The 35" Motion catamaran Fastrack will be going for stability when the Carib Great Race takes off from the Mucurapo Foreshore on August 22. The D Class newcomer will be taking part in its first major event after recently undergoing the conversion from a pleasure boat.Speaking to the Guardian yesterday, throttleman Kent Costa said the crew's primary aim would be to complete the 116-mile course unscathed.
"We're a new boat, so finishing is the top priority," he revealed. "Next year will be a different story.By then we would have learned all the things about the boat that we need to."Costa and his crewmates Richard Clarke (driver) and Robert Lowe (navigator) have raced together for the past six years aboard craft such as Gulf Dragon, Hammer Time and Mobil Special FX.
Having only recently brought in Fastrack from the USA, they entered it at just one local regatta this year and decided to take it easy.Powered by two 525HP stock Mercury engines, it will be the only catamaran in a crowded D Class line-up including Bacchanal, Chris Gone Wilder, Papi Chulo, Sheriff Lobo and Ultra Rush.
"They are a very experienced group of fellas on some serious boats," said Costa."We're hoping that [our design] will make a difference against the V-bottom boats... Over the last few years, we've seen a trend where a lot of the boats in the fastest classes are cats."Costa said that while the preparations this year had been especially taxing, the thrill of the Great Race made it well worth the trouble.
"Having a new boat increases the amount of work you need to put in.
You have to check, double check and triple check everything," he said. "Everybody on the team is pulling together to make sure we're in good shape... [The Great Race] is such a challenge. It takes so long to prepare and the race itself is arduous but it's a lot of fun along the way because of the sense of camaraderie and competition."