Weekly Powerboat and Fishing Summary

POWERBOAT RACING
Round three of Continental Tyres Australian Superboat Championships was held at Cabarita Beach, NSW, on 10-11 July. Hi-Tec Racing's Brooke Dixon showed from the outset that she would be a contender, lining up for a berth in the final with six of the best boats in the world. Despite a stunning run, she fell 14 one hundredths of a second short of Triple X Racing's Ted Sygidus, the championship points leader. v8superboats.com.au

Forty plus boats will return to McInherney Park, Port Macquarie for Round 5 of the Australian Formula Powerboat Grand Prix on 23-25 July 2010. Five classes will be contested during the weekend, F1, F2, F3, Sports Mono Hull and Formula Futures (juniors). formulapowerboats.com.au

Dubai's Victory Team's Fazza 3 and Fazza 1 finished first and third in race two of the BMW Norwegian Grand Prix and the newest design to emerge from the Victory stable, Spirit of Dubai, finishing second. Fazza 3's Arif Al Zafeen and Nadir Bin Hendi also won the Cass 1 Edox Speed Run on Tromoysund Fjord with a time of 13.89 seconds at a speed of 259.20kmh, after being pushed to their limits by the Norwegian Welmax. But despite their efforts the 259.86kmh record set by Victory Team's Saeed Al Tayer and Felix Serralles in 1999 remains unbeaten. class-1.com

Shelley Jory Leigh, Britain's leading female power boat racer, suffered head injuries and a broken nose in a serious accident during testing for the UIM World Championship Grand Prix of the Sea in Poltu Quatu, Sardinia. The severity of the crash and the impact on her family have caused her to consider her future in the sport, despite not reaching her long held goal of a world championship. shelleyjory.com

After an exhilarating 42 lap battle it was the Mad Crocs team of Sami Selio and Alex Carella who won the Grand Prix of Russia in St Petersburg, part of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship. The bright sun and flying spray made driving difficult in the early stages but this did not appear a problem for Selio and Carella. The usually aggressive Jay Price of Team Qatar could not get within striking distance. f1h2o.com

POWERBOATS
The new SmartCraft MercMonitor with ECO-Screen, which can save boaters up to 20 per cent on fuel will be on display at the Sydney International Boat Show at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre at Cockle Bay Marina, Darling Harbour from 29 July to 2 August. ECO-Screen constantly monitors engine RPM, boat speed, engine trim and fuel consumption to automatically calculate the best fuel economy settings for the boat's current activity.

SAFETY
NSW Maritime issued a safety alert to boaters following a fire on a ten metre motor cruiser on a mooring at Fingal Head, Tweed River, on 15 July. A man and a woman, who were on board the vessel when the fire began, entered the water and were picked up by two vessels. Emergency services attended but could not save the vessel and it subsequently sank. maritime.nsw.gov.au

Boating fire safety advice includes:
. Have an approved fire extinguisher, service it regularly and know how to use it
. Keep the bilge, engine compartment and engine clean and free of combustible materials
. Check your engine compartments are properly ventilated
. Be careful when using fuel stoves and lamps -- don't store your extinguisher close to the stove or engine compartment
. Check your fuel system regularly for leaks
. Check the electrical system for faults and keep all components in a clean state
. Don't fill your fuel caddies in the boat, take them ashore when fuelling
 Clean up fuel spills quickly

NSW Maritime issued an alert to boaters on the north coast to take extra care when going offshore after three boats capsized in one day in separate incidents which all involved bar crossings. Conditions at the time were not ideal, with the tide low and running out, and an onshore seabreeze. Wind against tide can cause waves to become steep and treacherous.
maritime.nsw.gov.au

IN BRIEF
Investigations and a new compliance training program are being combined in a new approach to tackle illegal poaching of dugong in the far north area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park following two separate incidents. A net and dugongs were found by an Australian Navy vessel en route to Cairns for ANZAC Day this year, and soon after another net was found in the region by Traditional Owners. gbrmpa.gov.au

July 29 -- Aug 2 -- 2010 Sydney International Boat Show, Darling Harbour sydneyboatshow.com.au

Aug 6 -- 11 -- Moreton Bay Fishing Classic, conducted by the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club, is designed to be fun for everyone while promoting responsible resource conservation and environment fishing practice. Anyone can enter and the estimated prize pool is $200,000. mbtbc.com

Aug 7 -- Hervey Bay Whale Festival herveybaywhalefestival.com.au

August 11 -- 15 -- Perth Boat & Leisure Expo, Perth Convention Exhibition Centre. perthboatshow.com.au

Aug 20 -- Sep 5 -- Festival Cairns festivalcairns.com.au

Aug 22 -- 24 -- Marine Safety Conference 2010, Burswood Entertainment Centre, Perth. nmsc.gov.au

August 26 -- 29 -- Brisbane International Boat Show, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. brisbaneboatshow.com.au

Aug 28 -- 29 -- Australian Formula Powerboat Grand Prix, Round, SydneyInternational Regatta Centre, Penrith. formulapowerboats.com.au

Sep 5 -- Oct 11 -- The Louisiades Rally for yachts and powerboats over 30 feet will depart and return to Cairns.  louisiadesrally.com

Sep 18 -- 19 -- Australian Offshore Powerboat Championship Round 4, Redcliff, Queensland aopc.com.au

Sep 18 -- 19 -- Windsor Spectacular, conducted by the Upper Hawkesbury Powerboat Club. Boats are expected to reach speeds over 230 kilometres per hour. uhpbc.net 

Photograph: Brook Dixon racing Hi-Tec Oils courtesy of v8superboats.com.au