Superboat Rookies Cary Gleeson and Sam Fillmore in ‘Doosan Construction Equipment' started their new season campaign in the Superboat class by sensationally winning the opening round of the 2010 Rayglass NZ Offshore Powerboat Championship on Lake Taupo over the weekend. (View race)
The well known former NZ Championship winning "Sleepyhead' 34 Foot Phantom went through a full rebuild during the off season, and all of that hard work from the close knit Doosan team came to fruition with a stunning win in Taupo for ‘Thunder On The Great Lake'.
The duo stepped up to the Superboat class for 2010, fresh from a second place finish in the Superboat Light Championship last season behind Kelly and Grant Smith in ‘Rayglass'.
Wind and rain greeted the nearly thirty teams assembled at Taupo for ‘Thunder on The Great Lake' on race day, but thankfully conditions improved markedly for the race start at 1.30pm. While still overcast, the wind was gusting in from the south east at between 25 - 30 knots making it tricky for some of the smaller boats.
Fillmore and Gleeson in the striking ‘Doosan' Phantom made a great start to the twelve-lap, 100 mile race, battling initially with ‘Fairview', Australian Superboat ‘Team 3', and ‘A1 Homes'.
‘Doosan' then worked their way to the front and traded the lead with ‘Fairview' for the better part of the next six laps, with both boats putting on a great show for the thousands that lined the Lake Taupo foreshore. Fairview looked to have an advantage at the Southern end of the Lake, while ‘Doosan' was making up lots of ground on the legs closest to the Taupo waterfront. Unfortunately for Warren Lewis and Steve Whitford, the big ‘Fairview' Skater broke a power steering pipe ending their race on lap seven, leaving ‘Doosan' alone in the lead. ‘Doosan' then cruised to the finish and the win.
Finishing behind ‘Doosan' at Taupo, were Scott Lewis and Murray Tuffin in ‘A1 Homes', and Australian Steve Nugent alongside experienced Kiwi throttleman Craig Archer in their ‘Team 3' Victory Cat.
"I'm just about speechless!" exclaimed Cary Gleeson straight after the race. "What a race! The boat was just awesome, and I can't say enough about the team and all of the hard work put in by them during the off season". Sam Fillmore was equally as excited. "What an awesome boat! We both felt so comfortable in it. It's very different and more forgiving than the Superboat Light we raced last season".
Back on shore, team supporters and sponsors, decked out in ‘Doosan' team gear, celebrated the team's first Superboat win, with the team also handing out hundreds and hundreds of their new ‘Doosan' Superboat posters during the afternoon.
The ‘Doosan' team would like to thank their sponsors for their 2010 NZ Offshore Campaign; Doosan Construction Equipment, AB Marine, Placemakers Cook St., Gleeson Builders, Hydraulink, Porter Hire, Schaeffer Premium Oil, John Fillmore Contracting (JFC), and Intertruck.
The next round of the Rayglass NZ Offshore Powerboat Champion is this coming Saturday (Feb. 6) in Gisborne.
www.doosan.co.nz
www.extremeoffshore.co.nz
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