Mick Pentney Memorial Trophy - Oulton Broad - 13/09/09
Date added: 16/09/09
The final club meeting of the season saw the hydroplane drivers competing for the Mick Pentney Memorial Trophy at a breezy and chilly Oulton Broad.
Mick (pictured above) who was a national hydroplane champion and an experienced international racer sadly lost his life while racing at Oulton Broad back in the late 1980's. As a great friend of the Area 31 Racing Team and too many still associated with the Lowestoft and Oulton Broad Motor Boat Club, it is always a special day when the hydroplane drivers compete for the trophy named in memory of Mick.
For the final club event of the season the Area 31 Racing Team once again competed with the restored 1964 500cc Crescent powered hydroplane outfit, along with Tony Calver competing with a similar classic crescent outfit, Peter Rix racing the ex Mick Pentney 700cc Konny powered hydroplane, Julian Codling racing the 250cc GRM powered Andick hull and Matthew Lockwood competing with the modern 500cc GRM hydrocat.
Heat one saw Area 31 Racing Team driver David Jones and Tony Calver enter the race first with the classic 1960's Crescent powered hydroplanes. Although not the quickest outfits around Oulton Broad, the two Crescent outfits still make a unique noise that brings back many memories for the older generation of powerboat fans.
For three laps the two Crescent powered classic hydroplanes of David and Tony lapped consistently in the low 50 seconds. Unfortunately the 1964 500cc Crescent engine of the Area 31 Racing Team didn't want to play by the rules and began to slow as the race progressed resulting in team driver David retiring to the pits to ensure the engine did not seize.
Back on the water the race became very interesting as Tony Calver (pictured above) continued to put in consistent lap times with the classic Crescent, while Peter Rix was storming around the Broad with the 700cc Konny powered hydroplane trying catch Tony after the handicap start. As they exited the final turn together it was to be a run to the line with Peter just catching Tony to take the heat one win with Matthew Lockwood coming home third.
With a lengthy break between the second heat the Area 31 Racing Team noticed that the fly wheel had come loose resulting in the timing being affected. Mechanics Steven and Andy along with some help from Phillip Punt were able to re-time the engine just in time for the second heat.
And what a second heat it turned out to be as Area 31 Racing turned back the clock by bringing the 1964 500cc Crescent powered classic hydroplane home in first place, in front of Tony Calver in second and Peter Rix almost making up the handicap deficit finishing in third.
The final race of Area 31 Racing season unfortunately ended early as once again the Crescent engine decided to lose power as team driver David was forced to retire. With spare parts for these 1964 Crescent engines virtually non existent it would have been silly to struggle on an possibly destroy the engine completely.
With Peter Rix (pictured above) taking the third heat win over a very consistent Tony Calver in second, it was Peter who took home the Mick Pentney Memorial Trophy. It was made more special by the fact that Peter was racing the classic hydroplane know as 'The Barge' which Mick competed with during the 1980's. A fitting tribute to finish the season.
Video footage of the team competing in the Mick Pentney memorial trophy can be found by clicking on the link below or visiting the multimedia section.
