[BOATS] Surprise results at Cabarita

by Sean Henshelwood



Tough start to the 2010 Queensland Superboat Championships

Rnd#1 2010 Continental Tyres Queensland Championships

Cabarita Beach, 1-2 May, 2010

After enduring a tough start to the 2010 Continental Tyres Australian Championships, there was really no surprise that entries were down for the opening Queensland state round. As many as ten engines suffered mechanical issues at Temora in March, and three boats were destroyed during some serious off-circuit action just two weeks later at the annual Griffith event under lights at Easter.

Despite the shortage of boats there was some typically tough competition on the water, and more than a handful of surprises.

One of the biggest surprises was the giant-killing efforts of David Penfold and Peter Monger, both of whom were returning to the sport after sabbaticals. Penfold managed to get the better of national championship podium contender and one of the men responsible for the Cabarita venue, Daniel deVoigt, in the finals of the 350 Class, whilst Monger put in a monster effort against a quality field of 400 drivers.

Sharing driving duties in Darren Watkins’ ‘Annaconda’, Monger was quick straight out of the box after being out of a boat for some time. Fourth in session one, turned to third in session two and ultimately entry into the top six. From there he continued his consistency to make the final and set the second fastest time after Rohan Smith suffered from a navigation error dropping himself to third.

After a slow start to the weekend, Jake Garlick managed to haul himself into the final where he knew he was six tenths slower than Rohan Smith’s best (45.182), but as the old saying goes “to finish first, first you have to finish” and despite dropping a quarter of a second on his top six time, it was Garlick Jnr (46.152) who would emerge the victor.

Notable exclusions from the 400 Class final three included opening national round podium placegetters Rob Colman and Dan Walton. “I couldn’t get my head right all bloody weekend, and kept going the wrong way” Colman lamented. What he didn’t admit was that on the two occasions he did navigate correctly, he was inside the top three.. From Walton’s perspective he was kicking himself in the finals, a rushed late change in the jet unit saw him drop more than half a second. “I can’t believe it,” he shrugged afterwards. “We were right on the money all weekend, but in the rush I went the wrong way with the blades, and went backwards.. It was a lesson, I won’t make that same mistake again…”

Whilst the major battles were in 350s and 400s, the Unlimited class, whilst limited to just two boats (Az U Do and Canberra Floorcraft) they still set some top times, Greg ‘Crusty’ Mercier managing to finally sort the fuel dramas he’d suffered during the national championship rounds. “Finally we got it going,” he grinned. “It was always in the back of my mind that this boat was always better suited to a Superboat engine than a 400, and this weekend proved it, it was a joy to drive and had bags of power. The track wasn’t suited to a Superboat, and in parts of it even the 350s had to come out of the throttle, but it [the shark] was just so drivable. I can’t wait to come back in early July for the national round because I think we’ve learned some valuable lessons this weekend.”

Teams are now off to the second round of the Continental Tyres Queensland Championships at Susan River Raceway near Maryborough [June 26-27] before returning to Cabarita for the third round of the Continental Tyres Australian [and Queensland] Superboat Championships on July 10-11 (visit www.v8superboats.com.au for more details).

350 Class (points after one round of five)

1. David Penfold (60), 2. Daniel deVoigt (56), 3. Rhiannon Dickenson (50), 4. Betina Dickenson (46)

400 Class (points after one round of five)

1. Jake Garlick (55), 2. Rohan Smith (54), 3. Peter Monger (52), 4. Dan Walton (51), 5. Greg Harriman (40), 6. Rob Colman (38), 7. Mark Garlick (35), 7. Brooke Lucas (35), 9. Kevin Laugesen (34), 10. Tremayne Jukes (27), 11. Darren Watkins (24), 12. Phil Weinthal (20), 12. Nathan Dickenson (20), 14. Daryl Dickenson (11), 14. Damien O’Leary (11), 14. Darryl Squires (11), 17. Geoff Kunkel (10)

Unlimited Superboat (points after one round of five)

1. Greg Mercier (60), 2. Paul Burgess (55)






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