The course is roughly in the shape of a T. the water section being the top of the letter. The going was fairly uneven with the craft bouncing and bucking heavily on some corners. Finding the best line and minimising the impact on the craft was definitely the challenge for practise. I was so engrossed in learning the course I forgot to stop and hand over to Ken! Fortunately there was a second practise session (for the open race) that Ken was able to use. I found having a longer practise session helpful. Part of the problems of being in a team is that we have half the practise of single entries. I guess that in the more expensive formulae team entries amount to a significant proportion of the grid and that this (from a safety viewpoint) is a factor.

The course being run clockwise had the exit from the water as a sharp right turn of 90 degrees up a fairly steep bank. Miss the turn and there was a brick wall at the end of the lake (hidden in the rushes) to greet you. Getting the right point to come off the power and scrub the speed off was interesting.

The wind was brisk and gusty but thankfully not variable in direction. It was a factor coming down the water and at the hairpin (being the sharp point of the T) and yes, it rained (lots). The F1 turnout was good with 14 competitive craft lining up for the weekend. The F1 grids are fuller this year than for some time (ever?) and moreover, despite the significant increase in performance this year, all are competitive with at least six or more able to win given the right circumstances.

Race 1

I elected to race first - hanging about until the middle of the afternoon before my race makes me impatient. Ken is very laid back and doesn't seem fazed, so I lined up as fourth on the grid for the first of the National Races. Being on the outside of the front row of the grid was great as I could get full lift without the craft drifting out of position. This mean that I could get a clean start, go wide into the first left hander but have the inside line into the right handed hairpin.

Ken was due on an airplane in the early hours of Monday morning, I was under pressure from my employers to be at work (as opposed to being in hospital) after the weekend to finish an ocean going yacht for the forthcoming Southampton Boat Show, so the team orders were very much for us to be "good boys"!

After a good start I went wide and kept out of the way - exiting from the hairpin in fourth place. In keeping with team orders I let several craft through and by the end of the first lap was seventh. Ken said that if we were steady the race would come back to us - it started doing so as I went over the finish line for the first time as Simon Larman's (brand new) craft had stopped when the fan hub mount wilted under the horsepower and disposed of all the thrust blades. Simon's jumping up and waving frantically for other craft to avoid him was given added impetuous when he saw me as next behind! - as our last meeting "totalled" his previous craft! (see race report round three).

On lap three Richard Eaton (4) rolled at the hairpin. Colin Horne also rolled making an avoidance, injuring his foot in the process, which put him out of racing for the rest of the weekend. Likewise Richard was done racing due to the amount of damage to the lift engine frame and duct.

As the race was red flagged we had a restart which left Robin, Luke and I on the front row. On the first lap, Tony Goldney, and Daniel Newton went past very much with an eye on Robin Brickles who was leading. Tony (13) and Robin (1) were at it for the rest of the race with Daniel (9) holding third.

The pattern of the race changed when Dave Linney (22) rolled the craft at the lake exit that left Luke in front of me and the battle up front. I hunted Luke down and got into position on the transition to water and passed him. He came back at me on the transition off the lake but I was on the power by then and had position.

Luke had a nasty moment the next lap spinning out onto the land near the spectators in the middle of the water straight after lifting to vertical at full speed.

Robin went on to win, harried (all weekend) by Tony Goldney with Daniel Newton third.

Race 2

Ken piloted this one. After the red flag and three roll over's of the first race, this one was more orderly for the front of the grid. The same could not be said for the midfield with lots of bumping and boring going on with some craft clouting the catch fencing and trees big style, at the first left hander. From my vantage point I couldn't see the detail, it seemed that the majority of the pack got compressed into the corner and several craft  rode over the one in front.

For the rest of the race Tony Goldney continued to snap at Robin's heals whilst Daniel was getting quicker and beginning to push Tony.

Race 3

We wuz robbed! :-)

My turn to race and in position 3 on the grid as Daniel had signed on late on the Sunday morning and incurred a penalty putting him to the back of the grid. Something also happened on the grid as his craft did not start the race.

Robin and Tony were hard at it right from the start. Tony was in front on lap two on the water straight holding his line tight on the inside that left Robin no choice but to pass on the outside. To do so he had to cross Tony's thrust.... I didn't see exactly what happened but I think the craft lifted all the way and then ploughed in on landing. Anyway, the craft ended up submerged to the top of the duct.

Surprisingly, I was now in a comfortable second and settling to a race to the finish. At the this point the race was red flagged as a craft up ended at the land transition I think it was number 26 but I am not sure. As Tony Goldney had not quite completed 3 laps the race was declared void and a re-run scheduled after the next F3 race. How Team Meteor managed to get Robin and the craft out of the water, drained both engines, exhausts, carburettors, fuel and air filters AND prepared for the restart in half an hour or so, was amazing. I think the whole paddock were fascinated at the effort.

At the restart it was status quo again with Robin and Daniel back in the fray. Tony won this race with Daniel beginning to push with Robin (under the circumstances) an amazing third. During the race Luke and I had a minor tangle on the transition to water, after which Luke retired from the race. When I got back to the paddock after finishing fourth we found a bolt rolling around loose in the bottom of our craft. With drive safety covers removed and a good look round the craft and engine, a home for the bolt still had not been identified, it was only then that we realised that the bolt had been lobbed from Luke's craft as the thrust drive rubber doughnut expired which was the cause of his spin and not contact with me as we all had supposed!! We were lucky not to have had the bolt go through the duct.

Race 4

Ken up for this one. The grid was much the same as before, the exception being Simon Larmen being back in the race in Dave Linney's craft. The combination proved quick and effective and after a brief battle got past Ken who mindful of the points position brought the craft home in fifth. Leaving the battle raging ahead between Robin and Tony and joined by Daniel Newton to continue right to the last flag of the weekend.

After a solid fourth place for the weekend in the F1 Nationals we had the bonus of picking up second place behind Jonathan Spedding, taking over from Robin in the Meteor Team craft (no.1), in the Open Competition, beating Daniel Newton into third. We achieved this with a combination of consistent ACC race results and lap times in practice.

Writing this report several days after the weekend, my knees still ache from the pounding they got over the bumps. At times I was being bounced clear of the cockpit holding on like mad to the handle bars to remain in contact with the craft. Despite this and the appalling weather on Sunday morning when no F1's bothered to go out for practise because conditions were so miserable, I enjoyed the weekend.

Photo by kind courtesy of Paul Taylor.

Ken and I were under orders to be be "good boys" this weekend - so no shots of me being vertical! This was the highest all weekend, honest!!...... However, here are some of Dave Linney (number 22)!

Luke (27) and I just after the transition to land where Luke is trying to come back at me.

Tony Goldney (13) in the Honda Fireblade engined craft harried Robin Brickles (1) all weekend.

The grid in race two got fairly bunched up on the first corner.............

After the troubles of the first corner the race settled down. Robin, Tony, Luke, Daniel and Ken.(not sure about the sixth craft).