MEDIA RELEASE - Monday, 26 February 2007RED BELLIES SCORE FIRST INTERNATIONAL PODIUM |
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It was a race that didn't go to plan, but Australian team Red Bellies Racing left Gulf Harbour on Saturday with their first class podium in the New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Series. Bruce Sanders and Colin Craven were hoping for a change of fortune, after troublesome runs in the first two rounds thwarted their charge. Trouble again struck the New South Welshmen at Gulf Harbour in round three, this time in the form of steering problems. "We lost steering at the start of the race, which meant it was a long and challenging 100 miles for us," Sanders explained. "Something in the hydraulics broke, so when I was turning left it wanted to right, and when I was turning right it wanted to go left. "In what was really rough and choppy conditions it wasn't fun and made things difficult. "We were at nowhere near full pace, but you just have to do what you can with what you have." Despite the steering issues, Sanders and Craven fought on to
finish sixth outright and third in the Superboat Light class,
their first podium in international competition. |
Red Bellies Racing in action on Gulf Harbour
Bruce Sanders in the Red Bellies Racer |
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"Like Maraetai, it was about getting the boat around," Sanders said. "We certainly weren't setting any records, and we were out there for nearly two hours, but a couple of boats broke down ahead of us which allowed us to move up to third in class. "It wasn't how we envisaged getting our first podium over here, but things don't always go to plan in this sport." The team now turn their attention to round four of the series, to be run at Wellington on March 10. "We've already done some work and testing on the boat since the race," Sanders said. "On Sunday we went to Auckland, did some runs and worked through some of the steering issues, and are now getting it all ready for Wellington, before we fly back to Australia. "Unfortunately the crash created some problems which we've had to work through and eliminate, but we're certainly still in striking distance for the Superboat Light title in the remaining rounds." Red Bellies Offshore Racing is supported by Seabreeze Hotel, Barwil Unitor Ships Service, Mainlube, Always Stainless, Watersports Marine, Total Fencing Solutions, Steve Cotton Painting, Hosting Impact and Argo Engineering. When not racing offshore powerboats, Bruce Sanders heads the Sanders Group, based in New South Wales' Nelson Bay, which owns and manages several hotels and motels in the region, including the Seabreeze Hotel. In 2006, Seabreeze Hotel was awarded 'Hotel of the Year', by the Australian Independent Liquor Group, in recognition of the hotel's high quality management, facilities and services. |
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