Richard Clarke the driver of Esso Special Fx is warning boats in Class SII they will be in for a surprise on race day. "We have been doing a lot of work on the boat and with the adjustments we have made, I can assure you that when people see us they will be very surprised," Clarke told the Guardian, yesterday.
The boat, which is sporting a 29-foot Scarab hull, finished third in its class last year but if all goes according to plan, Clarke says the team will jet away with top honours this time.
"I don't see why we can't win the class this year. The boat is finished well ahead of time and there is nothing we can do to be more prepared," Clarke added.
Previously Special Fx averaged speeds of 65-70 mph with its two Yamaha 250 V6 outboard engines. However the engines have been scraped and rebuilt to give it an edge over the competition.
"The work done on the engines provide no major increase in speed. We have always been fast. But they will give the boat greater stability over rough waters. That stability is something we need if we want to win this year," Clarke said.
He added: "We really think we can win if everything we put in place goes well. At this point we can't do anymore work on the boat."
Team Esso Special Fx, which includes Kent Costa as throttleman and Robert Lobo as navigator, will come up against favourites and defending champions Rite Formula, Alien and Candyman on race day.
Team information
Driver: Richard Clarke
Navigator: Robert Lobo
Throttlemen: Kent Costa
Team sponsors
Esso, Budget Marine, Mecalfad
Boat information
Hull: 29 foot Scarab
Powered by: 2 X Yamaha 250 V 6
Total hp: 500-horse power
Diary of events
Wednesday–Last Day for Entries.
Sponsors and Racers meet and greet TTYC
Saturday–Race Day
