The poster for the 2013 Diamond Race is posted below & available for download.
Click to open full size.

Congratulations to the team of Hellrazor on winning the 2013 Club Marine Southern 80 – Outright.

Top 5 Outright

Hellrazor – Mark Cranny, Damien Matthews, Peter Proctor, Jason Walmsley in a time of 30:36.84

99Psycho Clowns – Daniel McMahon, Ian Baker, Michael Kelly, Wayne Mawer in a time of 31:41.94

Merc Force – Don Gully , Grant Patterson, Jake Tegart, Kristofer Knights in a time of 31:43.0

Stinga – Gregory Houston, Kevin Boylan, Ben Hackett, Jack Houston in a time of 31:43.32

Sapphire – Tim Pickford, Chris Gelle, Aaron McQualter, Tom Smith in a time of 31:59.30

Full results can be downloaded here

The 2013 E&A Racing Rules have been ratified by the E&A Racing Council. Edited by Vera Van den Bossche, Thea Klarenbeek & Jules Leysen E&A Racing Council members and thanks to all officials that helped with the updates.

Any new or re-worded rules are indicated in red.

Electronic verions of these rules are available at IWWF.com, E&A (Racing and Skirace.net

• This booklet covers E&A Racing rules only
• For World Championship rules, go here
• For National races, refer to your individual country

Updated January 2013

Download the rule book

7 February 2013

Ski Racing Australia has today confirmed a broadcast deal and schedule that will see water ski racing broadcast on commercial free ?to?air television for the first time in the sports long history.

Seven Network’s 7Mate channel will broadcast one  ?hour episodes of all three rounds of the inaugural Australian Waterski Racing Championship (AWSRC) beginning with Redcliffe on Sunday,

10 February at 12:30pm.

Geelong and Newcastle will follow at the same time on the 17 & 24 February respectively. The Championship action will be followed by hour ?long broadcasts of both the Bridge to Bridge and

the Southern 80 river races, again at 12:30pm on Sunday the 3 & 10 March.

Noel Griffin, Ski Racing Australia Chairman, says the formalising of the broadcast arrangement represents a coup for Australian ski racing.

“This is the most significant television deal in the sport’s history, and huge step forward for all our participants” said Mr Griffin.

“We were confident that the new Australian Championship would be an attractive proposition for television – this confirms the appeal of the sport as a whole, whether it is the elite championship

competition or the river classics.

“To have five hour ?long broadcasts on free?to?air commercial television is a first for us, and we are proud to partner with the Seven Network as we continue to grow participation and interest in the sport in this country.”

Described as the twenty ?twenty format of waterski racing, the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship events comprise of shortened World Championship course races that are less than

20 minutes in length with up to 40 boats on the course at the same time, racing at speeds of up to 220km/h. Combine this with the fact it is the world’s richest ski racing championship with a total prize pool of $60,000, the AWSRC presents the highest quality and most intense racing the sport has ever seen.

Scott Young, head of V8 Supercars Television, and his company 5 Oceans Media were engaged to produce the broadcast packages for the Seven Network, securing Nina Fordham as Producer and Nathan Prendergast from Ignition Productions as the Director, further increasing the quality and professionalism of the television broadcast.

The television schedule on 7Mate is as follows:

NAUTILUS MARINE SKI RACING CHAMPIONSHIP on 7MATE

EP 1 – 12:30pm (EDT) R1 – Redcliffe SUN FEB 10

EP 2 – 12:30pm (EDT) R2 – Geelong SUN FEB 17

EP 3 – 12:30pm (EDT) R3 – Newcastle SUN FEB 24

RIVER ENDURANCE RACES on 7MATE

EP 4 – 12:30pm (EDT) Bridge to Bridge SUN MAR 3

EP 5 – 12:30pm (EDT) Southern 80 SUN MAR 10

6^th February 2013

The 2013 Club Marine Southern 80 is finally here! All the action will be happening at the finish line, located at Victoria Park Boat Ramp, Echuca. We have 599 entries this year, with the most entries into 60 mph Social, 60 mph Expert and Unlimited Inboard Expert. Boats and teams are coming from 416 towns across Vic, NSW, QLD and SA, to compete in the world’s biggest ski race event.

Friday will be the Coates Hire Breakfast with the Stars in Moama, where a massive range of race boats will be on display, teams are available to talk to the general public, along with some stars signing posters and a photo opportunity for the kids!! Then scrutineering and briefing will occur at the Moama Water Sports club rooms, Annesley Street Echuca.

Saturday Morning is the Total Tools Static Display in Hare St Echuca. A selection of boats will be on display for the public to view, along with some of the teams! A great morning out with the kids to show them the boats up close. Social classes will be competing during this time, with the Beechworth Bakeries Bakers Blitz and Presidents Dash following Saturday afternoon. Sunday’s racing will see the expert classes throughout the day. Entertainment will be provided both days at the Finish Line, including the Carlton Dry Chill Out Area, featuring 2 TV screens, a MotoX demonstration and The Aspen Parks Playground for the kids, which costs $10 per day. All spectators entering the Finish Line must pay an entry fee of $20 per day, $30 for a weekend pass, children under 13 free. Please no BYO, glass, or Dogs.

Superclass is the main event, where the big boats will be trying their hardest to break the record and get their skiers over the finish line in the quickest time possible. Teams entered into Superclass race on Saturday afternoon to find out their position starting time for Sunday’s racing.  Teams who have entered include Hellrazor, 99 Psycho Clowns, Argo, Blazen, Elm Street, Gassa, Hellbent, Sapphire, Merc Force, Superman, The Sealord Mistress, The Syndicate,  and Top Gun.

Be sure to visit the merchandise tent at the Finish Line for all this years’ Southern 80 Official Merchandise, in the same area as the food and drink vans, and many other trade sites to keep everyone occupied and busy throughout the weekend’s events.

Keep an eye on the racing and the big screens at the finish line, where footage of helicopters following boats can be viewed. This year we have many local competitors entered, so stay tuned by the program or the Southern 80 App for their starting times. A kids page is in the back of the program – make sure the kids enter the competition to win some really cool prizes! Race predictions are also listed in the program for each class event, another reason to watch for the boats – see how well the predictions match up to the results!

We wish goodluck and safe racing to all competitors, and expect all spectators to enjoy the racing and to head “Swim on Race Day No Way”.

Results and updates from the weekend will be “twittered” on the Southern 80 Twitter page http://twitter.com/southern80 as boats cross the line.  Full final results will be available from the Southern 80 web page at the conclusion of presentations. The Southern 80 App is now available from

For further information regarding the event you can visit www.southern80.com.au or contact the Moama Water Sports Club on 03 54806754.

30^th January 2013

The 2013 Club Marine Southern 80 is almost here, with just one week until the impressive weekend! Teams should be organised by now, practicing their starts and runs up and down the river, getting to know the course.  With the Race Program being finalised, it will be available to purchase this Friday, from The Southern 80 Shop, Echuca/Moama Newsagencies and other usual places. The Southern 80 App is also available to purchase on the Apple Store and Google Play, which is constantly being updated with teams and race info.

Predictions for expert classes are as follows;

Last year’s Veterans winner was Top Gun towing Jamie Oliver and Steve Rowe – will the boat win again with a change of skiers this year to Shane Helson and Chris Bennett? Tadpoles winner last year was Robertson Racing, this year the fight is between Billy Barnes behind Thunderstruck and Race Cotton behind Team 50.

The Bakers Blitz is important to determine the starting positions for Sunday’s racing, last year Hellrazor won, will Cranny win this year again or maybe the record holder – The Syndicate! Presidents Dash we will be looking out for Stinga towing Ben Hackett and Jack Houston, two young skiers who will be hard to beat.

200hp Outboard last year was Saintn, however Messy with Nathan Evans and Thomas Bishop might be hard to beat this year. Junior Boys was Wild Turkey last year, Llyod Woolman and Mac Bachelor skiing, who have now both stepped up to Boys.  Pigs Arsenal is the one to look out for in this race. Junior Girls could be Spinal Tap with Tayla and Rachael, or Raicey with Crystal and Jessica.

Sub Junior Boys will be a fight out between In Strife towing Alex and Lachlan, and Nipple towing Blaze and Riley. Sub Junior Girls looks like Thunderstruck with Emma and Brooke. 60mph and 70mph are always tough racing – boats sticking to the speed limit without breaking out!

Superclass may depend on the Blitz from Saturday’s racing – Hellrazor, Blazen or The Syndicate. Unlimited Inboard will be a fight between Burnin (Andrew Griffin, Jamie Oliver) and Stinga (Ben Hackett, Jack Houston). Unlimited Outboard last year was Cyclone Racing – a fight between them and Bullett Racing this year. 8 Litre could be Dylan Stevenson and Cameron Mitchell behind Super Slak or Robbie Skennerton and Chris Mansfield behind Carlton Dry Racing.

6 Litre’s winner last year was Shady Ace, Ultra Troublemaker may be battling it out for the win. MOC could be Ace, Streamline and Optimus Prime. SMOC will be a toss up between Sonic Boats, Alien Force and Little Man. Stock 6 Litre last year was Pest – this year maybe Hollow Point with Robert Polites and Steven Czapp. F2’s winner last year was Miss Force – this year Team 50 are the ones to beat, with 99 PC hot on their heels.

5.2 Litre & 6 Cylinder Inboard should be Monopoly, towing Rory Brockwell and Brad Winter. Open Women Expert will have Revival with Chels and Kylie for the win, Prime Time and Recoverys Reflection racing for second and third. 16-19 Boys looks like Pigs Arsenal towing Sean Stevens and Jackson Hammond, with Chief close behind. 16-19 Girls will be a close race between Aimee and Cody behind Tachycardia and Ash and El behind Cinders.

Don’t forget Coates Hire Breakfast with the Stars on Friday morning at the Soundshell in Moama.  There will be plenty of entertainment down at the finish line, both Saturday and Sunday – $20 per day entry, $30 weekend pass, under 13’s free.

Results and updates from the weekend will be “twittered” on the Southern 80 Twitter page http://twitter.com/southern80 as boats cross the line.  Full final results will be available from the Southern 80 web page at the conclusion of presentations.

For further information regarding the event you can visit www.southern80.com.au or contact the Moama Water Sports Club on 03 54806754.

27^th January, 2013

Junior ski racers Mitch Mulcahy and Rachel Stapleton have established themselves as the future stars of Australian water ski racing by claiming the Boys and Girls classes of the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship.

The performances of Mulcahy and Stapleton look likely to ensure that Australia will remain the powerhouse of world ski racing.

The Boys class was the closest championship fight on the schedule in Newcastle and it didn’t disappoint. Entering the weekend with a ten point lead, Mulcahy and Shamick Racing managed the three races over the weekend – finishing on the podium in the first two races, and winning the final race of the championship today.

Blake Atkins (Still Kidn) did enough to hold on to second place in the championship ahead of the fast finishing Brayden Jameson (Tuff N Ruff), who won both of Saturday’s races in Newcastle.

“Blake was closest to us, so we were mostly trying to stay in front of him over the weekend,” said Mulcahy.

“Yesterday was great – we had a swell come through the course and it really changed things up and made it exciting. We haven’t had that at the other races – it was awesome, and the crowd was massive.

“When we crossed the line today, I saw the boys in the boat were getting pretty excited and that’s when I realised we had it, and I started to get the feeling that all the hard work has paid off.”

In the Girls’ Class, Rachel Stapleton continued her dominance, completing a 100 per cent winning record for the championship.

Stapleton was guaranteed the championship when today’s Juniors schedule was reduced to just one race. Regardless, she made it 11 from 11 after being forced to switch to a different boat for today’s race (99 Psycho Clowns Racing F2).

It hasn’t always been easy for Stapleton, missing the start in one of the races at Geelong and breaking a rope in yesterday’s second race.

However, each time Stapleton has faced adversity she’s fought back and won – twice beginning the last lap in second place.

“After the last two rounds, I set myself the goal of trying to win all of the races,” said Stapleton. “I’m feeling pretty good about achieving that right now.

“Yesterday we had some drama when we got a knot in the rope and it snapped at the start.

“We didn’t lose a huge amount of time, but we lost about 40 feet of rope which made it a lot harder than the first race – especially because it was rougher in that one too…

“We just passed them on the last lap, which was really exciting.

“I have had so much fun throughout this whole series! I’ve just really enjoyed – to win all the races has been a bonus.”

Boys, FINAL Championship Standings:

1)      Mitch Mulcahy, Shamick Racing

2)      Blake Atkins, Still Kidn

3)      Brayden Jameson, Tuff N Ruff

4)      Ben Atkins, 21

5)      Jesse Burns, Team 50

Girls, FINAL Championship Standings:

1)      Rachel Stapleton, Robertson Racing

2)      Rebecca Petre, Nutcracker

3)      Jessica Smith, Smithy Racing

4)      Brooke Langham, Triple 6 Racing

5)      Lucy Savona, Meltdown

27^th January, 2013

Australian World Champion Leanne Campbell has won the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship in the Formula 2 Women’s class, wrapping it up with victory in Race 6 on Newcastle Harbour today.

Campbell and the Tuff N Ruff team entered the final race of the series nine points ahead of Chelsea Blight (Shamick Racing).

She would go on to claim her fifth race out of six in the championship in the darkness and heavy final race and secure the F2 Womens’ title.

It was a dominant victory for Campbell, who only recorded one second place in the series, behind Blight in Geelong.

Campbell said the result was a huge achievement for the whole Tuff N Ruff crew.

“We put this team together really late in the piece,” she said.

“It was only a couple of weeks before the first race when we decided that we had to be a part of this Championship – we couldn’t miss it.

“It has all gone really well though, from the first race – we just clicked, and the entire championship has been a pleasure to run with these guys.”

In other classes, Daniel Cotton and Trudi Stout had already wrapped up the F2 Men and F1 Women titles respectively before today’s racing.

However, that didn’t stop them both from completing clean sweeps of their competitions – both recording six wins from six race starts throughout the series.

“To do three 15 minute races in a day, flat out, takes a lot of fitness,” said Cotton. “The connection with the skier, the driver and the observer is really important and only really comes from experience – which, we’re lucky we have.

“Yesterday was pretty cool – I’ve skied here before with good crowds but yesterday was that rough that you just didn’t have time to look around, you were too busy trying to read the water and hanging on.”

For Trudi Stout, securing her F1 Women’s title in Geelong didn’t stop her from winning both races in Newcastle.

“There was definitely less pressure this weekend,” said Stout, “but it’s nice to win all six races – I definitely wanted to get a perfect score.

“This series is so different – I remember at the first round at Redcliffe, I couldn’t walk on the Sunday night. I didn’t know what to expect – they’re shorter races, but you’re still spending the same amount of time on the water, but you’re at 90 to 100 per cent the whole time as opposed to maybe 70 per cent in a normal 45 minute race.

“Being on at the same time as the men was real motivation to try and beat some of them and compare yourself to them in the same conditions.”

F2 Men Results, Race 6 of 6:

1)      Daniel Cotton, Team 50

2)      Ben Hackett, 99 Psycho Clowns F2

3)      Andrew Teal, Still Kid’n

F2 Men, FINAL standings:

1)      Daniel Dotton, Team 50, 150 points

2)      Ben Hackett, 99 Psycho Clowns F2, 122 points

3)      Justin Cadden, XXX Racing, 82 points

F1 Women Results, Race 6 of 6:

1)      Trudi Stout, Twenty Four

2)      Maddison Boyer, Recovery’s Reflection

F1 Women, FINAL standings:

1)      Trudi Stout, Twenty Four, 150 points

2)      Maddison Boyer, Recovery’s Reflection, 88 points

F2 Women Results, Race 6 of 6:

1)      Leanne Campbell, Tuff N Ruff

2)      Chelsea Blight, Shamick Racing

3)      Kelsey Feros, Nutcracker

F2 Women, FINAL standings:

1)      Leanne Campbell, Tuff N Ruff, 147 points

2)      Chelsea Blight, Shamick Racing, 135 points

3)      Kelsey Feros, Nutcracker, 80 points

27^th January, 2013

Two-time World Champion Wayne Mawer has won the inaugural Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship with the 99 Psycho Clowns Racing team.

Mawer, driver Daniel McMahon and observer Ian Baker had built such a lead going into today’s final race that they only needed to finish to secure the $25,000 winner’s prize – which they did with a solid second place.

After 40,000 people lined the shores of Newcastle Harbour for Saturday’s running as part of the Newcastle Maritime Festival, only the most foolhardy – and waterproof – dared emerge for the torrential rain pouring down on Race 6.

In heavy rain and poor visibility, ‘The Clowns’ ran with title challenger Peter Procter behind Hellbent early, before being slowed on the inside behind traffic. The Championship leaders played it safe from there as Procter and Team Hell got a good run through the same traffic to extend their lead.

Procter scored his third win of the championship, tying with Mawer for race wins – a mechanical failure at the first round in Redcliffe, seeing the Team Hell skier fighting an uphill battle.

In Newcastle, Procter tamed the rough conditions on Saturday and the smoother water of Sunday to clean sweep the final round .

Jake Tegart had his strongest weekend of the championship behind Merc Force, with his two best results of the series; fourth on Saturday, and his first podium with third today.

The result saw him overtake Mark Weaver for third in the championship after Burnin encountered mechanical difficulties. Weaver and his Noel Griffin Racing crew had been running in second behind Hellbent, before retiring just after mid-race.

Earlier, both heats were cancelled after a dangerous seas warning caused the many ships anchored off Newcastle to head into the harbour, resulting in a one off Final this morning to settle the championship (grid positions were set in championship order after Race 5).

The two-time World Champ named winning the championship as one of his career highlights.

“Honestly, this is probably the best thing that’s ever happened to ski racing in Australia,” said Mawer.

“It’s a hard series, it’s not a walkover at all – the races are short, but they’re intense and there’s a lot of them.

“I’m closer to the end of my time in the sport than the start of it, so to be a part of it, to win it for the first time, it’s a proud moment for me.”

For Procter, it was a bittersweet day, clean sweeping the Newcastle event, but falling short in the championship chase

“Realistically, we knew it was unlikely we could get Wayne, but we just had to win both races,” said Procter.

“We were tied on points with Mark Weaver going into today, so we were mostly focused on beating him to second in the championship.

“I’m ecstatic with second. I’m here to win – even the heats – it’s disappointing not to win, but over the six races 99 Psycho Clowns were the most consistent and they deserved it.

“We want to come back and get them next year.”

Jake Tegart was shocked to find himself on the Championship podium, after heading to Newcastle seventh in the points standings.

“Yesterday we seemed to get it together,” said Tegart. “We got third in both heats, and then we got fourth in the final.

“I wasn’t too happy with that after I’d been third in the heats – but we got another third in today’s race and it’s bumped us right up there.

“I’d never really done any previous short course F1 racing, behind these big boats against the world’s best – at the start I was pretty rusty, but we’ve got better and better throughout the three weekends of racing.

“Coming up against guys like Pete and Wayne, who are just in another league again… Just competing against them and seeing what they do really pushes you.

“Some of the other guys had some pretty bad luck today, but to come in third is great.”

Results, Race 6 of 6:

1)      Peter Procter, Hellbent

2)      Wayne Mawer, 99 Psycho Clowns Racing

3)      Jake Tegart, Merc Force

4)      Ben Gulley, Showtime

5)      Craig Gordon, Kaotic

Final championship standings:

1)      Wayne Mawer, 99 Psycho Clowns Racing, 141 points

2)      Peter Procter, Hellbent, 119

3)      Jake Tegart, Merc Force, 98

4)      Mark Weaver, Burnin, 94

5)      Ben Gulley, Showtime, 93

The 2013 Club Marine Southern 80 App is now available to download from iTunes and Google Play

The Southern 80 Water Ski Race is an annual world renowned water ski race event held in Echuca, Victoria, Australia in February each year.

Keep up to date with all the latest event information for the race weekend, including dates, times, activities, maps, race teams and much more.

For ski racers, spectators and anyone with an interest in the sport, this is the app for you!

This application will continue to provide updated information for your benefit, at only a small cost!

Features include:

– Event information

– Timetable of events

– Race teams and start times

– Link to race results

– Twitter feed

– Sponsors involved

– Map of river and surrounding towns

Google Play

iTunes

26^th January, 2013

Australia’s water ski racing elite has put on a spectacular display today as part of the Newcastle Maritime Festival.

Amid treacherous conditions in on Newcastle Harbour, skiers battled huge swells, strong winds and driving rain thrilling the thousands of spectators lining the foreshore.

Sydney’s Peter Procter shrugged off a boat change before this morning’s first heat, and a robust challenge from championship leader Wayne Mawer to win perhaps the toughest race of the season.

However, Mawer and his 99 Psycho Clowns Racing team have one hand on the championship after their second place – only needing to finish tomorrow’s race to wrap up the world’s richest ski racing championship.

The day didn’t start out well for Procter and Team Hell, with the team being forced to sideline its primary circuit racing boat, Tru Blue, with a technical problem – however its replacement, Hellbent, seemed ideally suited.

They still came out of the blocks fast, winning Heat 1 from Mawer and the Clowns in the best of the day’s conditions.

However, Heat 2 brought testing conditions, with heavy rain and winds causing havoc for crews – the race eventually being red-flagged one lap short – Mawer and team led Procter by just three seconds at that stage.

Procter’s pole position would prove decisive on the unique Newcastle Harbour course, which features the only right hand bend in the championship.

The Final would again bring tough conditions, with sideways rain hitting skiers in the face on the finish straight in front of the hardy spectators watching on.

This saw slower speeds as boats spectacularly leapt out of the water and high into the air. As they rounded the bottom turn and headed up around the sheltered side of the point at Stockton, boats ran flat around the right hander up to the top corner, nudging speeds of 190km/h.

Hellbent driver Mark Cranny held the preferred inside line all race, pushing 99 Psycho Clowns (driven by Daniel McMahon) wide every time it challenged.

Procter would eventually hold off Mawer to remain in the title hunt, with Mark Weaver and Burnin finishing a high-flying third place.

Young Jake Tegart had his best result of the championship season behind Merc Force, running consistently all day to record a fourth place finish. Daniel Graziano rounded out the top five behind Superman.

Procter said today’s conditions were the ultimate test for a ski racer.

“This is what it’s all about,” said Procter. “We’re here to find the best ski racers – we don’t want it to be easy.

“That had a bit of everything – it was fast up the back, and unbelievably rough down in front of the foreshore here.

“Today’s a tribute to our entire team – they all need to be totally on their game when it’s like that. Who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow!? We know what the situation is and we’ll be there giving it everything.”

The final day of the Nautilus Marine Australian Water Ski Racing Championship will see some of the world’s best ski racers throwing it all on the line tomorrow to try and claim their share of the $60,000 prize pool.

Racing runs from 9:30am to 4pm on Newcastle Harbour.

Results, Race 5 of 6:

1)      Peter Procter, Hellbent

2)      Wayne Mawer, 99 Psycho Clowns

3)      Mark Weaver, Burnin

4)      Jake Tegart, Merc Force

5)      Daniel Graziano, Superman

Standings after Race 5 of 6:

1)      Wayne Mawer, 99 Psycho Clowns, 119 points

2)      Peter Procter, Hellbent, 94 points

3)      Mark Weaver, Burnin, 94 points

4)      Daniel Graziano, Superman, 87 points

5)      Jake Tegart, Merc Force, 78 points

26th January 2013

Newcastle skier Daniel Cotton has wrapped up the Formula 2 title in the Australian Water Ski Racing Championship, winning his fifth straight race to maintain his perfect record in the series.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the hometown racer, skiing behind Team 50, in the testing conditions.

After qualifying on pole position for the F2 Class, Cotton began eking out a lead over his closest challenger in the race, Ben Hackett (99 Psycho Clowns F2).

However, just after half distance Cotton became unwrapped from his harness – a dire scenario in such conditions.

Miraculously, Cotton hung on for two full laps of the 4.5km course and maintained his lead, before he was able to wrap the harness back behind him again on the final lap.

It was a manful performance from the man that has dominated his class this series.

In the Women’s F2 class, World Champion Leanne Campbell (Tuff N Ruff) extended her points lead by three, to nine points over Chelsea Blight by winning her fourth race out of five.

Campbell only needs to finish tomorrow’s finale to claim the F2 Women’s Championship.

Trudi Stout is another that has dominated her Class in this year’s championship. The Twenty Four team skier has now won all five races in the F1 Women’s Class and wrapped up her championship at the last round in Geelong, Victoria.

The final day of the Nautilus Marine Australian Water Ski Racing Championship will see some of the world’s best ski racers throwing it all on the line tomorrow to try and claim their share of the $60,000 prize pool.

Racing runs from 9:30am to 4pm on Newcastle Harbour.

F2 Men Results, Race 5 of 6:

1)      Daniel Cotton, Team 50

2)      Ben Hackett, 99 Psycho Clowns F2

3)      Steven Robertson, Thunderbird

F2 Men, Standings after Race 5 of 6:

1)      Daniel Cotton, Team 50, 125 points

2)      Ben Hackett, 99 Psycho Clowns Racing, 100 points

3)      Justin Cadden, XXX Racing, 82 points

F1 Women, Results Race 5 of 6:

1)      Trudi Stout, Twenty Four

2)      Maddison Boyer, Recoverys Reflection

F1 Women, Standings after Race 5 of 6:

1)      Trudi Stout, Twenty Four, 125 points

2)      Maddison Boyer, Recoverys Reflection, 66 points

F2 Women, Results Race 5 of 6:

1)      Leanne Campbell, Tuff N Ruff

2)      Chelsea Blight, Shamick Racing

3)      Kelsey Feros, Nutcracker

F2 Women, Standings after Race 5 of 6:

1)      Leanne Campbell, Tuff N Ruff, 122 points

2)      Chelsea Blight, Shamick Racing, 113 points

3)      Kelsey Feros, Nutcracker, 60 points

It is with deep sadness & regret that I have to inform you all that Wendy Waite passed away January 24th after a long illness. Wendy was one of the loveliest persons to be around, supporting her husband Rob & family,  being part of ski racing for 30 years actively involved

23^rd January, 2013

F2 racers Daniel Cotton and Leanne Campbell have been standout performers in the inaugural season of the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship.

Both enter the final round of the series on Newcastle Harbour this Australia Day weekend with one hand the trophy for their respective championships.

Cotton has dominated the Formula 2 class for men, winning all four races held in the championship at Redcliffe, QLD and Geelong, VIC, to date.

He heads to his home event with an 18 point lead, needing to simply finish either Saturday’s or Sunday’s race to clinch the F2 title with Team 50.

While maintaining a perfect record has been key to Cotton’s championship lead, he has also been helped by some fierce competition behind him.

Justin Cadden sits second in F2 after scoring two second place finishes for XXX Racing. Cadden, Ben Hackett (99 Psycho Clowns F2), Zac Welch (Target) and Richard Souwer (Rapid Pulse) are the skiers that have joined Cotton on the podium over the four races to date and are separated by just 12 points in a group behind the leader.

Cotton, from Eleebana, says he still faces a challenge to wrap up the championship, despite his success to date.

“We’re not going to approach it any differently,” said Cotton. “There’s a bit more up for grabs, but for us it’s just like any other weekend – you want to push it, but still ski within yourself.

“Newcastle’s my home course – it’s going to have a great atmosphere and it should be a big crowd there too.

“The harbour is tough; it is a mixture of every kind of condition you can get – it’s rough and technical water, and you’re going to need a fair bit of experience to manage it.”

World Champion, Leanne Campbell, has been similarly impressive in winning three out of four races behind Tuff N Ruff in the Women’s F2 category.

Campbell’s lead, however, is a much slimmer six points over Victorian Chelsea Blight – who has remained close after finishing second in the first three races, before turning the tables for her first win of the series in Sunday’s race at Geelong.

Campbell, from New South Wales, will be forced to take a more aggressive approach to the weekend.

“I’m not really going to think about the championship,” said Campbell. “I’m going to go out there and try to win each race.

“I’ve only raced at Newcastle Harbour once before, and I loved it – it’s very exciting to be out there with the spectators really close to the action.

“This racing is awesome… It’s so intense; such a physical and mental test – I think the spectators that come along will really enjoy the weekend.”

The final round of the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship is on at Newcastle Harbour on 26-27 January.

Men, F2 Standings after Race 4 of 6:

1)      Daniel Cotton, Team 50, 100 points

2)      Justin Cadden, XXX Racing, 82 points

3)      Ben Hackett, 99 Psycho Clowns F2, 78 points

4)      Zac Welch, Smoken Mirrors, 71 points

5)      Richard Souwer, Rapid Pulse, 70 points

Women, F2 Standings after Race 4 of 6:

1)      Leanne Campbell, Tuff N Ruff, 97 points

2)      Chelsea Blight, Shamick Racing, 91 points

3)      Kelsey Feros, Nutcracker, 40 points

The 2013 Club Marine Southern 80 is fast approaching with all teams and race officials getting organised for the big weekend. This year’s race sees 599 entries, the top three biggest classes are 60 mph social with 47 entries, 60 mph expert also with 47 entries, and Unlimited Inboard Expert with 33 entries over the weekend. The class with the smallest number of entries this year is 16-19 Girls with only 3 entries.

Over 1040 competitors have entered this year, coming from 416 towns across Australia. 307 boats have entered, which are travelling mostly from Victoria, followed by New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, 1 competitor from Tasmania and also 1 competitor from Western Australia.  We also have two International Competitors both from New Zealand, skiing behind Gassa in Superclass.

People aged between 7 and 75 will be competing in the 2013 Southern 80, which is a huge range! Five Family teams have entered including Argo (Superclass), Team Clog (Stock 6 litre Social, Stock 6 Litre Expert, Senior Social), Money Muncher (70 mph Social, 70 mph Expert), Head Hunter (60 mph Social) and The Mover (60 mph Social) so keep a look out for these teams!!  David Elliot, Brett Wisemantel and Chris Stevens are mixing things up by entering multiple races, where they will be driving, observing and skiing!  13 Other competitors have also entered multiple classes, competing in up to 4 races over the weekend, keeping them all very busy!

Spectators should also look out for Jack Houston, who is the current World Junior Boy’s Champion, skiing behind Stinga in Unlimited Inboard and Grant Turner, the current World F2 Men’s Champion who will be hanging on behind Blazen in Superclass.

The exciting Bakers Blitz on Saturday afternoon takes off at 3.30pm with boats including Hellrazor, Blazen, Superman, 99 Psycho Clowns, Merc Force, Elm Street, Sapphire Racing, Top Gun, Hellbent, The B, Argo, Gassa, Sealord Mistress and The Syndicate. The President’s Dash will follow after the Blitz, with many more fast teams racing their way to the finish line.

Something new to The Club Marine Southern 80 this year is the Southern 80 App, available on the Apple Store and Google Play as of Monday 28^th Jan. The App will provide up to date details on the event information, race teams and start times, twitter feed, a link to results and much more – for the benefit of competitors and spectators.

The finish line for the event will be held at Victoria Park Boat Ramp, on the 8^th, 9^th and 10^th of February, where most of the action will be. Entry is $20 per day pass or $30 for a weekend pass, children under 13 are free.

Friday morning is the Coates Hire Breakfast with the Stars (7am till 9am), followed by Scrutineering and briefing for competitors (11am till 5pm). The launch night will begin at 7pm, for directors and sponsors, where tickets must be pre purchased.

Saturday’s racing consists of the social classes and the Bakers Blitz and President’s Dash, with the expert classes racing on Sunday. Entertainment throughout the weekend will be held down at the Finish Line, Vic Park Boat Ramp, so make sure your down there to check it all out and enjoy the Biggest Water Ski Race in the World!

Results and updates from the weekend will be “twittered” on the Southern 80 Twitter page http://twitter.com/southern80 as boats cross the line.  Full final results will be available from the Southern 80 web page at the conclusion of presentations.

For further information regarding the event you can visit www.southern80.com.au or contact the Moama Water Sports Club on 03 54806754.

Wayne Mawer waves up

22^nd January, 2013

Some of the world’s best ski racers will be in Newcastle this Australia Day weekend, battling it out at speeds of up to 200 km/h on Newcastle Harbour as part of the National Maritime Festival.

The event is the third and final round of the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship, the world’s richest ski racing championship with a prize pool of $60,000.

Locations in the exciting new championship were selected for their ability to offer spectators and broadcasters the best vantage points, as well as providing exciting racing conditions. Newcastle Harbour ticks all of those boxes, and was selected as the ideal choice for drawing the inaugural Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship to a close.

Two-time World Champion Wayne Mawer has one hand on the championship, leading by 23 points, going into the final round in Newcastle.

Mawer and his 99 Psycho Clowns team have won three of the four race finals held in Queensland and Victoria, and only need to finish one of the races in Newcastle to claim the championship.

Queenslander Mark Weaver (Burnin), and New South Welshmen Daniel Graziano (Superman) and Peter Procter (Tru Blue) are currently in an intense battle for the minor placings, with just five points separating second through fifth.

As the only skier aside from Mawer to win a race this season, Team Hell’s Peter Procter, has suffered with mechanical problems throughout the series and, after tasting victory in Geelong, is likely to put pressure on those in front of him.

The challengers will be buoyed by the fact that at both previous rounds, 99 Psycho Clowns has suffered two separate mechanical issues. Unfortunately for them, on both occasions the championship frontrunner has responded with unrelenting speed.

Outside of the overall championship challengers, another five classes will be decided at Newcastle, with F2 Men, F2 Women, Boys and Girls titles still very much up for grabs. Only F1 Women has been decided ahead of the final round, with Trudi Stout from New South Wales having won all four races behind Twenty Four.

Rick Love, technical director for Ski Racing Australia, says the Newcastle public are sure to see some spectacular racing.

“The whole purpose for this new championship was to create a spectacle – something that looks good at the venue and on television,” said Mr Love.

“As soon as the concept for this championship was drawn up, we immediately thought of Newcastle Harbour as the perfect location.

“It’s fast, it’s tricky, but most of all the spectators on the foreshore are right on top of the action. It’s going to be intense.

“After the first two rounds, I can tell you, this racing is not for the faint of heart – it’s fast, it’s close… On every single day of the championship to date there has been racing moments that have just been exhilarating.

“There’ll be even more of them at Newcastle – and the spectators will see them all.”

Aside from the skiing action, spectators will also see Freestyle Motocross and wakeboard demonstrations between races, as well as having a chance to win a $10,000 holiday to XXXX Island in Queensland by visiting the XXXX Retreat.

Round 3 (Races 5 and 6) of the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship will run on Newcastle Harbour on 26-27 January.

Championship Standings after Race 4 of 6:

1)      Wayne Mawer, 99 Psycho Clowns, 97 points

2)      Mark Weaver, Burnin, 74 points

3)      Daniel Graziano, Superman, 71 points

4)      Peter Procter, Tru Blue, 69 points

5)      Codie Rigg, RCM Racing, 62 points

16^th January 2013

The 2013 Club Marine Southern 80 is almost here, with only three weeks before the big event of fast and exciting racing! This year’s event will be held 8^th, 9^th & 10^th February 2013, with all the action happening at the finish line, located at Victoria Park Boat Ramp, Echuca.

We have 599 entries this year, with the most entries into 60 mph Social, 60 mph Expert and Unlimited Inboard Expert. Boats and teams are coming from 416 towns across Vic, NSW, QLD and SA, to compete in the world’s biggest ski race event.

Friday Morning will consist of The Coates Hire Breakfast with the Stars (7am to 9am) at the Kerribee Sound Shell in Moama. See the stars of water ski racing, along with a huge range of boats. Kids have a chance to meet some of the stars and are able to have their photo taken, along with some signed posters. Stars such as Danny Cropper, Brian Griffin, Maddi Boyer, Jack Houston and Llyod Woolman, will be available for photos. Food and drinks will be available at Coates Hire Breakfast with the Stars.

Saturday Morning is the Total Tools Static Display in Hare St Echuca. A selection of boats will be on display for the public to view, along with some of the teams! A great morning out with the kids to show them the boats up close! Whist the display is happening down the main street, the social classes will be taking off from Torrumbarry, finishing at Victoria Park Boat Ramp.

The finish line is the best place to watch the boats screaming around the corner to the finish line. With an action packed area, the cost of entry is just $20 per day or $30 for a weekend pass. Children under 13 are free!  Tickets may be purchased from the website www.southern80.com.au . During the racing throughout the weekend, the finish line will have the Aspen Parks Playground to keep the children amused (10am – 4pm), which includes face painting, jumping castle and a bucking bull!  The Club Jeep Corporate Area (10am – 5pm), Freestyle Moto X display where you can catch all the action of Brenton Drager & Matty Lewis perform tricks and massive jumps! There is also a wide range of trade sites to keep spectators busy!

Saturday Afternoon racing consists of Veterans, Tadpoles (under 10’s) and Senior Social, who take off from Five Mile Boat Ramp at 12 noon. Once the boats have completed their race, the Bakers Blitz and Presidents Dash will take off at 3.30pm, also from Five Mile Boat Ramp. The Bakers Blitz and President’s Dash are racing for the starting positions for Sunday’s racing – so a good time to be down on the water at the finish line!

Sunday’s racing is the expert classes, starting from Torrumbarry Weir at 8.30am, racing the 124 bends through the bendy river to the finish line at Victoria Park Boat Ramp. Classes 14-20 take off during the morning, whilst classes 1-13 will take off at 12.30pm. Make sure you don’t miss out on all the fun and excitement down at the Finish Line, with great entertainment throughout the whole weekend.

The river is closed to all unauthorized navigation on Saturday and Sunday. More information can be found on the Southern 80 website www.southern80.com.au .

Official Southern 80 Results and updates from the weekend will be “twittered” on the Southern 80 Twitter page http://twitter.com/southern80 as boats cross the finish line.  Full final results will be available from the Southern 80 web page at the conclusion of presentations. Competitors and Spectators are able to ‘Like’ us on Facebook, to keep up to date with the latest news on the Club Marine Southern 80.

For further information regarding the event you can visit www.southern80.com.au or contact the Moama Water Sports Club on 03 54806754.

Water Ski Racing Calendar 2013 GB and Region EA International 10012013

My Youtube channel ( My i.d. is ” Badlad77 ” ) has clocked over 250,000 views !

Thanks to everyone that has supported the page and of course watched my movies.

I’m up to a total of 332 movies on there now and they range from Old School stuff from 1989 onwards to today.

I have tried to include individual skiers names to the Tags on each applicable movie to help potential sponsors to find footage of you.

If there is a movie of you that I’ve shot and there is no tag, please let me know and I can add it easily.

I’m also able to load unlimited timed movies on my channel, so if you have a movie longer than 20 minutes, feel free to send it to me @
PO BOX 864, NOOSA HEADS, QLD, 4567.

Dont forget to subscribe to my channel, to see the latest movies as they hit the net !

http://www.youtube.com/user/badlad77

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of one of the Old School greats Troy Dolan.

Troy started racing in the early 80’s behind his Dad Peter’s Bullet, Boss Hogg, and quickly became one of the Super Stars of the sport.
Teaming up with the Action crew, Troy regularly won many titles and awards.

Condolences to Peter, Val & Sonia Dolan and Troy’s two young boys and Cindy and his many friends and extended family at this sad time.

Troy had such a beautiful, gentle and very cheeky soul. By all who knew you – you will be greatly missed. Forever in our hearts!!!

Troy’s Funeral details are, Wednesday 2nd January, 11am at Mulqueen Funeral Directors, Bridge St, Bendigo.

Jeff Mirich, a long time NWSRA member, passed away from pancreatic cancer on Dec.11th ,2012 at the very young age of 56 yrs.old!! It’s been a long hard battle for all of us and we are just glad he is not in pain any more. We want to thank you all for your support and love during this difficult time. Thank you for the emails and phone calls. We would like to suggest that instead of sending any flowers, if you?d like, you can make a donation to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Research.

You can send cards to Char, Carey and Jeffrey at:

22700 Running Rabbit Ct. Canyon Lake, CA. 92587.

Jeff was a natural, very gifted athlete that could do anything he tried, without much effort!! He was an avid ski racer, boat racer, scuba diver, motorcycle rider…you name it, he tried everything and did everything to the fullest…AND with the BIGGEST smile you’ve ever seen!! Enjoying every second, inch, mile, race, ride that he was on!! Just an awesome athlete and lived life to the fullest til the very end!! Even a spontaneous Jeff moment ski ride to the Isthmus, Catalina, moor their boat at favorite spot, scuba dive all day and then sometimes ski back to Huntington Beach!! That was Jeff!! Full throttle!!

He and Char ski raced from 1984 to 1993. He participated in the Nationals in the Flatbottom class and the Outboard class. He skied the Catalina Ski Race several times, and competed in marathons with Char in the Double Up class. They both started the PolarBear Fun Run..(Winter Catalina Ski Ride(Race) on New Year’s Day) just cuz it was something to do after a New Years Drink!! haha!! Char made and did all the Ski Race video tapes for years…for all the Drivers, Observers, Teams with the funny input from Jeff!!

A memorial service for Jeff Mirich will be held after the Holidays per Char’s request. They’re thinking Jan. 4, 2013 in San Pedro vicinity, where he was born and raised. There will be a paddle out at Cabrillo beach prior to the service. We’ll let you know, soon…

Jean Van Dyck of www.studioboule.be has produced this video of Belgium’s Hailey Van de Ven at the Grobbendonk race in October 2012.

Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship – RD 2 Geelong Highlights

Join our Facebook page to keep up to date with all the happenings in the Nautilis Marine Ski Racing Championships www.facebook.com/awsrc

The Australian Titles will be held at Lake Charm in VIctoria, on Friday 11 – Sunday 13 January 2013 and will be hosted by Ski Racing Victoria.

Click for a full listing of the Schedule with notes and for a copy of the registration form @ the SRA website @ http://www.skiracing.com.au/australian-titles-entry-form-schedule/

A different format will be running this year with the event being held over a 3 day weekend.

** Entries close Wednesday 2nd January 2013.

Entry Form and Schedule of Events are available to download, also from the SRV website. www.waterskiracing.com

Entries can be submited by:

Mail: SRV Secretary , PO Box 2017, West Essendon, VIC. 3040
Fax: 03 8616 9337
Scan and email: srvsecretary@gmail.com

Please ensure that you have read the notes on the entry form as to the numbers of classes you can enter, the costs, late fees and briefings.

Skiers may nominate in one Age Division (i.e. Age & or Open), Social Men or Women, One Engine class
and One Marathon Class.

Raceday Registration period from 7:30am until 8:30am each day when all competitors for the day are
required to attend for brethalysing and skier helmets will be checked.

CONDITION OF ENTRY-
A Roster system will be put in place to assist with running of the event. All people entered will be added to the roster and expected to help out when required. Please check the website for the roster Wednesday prior to the event to find out when you are rostered on. If you can’t volunteer during the allocated time you will be expected to find a replacement or you will not race. By entering you accept this condition of entry.

* Facebook event page @ https://www.facebook.com/events/115701541928665/

Congratulations to Team Hell on another great Sydney Bridge To Bridge win on the weekend making it 3 in a row

Hellrazor wins the 2012 Feros Hotel Group Bridge to Bridge Water Ski Classic in 38.57.16

Driver: Mark Cranny
Observer: Damien Matthews
Skier: Peter Procter
Skier: Jason Walmsley

Full details for all classes at www.skiracing.com.au

This year’s Bridge to Bridge is again Live on the net, courtesy of www.hawkesburyradio.com.au

Sunday 2nd Dec from 9am local Sydney summer time till the finish of Superclass

See below for time zone conversions

www.hawkesburyradio.com.au

Check out more time zones here

Skiracetv interviews Gavin Robertson ahead of his attempt at the 2012 Feros Hotel Group Bridge 2 Bridge Water Ski Race in the 60mph class.

Make a donation here www.everydayhero.com.au/waterski because Gavin is doing this for the Steve Waugh Foundation, fundraising money for Children with rare Diseases.

Luc Belde has produced this TV footage of the 2012 European Championships at Genk Belgium.

25^th November, 2012

Two-time World Champion Wayne Mawer and the 99 Psycho Clowns Racing team have won the fourth race of the Australian Water Ski Racing Championship today.

Today’s race again showed the quality of Australian ski racing, with some of the world’s best dicing throughout the field on the tight Corio Bay short course.

Mawer, driver Daniel McMahon and observer Ian Baker led the championship by 16 points going into today’s race, and will leave Geelong with a 23 point lead going into the final two races in Newcastle in January.

Today’s two heats were split between Mawer and Peter Procter (Tru Blue, with the faster overall time giving the 99 Psycho Clowns crew pole position – and they made the most of it, by beating the field to Turn 1.

Tru Blue (Procter, driver Mark Cranny and observer Damien Matthews) dropped back to fourth after Turn 1, but were quickly battling for second with Grant Turner behind Blazen (driver Noel Griffin, observer Bernie Simpson), who got a flying start.

On the second lap Tru Blue pulled ahead and would go about chasing after the lead 99 Psycho Clowns boat.

By mid race distance, Procter and his crew were making inroads in Mawer’s lead. With one lap to go, “The Clowns” had managed to pull away slightly, but traffic on the last lap caused hesitation for the lead boat.

As the leaders rounded the final buoy, Tru Blue got a fast run down the outside of the main straight, launching one final challenge – however, Mawer and his team had enough, fending off their rivals by half a rope length.

Behind, Noel Griffin Racing team mates Blazen and Burnin (skier Mark Weaver, driver Gary Holzwart, observer Cliff Bamford) would stage a race long battle for third place.

Burnin spent most of the race chasing Blazen after the latter’s superb start, however at about three-quarters race distance Turner’s team would pull ahead to secure his first podium finish for the championship.

Codie Rigg followed his impressive podium finish for RCM Racing in yesterday’s race with a solid fifth today, while Daniel Graziano powered on with broken ribs and a broken collarbone behind Superman for sixth.

The 99 Psycho Clowns team and it’s two-time World Champion skier have now separated from the rest of the field with a 23 point championship lead – a race win is worth 25 points.

With Mawer on 97 points, Mark Weaver (Burnin) has moved into second place on 74 points, ahead of Graziano (71 points), Procter (69 points) – who has moved up from ninth to fourth at Geelong, and Codie Rigg (62 points) in fifth.

“Obviously, we can play things a little smarter now,” said Mawer, “but we don’t really want to do that. We’d rather keep going strong – at the end of the day, if it gets a bit risky we can settle now.

“We can look at the points and work out what we need and go from there – but that’s not really Daniel’s style [driver, Daniel MacMahon] either.”

The final round of the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship is on at Newcastle Harbour on 26-27 January.

Race 3 Results:

1)      Wayne Mawer, 99 Psycho Clowns Racing

2)      Peter Procter, Tru Blue

3)      Grant Turner, Blazen

4)      Mark Weaver, Burnin

5)      Codie Rigg, RCM Racing

Championship Standings:

1)      Wayne Mawer, 99 Psycho Clowns Racing, 97 pts

2)      Mark Weaver, Burnin, 74 pts

3)      Daniel Graziano, Superman, 71 pts

4)      Peter Procter, Tru Blue, 69 pts

5)      Codie Rigg, RCM Racing, 62 pts

  World Champion and winner of Race 3 in the F2 Women class, Leanne Campbell.

24^th November, 2012

Daniel Cotton (Team 50), Trudi Stout (Twenty Four) and Leanne Campbell (Tuff N Ruff) all kept their perfect records in tact in their respective classes in Race 3 of the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship.

All of them followed up their wins in Race 1 and 2 in Redcliffe with a perfect score on Saturday in Geelong, winning both heats to set up pole position, and subsequently win Race 3 in their classes.

At the halfway point of the series, Daniel Cotton (F2), Trudi Stout (F1 Women) and Leanne Campbell (F2 Women) all have a stranglehold on their championships.

Today, Cotton beat home the consistent Justin Cadden with XXX Racing, and Ben Hackett skiing behind 99 Psycho Clowns F2.

Trudi Stout beat the improving Maddi Boyer (99 Psycho Clowns) in F1 Women, while World Champion Leanne Campbell took out F2 Women over Victoria’s Chelsea Blight, who was hampered by injury in Heat 2, but skied the Final.

In the Junior classes, Mitch Mulcahy (Shamick Racing) and Rachael Stapleton (Robertson Racing) dominated, winning both of their races.

For Mulcahy, the two wins gave him the championship lead over Blake Atkins (Still Kidn) by ten points, while Stapleton has now won six straight races in the Girls class and is firmly entrenched at the top of the standings.

Race 3 winner Tru Blue.

24^th November, 2012

Needing a win to keep their championship hopes alive, Peter Procter and the team aboard Tru Blue have taken their first win of the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship.

Race 3 featured tight battles throughout the field as some of the world’s finest ski racers put on a show in Geelong.

Despite being one of the championship favourites, Procter sat in ninth place after the two races at Round 1 in Queensland – a mechanical problem in Race 2 spoiling his weekend there.

However, the Sydneysider teamed with Mark Cranny (driver) and Damien Matthews (observer) to take Tru Blue’s first win of the series and reduce their gap to points leader Wayne Mawer.

Mawer and his 99 Psycho Clowns team were unable to capitalise on their pole position, getting away tardily amid confusion at the start.

The two-time World Champion, driver Daniel McMahon and observer Ian Baker dropped as low as seventh on the opening lap and spent the rest of the race working their way through the field.

After fending off Burnin and Superman in a three-wide battle mid-race, “The Clow
Behind the two frontrunners, Cody Rigg of RCM Racing upstaged some more fancied rivals to take the final step on the podium after a thrilling last lap.ns” closed on Tru Blue but were unable to get close enough to make a proper attack.

Rigg and Mark Weaver (behind Noel Griffin Racing’s boat Burnin) entered the last lap neck-and-neck, with Rigg on the inside and Weaver on the outside. RCM Racing got a huge run out of Turn 2 as the boats headed down the long, kinked front stretch and blasted down the outside to take third.

Behind Weaver, Jake Tegart took fifth with Merc Force, while Grant Turner and Blazen encountered trouble at the start (classified ninth), and Daniel Graziano behind Superman had problems on the last lap when racing with RCM and Burnin.

The victory rockets Peter Procter and Tru Blue from ninth to fifth in the championship standings at the halfway mark. However, Wayne Mawer and the 99 Psycho Clowns Racing team have doubled their championship lead, now leading by 16 points over Daniel Graziano and Mark Weaver in a tie for second.

Teams will return to the water off Geelong for Race 4 tomorrow, before the final round in Newcastle in January.

Race 3 Results:

1)      Peter Procter, Tru Blue

2)      Wayne Mawer, 99 Psycho Clowns Racing

4)      Mark Weaver, Burnin

5)      Jake Tegart, Merc Force

Championship Standings:

1)      Wayne Mawer, 99 Psycho Clowns Racing, 72 pts

2)      Daniel Graziano, Superman, 56 pts

3)      Mark Weaver, Burnin, 56 pts

4)      Ben Gulley, T-Rubble, 48 pts

5)      Peter Procter, Tru Blue, 47 pts

24^th November, 2012

Championship leader Wayne Mawer will start on pole position with his 99 Psycho Clowns Racing crew for Race 3 of the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship.

Mawer, driver Daniel McMahon and observer Ian Baker didn’t have it all their own way in the heats, withstanding a challenge from Tru Blue in Heat 1, before eventually prevailing.

Tru Blue would retire from Heat 1 at mid-race with a jammed trim tab, leaving Noel Griffin Racing team mates Mark Weaver (Burnin) and Grant Turner (Blazen) to complete the top three.

Behind them, Codie Rigg was an impressive fourth for RCM Racing, with Daniel Graziano coming in fifth behind Superman.

Tru Blue’s boat was repaired in time for Heat 2, and Peter Procter and crew made the most of it, winning the heat to salvage the team’s hopes for the Race 3 Final.

99 Psycho Clowns challenged Tru Blue early in much rougher conditions, before settling in behind for a relatively comfortable run home to second.

Daniel Graziano, skiing with healing broken collarbone behind Superman, was third in Heat 2, ahead of Mark Weaver (Burnin) and Jake Tegart (Merc Force).

Blazen, with Grant Turner skiing, did not start Heat 2 after suffering a starter motor failure immediately following Heat 1 – the crew will return to action for the Final this afternoon.

The results see 99 Psycho Clowns qualify fastest, ahead of Burnin, Superman, RCM Racing, and Merc Force. Fancied runners Blazen and Tru Blue will have to come through the field from the last and second last qualifying positions on the F1 grid respectively.

In F2, Daniel Cotton and Team 50 dominated, winning both heats to qualify on pole position, ahead of Richard Souwer and Rapid Pulse, Justin Cadden and XXX Racing, Ben Hackett (Psycho Clowns F2), and Steven Robertson for Robertson Racing.

In the Women’s classes, Trudi Stout (Twenty Four) and Leanne Campbell (Tuff N Ruff) continued their excellent form on from Round 1, winning both heats and taking pole position for F1 and F2 respectively.

The wind is up on Corio Bay, and it appears likely to stay up for this afternoon’s Final.

James Minchin has shared a portion of the Danny Cropper story that he ran in this year’s superb edition of Ski Race Review.

Danny Cropper has achieved more in ski racing than most will ever dream of – but it seems no matter how much you achieve, there’s always more to be done.

Having lived on the Hawkesbury River for nearly all his life, Cropper’s dream was – and still is – to be the King of the River, a title bestowed upon seven-time Sydney Bridge to Bridge winner Geoff Hardaker.

After achieving an unprecedented four Bridge to Bridge wins in succession between 1989-91, it seemed like Cropper was destined to at least match Hardaker’s record – but now it seems the dream will go unfulfilled. Although that burning ambition lives on, the amiable Cropper certainly doesn’t let it eat away at him – and when you consider his achievements in the sport, it’s easy to understand why he can be more than happy with his lot.

After all, five Sydney Bridge to Bridge wins, two Southern 80 victories and a host of other outright wins in all the river classics is more than even the most ardent young ski racer could dream of. And to top it all off, the icing on the cake is that Cropper earns a living doing what he loves best, as the maker of DC waterskis, the rails preferred by a long list of world champions.

When asked how he first got involved in ski racing, Cropper has a fairly stock-standard answer – “it was a natural progression”. Having first started skiing when he was five behind his parent’s fishing boat on Sydney Harbour, Cropper’s involvement in the sport was inevitable as soon as his parents bought Ko-veda Caravan Park in 1972, when Cropper was six.

“Our upbringing was pretty awesome – we used to jump in our tinnie and either ski to school or ride bikes,” Cropper said. He competed in – and completed – his first Sydney Bridge to Bridge when he was eight and from then on he raced through the junior ranks, not only in ski racing, but also setting speed records.

“My parents, they restricted us a lot, as they didn’t want us skiing behind nutbags and hurting ourselves,” Cropper said. “The guys we used to ski behind were on the (caravan) park, 90 per cent of the time.”

Although Cropper’s parents were wary of him being injured, setting speed records back in the 1970s – when Grant Torrens was clocking jaw-dropping speeds – was a dangerous business. Skiing behind Comanche, Cropper set an Under 13 Boys speed record of 86mph as a 12-year-old, but when he was 15 he got a true taste of how dangerous the sport can be.

“I got pulled on my head and woke up with a broken neck in hospital,” Cropper said. “I was skiing behind Torrens Title, with Wayne Jones driving the boat, and I basically got pulled out of my ski at 115 mile an hour.”

Cropper said the night before, Torrens – who still holds the world water ski speed record of 156mph – also suffered a nasty fall. “Grant Torrens went through the lights and the lights snapped, or malfunctioned, at the end of it. He went through at 145 or 148 mile an hour easily and the boat backed off and he fell on his bum and slid for probably 500m,” Cropper said.

“He came back and, honest to God, his whole body, from the neck to his ankles on his back where he slid, was black from bruising.”

________________________________________________

Want to hear more about Danny’s amazing efforts? – including the world’s longest ocean skiing marathon; his progression through the junior ski racing ranks to eventually enter – and dominate – Unlimited behind Supafortress; his outright river race successes with Top Gun, Mirage, Rolco and Argo; and his experiences building DC Waterskis, preferred by champions the world over?

Then head to www.skiracereview.com and purchase a copy of Ski Race Review 2011-12. The 72-page magazine covers all the major events on the Australian calendar, including the Sydney Bridge to Bridge, Southern 80, Grafton Bridge to Bridge, Mildura 100, Robinvale 80, Hawkesbury 120, Barrie Beehag, Berri 90 and the Australian Titles. And apart from the feature story on Danny Cropper, there are also feature stories on Stephen Robertson and Ian Tricker!

Get your DC gear at www.dcwaterskis.com.au

Download the latest Force Update in PDF here

Week-end of 1st & 2nd December will see the 51st running of the iconic Bridge to Bridge Water Ski Classic from Dangar Island, along the length of the majestic Hawkesbury River, to Windsor a total of 112kms.

This year will also see the entry of Australian cricket legends Steve Waugh & Gavin Robertson.

The team of “Stinga” Formula 2 will run in the 60 mile per hour class in the main race on Sunday with Steve Waugh observing, Gavin Robertson and Ron Ross skiing with Alex Ross driving. All to raise funds for the Steve Waugh Foundation and to also introduce future participants to the entry level of this world class Sport.

Throughout the week-end there will be exhibits, food stalls and attractions for all the family at Governor Phillip Park Windsor with entry at $15 per day, 2 day Adult passes at $25.00 or a Family Pass of $35, Pensioners at $5 per day and Children under 12 Free.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to witness over 100 teams compete for the coveted Bridge to Bridge Trophy.

Gates open both days from 8.00 a.m., with Racing commencing both Saturday & Sunday from 9.00 a.m.

All enquiries to NSW Water Ski Federation, www.waterskinsw.com.au or 8116 9809

Well an action packed day of racing, saw Burnin from Queensland take out the overall Barrie Beehag event in a time of 22:53.87.  The team Gary Holzwart (Qld), Brian Griffin (Echuca, Victoria) & Andrew Griffin and Richard Sower (Qld) were competing in the Unlimited Inboard / Outboard class, beat all the Other boats for the honour of winning the 2012 Barrie Beehag ski race.

150 boats and crews attended briefing and started preparations for a great day of racing on the sunny Saturday morning.

The first boat to front the starter was Hellrazor, last year’s winner.  As the starters flag dropped the boat steered by Mark Cranny went to take off, when there was a large ‘pop’, – the team floated to the side.  It was later revealed that a transmission had malfunctioned and that ended the team chances of another win in the Barrie Beehag.

The next team on the water was Elm Street with Danny Timewell driving, Peter Strike observing and skiers Troy Baren and Justin Cadden. They had a smooth start and they made the turn around in a time of 11:48.

The Syndicate did not attend the event, but their skiers Kevin Vahtrik and Danny Cropper instead skied behind Gassa who took off in position 9.

The fourth boat away was Noel Griffin’s Blazen towing Grant Turner and Mark Weaver, they made half way point in at time of 25:31, but did not make the return leg.

In Superclass the winner was 99 Psycho Clowns with Daniel McMahon and Ian Baker in the boat and skiers Michael Kelly and Wayne Mawer in a time of 23:28.34.  Second was local boat The Mistress with Leo Welch and Chris Gelle in the boat and skiers Zac Welch and Ben Gulley in a time of 23:28.62.  Very close racing.

Unlimited Inboard / Outboard was won by Burnin, with Omen Racing Second in a time of 24:11.51, with Thundernuts third.

Super Slak Racing won the 8 Litre class towing Dylan Stevenson and Cameron Mitchell in a time of 24:36.18 and a new class record.

Evinrude Ace racing won MOC expert in a record time 27:47.02, Darren Spencer and Anthony Nott were in the boat with skiers Shane Floyd and Gerard Atkins.

Ultra Trouble Maker towing Ray Ball and Jason Cartledge beat their current record in this class with a time of 24:15.56.

SMOC Expert saw the team of Alien Force towing skiers Dale Linaker and Ben Pearse complete the course in time of 29:31.90.

Messy Racing, Sky High and Saintn all broke records in the 200hp Outboard class.  Messy racing’s time was 30:14.96 with Tony & Georgia Mithen in the boat and skiers Nathan Evans and Clinton Stratton.

Under 19 / Boys and Girls, saw the Chief team of Todd Newman and Luke Simpson in the boat and skiers Tyron Naismith and Brandon Togni complete the course in a time of 26:42.03 to win their class.

Pigs Arsenal with skiers Sean Stevens and Jackson Hammond won the Junior Boys / Girls class in a record time of 25:14.99.

The 70 mph class saw the record broken by the top three boats of Thunderstorm, The Irrigator, Roughnutz.

60mph class saw Harrasment take the winner’s trophy in a time of 37:58.08 from Totally Against the Grain in a time of 38:45.32

Overall a great day of racing.  There was a delay in the turnaround of the event at Torrumbarry, this was due to removing stranded boats off the water and technical issues.

Full results can be downloaded from www.southern80.com.au

Entries for the 2013 Club Marine Southern 80 are available online now from www.southern80.com.au

2013 Club Marine Southern 80 entries are now OPEN. Visit our web page to download a form in pdf format or complete the Online form. Entries NOW online

An exciting weekend of ski racing for Echuca / Moama with people from all over Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland competing in the annual Barrie Beehag Water Ski Race. Held this Saturday (November 17^th), teams will start at Deep Creek Marina, racing their way to Torrumbarry Weir and return. Who will be the outright winner?

Last years’ winner Hellrazor will be the first to take off, with a change of skiers out the back. We will see Jake Tegart and Peter Procter skiing behind Hellrazor. The original entry had Jason Walmsley and Peter Proctor skiing.

With 150 entrants, all the excitement will all be happening at the Marina, with a $2 gate entry to watch the start and finish, where food and drinks are available for purchase. Half time entertainment will be provided for spectators including face painting, jumping castle, Mulwala ski show and Krash Jet Ski Display. Race programs are available to purchase for $5 from the Marina.

The class predictions have The Syndicate and Hellrazor battling it out to beat last years’ time of 23.25 in Superclass.

The Judge, Burnin and Sportspage look to be the top boats to beat in Unlimited, with 24 boats in this class, it could be any one of them who take podium honours.

In 8 Litre, Super Slak towing Dylan Stevenson and Cameron Mitchell and the teams of Avenger or Orsm which could take out the honours in this class.

MOC (Modified Open Cockpit) class, the favourite would be Evinrude Ace Racing towing Shane Floyd and Darren Reilly, who will lead the class from Deep Creek Marina. Sidewinder with Tom Bishop and Doug Perry will not be far from them, along with Smokin Mirrors 2 towing Laine Cox and Andrew Morgan.

Ultra Trouble Maker is out to break the record in 6 Litre, trying to match the big boys!  Another big class with 18 competitors, who are all very competitive, it is anyone’s race!

SMOC (Standard Motor Open Cockpit) is always a close race, with seconds generally separating the top 3.

Watch out for the girls – Lisa and Kristy behind Sky High in 200hp, they are ones to beat.

Under 19 Boys and Girls will have Chief towing Tyron and Brandon, leading the charge from Stalker towing Will and Jamie.

In Juniors, Pigs Arsenal towing Sean and Jackson, with Spinal Tap towing Tayla and Thomas look hard to beat them across the line.

60mph and 70mph are restricted classes, and continue to be well supported with 21 entries in 70mph and  25 boats in 60mph. very hotly contested classes – as long as they don’t break over!

You can follow the action on the day on Twitter via @southern80 or #beehag12

Entries for the 2013 Club Marine Southern 80 are available online now from www.southern80.com.au

For more information on this event, visit www.southern80.com.au and follow the links to the Barrie Beehag Ski Race or call Moama Water Sports Club on 0354806754.

The IWWF Racing Council has voted to support the bid from Spain to host the IWWF World Racing Championships at Tenerife in the Canary Islands, September 5 – 15, 2013.

The organisers have set up the following sites with official information:

www.skiracingworlds2013.es

Facebook page here

The island of Tenerife is approx 1,385 km south west by sea, from Cadiz on Spanish mainland.

The venue is apparently “Los Gigantes”. If you zoom in using the “+” sign in the Google Map below, you will get a close up of the place. Better-still, use Google Earth to get a better picture.

About the Canary Islands

About Tenerife

View Larger Map

Saturday 17th November 2012, will see the running of the 7th Annual Barrie Beehag water ski race, on the Murray River between Deep Creek Marina, Perricoota and Torrumbarry Weir.
Team Hell with Mark Cranny at the wheel and observer Damien Matthews have won the event four times. Can they make this their fifth? With winning the event last year in their boat Hellrazor towing Peter Proctor and Michael Kelly in a time of 23:25.37 can they do the same again? This time Cranny and Matthews are towing Peter Proctor and Jason Walmsley. Hellrazor will lead the 150 entries down the Murray River to Torrumbarry Weir.
The event starts early morning with briefing for all competitors at Deep Creek Marina at 7.30am. Boats are placed into the water, where they then head to the start line. Racing starts at 10am.
The best place to catch the action is at Deep Creek Marina. Entry is $2 per person or $5 per family. Official race programs are available at the Marina for $5.
Drinks and food will be available in the area, along with merchandise for sale, face painting, jumping castle and a great shady area to watch the action unfold on the river. During the break in the racing, there will displays on the water from the Mulwala Ski Show and Krash Jet Ski display – there is something for all members of the family.
Once racing starts, the boats leave the Marina area at one minute intervals, the last boat competing in the 60mph class – Southern Force, towing Tayla Hitnerholzl and Louise Mudgeway is last away.
Once all the teams have been accounted for at the Torrumbarry end, the teams are then given the ok to return to the Deep Creek Marina. Who will be the fastest? Will it be Hellrazor, Elm Street or one of the Unlimited boats such as Sportspage, Burnin or Thundernuts. We will know on Saturday afternoon.
Superclass teams competing in the event include Hellrazor, Elm Street, The Syndicate, Blazen, Hellbent, The Mistress, Sapphire Racing, 99 Psycho Clowns F1 and Gassa.
Boats are coming from New South Wales, Queensland, with the majority from Victoria.
The oldest competitor will be Noel Griffin from Queensland, the driver of Blazen, who won the event in 2009. The oldest male skier will be Noel Cartledge skiing behind Kausen Trouble in the 6 Litre Inboard class. The oldest female skier will be Vicki Shipp skiing behind Smokin Injuin in the MOC Expert class. The youngest skiers will be twin brothers Kane and Bryce Horne skiing behind Electric Shock in the Junior Boys / Girls class.
During racing, results will be updated via the Southern 80 twitter feed – http://twitter.com/southern80, with the final results on our web page www.southern80.com.au, later that night.

The 2013 Club Marine Southern 80 is to take place on 8th, 9th & 10th February 2013. Entry forms for this event will be available online at www.southern80.com.au from Saturday 17th November. These entries close on Monday 31st December 2012.
For further information regarding this event, you can visit the Southern 80 web page www.southern80.com.au and follow the links to the BB Ski Race Classic or phone the Moama Water Sports Club on +61354806754.

The new Bernico F1 xtreme – built in Belgium.

On Vimeo here

Entry forms and sponsorship package details for the 2012 Sydney Bridge to Bridge are available here

The NSW Water Ski Federation, in conjunction with The Feros Hotel Group, are proud to be able to offer an opportunity for you to take part in this year’s Bridge to Bridge Water Ski Classic on Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd December 2012.

From its beginnings in 1961 this race has grown to be recognised worldwide. Outlined below are a number of Sponsorship and Advertising Packages that will see your company become a part of the history of this great race.

Get full details here

SkiRace TV Episode 3 Grafton Bridge 2 Bridge 2012

Ben Hackett from Stinga has shared this movie from Grafton. They raced closely with Burnin all the way and over the line to win Unlimited Inboard.

Driver: Greg Houston | Observer: Kevin Boylan | Skiers: Jack Houston & Ben Hackett

It was billed as the championship that would revolutionise the sport of water ski racing.
While it is too soon to tell whether that will, in fact, be the case, for two days in September Round 1 of the Nautilus Marine Water Ski Racing Championship provided the kind of intense ski racing never before seen.
It was fitting, then, that the venue playing host to this new era was the scene of one of Australian ski racing’s finest hours, the 2011 World Ski Racing Championships on Bramble Bay at Redcliffe in Queensland.
On the same water exactly one year before, Australia claimed 12 out of 16 World Championships.
It was only fitting then, that Round 1 of the Nautilus Marine Water Ski Racing Championship, part of the Moreton Bay Regional Council’s Celebrate Redcliffe Festival, featured perhaps the finest field of one-up ski racers seen in Australia for years.
An entry list featuring Wayne Mawer, Peter Procter, Grant Turner, Mark Weaver, Daniel Graziano, Mick Kelly, Ben Gulley and Jake Tegart was always going to produce something special.
The race for a $25,000 winner’s cheque for the championship victor – ensuring the new championship is the richest in the world for ski racing – might also help.
However, as crews arrived for the first of three rounds comprising the championship, a number admitted to not having a clue as to how to this new format of racing would work – though they were unanimous in their enthusiasm for it.
“It is similar to the World Championships, in that it is a circuit-style format and we race side-by-side,” said Peter Procter, who returned from the USA in July after claiming his second Catalina Ski Race victory in three years.
“However, it is a much shorter course, and the races will last only 20 minutes or so – rather than the usual hour.”
“With so many boats on course at the same time, it’s going to be pretty crazy – hopefully me and the Team Hell guys can qualify well, get a good start and stay out of all the messy stuff behind us.”
Each round of the championship is split into two days of racing, with Race 1 held on the Saturday, and Race 2 on the Sunday – each is a separate race counting for the same amount of points toward the championship.
For each race, two qualifying heats are held. With ten F1 boats across the first row, ten F2 boats across the second row, and women’s F1 and F2 boats starting on the final row, the grid for the first heat is set randomly – the grid for Heat 2 is a reverse of that in Heat 1.
The combined times from both heats are used to set the grid for that day’s Race Final, with the fastest scoring, what would turn out to be, the all-important inside pole.
Points are only awarded for the final Race results – heats count for no points, and merely set the grid positions for each race.
RACE 1
With such a new format of racing, teams left the Pelican Park boat ramp not fully sure of what to expect…
They need not have worried.
From the dropping of the Australian flag to start Heat 1, Race 1 the action was spectacular – for competitors and spectators alike.
99 Psycho Clowns Racing, in a brand new Force boat (that the team weren’t even sure they would use when they arrived in Redcliffe), struck the first blow by converting an advantageous grid position to take out Heat 1 with Wayne Mawer.
Team Hell, utilising Tru Blue for the tight confines of the four kilometre circuit, minimised the damage of starting from an outside pole in Heat 1, Peter Procter crossing the line second.
However, the story of the heats for Race 1 would unfold in the second run after 99 Psycho Clowns and Tru Blue waged a side-by-side (and often airborne) battle.
With one lap remaining in Heat 2, 99 Psycho Clowns and Wayne Mawer pulled off to the inside of the course with broken steering, allowing Tru Blue to romp home unchallenged and claim pole position for Race 1.
Meanwhile, the disabled boat of 99 Psycho Clowns returned to the boat ramp and was whisked away for evaluation – the team unsure whether it would be able to fix the problem for Race 1 that afternoon. At best, the team would be mired down the field for the start.
Behind the frontrunners, the Noel Griffin Racing crew running F2 World Champ Mark Weaver behind Burnin inherited second place in Heat 2 and, combined with fourth in Heat 1, saw him take the second pole on the grid for Race 1.
The ominous-looking Superman with Daniel Graziano skiing began what was to be a remarkably consistent weekend with third and fourth in the first two heats setting up a third place start on Saturday afternoon.
“It’s a pretty exciting style of racing we’re doing here,” said Tru Blue’s observer Damien Matthews after Heat 2.
“This style of course seems to lend itself to the inside boats, so it’s harder coming from an outside grid spot. We didn’t take too many risks in that first heat, and just hoped that, with a better grid spot in that heat, we’d be able to get enough of a lead for pole.
“It was much, much rougher for that second heat – it was hard enough to just get the boats through, let alone ski in it. We were getting some big air on that back straight – doing a lot of prop-standing.
“It’s fun to race in when it’s close like that [in Heat 2 with 99 Psycho Clowns] – it makes it exciting for us and for spectators.”
Codie Rigg and the Triple 6 crew were the stars in F2 through Saturdays heats, starting Race 1 from fifth outright.
Meanwhile, 99 Psycho Clowns Racing returned to the pit area in time for Race 1, the steering fixed on their new boat – but due to start from the second row of the grid.
The other big name down the field for the start of Race 1 was Grant Turner and the Noel Griffin Racing crew in Blazen, who hit a hole in the water during Heat 2 that forced Turner to drop the rope.
Most who had watched the Saturday heats anticipated that Tru Blue would romp away from pole position – and with good reason.
Tru Blue and Peter Procter would be able to dart off from the inside pole, and spend the first couple of laps in relatively clean air – while the expected nearest challenger, 99 Psycho Clowns Racing and Wayne Mawer, would be stuck trying to pass slower traffic.
This proved accurate – at least for the first part of the race. However, as the field spread out things began to tighten up – Tru Blue, with Mark Cranny at the wheel, was being forced wide to pass the lapped traffic, while 99 Psycho Clowns Racing’s Daniel McMahon was able to hug the inside line throughout the entire race, almost exclusively passing slower crews on the inside.
By taking the shortest possible route around the course, 99 Psycho Clowns Racing was able to run a much faster race than the Tru Blue crew – the blistering and high-flying seven laps saw double world champ Mawer and his team take an unlikely Race 1 win.
“With a new boat, we normally wouldn’t go that hard – we just had to commit big time,” said McMahon. “We were getting some big air on the back straight because we were pushing so hard – it was scary big, but that was where we were making up most of our time.
“We knew our skier [Mawer] would hate it, but he knew what we were doing and was committed to it.”
Runner-up Procter was philosophical.
“It’s always disappointing to run second,” he said. “I think I’m lacking a bit of ski fitness to start the season – this is my first race since Catalina.
“I guess having Psycho Clowns on the second row made it difficult for us – it’s very challenging in these conditions and it made it hard to pace ourselves.
“We probably took it a little bit easy in the middle of the race and they caught up a bunch of time – we ran home pretty hard in the end but it just wasn’t enough.”
Graziano continued his ever-improving run with the Superman team, finishing just five seconds behind Tru Blue for the final step on the podium.
Mark Weaver and Burnin came in fourth, ahead of Jake Tegart (Merc Force) and Ben Gulley (Wild Thing).
In F2, Daniel Cotton (Team 50), beat home Richard Souwer (Rapid Pulse) and Justin Cadden (F2 Wild), while Trudi Stout (Twenty Four) and Leanne Campbell (Tuff N Ruff) took out the Women’s F1 and F2 races respectively.
RACE 2
Crews returned to Pelican Park on Sunday morning confident that they had a better grasp on this championship-style racing than they did 24 hours earlier.
It was predicted by many that the quality of the racing would improve as a result…
And boy, did it!?
Heat 1 was decided by just half a second, while the Race 2 final saw a late overtaking manoeuvre for the victory.
Spectators also saw the arrival of Daniel Graziano as one of Australia’s finest ski racers.
In Heat 1, it was Graziano and the Superman team that pounced when race leader 99 Psycho Clowns Racing was baulked by a pack of slower traffic on the last lap. Within striking distance, Superman driver Darren McGuire sensed an opportunity – and realised his only option was the outside. He bravely moved three lanes wide around the outside of 99 Psycho Clowns through the final two turns, hoping the better momentum would pay off…
It almost did. Sweeping way wide around the final turn (possibly just 50 metres from the shore), the black Superman boat, with the bright orange life jacket of Daniel Graziano trailing behind stormed home at the Race 1 winners.
They would come up mere inches short – a finish line a further 100 metres down the main straight would likely have changed the result.
The even bigger story in Heat 1 saw Tru Blue retire on the first lap with a broken transmission – it was a problem too great to fix, meaning Peter Procter and his team would be unable to compete at all in Race 2.
Superman would take the day’s second heat, converting an inside pole position into a comfortable win. Behind, Noel Griffin Racing team mates Mark Weaver (Burnin) and Grant Turner (Blazen) were fighting for the minor placings, with the Turner crew being driven by Griffin eventually prevailing.
99 Psycho Clowns Racing played it safe in Heat 2, dropping as low as sixth before making up time to finish fourth, and lock up the second place on the grid alongside pole-sitter Superman.
“The water’s a bit better for the drivers and observers today, but it’s definitely not easier on us,” said Graziano after Heat 2. “We’re pulling some pretty big speeds out there.
“Our boat is very light and is great on rivers, but the rough conditions yesterday didn’t really suit it – it was hard trying to keep it in the water, but today’s been really good.
“That first heat was intense – it took me ten minutes to get my breath back. My heart rate was through the roof…
“We were on the outside the whole way, but with the conditions the way they were we could go a bit faster and maintain our momentum.”
Burnin (with Weaver) and Blazen (with a much more comfortable Turner) would start Race 2 in third and fourth respectively.
From pole position, and with the heavily fancied 99 Psycho Clowns Racing crew in close proximity, Graziano admitted the game plan for Race 2 was simple… “Come out of the blocks as hard and fast as you possibly can, get out in front and hopefully let the others slow each other up.”
The plan worked too… For a while.
Superman and Graziano got away to the perfect start, winning out in the sprint to Turn 1. From there Superman was able to hold 99 Psycho Clowns at bay – every time Wayne Mawer’s crew got close, Superman driver Darren McGuire would hold the inside line and push his Psycho Clowns counterpart, Daniel McMahon wider.
Soon, McMahon and Mawer backed off and dropped in behind Graziano looking for a way past.
When the opportunity arose, McMahon didn’t need an invitation… At about two-thirds race distance, Superman and Graziano were forced wide to pass some slower traffic – which was all the incentive McMahon needed.
He swooped to the inside and the two crews ran side-by-side down the back straight, before McMahon’s inside line paid off around the final two bends. The 99 Psycho Clowns and Wayne Mawer slipped between Superman and the lapped F2 boat of Melt Down coming three wide onto the main straight.
From there, 99 Psycho Clowns would not be headed, gradually extending the lead to take out its second straight race.
“We were stuck on the outside and they were able to dictate terms really,” said Daniel McMahon after the race. “I saw a little window on the inside, so we backed off a bit, let them go and prayed that the traffic would work in our favour.
“As soon as we dropped back I thought I was going to cop it from the guys when we got in if I stuffed it up, but it worked for us so I shouldn’t get yelled at.”
Two-time world champion Wayne Mawer wasn’t going to be yelling at his driver.
“Once he saw an opportunity he had to take it because we wouldn’t have made it around the outside,” said the Queenslander. “They were just going to hold us wider and wider.
“It was a risk to drop back, but it was a calculated one as to whether you can get back in such a short race. After today, anyone can win this championship, but you’ve got to be in position and be prepared to take a few risks – conservative won’t work.”
Despite ultimately falling to his two-time world champion counterpart, Daniel Graziano remained upbeat.
“Wayne and Peter Procter are the pinnacle of the sport at the moment – they’re in a league of their own,” said Graziano.
“To go with Wayne and stick it to him – I know he didn’t do it easy, so there’s no shame to come second to a bloke like that.”
Behind, Mark Weaver and Burnin prevailed for NGR to take third, while Ben Gulley recorded a strong fourth place with Wild Thing, ahead of the other NGR crew of Grant Turner and Blazen rounding out the top five.
Mawer now leads the championship with 50 points, eight ahead of Graziano in second place, and another four ahead of Weaver in third.
In the F2 class, Team 50 and Daniel Cotton made it consecutive wins, finishing ahead of Justin Cadden behind F2 Wild, while Trudi Stout and Leanne Campbell also backed up victories in their respective classes.
JUNIORS & LOCALS
The Junior Boys class provided some of the closest racing of the weekend, proving that the future of ski racing is indeed in safe hands.
Running separately to the senior championship protagonists, the consistency of Blake Atkins behind Still Kidn (1x third place, 3x second place) saw him come out on top in the championship standings, four points ahead of Mitch Mulcahy, who won two races for Shamick Racing, and seven points ahead of Brayden Jameson, who took the other two wins behind Tuff N Ruff.
In the Junior Girls, Rachel Stapleton confirmed her reputation as the most promising girl in Australia, winning all four races for Robertson Racing – she sits 14 points ahead of Bec Petre, who was second in three out of four races skiing behind Nutcracker.
Daniel Campbell was victorious in the Local class, winning three out of four races behind The Patriot, while Jared Coey came second behind F2 Wild.
PARTY TIME
The Nautilus Marine Water Ski Racing Championship wasn’t just about ski racing, with a host of entertainment options for spectators between racing.
Freestyle Motocross superstars Cam Sinclair and Matt Schubring ran demonstrations in Pelican Park – as did the wakeboarding Teunissen brothers, Brad and World Junior Champ Cory on Bramble Bay.
XXXX Gold gave fans visiting its Retreat on the shore a chance to win a $10,000 holiday, while the kids were catered for with carnival rides in the park throughout the day.
It all made for a spectacular weekend of entertainment for the 12,000 spectators attending over the two days.

The Spanish Championship & 2nd International Open Race will take place in Tenerife, using the facilities of the Sport Port of Los Gigantes belonging to the municipality of Santiago del Teide on 11, 12 and 13 October.

Among the participants are the current national champions of Spain in all categories, plus locals Samuel Real current champion of the European Cup in category Euro-Kids-A and Cristina Guanche fourth of the European Championship and Cup in F3 female category.

Among the international participants will have two boats from Belgium (Nº 2 The Punisher and Nº 27 Axion) and the following skiers:

• Steven Van Gaeveren: 1st in European Championship and Cup in F1
• Dave Vansteelant: 3rd in European Championship and Cup in F1 and 6th in World Championship in F2
• Nico Bertels: 3rd in Diamond Race in F1
• Vicky Leysen: 3rd in European Cup in F1
• Buby Bertels: 2nd in European Championship and Cup in Junior
• Roel Hermans: 2nd European Championships and 5th European Cup in Seniors
• Neil Coppens: 1st in Antwerp Trophy Race in F2

Will Newland has produced another great video of the recent British national at Weston Super Mare.

Penarth Water Ski Club will celebrate 50 years at a celebration Dinner  Dance to be held at The Legacy International Hotel  Cardiff  Saturday 20th October . Organiser Dave LLewellyn has gone to great lengths in contacting past & present members of the club to celebrate 50 years of a great water Ski Club.

If you have any pictures of Penarth Ski Club please email them to karen@skirace.net

Dave LLewelllyn is the contact for tickets for this Iconic evening celebrating 50 years of Water Skiing Dave can be contacted on 01443 831155

Penarth Water Ski Club

Here’s another video from Kristy and Michael – this time on board Superclass boat Mercforce at the 2012 QLD State Titles 2012. KrizmikIndustries

Round 1 of the Nautilus Marine Ski Racing Championship was held at Redcliffe, QLD on the 14th & 15th September.
Here is a snippet of some of the action

Mike Charles is an event photographer who attended the Weston Super Mare GB National Round 8 on Saturday 22nd September. He managed to get some great photos (428 in all) of the action and if anyone is interested in any, visit Mike’s site at www.mikecharles-photography.co.uk

Chairman of British Racing, Barry Frame writes …The 2012 Racing Ball will be held once again at the Thistle Hotel Brighton, on Saturday 24th November, with the Racing Forum at 11am Saturday for all BWSW Members with voting by current licence holders & race officials.

Click the link below for the competitors’ pack for the British national race at Weston Super Mare.

Download the pack

There is a strong tradition of water skiing on Tenerife (Canary Islands) in Spain since the 70s and Jonas Garcia is one of those who keep the sport going today.

With there being 1000 miles from Tenerife to Spanish mainland, and 2000 miles to Belgium, it’s an expensive and time consuming task to compete in European championship races.

However the internet and social networks has made it possible for teams on Tenerife to learn more about the sport and improve.

Jonas has shared with us , a video of the Tenerife team “Kings of the Sea”.

3 x World Water Ski Racing Champion Chris Stout became the fastest man to ever ski up the Hawkesbury River, from Brooklyn to Windsor, in 2011 – behind Burnin’.

HELLRAZOR WINS THE 2012 HI-TEC OILS HAWKESBURY 120 WATER SKI RACE.

The first race of the 2012-2013 Super Series’ was an action packed success, with close racing in all classes all weekend and lots of record times absolutely obliterated.

The Sydney Sun gods were smiling, rewarding competitors with smoother water and low winds.

The race program introduced a few different skiers & boat combinations for this season, as well as some brand spanking new boats, never seen raced before.

As such the gossip on the bank was running in overdrive. Who would it be that takes it out ?

The Sackville Shootout, a 33km race for Sunday’s pole positions, from Sackville to Windsor, was a race that came down to a 1 second gap over the finish line between last year’s winner Superman and Queensland’s Blazen towing current F2 World Champion Grant Turner and Nth Qld’s Mark Weaver.

Stepping up into Super Class, after a few years of domination in the Unlimited Inboard class, was Darren Stewart and his super quick boat Agitator. Towing Kris Knights and Justin Cadden, the guys really kept the front 2 boats honest, finishing just 16 seconds back, beating their Unlimited record time by 4 seconds. ..Cant wait to see the new Force in action !

Following in 4th place was Hellrazor, towing Super Class newcomer Jake Tegart and former World Champion Jason ‘Zig’ Walmsley. Sapphire, the Mistress, Hellbent, the B, Elm Street and Top Gun rounded out the top 10 Super Class entrants, all within 1 minute of the winning time.

Saturday morning the racing started from 9am and the Social Class crews raced from Windsor to Sackville and return, followed by the Sackville to Windsor only, Veterans, Juniors and Disabled.

There were a lot of standout performances, with the MOC record being lowered by around a minute by the team from Cyclone Warning. Mitch Mulcahy and Jake Vanzetta also nabbed the race record in the Formula 2 social, behind 99 Psycho Clowns Team 4. Kylee Jones and Stephanie Barens skied their hearts out behind Andy Smith’s brand new Force hull, Wild Thing, to knock around a minute of Kylee (and Ann Procter’s) 2008 record in Womens. The Noosa Heads based team No Fear won and set a new record in the 200hp class.
Sunday dawned, with crowds building quickly, ready for the 9am blast off. Once again there were fantastic, still conditions greeting competitors.

Superman had earned the pole position and the instant the flag dropped, you could see that it was going to be the same ‘catch us if you can’ attitude, as the year before. The Superman skiers, Daniel Graziano and Daniel Cotton were pumped and waving for more almost as soon as they surfaced.

Agitator followed them from the start area with the same gusto, the boat launching out of the water when Darren floored it.
The rest of the crews left with only a few problems and the crowd waited expectedly for the half way mark results to come over the PA.

When the spray settled it was Mark Cranny’s Hellrazor, with a mere 9 seconds over Agitator. Another 30 seconds back was Superman, followed closely by Hellbent and The Mistress, just 1 second apart.

The first of the Unlimited Inboard boats took the next placing, with Stinga, towing Jnr World Champion Jack Houston and superstar Ben Hackett a further 3 seconds back.

The race isn’t all about Super Class and the other classes saw some really quick ½ way efforts, which they hoped to emulate on the way home.

Back at the Start/ Finish line, the crowds were being entertained by some awesome Powerboat races by the UHPBC, as well as checking out the myriad of trade display tents.

With the news that the first boat had left Wisemans Ferry, they quickly returned to a great vantage point on the Marine Stadium banks. The anticipation increased as the commentators updated the crowd as boats passed thru iconic Hawkesbury river marker points.
The racing was as tight as it gets between the crews of Hellrazor and Agitator.

As the crowd surged to the water’s edge, Hellrazor came screaming around the last corner pulling some really big numbers and big trim and looked like they may have the race by the horns. As they slowed after the line the crowd was alerted to another boat appearing around the corner. It was Agitator and Darren and the boys were pulling every last bit of horsepower out of the mighty PFM motor !

Try as they may, it was to be Team Hell’s day though, with the smallest of margins, just 4/100ths of a second separating them after 120kms.

3rd in Super Class went to last year’s winner Superman, followed by The Mistress.

The Unlimited Class was an all the way win for Team Stinga Racing, followed by Andrew Griffin and Richard Souwer behind Burnin’. Andy Smith’s new twin turboed Wild Thing, towed Joel Massey and Jared Coey into 3rd place.

The Under 19 Boys was won by Stalker, towing Jamie Moret and Mitch Horan, even after one of the boys lost their balance doing a bunny hop for the crowd and lost their handles at the start.

The Edge won the 6 Litre class towing Reece Wood and Johnathon Earl, missing the record by just 9 seconds.

A new record was created by the super quick Cyclone Racing 2 in Unlimited Outboard. Towing Aaron Sawtell and Craig Gordon the guys stripped a massive 7 minutes off the previous record time.

8 Litre class saw yet another record go in the perfect conditions. Russell Dick and Travis Patterson beating the old mark by 1min 13secs behind Quick Decision.

Running Riot, towing Shane Bru and Steve Beatie took out the MOC class title with an emphatic win, as did Labdance in SMOC class towing Peter Hunter & Shaun Thomas.

Formula 2 class won by the quick Speedmaster boat, Masterstroke. Glenn Campbell towing two Australian 2011 Worlds team members in Kylee Jones and Trudi Stout to a new record.

Interestingly F2 was the fastest of the MOC, SMOC and F2 classes.

The crew from Brute Force won the Stock 6 Litre division convincingly, with a great ski by Brent Whitelaw & Adam Gulliver.
In a hotly contested under 16 boys, Se7en took the honours towing Jack Harrison and Jesse Burns.

The Open Womens class was won by current F2 Womens World Champion Leanne Campbell and 2 x World Champion Tania Teelow, behind Nick Feros’s Prima Donna in 55:53mins.

NSW Boat of the year, Shotgun, towed current Jnr girls World Champion Kelsey Feros and Danielle Coyte to a great victory in the Under 19 girls class, while Crystal Gordon and Jessica Smith paved the way to a win in the Under 16 Girls class behind Raicey.

The 200hp division is always a hotly contested class and this year again it did not disappoint.
Messy Racing, Tony Mithen’s quick little green Victorian LabSport boat came home nearly 3 minutes under the record towing Mac Batchelor and Ross Harris. No Fear and Medusa were 2nd and 3rd respectively and were also under the previous record time.

The 70mph class went to The Secret, towing Daniel & Scott Bothamley.

60mph class was won by Burn N Wood towing Qld champ Caroline Linden, alongside Adam Nolan.

Under 13 boys was won by Big Loll, towing Luke Harrison and Carter Robertson and the Under 13 Girls was won by Brooke Hammond and Emma Barnes behind Thunderstruck, with their proud Dad’s in the boat driving and observing. Critta came in 2nd and Mad Ranga in 3rd place.

The Hi-Tec Oils Hawkesbury 120 was a resounding success and the Committee, Volunteers, Judges and all others associated with the event are to be congratulated.

Congratulations to Mark Cranny, Damien Matthews and their champion skiers Jason Walmsley and Jake Tegart on your outright win with Hellrazor. It was especially great to see Jake take out his first ever major river title.

He is testament to how hard work and determination are rewarded in this sport.

** Full results pdf’s are @ www.skiracingnsw.com.au

Stone Water Sports have provided a Race pack for the National Ski Race.
Download the full race pack HERE

Allhallows Yacht Club is running an open race on 1st & 2nd September.
Click here for full details

Click here for full details

James Minchin has once again produced the first-class annual ski racing publication “Ski Race Review”.

This time around it’s bigger with 72 pages and he has earned the support of some of ski racing’s business owners.

You can order your copy of Ski Racer Review online at www.skiracereview.com

The Antwerp Trophy Race now has its own web site at www.antwerptrophy.be. Log on for full details of this terrific European event, as the season draws to a close.

You can download the official final results from the European Championships in Belgium below.

• Results European Champioships Genk 19-08-2012
• Up to date classification 4 races
• Country Trophee European Championship 2012 Belgium

Also see www.waterski.be for more details.

Another great ski racing movie from Luc at Beldé Productions of after two days of European Championship racing in Belgium. Day 3 is today and more footage will follow.

Back in July we heard that Andy Anderson is putting together a Water Ski Racing Reunion on September 8th, at Long Beach Marine Stadium. He has now published the event schedule below.

Click here to open a larger version of the schedule

Andy wrote; “There will be some fun, entry level type races in the morning and just a casual get together at a great location. This should be a great day and something that I hope gets some old faces interested in our great sport again.”

Download the flyer for this great ski racing reunion

14 Aug 2012

Calling all Aussie Superclass / Unlimited Boat Owners !!

WE WANT YOU!

Come to New Zealand and race the most unique and exhilarating race in the world !

Some facts you may not know….

An ALL Aussie TEAM has never won the NZ Bridge to Bridge (or Twin Rivers)

An Aussie DRIVER has never won the NZ Bridge to Bridge (or Twin Rivers)

An Aussie BOAT has never won the NZ Bridge to Bridge (or Twin Rivers)

Yes we know Warlord came from Australia – but No boat has been shipped to NZ for the race and won it !

SO WHY DONT YOU CHANGE THIS RECORD AND DO IT!

Come to NZ for this great race.

Dates are:

NZ Bridge to Bridge – 27th & 28th of October

Come for both and take out our King of the Rivers as well.

Storage and pick up of the boat from the wharf is sorted, you just get it here we will look after it. * Tow vehicle provided.

Call or email me now.

Brad Dutton

2012 Bridge to Bridge Water Ski Classic Organising Committee
WK: 0064 7 8494809
MB: 0064 27 4102383
EMAIL brad@rollosmarine.co.nz

Thanks to Sue Fleming, below are the results from Round 1 of the 2012 European Water Ski Racing Championships in Genk, Belgium.

European Championships Belgium Genk 12-08-2012

The 2012 Hi-Tec Oils Hawkesbury 120 Ski Race, held from the 24th-26th August, looks to be a spectacular start to the 2012-2013 Super Series.

The race is an exciting prelude to the new season, with a lot of new boats and crew set-ups set to go hard in the longest 2 up ski race in the world.

Major sponsors Hi-Tec Oils continue their support of Ski Racing NSW, sponsoring the H120 event and we must thank them for their ongoing support.

Last year’s winner Superman, towing Daniel Graziano and Daniel Campbell, took out the Sackville Sprint, Super Class and the race outright last year in a super quick time of 43:10mins.

In doing that it joined Stinga as the only other 2 time winner of the event. Jason Walmsley, Chris Gelle, Daniel Campbell and Daniel Graziano are all gunning to become the first skiers to win the race outright three times.

Stinga’s record from 2010 of 41:25mins is up for grabs and could quite possibly be taken out by the F21 Force Stinga in the Unlimited Inboard division, towing Ben Hackett and Jack Houston. Others from that class will be keeping them honest though, as it has become one of the most hotly contested classes in ski racing.

Friday sees McDonalds, at McGrath’s Hill, hosting both the registration and the Show and Shine in the huge car park area.

The action Saturday starts early, with the Social Class crews racing to Sackville and return from 9AM. Following them from Sackville, back to Windsor, will be the Veterans, Juniors and Disabled classes.

At 1pm the Sackville Sprint and Open Time Trial, sees both the Super Class and Unlimited crews fighting for pole positions for Sunday, as well as the Time Trial, which, from this year, is open to all competitors to enter and experience.

Sunday morning will see the first boats and skiers leave from 9AM and racing to Wiseman’s Ferry. Once all crews have arrived safely, the turnaround begins for the sprint home at approx 12PM.

Spectators at the Governor Phillip Park stadium at Windsor, will be treated to live racing and demonstrations on both Hydroplane boat racers, as well as the jet powered Mud Boats, while they await the races return leg.
It should be really good fun to watch and experience, so make sure you head to Governor Phillip Park, Windsor for the full gamut of action ! ..starts, finishes and half time entertainment !

Presentations both days for all classes will be at approx 3PM.

We look forward to seeing you there !

For entry Forms and Event Details, please go to www.skiracingnsw.com.au

It is with great sadness to hear that Ken Vaughan has lost his battle with cancer and has passed away the morning of August 3rd. Ken was Race Director of the most famous ski race in the world The Catalina as well as raising funds and organising events for the Catalina Ski Race Children’s Charity

Vera Van Den Bossche has announced the International open event has been cancelled due to logistic problems on the Canal.

A letter from Ken Durham …I ran across www.skirace.net, and was hoping that you may be able to help us locate a teammate who was also a National Water Ski Racing Champion in 1973 and 1974.

My name is Ken Durham, and I was (am) a member of the Undefeated 1974 Cal State Long Beach Varsity Rowing Team. We are preparing for a major reunion, and have been trying to get in touch with all of our team-mates.

However, we are having trouble locating Don Henderson, who at the time also was a distinguished water ski competitor with the NWSRA in Southern California. He is listed here http://www.nwsra.net/uploads/pastnat.pdf as two-year champion in the “16-19 Boys” division. I know his brother John also raced, but have not run across his name anywhere.

Would it be possible to run a search announcement of some kind on your website? Having grown up in and around auto racing, I know that old racers of any kind a never completely out of touch with their sport – and maybe we can track down Don through a friend or former fellow competitor.

You can read a little more about our search at our coach’s website: http://www.rowingevolution.com/node/80 .

Best wishes,
Ken Durham
durhamkd@gmail.com

Daren Van Ryte of www.ocphotographics.com has shared a great selection of shots he took at last weeks’s Catalina.

Video 1

Video 2

The official results of the 2012 Catalina Water Ski Race will be posted on the Catalina race site here: http://www.catalinaskirace.net/results.html but at the time I made this post they were not up yet.

In the meantime, here are the placings posted on the board after the race.

Click to enlarge

I’m not 100% sure of how this will work but racetheworld.net will have transmitters in a number of boats taking part in the Catalina Water Ski Race tomorrow.

Log on to www.racetheworld.net and track some of the top contenders during tomorrow’s race.

Teams from around the USA and the world are arriving at Long Beach, California for the 64th Catalina Water Ski Race.

Top contenders such as Wayne Mawer, Todd Haig & Peter Proctor have been doing the early morning practice runs to Catalina and back since last week, along with a host of others.

Whilst the the excitement builds for the big event, please spare a thought for the man who pulls this event together. Click here to learn more about Ken Vaughan and his fight against cancer.

More at www.catalinaskirace.net

I was sat at the Maya last night and Wendy Feros joined us for a drink. That’s when we heard the news that Kenny Vaughan has cancer. If you don’t know, Ken organises Catalina and before him, his dad did the same. Below is a message from Catalina Water Ski Race Committee.

As many of you know our Catalina Water Ski Race Director Ken Vaughan is fighting cancer. This struggle has been very difficult for him both physically and financially, State Disability Insurance only goes so far. Ken would never ask for help himself, so his family and friends are going to ask for him. If you could please donate some funds to help that would be very much appreciated.

Donations can be sent thru PayPal to Pvaughan150@aol.com

or checks sent to Peggy Vaughan, P.O. Box 5968, Garden Grove, CA 92946-5968

Also we will have a box for donations at the Catalina Water Ski Race, look for it at registration, drivers/observers meeting and trophy presentation. Thank you,
Catalina Water Ski Race Committee

10 minute documentary of Terrible Herbst Motorsports Racing at the 62nd Catalina Water Ski Race. By Sinister Film Productions.

Luc Beldé produces professional ski racing footage for Belgian TV and has produced this English language version for the international audience.

A very proud grandfather has announced to skirace.net that his son, World Champion Chris Stout has just become a dad.

On Thursday Rudi Stout said; “Chris’s wife Halley gave birth to a beautiful baby girl at 11.30 pm last night, mother and baby are both well and Chris is just over the moon about it all.”

Many congratulations to Chris, Halley and their families on this wonderful occasion.

Ski Racing NSW will once again be holding a pre season open Day, at the Upper Hawkesbury Powerboat Club, Windsor, on the 29th July.
On this day you can bring your boat and safety gear along to have a scrutineer look over it for the season, do you CPR and First Aid tests, membership forms and more, all in the one day !

Newcomers to this great sport can inquire about the sport and submit your SRA membership forms and find out the requirements to race, while meeting current members, checking out the boats and having a top day !

* Boat Scrutineering – please book a time with John Timbs 9451 3909 or johntimbs12@live.com.au

* License Testing for Drivers & Observers – please book a time with John Timbs on 0431 026124

* First Aid & CPR Course – Please book session times with Naomi Smith – 0437 747538 or naomi.j.smith2.4@gmail.com

* Membership Renewal – Please download the relevant forms from the SRA website @ www.skiracing.com.au and bring with you

* Gear for Sale – If you have any ski gear you would like to sell bring it along

** BBQ – Sausage and Steak sandwiches + cold drinks available **

Any questions regarding the Open Day please call Mark on 0417 656392 or mark1@ausprintrgraphics.com.au

www.skiracingnsw.com.au

Please hit the links below to access the Entry Form and Information Details for the 2012 Hi-Tec Oils Hawkesbury 120 Water Ski Race.

** Entries close 10th August.

2012 H120 Entry Form (pdf)

2012 H120 Entry Form (Word)

2012 H120 Entry Information Sheet (pdf)

More information @ www.skiracingnsw.com.au

Team Germany Skiers Seniors Russell Cox & F1 Kurt Brooks are looking for a boat to ski the European ski race in Eguzon. Please email karen@skirace.net if you can accommodate either skier.

Chris Rydl has published the two latest issues of the Competitors’s Corner bulletin below.

Competitors’ Corner – Bulletin 3     |     Competitors’ Corner – Bulletin 4

Eurokids skier Lee Holland is looking for a boat to pull him at Brixham. If you are able to help Lee out please call Jane Holland 07764 149672

Courtesy of Thea Klarenbeek, below are the results from the European Cup Race in Geel.

Click here to download

Howie Hook at H2O Graphics is known the world over for some of the best ski race wear designs around and below are his latest offerings. Click on any poster to enlarge it.

Also visit www.h2ographics.biz

Richard Hernaez, the organiser of the Eguzon European Race in France has two requests:

Luc & Pepe’s pictures of the 2012 Viersel Diamond Race are online for you to enjoy. Take a look on powerboatracing.be with links to parts 1, 2 & 3 below.

Diamond Race Part 1 – 2012
Diamond Race Part 2 – 2012
Diamond Race Part 3 – 2012

Below are the results from the 2012 Diamond Race.

Download the Diamond Race Results for 2012

Chris Rydl and the IWWF in Europe would like to invite all Teams to the Competitor’s meeting to be held at Viersel this weekend.

Saturday June 30TH at 13.00 hrs
Location : Viersel – Mercury Tent

Full details: Competitor’s corner – Bulletin 2

Cathy Bird has kindly collated the overall results as they stand at the moment. Download the accumulative results HERE

A selection of Clips throughtout the 11-12 ski Race season featuring Krizmik Industries.

Britain’s Dan Ellis & crew have a new site up and running for the Stand & Deliver Water Ski Racing Team. Check it out at http://www.stand-and-deliver-racing.co.uk/

Edited & Produced by Brooks Brothers Productions Scott Brooks captures a weekend of racing at Cardiff

Cathy Bird has provided the results from round 5 held in Cardiff.