Superboat action returns to Mackay

Mackay locals will be treated to high-speed racing action when the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships return to the pristine Mackay Marina for round two on the weekend of June 23-24.

With a two-race format for Mackay, the competition is expected to intensify after a tough opening round in Newcastle in April, which saw six Superboats fail to reach the finish line.

"A number of the teams have been extremely busy getting their Superboats ready for Mackay, especially those who were forced to pull out early in round one because of mechanical issues," said Offshore Superboat President Adam Gilbert.

"We are expecting a full fleet of 14 boats to compete in Mackay, which will make for some excellent racing off the Marina," Gilbert added.
 
The Superboats will compete across three categories -- Supercat 1000, Supercat 600 and Supercat 400. These powerful boats can reach speeds of more than 110 knots (200 km/h) and weigh close to four tonnes.

The Australian Offshore Superboat Championship round forms part of the 'Mackay Marine Festival' and another massive crowd is expected to watch the fast-paced action from the Marina.

"We saw record numbers watch the Offshore Superboat Championships in Mackay last year and attend the inaugural Mackay Marine Festival. We're confident we'll have an even bigger crowd this year, which will inject hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy," Gilbert said.

In Supercat 1000 class, Maritimo Mainlube Express has taken the early lead after dominating the opening race in Newcastle.

The Good Guys are keen to do well in Mackay in front of their home crowd after Brendan and Chris Frier, who are the youngest team in the competition, finished behind Maritimo Mainlube Express in round one.

"It is definitely good to be back competing at home. There will be a little bit more pressure on us to perform in Mackay but we have really good support here and we're looking forward to it," Brendan Frier said.

In Supercat 600 GSK Marine Racing BBC Digital will be hoping to improve in front of their home fans after Scott Gehrmann and Graham Fraser failed to finish race one.

"We snapped a drive shaft in Newcastle so we didn't last too long in the race. However, that has now been fixed and we have made a few modifications ahead of Mackay and are ready to go," Scott Gehrmann said.

"I don't like losing and I am looking forward to getting our first points for the season in my hometown and close to gap to the first placed Kwozzy 2."

In Supercat 400 class, the Phantom team of Mick Walker and Gary Smith are keen to win back-to-back races in Mackay and stretch their series lead after they held out a strong challenge from father-and-son team Michael and Gryff Ethell in Team 88, in the opening round.

The fast-paced action starts with a Pole Position Shootout on Saturday the 23rd of June at approximately 1.00pm, with two half-hour races being held on Sunday at 11:00am and 1:30pm.

For more information go to: www.superboat.com.au