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Sail-World.com : Curtis back on the Australian offshore circuit
Curtis back on the Australian offshore circuit
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Offshore powerboat racing's most decorated throttleman and multiple Class 1 World Champion, Steve Curtis, MBE, has confirmed he will again ‘test the mettle' of local competitors for the final two rounds of the Offshore Superboat Championships.
Curtis, with Qatar's Sheik Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani at the wheel of the Maritimo-prepared Class 1 catamaran, Qatar 96, has two wins from two starts in his only two visits to Australia as a competitor.
The pair raced to convincing victories in round two (Mackay, June 26 and 27) and Townsville (July 3 and 4).
Apparently, organisers are still awaiting confirmation that Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani will be available to accompany Curtis.
Both final rounds are scheduled for Victorian waters, with round five on Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay over the weekend of November 6 and 7 and round six one week later
on the weekend of November 13 and 14.
Prior to the arrival of Curtis and, hopefully, Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani, the championships host round four at Redcliffe, near Brisbane, on the weekend of September 18 and 19.
Race organisers are still involved in negotiations the local authority, Moreton Bay Marine Parks, and have agreed to shorten the course and institute additional laps.
Offshore Superboat Championships president, Paul Gibbs, said there was concern the racing could interfere with local marine life, specifically dugong and turtle populations.
'Needless to say, everyone involved has the highest regard for our wildlife and we're more than happy to cooperate fully with any requirements to steer well clear of protected zones,' he declared.
'We believe the changes we have made to the course will meet authority requirements and will also offer better spectator viewing of the races,' he added.
Redcliffe, with the Moreton Bay Boat Club nearby and good launching facilities has been a favourite destination for most of the Offshore Superboat Championships competitors.
In fact, many rate it as among the best venues on the championships calendar.
It also attracts enthusiastic fans to watch the racing, many packing onto the Redcliffe Pier to catch the action.
Organisers are expected to use the two-race format successfully employed in rounds two and three, so there'll be action galore over both days of the weekend.
 | Offshore Superboat Championships race director Russell Embleton (left) with Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-THani (centre) and Steve Curtis after the Qatar 96 team’s win in Mackay. - Reg Blunt |
by Bob Wonders
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1:52 AM Fri 27 Aug 2010 GMT
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