The 41' catamaran Fire One will be powered by two brand new 1150 HP Chevy V8 engines when it goes after its third title at the Carib Great Race on August 23. This was revealed by driver James Hadeed in an interview with the Guardian yesterday. Placed alongside Stampede in the 120mph B Class, the 2011 and 2012 champ has set its sights on chasing down Class A entrants Monster, Mr Solo and Paramount.
Hadeed, who joined the team two years ago after having won the event aboard Heatwave in 2010, said the 300HP upgrade was a necessary step to compete with the big three.
"It's the first time we've made such a big change. All the boats we're racing against have all gone up drastically in horse power," he said.
"This will make a big difference to help us stay with the competition... We have a game plan to stay close to those guys in the class above us and will stick to that unless something changes."
He said he was confident about the boat's chances of bringing home a third title.
"We're always one of the best prepared and most consistent boats... Our boat is far superior in terms of strength and design. It's a lot lighter so it doesn't require as much power to be as fast. We're probably the only boat that doesn't use racing fuel. We use regular fuel that cars in T&T use."
Joining Hadeed will be veteran throttleman Guy Costa, with whom he has shared a productive partnership.
"We work great together. It's our third Great Race and we know each other's thinking. Not much has changed and it's always more or less the same plan," he said. "We are a lot fitter than some of the other teams so we won't have any problems with all the beating and banging around."
However, he acknowledged the role the weather would play in determining the final result.
"You're racing against the weather. Nobody knows when you wake up what it will be like. If the water's rough, it will be a long race and we will try to keep everything together and hope boat doesn't fall apart. If it's a flat, we can go all out and whoever did the best work you will see in Scarborough first."
Carib Great Race 2014 Contenders
A Class (130 mph)
Monster, Mr Solo, Paramount
B Class (120 mph)
Fire One, Stampede
C Class (110 mph)
Global Warmer
D Class (95 mph)
Sheriff Lobo, Rush, Chris Gone Wilder
E Class (80 mph)
Hero III, White Heat, Elixir, Energiza
F Class (70 mph)
Rite Formulal, Energiza, Extreme Measures, Cynisca
G Class (60 mph)
Matrix Reloaded, Chris Gone Wild, Infusion IV, Wethead, Outcast?