WITH winds of up to 40mph gusting from the North West, the water conditions were not ideal on Saturday as nine Windermere Motorboat Racing Club vessels launched into Ramsden Dock for the Vice Commodore’s Race Day.

It was not a good day for Dave James and co-driver Linsey Fairhurst as “Bottoms Up” played up and only managed to finish two races.

Paul Brooks also only managed some of the races as did Chris Loney, so that left a core of six drivers who managed all six races.

With Will Wood abroad, co-driver Adam Brown took out rookie passenger Shaun Ellison for what turned out to be a baptism of fire as water conditions worsened throughout the day providing challenging racing. Thankfully, Adam and his passenger managed to remain dry this time round.

Pip Brooks was on form in her catamaran “Boris” and kept her cool, but took things carefully since these types of boat can easily flip with a sudden gust of wind. Chris, in his DAC also kept a keen eye on the waves having only just repaired his boat following a recent incident.

Paul Scott in “Monkey Business” and Peter Hart in “Red Dragon” did a sterling job in adverse conditions as their Phantoms took to the air and props screamed for the water, but it was not good enough to secure a podium position.

That went to Steve Hutchinson in “The Bizness” who made a welcome return to club racing after a ten-year absence and proved he had not lost any of his skills by coming 3rd overall.

Matt Wood and his co-driver Lucy Bannon may be in one of the slower boats due to engine size, but thanks to handicap racing and some steely driving were able to win four of the six races and so secured both the day prize and the Vice Commodore’s prize with Adam Brown coming in a close second.

The Championship is now wide open and with only two more race days to go, the next on September 3rd at Barrow, and the final race day being held on 30th September on Windermere, the Donald Campbell Salver is still up for grabs.