOPRA Offshore 1 World Championship.
Their nearest rivals in the Championship, Richard Carlton, Phil and Neil Payter who were racing in a Chevrolet powered Cigarette, had their hopes dashed when they lost oil pressure on one motor on the way back from Teignmouth.
The crew persevered and decided to continue racing at a far reduced speed and crossed the finish line 12 minutes outside the time limit.
For the victors, it was their second successive Cowes win, Langdon who had been on a strictly controlled training routine before the race told me after:
Our main problem was the fog banks at Portland, we were running alongside Tommy One at 110 MPH, when we both had to back right off.
We would have taken the course record but for the bad visibility.
The Italian team of Maurizio Schepici and Giampaolo Montavoci were pushing Silverline hard in their Seatek powered Metamarine hull when they lost power and started to take water.
The boat was subsequently towed into Torquay by the RNLI. It hasn’t been an easy season for Schepici, however, he vowed to be back racing in Britain next year.
Andy, Dan and Matt Smith with Jack Weller steered their Buzzi RIB to second, while Christian Toll, Mike Bontoft and Michael Peet took a creditable third in the veteran Dry Martini hull.
The Belgium team of Jean-Piërre Neels, Thomas Vandamme and Marijke D’hondt posted their best every performance at Cowes – 4th.
David Foa and Charles Swales were fifth overall and won the Offshore 2 class, the West Country pairing have won all 3 UKOPRA races this season and wrapped up the UKOPRA Offshore 2 World Championship.
Stuart Cureton and Francis Whitley rounded off the finishers with an average speed of 46.47 MPH over the 179.50 NM course.
Cowes Torquay Cowes 2019
1st A47 Silverline Bullet Drew Langdon & Miles Jennings 92.87 MPH
2nd A21 Pippa Andy Smith, Dan Smith, Matt Smith & Jack Weller 74.04 MPH
3rd B9 Dry Martini Christian Toll, Mike Bontoft & Michael Peet 67.87 MPH
4th B12 Birretta Due Jean-Piërre Neels, Thomas Vandamme and Marijke D’hondt 57.46 MPH
5th E36 Mr Mako David Foa & Charles Swales 56.99 MPH
6th G130 Fugitive Stuart Cureton & Francis Whitley 46.47 MPH