Ellstrom hoping quick fix has Qatar ready for 2013 opener

SOURCE

The Spirit of Qatar racing team is facing a quick fix after the fire that ravaged that unlimited hydroplane during the season finale in Doha two weeks ago.

The boat caught fire during Heat 4A of the Oryx Cup UIM World Championship when it hit a wave, launched into the air and landed hard on the water. The impact broke motor mounts, snapped fuel lines and caused the engine to catch fire.

Driver Dave Villwock scrambled out of the boat and was able to pull the engine cowling off but the Lycoming turbine engine was a complete loss. After an inspection, it was determined that the boat itself was also seriously damaged by the heat and flames.

“We built the boat with two backups for the electrical system, so we could make an easy switch in case of a failure. All three systems and the housing around them melted together,” Qatar owner and crew chief Erick Ellstrom told H1Unlimited.com. “We can’t pull the wires out of the tube. It all has to be cut out.”

Ellstrom said there was also some delamination in the hull under the area where the fire occurred as well as damage to the hull itself. The boat has cracks in the air traps, left sponson and elsewhere.

The team is facing an early deadline for repairs. The 2013 season will kick off in Doha on Feb. 8-12, in just over two weeks.

MAKING PLANS: Safety and rescue workers rush to assist Spirit of Qatar driver Dave Villwock after that boat caught fire during Heat 4A of the Oryx Cup UIM World Championship on Jan. 4 in Doha, Qatar.  (H1 Unlimited photo above by Chris Denslow, staff photo below by David Campbell)

Ellstrom told the website that the team has three plans. The first is to rebuild the boat in time for the 2013 season opener but Ellstrom admits that getting the boat fixed is a “long shot.”

“If we can replace the damaged portion of the boat and systems and make the boat stable in the three weeks we have before the Oryx Cup, we’ll race the boat,” Ellstrom said. “(Hull specialist) Jeff Minar will be returning to Doha soon with fiberglass parts he is building and we will have a crew of four working on the boat.”

If the boat cannot be repaired, Ellstrom is prepared to move on. The team could lease one of the other boats that will be in Doha in order to pick up team points. As for the rest of the season, Ellstrom is already planning on getting the team’s old boat – which last raced under the Boeing colors a few years ago – ready to run.

As for the more long range future, the team is moving ahead with plans to build a new boat.

“As of Jan. 16, we have begun the process of building a new Spirit of Qatar which will debut in 2014,” Ellstrom said. “We plan to work with Sheikh Hassan and represent Qatar for many years to come, so we may limp through the 2013 season with a patched up boat and a backup, but beginning in 2014 it’s a whole new game.”

Team owner and crew chief Erick Ellstrom (pictured below with Villwock after winning the 2012 Gold Cup in Detroit) said the team will try to repair the boat in time for next month’s 2013 season opener in Doha and build a new boat for the 2014 season. (H1 Unlimited photo above by Chris Denslow, staff photo below by David Campbell)

Hydros returning to water soon

The 2012 season just ended but the 2013 season begins in two weeks, the shortest turnaround in Unlimited history.

As a result, all 10 boats that were in Doha, Qatar, two weeks ago have remained on site in anticipation of the next race. For the local Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison Racing Team, that means most of the crew stayed in Qatar to get the boat ready.

“In about three weeks we’ll all be headed back to Doha for the 2013 Oryx Cup,” Oberto driver Steve David said. “I can tell you that Mike and Larry Hanson and most of our team stayed an extra week and are returning early to insure that your boat and the Oberto Nation have everything necessary to win this race.”

The race in February will have one of the more unusual race schedules in history. Testing, qualifying and preliminary heats will take place on Friday, Feb. 8 and Saturday, Feb. 9. The final heat will be then be run on Tuesday, Feb. 12 as a centerpiece of Qatar’s National Sports Day.

The Doha race will kick off an eight-race 2013 schedule – the biggest for H1 Unlimited since an 11-race schedule was contested in 1999. Races in Sacramento, Calif., and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, are new this season.

The complete 2013 schedule as released by H1 Unlimited includes: Doha, Qatar, Feb. 8-12; Sacramento, Calif., May 31-June 2; Madison, July 5-7; Detroit, July 12-14; Tri-Cities, Wash., July 26-28; Seattle, Aug. 2-4; Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Aug. 31-Sept. 2; and San Diego, Sept. 13-15.

H1 announces awards

Because of the short turnaround between the seasons, H1 Unlimited handed out most of its post-season awards at the post-race gala in Doha. The rest of the awards will be presented at individual race sites.

Steve David and the Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison were honored for winning the driver and boat championships.

Other award winners were: Special Contribution – Mona Nassar, QMSF, David Holley, Peters & May, and Scott MacCracken, FBI Qatar; Boat Sponsor of the Year – Graham Trucking; Owner of the Year – Leland Racing; Crew of the Year – Jones Racing; International Print Media – Gulf Times, Sports Department; International Television – Mohammed Abdulla Al Marzoqi, Al Kass Sports TV; Fastest Qualifier of the Year – Spirit of Qatar; Mechanix Wear Crew Chief of the Year – Tom Anderson, Graham Trucking; Peters & May Rookie of the Year – Kelly Stocklin, Bucket List Racing; Award of Excellence – Qatar Marine Sports Federation; Official of the Year – Steve Montgomery; Chairman’s Award – Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani; Fan Favorite Award – Jimmy Shane, Graham Trucking.

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Freedom Tower, New York City

One World Trade Center, abbreviated as 1 WTC and commonly known by its previous name Freedom Tower, is the lead building of the new World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The 104-story supertall skyscraper is being constructed in the northwest corner of the 16-acre World Trade Center site, occupying the location where the original 8-story 6 World Trade Center once stood. The building is bounded to the west by West Street, to the north by Vesey Street, to the south by Fulton Street, and to the east by Washington Street. Construction on below-ground utility relocations, footings, and foundations for the building began on April 27, 2006. On March 30, 2009, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that the building would be known by its legal name of One World Trade Center, rather than the colloquial name, Freedom Tower.

At the time of its completion in 2013, One World Trade Center will be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the third-tallest building in the world by pinnacle height, with its spire reaching a symbolic 1,776 feet (541.3 m) in reference to the year of American independence. 1 WTC has been the tallest building in New York City since April 30, 2012. The new World Trade Center complex will also feature three other high-rise office buildings, located along Greenwich Street, and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, located just south of One World Trade Center, where the Twin Towers once stood. The construction is part of an effort to memorialize and rebuild following the destruction of the original World Trade Center complex during the attacks of September 11, 2001.

For more photos, FL, go to:  http://lucididee.zenfolio.com/p382272821

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New P1 AquaX Series

SOURCE

London – 14 March 2011: Powerboat P1 Management Ltd has today announced the launch this summer of a revolutionary new Jet Ski competition series, AquaX (pronounced “Aqua Cross”). This new championship will be the only Jet Ski series in the UK taking place on the sea rather than on inland waters.

P1 AquaX events will run alongside the 2011 Powerboat P1 SuperStock Championship at high-profile venues around the country, from as far south as Plymouth to Liverpool in the north-west, offering top class entertainment for both spectators and competitors.

Specifically designed to attract amateur riders to enter the sport, this unique sea-based series offers competitors a hugely exciting challenge. The race tracks will be simple and wide-open, and will be patrolled by trained race marshals to ensure safety at all times.

Head of P1 AquaX and former Jet Ski racing champion, Lisa Barsby, says; “We are delighted to be launching this new series. There are many recreational jetskiers out there who have wanted to try their hand at competitive riding for some time now, and AquaX will provide the perfect arena for them to open up their throttles and enjoy the full performance of their craft in a safe, controlled environment.

And because of the ever-changing coastal conditions, the rider’s skill will prevail over horsepower, to create a level playing field for all.”

AquaX is open to all types of watercraft, with Yamaha, Kawasaki and BRP (Seadoo) models expected to race unmodified in two classes – 200 and 300hp – an attractive prize purse will be on offer for riders enrolled in the championship.

Each two-day AquaX event will consist of two disciplines. Saturdays will see AquaX Match Racing, with competitors going head to head in a timed knock-out competition. On Sundays, the action will move to the P1 SuperStock race tracks, in a series of Rally Races where the focus switches to endurance riding and stamina over large courses.

Much like the P1 SuperStock powerboat racing series, AquaX is designed to provide a platform for motorsport enthusiasts that is both accessible and affordable, and to help develop the sport of watercraft racing from the ground up.

The competition kicks off this summer and full details of the opening event can be found at the new AquaX website, now online at www.p1aquax.com

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U.S. COURT OF APPEALS DENIES PETITIONS IN CASES CHALLENGING E15

SOURCE

On Tuesday (Jan. 15), the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied petitions for rehearing in the case of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, et al. v. EPA, which challenged the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to permit the commercial use of E15.

Following the announcement, Tom Buis CEO of Growth Energy released the following statement:“Today’s order leaves in place an earlier decision by the Court denying challenges to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to allow for E15 to enter the U.S. market. Furthermore, this is a major victory for the renewable fuels industry and opens the door for further investment in new fueling technology to offer E15 to consumers.

“Today’s result is a win-win for American consumers, providing them with both a choice and savings at the pump, and is a critical step in increasing market access. Not only will E15 help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, it will also continue to create jobs here at home and revitalize rural economies, while also improving our environment by increasing the availability and use of a cleaner burning fuel.”

 

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NOAA satellites aid in 263 rescues in 2012 after detecting distress signals

SOURCE

Satellites vital to search and rescue operations

The same NOAA weather and climate satellites that accurately tracked Hurricane Sandy’s path in October also played a key role in rescuing 263 people in 111 emergencies in the United States and surrounding waters in 2012.

Since NOAA’s seven operational satellites circle the globe or sit above the United States, they also carry instruments to detect distress signals from emergency beacons carried by downed pilots, shipwrecked boaters and stranded hikers.

In addition to their role in weather prediction, these polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites are part of the international Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System, called Cospas-Sarsat. This system uses a network of satellites to quickly pinpoint the location of the distress signals.

“NOAA satellites were instrumental in emergency situations,” said Chris O’Connors, program manager for NOAA SARSAT. “Our ability to pick up a distress signal, isolate the location within 100 yards, and initiate the appropriate rescue response definitely saves lives.”

Of the 263 people who were rescued last year, 182 were rescued from the water, 22 from aviation incidents and 59 situations on land, where they used Personal Locator Beacons (PLB). Other rescue highlights in 2012 include:

• Alaska had the most rescues with 45, followed by 38 in North Carolina and
• 25 in Florida.
• 14 people were rescued from the tall ship HMS Bounty which was caught in a torrent of waves more than 200 miles off the North Carolina coast.
• Three people were rescued after their sailboat rolled in heavy waves off the San Francisco coast.
• In the Gulf of Mexico, five people were pulled to safety when their fishing boat began taking on water.
• Seven were rescued 400 miles west of Honolulu after their fishing boat caught fire.
• A Boy Scout troop on a canoe trip in Yuma, Ariz., activated its PLB for its scout leader, who was having a medical emergency.

When a NOAA satellite finds the location of a distress signal, the information is relayed to the SARSAT Mission Control Center based at NOAA’s Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Md. From there, the information is quickly sent to a Rescue Coordination Center, operated either by the U.S. Air Force, for land rescues, or the U.S. Coast Guard, for rescues at sea.

Since 1982 when the program was started, Cospas-Sarsat has been credited with supporting more than 30,000 rescues worldwide, including 6,999 in the United States and its surrounding waters.

Owning a SARSAT device is only the first step to ensure one’s safety. It is imperative that the owner register their beacon with NOAA. This gives critical information to responders including the owner’s name, personal and family member contact information, and the type of vessel or aircraft. Registration is required by law and may be completed online.

In 2012, there were more than 37,000 new registrations, a record number for one year. NOAA’s registration database has more than 360,000 registered beacon owners.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.

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www.LucidideeFastBoats.com

Dallas Boat Show canceled; new event to sail on at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

SOURCE

The Dallas Boat Show, which was preparing to launch its 59th outing next month, has been canceled.

The news comes less than a month after the Texas Rangers’ new business development arm announced plans for a major boat show in the parking lot at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Both events were scheduled for early February.

Officials with Show Management Professionals Ltd., which organized the Dallas Boat Show, declined to comment Friday.

That group had been set to host the winter show from Feb. 1-3 and Feb. 7-10 at Dallas Market Hall. A Market Hall worker and the boat show website said the event, which was expecting a crowd of nearly 16,000, has been canceled.

“We intend to conduct future shows and do not want our loyal exhibitors to think we will be gone forever,” the Dallas Boat Show website said. “No one has our permission to conduct exhibitions using the names of our exhibitions or names that are deceptively similar to our exhibition names.”
The 2013 DFW International Boat Show — set for Feb. 1-10 — was described by the Rangers as the “largest event of its kind ever staged in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.”
And it’s the largest event to date for Texas Rangers Enterprises, which was formed last year to help get more off-season mileage from the team and the ballpark, much in the way that nearby Cowboys Stadium has hosted a steady stream of meetings and corporate events.

But the stadium is enclosed.

Heated tent

To accommodate the estimated crowd of 25,000 expected at the Arlington boat show, organizers will build a fully heated, 262,000-square-foot tent on Lot A at the corner of Randol Mill Road and Nolan Ryan Expressway.

Free parking will be available in Lot B.

For the United Boat Dealers of North Texas, which is co-hosting the Arlington event, the ballpark venue offers an opportunity to have a winter show after their efforts to buy the Dallas Boat Show failed, said Bron Beal. He’s director of the boat dealers’ group, is manager of the new show, and was executive director of the Dallas Boat Show until 2010.

Input from dealers

Beal said the boat dealers, unhappy about some aspects of the Dallas show, came to him asking for helping in producing “their own show.”

He said he started working on that project in early November and turned to the Rangers. The show will cost an estimated $1.4 million to launch, and Beal hopes to break even.
The event gives the new Rangers business group a chance show that it can take on a big event and hit one out of the park.

“We’ve been wanting to tap into a lot of the major trade shows,” said Sean Decker, director of sales and operations for Rangers Enterprises.

“We identified trade shows as a great way to bring a large amount of people to the ballpark for something other than baseball, yet keep baseball and the Rangers in the forefront.
“We’ve got a lot of resources, and we wanted to be able to use those to help other companies and ultimately help grow the Rangers brand,” he said.

The Rangers’ muscular marketing arm is handling publicity. Also, the event will include autograph signings by Ranger players, Decker said.

“It’ll be a big deal, bigger than Market Hall,” said Mark Ewing, owner of James Propeller & Parts in Farmers Branch.

Ewing said he was a part owner of the Dallas show years ago, and already has paid for his booth at the new show.

He complained about a lack of advertising for the Dallas show and said he has not participated in at least three years.

Attendance grew

Attendance at the Dallas show grew from 13,350 in 2009 to nearly 16,000 last year, according to promotional material from the show.

Billy “Big Billy” Kinder was scheduled to host a celebrity panel discussion at the Dallas show on Feb. 3. He said about three weeks ago he was notified “that the entire event was canceled.”

He’s been invited to talk about dog training at the new show. While there, he expects to bump into others who otherwise would have been at Market Hall.

“All of the vendors are moving” to the Arlington show, he said. “I would assume it’s … the same vendors …who would be at the Dallas Boat Show.”

A Rangers spokesman sees the Arlington boat show as an early trickle in a new revenue stream.

“It’s what Rangers Enterprises is charged with doing,” said John Blake. “Finding events that don’t revolve around baseball. We have 81 games here a year. There’s a lot of opportunity to create other events.”

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Main Street Bridge, Jacksonville, FL

The Main Street Bridge, officially the John T. Alsop Jr. Bridge, is a bridge crossing the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the second bridge built across the river. It carries four lanes of traffic, and is signed as U.S. Route 1/US 90 (SR 5/SR 10). A lift bridge, it opened in July 1941 at a cost of $1.5 million. In 1957 it was named after Mayor John T. Alsop, Jr., but continues to be known, even on road signs, as the Main Street Bridge.

For more photos from Jacksonville, FL, go to:  http://lucididee.zenfolio.com/p382272821

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SBI 2013 Race Schedule

Website

2013 Super Boat International Schedule
April 25-28	Smokin the Sound Super Boat Grand Prix	Biloxi, MS
May 17-19	Space Coast Super Boat Grand Prix	Cocoa Beach, FL
May 31-June 2	Thunder on the Beach Grand Prix	Orange Beach, AL
July 5-7	Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix	Sarasota, FL
July 19-21	Miami Super Boat Grand Prix	Miami, FL
Aug 2-4	Super Boat Great Lakes Grand Prix	Michigan City, IN
Sept 6-8	New York Grand Prix  – Tribute to 911	Jersey City, NJ
Sept 27-29	Clearwater Super Boat National Championship	Clearwater, FL
Nov 3-10	Key West World Championship	Key West, FL

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Princess Place Preserve

Palm Coast, FL

In 1791, the King of Spain offered a 1,100 -acre land grant to Francisco Pellicer. Henry Mason Cutting purchased the property in 1886, renaming it Cherokee Grove. Featuring local materials including tabby block cladding, cedar and palm tree trunk post and pink coquina, the Adirondack camp-style lodge was constructed in 1887. The complex included servant;s quarters, a caretaker’s house, tennis courts, stables, bathhouse, poolhouse and the first in-ground concrete swimming pool in Florida. The Lodge became an entertainment center for many socially prominent American and New York families as well as European royalty. Cutting died in 1892, leaving a widow, Angela Mills Cutting and two small children. Angela later married an exiled Russian prince, Boris Scherbatoff, a member of the Russian royal family. Because he feared for his life, the Prince later changed the spelling to Scherbatow. After Prince Scherbatow died in 1949, the Princess useed the lodge as her primary residence. For this reason it became known as the Princess Estate. In 1954, Pricess Scherbatow sold the property to Lewis and Angela Wadsworth, one of the founding families of Flagler County. Flagler County purchased the property in 1993 as a preserve.

This beautiful 1,500-acre preserve situated in the northern part of Flagler County. The original lodge built by Henry Cutting stills stands as Flagler County’s oldest intact structure.

For more photos, go to:  http://lucididee.zenfolio.com/p870779354

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Thomas H. Dummett Sugar And Rum Processing Factory Ruins

Ormond Beach, FL

These ruins are the remains of a sugar and rum processing factory. The chimmney is about all that is left of the facility. A furnace or oven was used to heat the sugar cane juice. As the juice boiled, it was skimmed off by hand and placed in a cooler kettle and eventually as the impurities were eliminated, the resultant syrup was allowed to harden. It was then further processed into crystaline form and then to raw sugar. A lot of the juice remaining from the purification process was shipped to the Carribean and used in the rum industry.

Also, the furnace was used to create steam which ran conveyor belts and powered the machery that squeezed the juice out of the sugar cane.
These ruins were part of the Dummett Plantation, built circa 1825. It was destroyed by Indians during the Seminole War in 1836.

For more photos, go to: http://lucididee.zenfolio.com/p105775267

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Bulow Plantation Ruins

Flagler Beach, FL

Once a thriving sugar plantation, the Bulow Plantation Ruins include extensive coquina ruins of the sugar mill, several wells, a spring house, and the foundations of the once grand manor house, “Bulowville”, The plantation was begun in 1821 by Charles Bulow. In the 1830s his son operated the plantation along with 300 slaves. At the time, Bulow was considered the most prosperous plantation in East Florida. In December of 1835 the Seminole Indians, angry with the territorial governments policy of forcible Indian removal, attacked and destroyed sixteen plantations along the St. Johns and Halifax rivers. This marked the beginning of the Second Seminole War. Many of the refugees gathered at Bulow Plantation which was abandoned and ultimately destroyed in January of 1836.

For more photos, go to:  http://lucididee.zenfolio.com/p427007308

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RESULTS: UIM X-CAT WORLD SERIES – Abu Dhabi

SOURCE

Race 1 ABD GP will run Saturday 12th Jan

SOURCE – Due to bad weather (wind NW 27 knots), Race 1- 2013 UIM XCAT World Series Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is re-scheduled for tomorrow Saturday 12th Jan at 11.15.

Final Result ADB GP Heat 1                                                  SOURCE
Position	N#	Boat Name	POINTS
1	3	Fazza	400
2	50	Mouawad	300
3	33	Victory Team	225
4	11	Extreme Marine	169
5	94	Qatar Team	127
6	6	Nicolini Offshore	95
7	20	Marine Investment Sud	71
8	7	Sky Dive Dubai	53
10	74	Poliform	30
11	8	Westerlund Racing	22

HEAT 1 – Pole Position                                                        SOURCE
POINTS	POS.	N#	BOAT NAME	BEST TIME
	1	3	Fazza	00:02:51:60
	2	7	Sky Dive Dubai	00:02:52:02
	3	50	Mouawad 50	00:02:52:11
	4	6	Nicolini Off Shore	00:02:52:22
	5	33	Victory Team	00:02:53:12
	6	8	Westerlund Racing	00:02:55:71
	7	94	Qatar Team	00:02:56:76
	8	11	Extreme Marine	00:02:58:27
	9	20	Marine Investment Sud	00:02:59:16
	10	17	Raheeb	00:03:02:23
	11	74	Poliform	00:03:37:99

HEAT 2                                                                                 SOURCE
POINTS	POS.	N#	BOAT NAME	AVERAGE SPEED KM                      MPH
400	1	11	Extreme Marine	157	85
300	2	94	Qatar Team	156	84
225	3	50	Mouawad	154	83
169	4	33	Sky Dive Dubai	152	82
127	5	6	Consul Brokers	149	80
95	6	20	Marine Investment Sud	147	79
71	7	66	Insha Allah	144	78
53	8	10	La Vida Loca	144	78
40	9	14	Kingfisher	144	77
30	10	17	Raheeb	135	72
20	11	5	Spirit of Abu Dhabi	129	69
17	12	3	Fazza	113	61
–	13	8	Westerlund Racing	142	76
–	14	27	Abu Dhabi Racing Team	140	76

HEAT 3                                                                                 SOURCE
POINTS	POS.	N#	BOAT NAME	AVERAGE SPEED KM                  MPH
400	1	3	Fazza Mohamad	159	85
300	2	50	Mouawad	155	84
225	3	94	Qatar Team	153	82
169	4	27	Abu Dhabi Racing Team	153	82
127	5	33	Sky Dive Dubai	152	82
95	6	5	Spirit of Abu Dhabi	149	80
71	7	8	Westerlund Racing	147	79
53	8	11	**Extreme Marine	147	79
40	9	17	Raheeb	145	78
30	10	14	Kingfisher	145.00	78
22	11	66	Insha Allah	128.00	69
17	12	20	Marine Investment	120.00	64
–	13	10	La Vida Loca	119	64
–	14	6	Consul Brokers	65	35

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Fire Ends Spirit of Qatar Oryx

SOURCE

Photo by Chris Denslow – H1

Racing in front of a “hometown” crowd at the Oryx Cup UIM World Championship in Doha, Qatar, Dave Villwock and his Spirit Of Qatar team had a bad weekend get even worse during the final preliminary heat on Friday.

After losing an apparent victory to a fuel  violation and incurring a penalty for striking a buoy on Thursday, Villwock appeared to be on his way to an easy victory in Heat 4B.

But as he entered the second turn on the first lap, his boat hit a roller and got airborne.  The boat landed hard and broke the motor mounts, shutting down and coming to a stop.  Then things got worse as a fire broke out, doing considerable damage before being extinguished by safety crews.

Owner Erick Ellstrom says his team will attempt to make repairs in time for the H1 Unlimited return to Doha February 8-12,but added that they had not been able to make a complete assessment of the damage to the boat.

In the restart, Jon Zimmerman drove the 9 Jones Racing to an easy victory over Jimmy Shane in the 5 Graham Trucking, as Shane had to run an extra lap due to a penalty incurred in the original running. Tom Thompson finished second in the 11 Peters & May.

Earlier, Steve David continued his quest for a perfect weekend in the 6 Oh Boy! Oberto, adding a victory in Heat 3A to make it four wins in four starts in the preliminaries.

While piling up victories, David secured the 2012 H1 Unlimited Series Championship for his team.  The championship means the Oberto  will again wear the number one for the 2013 season.

Second place in the heat went to Kip Brown in the 17 Miss Red Dot, with Brian Perkins finishing third in the 88 Snoqualmie Casino.

Racing is scheduled to conclude on Saturday, with the Championship Final Heat at 3pm Doha time – weather permitting.

The local forecast had called for winds of 40 mph and more for Friday and Saturday, but weather through Friday had been better than predicted.

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Steve David Wins 3 Oryx Cup Prelims

SOURCE

Steve David drives Oh Boy! Oberto through dusty haze on Doha Bay. Photo by Chris Denslow – H1

Steve David drove the 6 Oh Boy!  Oberto to 3 heat victories and secured the 2012 Air National Guard H1 Unlimited Series championship during the first day of the Oryx Cup UIM World Championship in Doha, Qatar.

Race officials moved the start of the event up to Thursday after seeing a weather forecast that predicted high winds on Doha Bay Friday and Saturday.

David drove to wins in Heats 1B, 2B and 3A, earning enough points to secure the championship while rival Dave Villwock, the defending series champion, has his worst day of the season.

Villwock started the day with a fuel violation in 1A, hit a buoy in 2A and did not start in 3A.

Other heat winners included Jimmy Shane in the 5 Graham Trucking, Brian Perkins in the 88 Snoqualmie Casino and Jon Zimmerman in the 9 Jones Racing.

Race officials plan to complete the event as weather permits Friday and/or Saturday.

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Results: 2012 UIM World Championship Oryx Cup

SOURCE

Qualifying and race results from the 2012 Oryx Cup UIM World Championship held in Doha, Qatar January 10-12, 2013.

QualifyingResults
Number – Sponsor	Driver	Speed	Points
1 Spirit of Qatar 96	Dave Villwock	144.907	100
6 Oh Boy! Oberto	Steve David	142.267	80
5 Graham Trucking	Jimmy Shane	142.059	70
9 Jones Racing	Jon Zimmerman	138.878	60
100 Leland Unlimited	Ryan Mallow	133.682	50
11 Miss Peters & May	Tommy Thompson	132.833	40
37 Miss Beacon Plumbing	J. Michael Kelly	131.394	30
57 Formulaboats.com	Mark Evans	130	30
88 Snoqualmie Casino	Brian Perkins	130	30
17 Miss Red Dot	Kip Brown	130	30

RACE RESULTS

ResultsforHeat1A
Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	9 Jones Racing	Jon Zimmerman	0	400
2	37 Miss Beacon Plumbing	J. Michael Kelly	0	300
3	5 Graham Trucking	Jimmy Shane	0	225
DSQ	1 Spirit of Qatar 96	Dave Villwock	0	0
DSQ	17 Miss Red Dot	Kip Brown	0	0

Resultsfor Heat 1B
Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	6 Oh Boy! Oberto	Steve David	130.353	400
2	11 Miss Peters & May	Tommy Thompson	120.733	300
3	100 Leland Unlimited	Ryan Mallow	119.843	225
4	57 Formulaboats.com	Mark Evans	116.973	169
5	88 Snoqualmie Casino	Brian Perkins	0	127

Results for Heat 2A
Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	88 Snoqualmie Casino	Brian Perkins	125.833	400
DNS	57 Formulaboats.com	Mark Evans	0	0
DSQ	1 Spirit of Qatar 96	Dave Villwock	0	0
DSQ	17 Miss Red Dot	Kip Brown	0	0
PEN 300-50	11 Miss Peters & May	Tommy Thompson	0	250

Results for Heat 2B
Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	6 Oh Boy! Oberto	Steve David	0	400
2	5 Graham Trucking	Jimmy Shane	0	300
3	9 Jones Racing	Jon Zimmerman	0	225
4	37 Miss Beacon Plumbing	J. Michael Kelly	0	169
5	100 Leland Unlimited	Ryan Mallow	0	127

Results for Heat 3A
Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	6 Oh Boy! Oberto	Steve David	0	400
2	17 Miss Red Dot	Kip Brown	0	300
3	37 Miss Beacon Plumbing	J. Michael Kelly	0	225
DNS	1 Spirit of Qatar 96	Dave Villwock	0	0
DNF	57 Formulaboats.com	Mark Evans	0	0

Results for Heat 3B
Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	5 Graham Trucking	Jimmy Shane	0	400
2	88 Snoqualmie Casino	Brian Perkins	0	300
3	9 Jones Racing	Jon Zimmerman	0	225
4	11 Miss Peters & May	Tommy Thompson	0	169
DNF	100 Leland Unlimited	Ryan Mallow	0	0

Results for Heat 4A
Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	6 Oh Boy! Oberto	Steve David	127.362	400
2	17 Miss Red Dot	Kip Brown	122.738	300
3	88 Snoqualmie Casino	Brian Perkins	116.737	225
4	57 Formulaboats.com	Mark Evans	110.142	169
5	37 Miss Beacon Plumbing	J. Michael Kelly	0	127

Results for Heat 4B
Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	9 Jones Racing	Jon Zimmerman	117.611	400
2	11 Miss Peters & May	Tommy Thompson	104.798	300
3	5 Graham Trucking	Jimmy Shane	126.541	225
DNS	100 Leland Unlimited	Ryan Mallow	0	0
DSQ	1 Spirit of Qatar 96	Dave Villwock	0	0

Results for Heat Final
Finish	Boat	Driver	Avg. Speed	Points
1	5 Graham Trucking	Jimmy Shane	136.703	400
2	6 Oh Boy! Oberto	Steve David	134.682	300
3	9 Jones Racing	Jon Zimmerman	123.944	225
4	88 Snoqualmie Casino	Brian Perkins	121.078	169
5	11 Miss Peters & May	Tommy Thompson	58.526	127
DSQ	37 Miss Beacon Plumbing	J. Michael Kelly	0	0

AccumulatedPoints
Number – Boat	Driver	Points
6 Oh Boy! Oberto	Steve David	1900
5 Graham Trucking	Jimmy Shane	1550
9 Jones Racing	Jon Zimmerman	1475
88 Snoqualmie Casino	Brian Perkins	1221
11 Miss Peters & May	Tommy Thompson	1146
37 Miss Beacon Plumbing	J. Michael Kelly	821
17 Miss Red Dot	Kip Brown	600
100 Leland Unlimited	Ryan Mallow	352
57 Formulaboats.com	Mark Evans	338
1 Spirit of Qatar 96	Dave Villwock	0

 

AccumulatedPointswithQualifying
Number – Boat	Driver	Points
6 Oh Boy! Oberto	Steve David	1980
5 Graham Trucking	Jimmy Shane	1620
9 Jones Racing	Jon Zimmerman	1535
88 Snoqualmie Casino	Brian Perkins	1251
11 Miss Peters & May	Tommy Thompson	1186
37 Miss Beacon Plumbing	J. Michael Kelly	851
17 Miss Red Dot	Kip Brown	630
100 Leland Unlimited	Ryan Mallow	402
57 Formulaboats.com	Mark Evans	368
1 Spirit of Qatar 96	Dave Villwock	100

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