The 41' Doug Wright catamaran Fury will be the second largest among the 26 boats in this Saturday's Carib Great Race, joining multiple champion Mr Solo (39') and debutante Monster (46') in the big three in the 120MPH (M) Class. Boasting two Mercury 850 HP V8 engines, the Fujitsu-sponsored craft won four of the 15 races it entered in the Off Shore Super Series and Super Boat International Circuit in the US between 2008 and 2009. After placing second in its class in its Great Race debut in 2009, it went on to finish third overall at the World Championships in Key West later that year.
However, it spent 2010 being modified by its handlers after rough conditions began to take their toll.
Speaking to the Guardian yesterday, driver Guy Costa said he was expecting the main competition on Saturday to come from Mr Solo and Monster. "They are the ones with the speed to finish first. We are just as good as they are so I would say we have a 1/3 chance of winning." According to Costa, he and American throttleman Troy Hannon will be aiming to finish the course in less than an hour if the conditions are calm enough. Their strategy will be to build a lead during the early portion of the race. "Fury is fast but the rougher it is on the North Coast, the bigger advantage Monster will have. "Once we can get a big enough lead while racing in the calm gulf, we should be able to hold on to it and then break away when we get closer to Tobago."
The reigning national Criterium cycling champion, Costa's involvement in the Great Race dates back to 1999 when he and brother Kent entered their leisure boat RnR. They returned the next year on Special FX and in 2002, began a successful run on Heatwave with which they won the 90MPH (B) Class three times. After selling Heatwave to James Hadeed, who went on to win on it last year, Costa raced Fury in 2009 and then Gulf FX last year.