Offshore Superboat Championships marred by crash
'Peter Jack and Jamie Callan after ’Grumpy Mongrel’ crash in the Offshore Superboat Championships Geelong round. Parmedics were quickly on the scene and both men were rushed to hospital. Their injuries, although nasty, were not life threatening and both will make a full recovery. - Geelong accident' Andrew Gricks
Peter Jack and Jamie Callan, driver and throttleman aboard the Super Vee Lite offshore powerboat ‘Grumpy Mongrel’, were rushed to hospital after their boat ‘skydived’ during the Geelong round of the Offshore Superboat Championships on Geelong’s Corio Bay.
Paramedics from a newly-formed marine rescue team operated by Ambulance Victoria, were aboard the official race rescue boat and were quickly on the scene.
The paramedics, Wayne Barnes and Michael Atkinson, said they 'feared the worst’ when they arrived at the accident scene.
'Both were in the water, one with an obvious head injury and the other in pain from broken bones,' Paramedic Barnes explained.
Callan was placed on a spinal stretcher by the paramedics and both men were transported to hospital.
Jack has sustained a broken ankle, while Callan is believed to have broken small bones in his back and suffered concussion.
Race director Russell Embleton visited both last night and said both were feeling as well as could be expected.
'I think Peter will be having surgery in the next 24-hours to put a pin in his ankle,' Embleton said.
'Jamie is a little the worse for wear, and is due for further examination, but I’m confident both will be discharged and back on the road to good health very soon.'
‘Grumpy Mongrel’ was almost totally submerged following the crash, but a crane was able to recover the vessel and haul it to shore.
Paul Gibbs, chairman of the championships, estimated Jack and Callan were running at ‘about 115km/hr’ when the boat flipped.
'It may have looked as though the water was calm to those ashore, but it was fairly lumpy on the course, almost a metre chop and plenty of wash stirred up by other boats,' he added.
by Bob Wonders
‘Maritimo’ victorious in shortened race
'Maritimo - Offshore Superboat Championships Round Four at Geelong' Greg Maunder ©
The Lamborghini powerhouse also known as ‘Maritimo’ has led all the way to claim victory in Class I in the fourth round of the Offshore Superboat Championships on Geelong’s Corio Bay.
Organisers stopped the race after 36 minutes following an incident which left two competitors, Peter Jack and Jamie Callan, hospitalised after their boat, ‘Grumpy Mongrel’ flipped on its fifth lap (see separate story).
Grumpy Mongrel hauled from the water after crashing mid-race - Offshore Superboat Championships Round Four at Geelong - Greg Maunder
At that stage, ‘Maritimo’, Tom Barry-Cotter and Ross Willaton aboard, had skipped clear of the field and was already on its ninth lap, one lap clear of second-placed ‘Acme Racing’ and two laps ahead of the remaining Class I competitors.
The Gilbert family’s catamaran, ‘Global Racing’, driver Mike Beil and throttleman Travis Thompson at the controls, again demonstrated the value of consistency with its fourth third in four starts.
Global Racing - Offshore Superboat Championships Round Four at Geelong - Greg Maunder ©
‘Team 3’ (Steve Nugent and Craig Archer) was fourth over the line, 30 seconds ahead of the Melbourne boat ‘Impact Steel’ (Steve Jellick and Colin Craven) with ‘The Good Guys’ (Brendan and Chris Frier) home in sixth place another 30 seconds back.
The Good Guys - Offshore Superboat Championships Round Four at Geelong - Greg Maunder ©
Impact Steel - Offshore Superboat Championships Round Four at Geelong - Greg Maunder ©
The fears of ‘Maritimo’ ace Tom Barry-Cotter that ‘Simrad’ loomed as a major rival failed to materialise when the Maritimo Offshore Race Team’s #2 boat registered its third successive DNF.
Driver Luke Durman said the boat had been running sweetly until computer problems forced its withdrawal after only four laps.
ACME Racing - Offshore Superboat Championships Round Four at Geelong - Greg Maunder ©
‘SUV Dodge Ram’ (Mat Humphrey and Simon Isherwood) bounced back from its second at Williamstown to take the chequered flag and continue its dominance over arch-rival ‘Saracen’ (Antony deFina and Nigel Craven).
However, ‘Saracen’, after turning the tables on ‘SUV Dodge Ram’ with a win at Williamstown, was relegated to third place on Corio Bay when Jim Harris and Adam Nicolls aboard ‘Kwozzy 2’ grabbed second place.
Mick Walker and Gary Smith (‘Elders’) made it three from four with their second successive win in Supercat Outboard Lite, triumphing over arch-rivals (and good mates) Ian Harris and Graham Fraser aboard ‘Berwicks HF Marine’.
The new ‘Hog’s Breath’ (Paul Gibbs and Paul Fowlds) was a DNF after a fuel blockage to one of its outboard engines.
'Nothing serious,' ‘Gibbs’ declared, 'just an annoyance and easily fixed when I get home.'
Race director Russell Embleton has described the Corio Bay course as 'Australia’s premiere offshore race venue.'
'It’s always good to be back in Geelong and we’re grateful for the magnificent support from the City of Greater Geelong,' he said.
'The paramedics who went to the aid of Peter Jack and Jamie Callan were absolute professionals and we salute them.
'It was heartening to learn that both boys are ok and will make a full recovery; their safety equipment worked as it was intended to and the rescue went according to plan,' he added,
After four rounds of the Offshore Superboat Championships, the point score for all classes is;
Class I: ‘Maritimo’, 1500 points, ‘Global Racing’, 1200, ‘Acme Racing’, 1025, ‘Impact Steel’, 727, ‘Simrad’, 600, ‘The Good Guys’, 545.
Aus 1, The Mark Lee Trophy: ‘Maritimo’ 1500 points, ‘Global Racing’, 1200, Acme Racing, 1025, ‘SUV Dodge Ram’, 836, ‘Impact Steel’, 727, ‘Saracen’, 617, ‘Simrad’, 600, ‘The Good Guys’, 545, ‘Team 3’, 469, ‘Blade Custom Boats’, 277.
Supercat Outboard: ‘SUV Dodge Ram’, 1800 points, ‘Saracen’, 1150, ‘Kwozzy 2’, 675, ‘Blade Custom Boats’, 450. .
Supercat Outboard Lite: ‘Elders’, 1500 points, ‘Berwicks HF Marine’, 1350, ‘Hog’s Breath’, 450, ‘Shaken Not Stirred’, 375.
Super Vee Lite: ‘Grumpy Mongrel’, 1900 points.
The Offshore Superboats Championship resumes off Newcastle on the weekend of May 2 and 3.
by Bob Wonders
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