Defending champ Total Monster smashed a new course record of one hour, eight minutes and 50 seconds to win its second straight title at the 46th Annual Carib Great Race yesterday. The 46' Skater catamaran arrived in Scarborough over seven minutes ahead of second place Fire One (1:16:00) while Stampede nabbed third in 1:20:05.
It marked an 11-minute improvement from its winning time last year, set by the same crew of driver Joey Sabeeney, throttleman Peter Peake and navigator Daniel Peake.Having dropped to as low as fourth during the early stages of the race, Monster wrestled the lead by the end of the Gulf circuit and never looked back.
Its battle for supremacy in the 130mph A Class ended in anticlimax as major rival and 17-time champ Mr Solo failed to complete the race while Paramount limped to the finish in 1:58:36.
Sabeeney said that for the most part, everything had gone according to plan over the 115 miles."You can never be overconfident going into the Great Race because the conditions can always do a lot of damage but we knew that once everything held together, we would finish first," he said."Our plan was to get the lead and ensure that we maintained a gap between us and the rest. Once we broke free we just kept at our speed until the end. It was a job well done."
Global Warmer, the lone entrant in the 110mph C Class, was fourth to cross the line in 1:24:50 while the E Class's Energiza (80mph) defied expectations to nab fifth in 1:25:35.The 38' Bowen, which had stepped up from the F Class (70mph) for the first time, upset the 95 mph D Class's Bacchanal (1:31:23) and Chris Gone Wilder (1:32:26) for a spot in the top five.Rite Formula was the lone F Class boat to make it to Tobago, clocking 2:01:02 as its peers Cynisa, Chris Gone Wild and Extreme Measures shut down along the way.
Among the G Class (60 mph) boats, Infusion IV (2:00:55) edged PP Conquerer (2:02:40) for first place.In all, ten of the race's 26 boats did not finish the race, one less than last year.
Overall Places
1. Total Monster–1:08:50
2. Fire One–1:16:00
3. Stampede–1:20:05
4. Global Warmer–1:24:50
5. Energiza–1:25:35
6. Heat Wave–1:30:04
A Class (130mph)
1. Total Monster–1:08:50
2. Paramount–1:58:36
DNF: Mr Solo
B Class (120 mph)
1. Fire One–1:16:00
2. Stampede–1:20:05
C Class (110 mph)
1. Global Warmer–1:24:50
D Class (95 mph)
1. Bacchanal–1:31:23
2. Chris Gone Wilder–1:32:26
DNF: Sheriff Lobo, Rush, Gulf Dragon
E Class (80 mph)
1. Energiza–1:25:35
2. Heat Wave–1:30:04
3. Elixir–1:32:07
4. White Heat–1:44:03
5. Hero III–1:47:30
DNF: Gulf Hammer Time
F Class (70 mph)
1. Rite Formula–2:01:02
DNF: Cynisa, Chris Gone Wild, Extreme Measures
G Class (60 mph)
1. Infusion IV–2:00:55
2. PP Conqueror–2:02:40
3. Outcast–2:27:22
DNS: Matrix Reloaded, Wethead