News
P1 Marine Foundation National Student Awards to be Expanded
Postgraduate students are now eligible to apply for the P1 Marine Foundation’s second annual National Awards, which were launched today. And organisers have also dramatically opened up the scope of the awards scheme by dropping last year’s category requirements. “We want to find some truly innovative research projects and hopefully one or two which are really groundbreaking”, commented P1 Marine Foundation’s Projects and Development Manager Sabrina Taseer. “We believe the new simplified format and expanded entry opportunity will deliver some outstanding results.” The annual competition rewards outstanding projects which have a positive and sustainable impact on the marine environment. Students attending universities across the UK can enter and P1 Marine Foundation will reward the most pioneering projects with funding. Students can either enter individually or as part of a team with nominations coming from Heads of Departments. The projects will need to be innovative and present outstanding work in protecting the marine environment. The deadline for registration is the end of April 2012. A panel of scientists, entrepreneurs, environmental leaders and specialists from marine-related industries will judge the 2012 National Student Awards. It will include Paul Holthus, Executive Director at the World Ocean Council, Dr Trevor Dixon, Marine Pollution Specialist at the Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea, and Kirsty Schneeberger, Coordinator for the Department of Energy and Climate Change's Youth Advisory Panel. A shortlist of the best entries will be announced in August and the two winning projects will be revealed during a special ceremony at the Powerboat P1 SuperStock UK Championship finale in Albert Dock, Liverpool in September. For further information, please visit the P1 Marine Foundation website at www.p1marinefoundation.com/Awards.ink or contact Sabrina Taseer, P1 Marine Foundation Projects and Development Manager, by email: contact@p1marinefoundation.org.uk
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Powerboat P1 Calls For Move Away From 'Chequebook Racing'
- Powerboat P1 has set out its vision for the future of powerboat racing at the 84th UIM General Assembly taking place this week at the Yas Marina Hotel (pictured above) in Abu Dhabi. The London-based promoter’s Chief Operating Officer, Robert Wicks, presented highlights of the 2011 SuperStock championships which saw more than 20 races at nine different venues across the United Kingdom and USA. He highlighted the fact that ‘parity’, ‘affordability’ and ‘accessibility’ for competitors are the cornerstones of the SuperStock series and how vital it is for powerboat racing to appeal to new markets. “It is imperative in the current economic climate the sport moves away from the ‘chequebook racing’ we have seen in so many classes down the years. It is simply not possible to sustain the current costs of racing in many series and motorsport in general is suffering. An affordable race series which has its roots at national level but is also international in scope is the key to unlocking value at all levels in the sport,” said Wicks. Powerboat P1 launched the SuperStock series in 2010 and is rolling out plans to introduce the series in several new markets in 2012 and beyond. “We are building a series from the ground up with real credibility in conjunction with the national federations represented here this week. This will in turn increase interest and awareness, build new audiences and attract new commercial partners to the sport,” added Wicks. The UIM General Assembly is the meeting of all national powerboat federations which get together annually in a structured networking environment to build relationships, expand horizons and broaden the sport’s collective endeavours. The Assembly continues until Sunday 23 October.
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JD BYRIDER CROWNED P1 SUPERSTOCK USA CHAMPION
Father-son combo Mark and Cody Kowalski were crowned P1 SuperStock USA National Champions today at the final race weekend in San Diego on Mission Bay. The JD Byrider crew became the first P1 SuperStock USA champion in the inaugural 2011 season and finished by winning round 10 in San Diego. Mark and Cody Kowalski were victorious at the second race of the season in Detroit on July 8-10 and also took the checkered flag in rounds seven and eight that were split up between Morehead City and San Diego. “This was an incredible series, it was a wonderful experience to be able to race with my son,” said driver Mark Kowalski. “We are thankful for the hard work that the P1 staff put together. We had a lot of great racing this year and the closest racing that I have ever been a part of. I am fortunate for this opportunity and fortunate to be the National Champion.” JD Byrider ousted Tim McDonald and Mike DeFrees of Oregon Custom Marine who had a strong start to the 2011 season in Madison and Detroit and wrapped up the season by being the overall winner in San Diego. A mid-season lapse cost team OCM their hopes of winning the SuperStock USA title but both McDonald and DeFrees were happy with the way their season ended. “It was some awesome racing, this series is what it’s all about,” said OCM throttleman Mike DeFrees. “It’s going to draw some people over and at the end of the day, the P1 SuperStock series is a winner.” Finishing an impressive third place in the P1 SuperStock USA standings were Azam Ali and Kyle Sanborn, the youngest of the race fleet. The Peters and May crew made two podiums this season and have plenty of momentum going into the 2012 season. “We are very happy to finish third overall in the standings,” said driver Azam Ali. “We are proud of what we accomplished in the first season and hopefully we can win a couple events in 2012.”
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Peters & May Win Shortened Cowes-Poole-Cowes Endurance
Darren Hook (Wadhurst, East Sussex) and David John Harwood (London) took the P1 250 Panther honours in the P1 SuperStock Championship’s Cowes-Poole-Cowes offshore endurance this morning – the new Peters & May crew benefitting after points leading Pertemps hit troubles. Several boats in P1 250 Panther and the P1 150 class encountered problems in the rough conditions, leading event organisers to make the decision to curtail the planned two laps of the course after the opening tour. Hook and Harwood though came through unscathed. “Through the first two buoys it was rough but the rest was alright”, said Hook, “It’s our first time in this boat and we haven’t had much time in it so we’re pleased. Being a bigger race, navigation played a much bigger part than on short courses and we have a lot of experience in that – so that was a good advantage. It was great being invited to be in the Peters & May boat this weekend, it’s been good.” Championship pace-setters John Wilson (Coleshill, Birmingham) and Neil Scarborough (Monks Risborough) held a handsome lead in their Pertemps boat past the Two Buoys marker before a broken throttle cable led to Wilson having to clamber onto the back of the boat to facilitate a repair. Robbing Pertemps of the lead and dropping the crew to fourth in the final placings, the fact they did manage to finish though means Wilson and Scarborough head to Liverpool for the final two races of the season in a fortnight’s time with a provisional 21 point lead at the top of the P1 250 standings. “We were nearly at Wytch Farm and way in the lead, we were absolutely storming away and just reaching the point where we thought we could ease-off a bit”, explained Wilson, “I just eased the throttle off a bit and then it broke, just dropped off and we had no throttle. “At first I thought it must have over-heated and gone into guardian mode but then I climbed onto the back, took the cover off, and saw that the connector which goes onto the cable was dangling. Eventually I got the split-pin out but then dropped the washer in the sea! Bobbing around on the sea out there trying to put a throttle cable back on isn’t the easiest thing to do! I’m just glad we were able to finish.” Popular local racer Shelley Jory-Leigh (Southampton) and navigator Dan Smith (Southampton) made a welcome return to the podium – the first time Shelley has tasted the champagne since her comeback from career-threatening injury. To achieve such a result, in rough conditions, is testament to the former British champion’s skill and sheer determination, ably assisted of course by trusty navigator Smith. It wasn’t all plain sailing though for Helvetia Wealth as heavy contact with a wave at one stage did briefly cut-out the comms unit. “I think the curtailment of the second lap was quite sensible”, said Shelley, “After the first lap there were only three or four of us in the 250s still running. On the first part of the course running down to Two Bouys, it was that typical off the Needles swell. For once, probably my sensibility of being a little bit cautious in the rough – and still a little bit scared of the racing – probably got us through in one piece. “I never thought I was going to make a podium this year, to get back in a boat was my challenge and it’s been hard with a lot of tears. To get a podium at Cowes, second place, is so sweet as it’s near-enough my home town. Dan did a fantastic job navigating too and he handled the bigger course brilliantly.” Sensational Powerboat racing rookies Simon Bayles (Battersea) and Philippa Baker (Kensington) achieved another podium finish with a richly deserved third place, enabling the Team 88 crew to pull clear in second place in the P1 250 standings three points to the good over Peters & May. In response to the rough conditions, Bayles said: “Well, we enjoyed it! It was incredibly rough up to Two Buoys and we arrived there in about third place and from there we blasted it round to North Head – it was still rough but it was great rough. Pippa did a great job navigating, she did really well.” Philippa added: “I think it was a balance of trying to keep your boat together as well, if you look at how many boats didn’t finish then you can see that. We didn’t have any problems though, it all went really well – I’m very happy.” Typhoo, piloted by Andy Wilby (Fleet, Hampshire) and navigated by Jonny Allbut (Southampton), came to a halt within 200 yards of the start after a heavy landing resulted in zero drive – marking Wilby’s first failure to finish in any race in Cowes in 12 years, incredibly disappointing for both crew and sponsor. Unfortunately for Edox, navigator Anthony Crossley (Sidmouth, Devon) encountered serious pain after a couple of heavy landings early on. Driver Rupert Pugh (Matlock, Derbyshire) benevolently choose to bring the boat to a halt despite Crossley saying he was ok to continue. Mention must also go to Hull Grand Prix of the Sea podium finisher Ian Brusby (Doncaster) who wasn’t able to compete in Cowes this weekend with his Rough Cut Racing boat due to a family emergency. P1 SuperStock wishes Ian and his family well. Returning to the Cowes action, in P1 150 Rose Lores (Stubbington, Hampshire) and rookie Lucci Levi (Cowes) looked to have taken a famous victory with an outstanding performance on their first outing together. For 17-year-old Lucci, her first navigational experience was as thrilling and exhilarating as it was superb and marked the beginning of a new chapter in the famous Aitken/Levi family history. Post-race though, Team Purple’s Stuart and Sara Cureton (Lindford, Hampshire) were promoted to first place from third after the Eclipse duo were adjudged to have missed a marker buoy while battling hard with Team Fox. Rose and Lucci therefore finished second in the end with Martin Colligan (St Helier, Jersey) and Liam McDermott (St Helier, Jersey) third in the Fox boat. Azam Ali (London) – who also made his AquaX Championship Jet-Ski debut on Saturday at Egypt Point – finished in fourth place in P1 150 alongside navigator Sam Whittle (Twickenham). All attention now turns to the season finale for P1 SuperStock as the ‘Race to Liverpool’ prepares to reach its conclusion. Albert Dock in the Merseyside city will host round five on 10/11 September where the inaugural P1 250 Panther Champions and the new P1 150 Champions will be crowned. Provisional Cowes-Poole-Cowes Result:P1 250: 1 Peters & May; 2 Helvetia Wealth; 3 Team 88; 4 PertempsP1 150: 1 Team Purple; 2 Eclipse; 3 Team Fox; 4 Aztec Racing Provisional Championship Points:P1 250: 1 Pertemps 121; 2 Team 88 100; 3 Peters & May 97P1 150: 1 Team Purple 137; 2 Eclipse 112; 3 Team Fox 106
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PERTEMPS AND PETERS & MAY SHARE THE HONOURS IN HULL
Round three of the 2011 P1 SuperStock Championship, the Hull Grand Prix of the Sea, came to an exciting conclusion in Hull Marina this evening (Sunday, 31 July) with an emphatic victory in the P1 250 Panther class for the championship leading Pertemps crew. The second Enduro race of the weekend provided plenty for the crowds of local supporters to cheer with Pertemps driver John Wilson (Coleshill, Birmingham) born and bred just a few miles from Hull in the nearby town of Beverley. Along with trusty navigator Neil Scarborough (Monks Risborough), they also secured second place in Saturday evening’s race so their points lead has increased to 15. “It doesn’t come much better than that”, said Wilson, “The conditions today do suit us, we’ve always performed when the conditions are rough. We’re a heavier crew so that helps the boat keep more balance when it’s choppy. It was a bit congested at the start but we knew where we had to go and everything worked perfectly.” More hometown success in race two came in the guise of second placed P1 250 Panther crew Rough Cut Racing, piloted by Hull-born Ian Brusby (Doncaster) and navigator Dan Whapples (Poole), while the podium was rounded-out by Peters & May in much choppier conditions than experienced in race one. “We like the rougher conditions, it keeps you alert and I thoroughly enjoyed it – the guy in front (Edox) had a problem so we took second but I’ll take it however I can get it!”, said Brusby, “Consequently we got third overall for the weekend so, home Grand Prix, I’m really pleased. The support of the people has been fantastic, I can’t say enough about the facilities here – Hull Marina has been brilliant.” For Sunday’s race, Kim Collins (Burgess Hill) had the controls in the Peters & May vessel but couldn’t quite replicate the race one winning performance of team-mate Daniel Cramphorn (Canterbury) who had the driver’s controls on Saturday – the duo’s first ever run in the craft. “Once you get in a bit of clean water you can take the turns how you want to and that’s what we managed to do from about halfway through”, said Cramphorn after Saturday’s encounter, “When we started to come up to lap the 150s we saw our opportunity, ducked up the inside and pulled out a bit of distance. Really enjoyed that race, it was good fun.” Behind second-placed Pertemps on Saturday was the Edox boat of Rupert Pugh (Matlock, Derbyshire) and Anthony Crossley (Sidmouth) – the latter losing out on a potential challenge for victory while lapping P1 150 boats. Unfortunately, the duo weren’t able to add another podium on Sunday, dropping back down the order midway through after Pugh caught the jack plug after hitting a big wave. “It’s not been a great weekend, not the result we were looking for if I’m really honest”, commented Pugh, “Yesterday was really good racing, very close, and it was the equivalent of wheel-to-wheel racing in cars, great fun and very nice in the flat conditions. Today was completely different, very bumpy. We got a bit sandwiched at the start but decided not to cause an accident by punching through and backed off.” Shelley Jory-Leigh (Southampton) and Dan Smith (Southampton) endured a torrid weekend with their Helvetia Wealth P1 250 Panther running out of fuel on Saturday (blamed on a slight miscalculation from Shelley’s husband!) and then another non-finish on Sunday. Hundreds of spectators flocked to the dockside in Hull over the weekend and the racing in P1 150 was as action-packed as the P1 250 Panthers with a double win going to current championship dominators Team Purple – Stuart and Sara Cureton (Lindford, Hampshire). Marking the husband and wife team’s fourth and fifth wins of 2011, the weekend in Hull couldn’t realistically have gone much better. “It’s been a good weekend, really enjoyed it”, said Stuart, “Racing in estuaries isn’t my favourite as it throws up all sorts of funny different water, as shown this afternoon, but it’s been good. There was some really tight racing, we had a good fight with Team Fox and Eclipse.” The Eclipse boat of Rose Lores (Stubbington, Hampshire) and john donnolly finished second in race one while the runner-up placing in race two went to Jersey-based Team Fox, Martin Colligan (St Helier) and Liam McDermott (St Helier). Husband and wife David and Kirsty Toozs-Hobson (Arundel), meanwhile, sealed a brace of welcome third places in their MacDonald Mermaid boat. In terms of this weekend’s Match Racing, rather than a series of head-to-head knockout contests the boats went out for single lap time trials. In P1 250 on Saturday, Pertemps posted the fastest time of 56.47 seconds – a full second clear of impressive Team 88 rookies Simon Bayles (Battersea) and Philippa Baker (Kensington). The P1 150 time trials took place on Sunday with Black Magic, Vincent Berridge (Hemel Hempstead) and his 16-year-old daughter Jade (Hemel Hempstead), posting the quickest time of 1m07.69 seconds – a whisker under a second faster than Team Purple. Following a hugely successful weekend in Hull, during which the locals have given P1 SuperStock tremendous support, the UK’s premier Powerboat racing championship now has a break of roughly a month before the next event at Cowes in the Isle of Wight over the weekend 27/28 August – the fourth meeting of five in the ‘Race to Liverpool’ which will conclude in Albert Dock on 10/11 September.
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Edox take the double
Edox closed the gap at the top of the P1 SuperStock championship points table after two emphatic wins today in Plymouth Sound. Driver Rupert Pugh (Matlock) and navigator Tony Crossley (Sidmouth) were unstoppable as they blazed away from the field to win both rounds and score a maximum 40 points. The double win comes on the back of retirement from the second race in Jersey and puts the Edox Swiss Watches crew firmly back in the title hunt. “It’s a great feeling to win after the frustration of retiring from the lead at the opening round in Jersey”, said a delighted Rupert. The outstanding performance by Edox was not without its share of drama though as the crew lost vital radio contact after just a few laps. “It was an awesome second race and a great weekend, although we had inter-com failure so it was quite hard to co-ordinate and it cost us some time.” Rupert added. “ Tony and I have formed a really good team which is working well – when we can hear each other!” Championship leader John Wilson (Coleshill, Birmingham) had a difficult weekend in boat Pertemps. In both races John and navigator Neil Scarborough (Monks Risborough) held second place but had to settle for a brace of third places. In race one Pertemps lay second for six laps until Rough Cut Racing squeezed past, then in race two Peters & May Racing took advantage of lapping the slower P1 150 boats to get past. “We were passed in the traffic and I’m not happy about it as I felt it may not have been within the rules”, said John. For Hull racer Ian Brusby it was a weekend of highs and lows. Together with navigator Dan Whapples (Poole) they won the Saturday match races to start on pole position for race one today in their boat Rough Cut Racing. They finished a season’s best second place in the first race but fuel feed problems caused retirement early in the second race. “The first race was great as we have figured out the handling sweet spot now and are going really well. We had a really close fight with Pertemps for lap after lap and were delighted to come out on top. But then disaster struck in the second round as the engine cut out and we did not manage to even complete the first lap” Rookie crew Team 88 continued the superb form they showed in Jersey to come away from Plymouth with two fourth place finishes. Londoners Simon Bayles (Battersea) and navigator Philippa Baker (Kensington) had never raced before joining SuperStock but they are now in third place ahead of far more experienced teams. In the P1 150 Class there were two different winners and some very close quarters racing. Macdonold Mermaid started the weekend by winning Saturday’s match races to secure pole position. Husband and wife team David and Kirsty Toozs-Hobson (Arundle) made a great start in Sunday’s opening race to get the better of championship leaders Team Purple, but in the second race they bogged down and the field zoomed past leaving them in fourth place behind Team Fox. Team Purple, crewed by Stuart and Sara Cureton (Lindford, Hants) got to the first marker in front and then pulled out a clear lead, which they held all the way to the flag. Stuart said, “we had a great start run to get into the lead at the first marker and then just worked hard to pull out a lead. We’re in top form having won three out of four races, so expect to be in the title fight all the way to the finale in Liverpool.” Eclipse driven by Rose Lores (Stubbington, Hants) with navigator Tom Hunter (Maindenhead) had their best race so far this season with a storming drive into second place in round two which combined with fourth place in race one hoists them up into second place in the points table.Ends P1 250 Class points1. Pertemps 70 points; 2. Edox 66pts; 3. Team Eighty Eight 58; 4. Peters & May Racing 57; 5. Typhoo 55; 6. Helvetia Wealth 52; 7. Haas Racing/SS Racing 42. 8. Rough Cut Racing 41 P1 150 Class points1. Team Purple 77 points; 2. Eclipse 65; 3. Team Fox 60; 4 = Aztec Racing, Black Magic 38; 6 = Red/Macdonald Mermaid 34 8. Flying Sparks 26.
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Edox ticks off first place
Edox won the opening P1 SuperStock 250 race in Plymouth this afternoon, with a dominant performance that was the class of the field. Rough Cut Racing had to work hard to secure second place after a closely fought race-long battle with third placed Pertemps. Rookie crew Team 88 continued its amazing run of form by securing fourth place ahead of Helvetia Wealth, Peters & May Racing and Typhoo. In the P150 Class Macdonald Mermaid won on its return to the series beating opening round winner Team Purple into second place. Team Fox recovered from a slow start to grab the final place on the podium.
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Powerboat P1 USA Teams up with H1 Unlimited for Inaugural Season
After a year of building and planning for the introduction of Powerboat P1 racing in North America, P1 USA is ready to scorch the water with the help of the H1 Unlimited Air National Guard hydroplane series. P1 USA and H1 Unlimited will race together at four venues in the 2011 schedule, including the season opener in Madison, Ind., July 1-3, the Gold Cup in Detroit, Mich., Houston, Texas, September 2-4 and Bayfair in San Diego, Calif., September 16-18. “This is an important step for P1 USA,” said Martin Sanborn, P1 USA Managing Director. “The event schedule for our initial season had to be spectacular, and we can’t think of a better way to make a splash than to be involved with the pageantry and professionalism of the H1 Unlimited series. With their title sponsor for 2011, the Air National Guard, the events with the H1 series will be incredible.”Added H1 Unlimited Chairman Sam Cole, “The inclusion of the P1 USA and the SuperStock series into the H1 event platform will allow us to bring another professional series to the water at some of longest-standing event venues in the sport. They are capable of running on shorter courses, and can continue to run in the roughest conditions, insuring continuous water activity.” The two series leaders initially met last year when P1 USA participated in the Detroit Gold Cup event, hosted by the Detroit River Racing Association (DRRA). Cole and Sanborn confirmed the individual event details when they met at the Desert Storm Poker Run in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., in late April The P1 USA format will feature the SuperStock series, which is aimed at levelling the playing field in powerboat racing, and bringing back dynamic competition that has been missing for more than a decade. SuperStock is a “single-design” series where every boat will be identical. The P1 SuperSport tag line: One Series, One Boat, One Engine, and One Champion, outlines the series philosophy. The odds are even, and the pilot is what makes the difference. The SuperStock series runs on closed courses and also has a unique Match Racing format that will keep the fans and the teams engaged with close and intense competition. The courses will complement the H1 courses, at 2 to 3 miles, keeping the action close to the spectators.With the addition of the H1 Unlimited events, the P1 USA schedule is complete, Madison, IN July 1-3Detroit, MI July 8-10Morehead City, NC Aug 19-21Houston, TX Sept 2-4San Diego, CA Sept 16-18
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P1 Panther pulls punters at Jersey Boat Show
Powerboat P1’s new 250hp Panther boat created a stir at last weekend's Jersey Boat Show as the countdown began to its racing debut in the Peters & May Jersey Grand Prix of the Sea at St Aubin’s Bay on 11/12 June. The one-design 28ft boat will compete at five venues in this year's UK SuperStock Championship, which sees head-to-head match racing being introduced for the first time. Pictured with the P1 Panther (left to right) are Port of Jersey Commercial Director Myra Shacklady, Howard Le Cornu , Port of Jersey CEO and Harbour Master and P1 SuperStock Teams Development Manager Paolo Callea, whilst local Team Fox racers Liam McDermott and Martin Colligan try the cockpit for size.
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NEW-LOOK 2011 P1 SUPERSTOCK CALENDAR CONFIRMED
P1 SuperStock Championship promoters have unveiled a 2011 race calendar featuring five new Grand Prix of the Sea events as they seek to revolutionise UK powerboat racing with an all-new affordable boat and front-running one-make class. For the first time the P1 SuperStock series goes North, with races on the Humber in sight of the iconic suspension bridge and a finale in the stunning setting of Albert Dock in Liverpool.“Now that we have a much more accessible sport thanks to the introduction of the P1 Panther SuperStock craft, we can take the championship to new waters and reach a wider audience for powerboat racing”, commented P1 Chief Operating Officer Robert Wicks. “The races in Hull and Liverpool are a major step forward in making the sport accessible to a new legion of potential fans.”The eyes of the powerboat racing world will all be on Jersey when the opening P1 SuperStock race meeting of 2011 blasts off in St Aubin’s Bay, with the P1 Panther making its UK competition debut on Saturday and Sunday, 11/12 June. Five weeks later the series moves on to Plymouth (16/17th July) closely followed by a trip to the North East for the race on the Humber based at Hull Marina (30/31st July).In another first, the P1 SuperStock championship will be a major attraction at the British Powerboat Racing Festival in Cowes during August Bank Holiday weekend. Sunday’s event will be run to a mini-endurance format with a special Cowes-Poole-Cowes race. “The race could prove crucial in the outcome of the title fight and crews will have the added challenge of racing over a longer distance than normal”, Wicks added. The televised championship reaches its climax in the setting of Liverpool’s Albert Dock, with the potential for the finale to play out in front of the season’s biggest live quayside audience. P1 SuperStock Championship dates:• Jersey, June 11th-12th, St.Aubin’s Bay• Plymouth, July 16th-17th, Sutton Harbour• Hull, July 30st-31st, The Humber• Cowes, August 27th-28th, Egypt Point• Liverpool, September 10th-11th, Albert Dock
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