Team Doosan Competes in Race One of the Rayglass New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Championship - Lake Taupo 22nd January
The start of a new season is always nerve wracking as the boats line up to see whether their modifications and tweaking over the winter will make a difference to their performance, and their place on the points table. Having won at Taupo in 2010, and as the reigning champions of the Superboat Class, the Doosan team of Cary Gleeson and Sam Filmore know that with eight races to complete, the season will provide plenty of challenges and opportunities.
Doosan looked good and sounded great as she ran out to the milling area at the start of the race. With twelve laps to complete the team had to establish a prime position in the open water at the front of the fleet and maintain their lead against the three other superboats, all intent on beating Doosan to the finish line.
As the green flag dropped, with roaring engines and clouds of spray, Doosan charged to the front of the pack. A hundred metres from the start one of the other superboats pulled up with an over heated engine due to a water pump failure. With three opponents left in the field Doosan made the most of their solid start and turned at the first mark ahead of the two other boats.
Doosan maintained the lead for eight laps of the course until one of the opponents challenged from behind, making the ninth lap an exciting game of cat and mouse before they were able to overtake. Doosan held on for second place putting 375 points on the table for the start of the season.
With seven races to go the season still holds plenty of opportunities for the Doosan Team to retain their title. Racing now moves to Gisborne on the east coast. The race starts at 12.00pm on Saturday February 5th and should be an exciting spectacle. The venue always provides plenty of challenges with the course running along the waterfront and then out along the coast, where the ocean swells can cause problems as happened in last years race which had to be stopped early after one of the superboat lites flipped in the waves.
Doosan would like to acknowledge the tremendous support they receive from Doosan Construction Equipment NZ Ltd, JFC, Gleeson Builders, Hydraulink, AB Marine Services, Placemakers Cook Street, Porterhire, Schaeffer Premium Oil and Intertruck without which racing would not be possible.
For further information about the Doosan Team please contact:
PO Box 125 017, St Heliers, Auckland, New Zealand Phone: (0274)729 840 Fax: (09)575 2484 info@extremeoffshore.co.nz
