UK PWC News

UK Personal Watercraft News

30th August : New Product From ATP.
Air Time Products Hand Holds
A must have for hood tricks.
Very strong and fit the contours of the hood perfectly.
Comes with glue, template and instructions.
Available for 96 on Super Jet.
www.queenford.8m.com

24th August : European Championship Round 4 Pictures.
Pictures from Round 4 of the Corona Extra European Tour from Dinant, Belgium are now online.
Check them out in the photo gallery.

23rd August : 2005 WaveRunners Are Here.

The 2005 range of Yamaha WaveRunners including the new VX the most affordable four-stroke PWC ever created are now online at....

www.yamaha-motor.com

23rd August : European Championship Round 4 Results.
Results and overall championship standings after round 4 of the Corona Extra European Championship from Dinant, Belgium at the weekend are now online at...
www.ijsba.com

17th August : Jet Parts Online.
Jetparts-online.com are proud to announce their new webshop has opened where approximately 3000 used Jetski-Parts can be found online.
Based in Germany Jetparts-online was founded by Robert Markendorf, who having worked in Spain and the USA in the PWC Business is familiar with both Jetski technology and the international Jetski market.
Jetparts-Online offers approx 3000 products online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each product is described and has one or more detailed picture. Payment is possible by credit card and Shipping costs start at 6,90EUR (depending on country and weight).
Jetparts-Online would like to invite you to visit their shop and check out the largest online inventory of used parts in Europe.
www.jetparts-online.com

16th August : Jet Joust Pics.
A selection of pics from the JSRA Jet Joust held at Billing Jetski Centre on Sunday are now online.
Check them out in the photo gallery.

16th August : Jetski Rally.
Are you going to Ibiza?
Jet Bou takes place in Cala De Bou, San Josep Ibiza from October 11^th-17^th this year.
Over 100 riders will converge on the island for the final ride of the season. This event is organised by the San Josep council and promises to be a spectacular event with Riders converging from Spain, France, Italy and England.
In addition to competitive races there will also be exhibitions from the world champion Jetskier Eric Malone, Wake Borders, as well as a Jetski Rally around the the 15 islands that are near the coast of Cala de Bou in Ibiza.
further information

14th August : Jetskier & Personal Watercraft Magazine.
The September Edition of JS&PW is on sale from all the usual stockists priced £2.95. Included in this edition are all the usual sections plus On-Board Rius Racings GP1300-R, Freestyle goes to the TT, Crossing the Aegean on an 800 SXR, Tees PW Club Visited, Cornwall Uncovered and much more. Don't forget to check out Jetmans Web News
Get Yours Now!

13th August : Irish Championship Round 6.
The Irish Jetsport Association Championship Round 6 takes place this weekend at Cavan.
Itinerary
Saturday		Sunday
Signing on/ Scrutineering	12.00 - 14.00	Signing on/ Scrutineering	8:30hrs – 10:00hrs*
Riders Meeting	14.00	Riders Meeting	10:15hrs All Riders
Practice	14.15 - 15.00	Practice	10:30hrs – 11:00hrs*
Timed Session	15.00 - 18.00	Racing Starts	11:30hrs
		*Only those absent on Saturday
www.irishjetsportassociation.co.uk

12th August : British Championship Results.
Results from Round 5 of the British Championship held at Tattershall last weekend are now online.
Visit the Jetsport Racing Association website for Moto Results, Overall Championship Positions and National Slalom Results.
www.jsra.co.uk

11th August : Over 100 Pulled From Sea.

Lifeguards on beaches down the north coast tackled their busiest weekend of the season as sunshine on Saturday brought huge crowds to the coast.

Over 30 people were helped from the sea in two mass rescues by RNLI lifeguards at Perranporth on Saturday while perhaps as many as another 60 were rescued from the sea between Godrevy and St Peter's Point.

Perfect beach weather during the first weekend of August led to a huge number of incidents for the RNLI's beach lifeguards to attend.

There were also rescues of a large number of people at Watergate Bay near Newquay, Perran Sands and Constantine in North Cornwall.

In addition many people were cut off by the tide despite warnings from the lifeguards.

Two of the mass rescues involved 11 people in difficulties at Perranporth and 21 - in two groups of 18 and three - at the adjoining Perran Sands.

In both cases people were caught in rip currents that can pull them under. At Perranporth the situation was made worse by the huge number of people on the beach, while at Perran Sands water users were not staying within the flags.

There were also simultaneous rescues of children. At Perranporth an 11-year-old boy was recovered by the lifeguard inshore rescue boat and lost consciousness on his way back to the shore. He was given first aid and made a full recovery.

At Perran Sands a young girl of about five was taken to hospital having been helped by RNLI lifeguards after getting tired and swallowing a lot of water.

Area Lifeguard Manager Greg Spray said there had been a lot of people on the beaches, and some of them had gone into the sea outside the areas which had been marked as safe.

"The red and yellow flags are there for a specific reason - to keep people on the safest areas of the beach.

"It was so crowded that some people were tempted to go in the sea away from the lifeguards. They included young children. We want people to have a good time, but we also want them to be safe so they should keep to the areas within the flags."

The lifeguards' job at Gwithian is being aided this year by the presence of a Personal Watercraft (PWC) - a jetski, which allows them to get to people in trouble much more quickly.

Phil Drew, head of lifeguarding at Penwith, said: "Friday and Saturday and most of Sunday were extremely busy on all our beaches, not just Gwithian.

We did have a large number of rescues on the Friday and Saturday mainly because of the surf.

"I worked down there all weekend to give them an extra pair of hands and I thought Sunday was going to be the worst day of the lot. But actually the wind went round offshore and the surf cleaned up and there was very small surf, so it never really happened."

"Quite a number of the rescues were help outs - probably 80 per cent. That was proactive lifeguarding; people on boogie boards caught out, not able to swim back in. So lifeguards went out on the PWCs (personal water crafts)."

"We've got one at Gwithian, one at Porthmeor and one at Sennen and they are proving to be a great success. Many, many years ago we did a trial of a Kawasaki jet ski and that was very, very successful then. But nobody took it on because of the funding issues.

"They are now privately funded by local businesses, so from our point of view that's a big thank you to them.

"They've looked at it, realised there's good potential for their advertising, and on top of that a great tool for rescuing people."

It is not all good news on the beaches, where attitudes to lifeguards can still be hostile.

Mr Drew added: "Please remember the lifeguards have got a job to do, please take their advice."

At Watergate Bay, near Newquay, several groups of people were cut off by the tide after being caught out by spring high tides.

At Great Western Beach the RNLI lifeguards attended an elderly lady who was knocked out when she strayed into a game of beach cricket and was hit by the bat as it was swung to meet a ball.

l At Constantine in North Cornwall there were two mass rescues, with one incident involving around 30 casualties. Large waves took swimmers and body boarders out of their depth and into a rip current.

Two RNLI lifeguards responded with rescue boards to keep everyone afloat until the inshore rescue boat arrived.

Steve Instance, the RNLI's Beach Lifeguard Manager, says there are important messages to be learnt by beach users: "In many of these incidents people failed to listen to the advice they were given by the lifeguards."

www.thisiscornwall.co.uk

11th August : Portsmouth VHP Jetski Section.

Portsmouth Volunteer Harbour Patrol (VHP) is preparing to move up a gear with the introduction next year of a jetski section.

The VHP was formed last May by the Queen’s Harbour Master in Portsmouth, Commander Tom Herman RN, to support the work of the full-time Harbour Patrol manned by specially trained officers of the Ministry of Defence Guard Service.

Equipped with two vessels, the unpaid volunteers have made a major contribution to maritime safety by providing advice, guidance and help to mariners using the harbour.

Now, as part of a strategy being developed to meet the challenges posed by the increasing use of personal watercraft – more commonly known as jetskis – the VHP is being expanded to man the planned jetski section.

Initially the section will comprise one jetski and ten trained patrolmen and women, eventually expanding to 20 people. A jetski donor has already been found, and the vehicle will enter service in the next summer season.

Task of the section will be to distribute leaflets describing local rules and regulations and help personal watercraft users who get into difficulty. The new volunteers will be given the same rigorous training and assessment as their counterparts manning the two conventional boats of the VHP.

On application, volunteers must have the Royal Yachting Association PWC proficiency qualification as well as lots of experience in all conditions, including offshore.

For an application form, write to Mrs S. Jolliffe, EA to QHM, Room 402, Semaphore Tower, Portsmouth Naval Base, PO1 3LT or email: eaqhm@a.dii.mod.uk

11th August : European Championship Round 4.
Jetsport news #20
Dinant, Belgium August 20-21-22
“All you need to know about Dinant”
How can you explain the race of Dinant?
The city of Dinant is one of the touristy places in Belgium, a small town in the valley of the Meuse River, with lots of cafés and restaurants along the water’s edge. The course is in downtown Dinant and is probably one of the hardest races in the world. If you have ever raced there, you will know what I mean, and only great champions can win there!
You will love it or hate it, but you will never forget it!
Dinant is also special because of the communion between the riders and the 25.000 spectators. There is no other place in the world where spectators can watch the race so close, it is magic! Try to be in good shape and go for the victory!
Where is Dinant?
Along the highway Brussels-Luxemburg, in the valley of the Meuse River
Airports: Brussels or Charleroi (Charleroi only for Ryan Air) Both airports are only one hour from Dinant
Hotels: www.dinant-tourisme.be
This site is only in French or Dutch, so when you are on the home page, click on “Français” and then on ”Hébergements” and you will find the list of hotels and bed and breakfast.
Official Web Site of the competition of Dinant: www.jetskidinant.be
On this site you will find all the details you need, a map of the race site and photos from the past events.
Organisation: I.J.S.B.A / B.J.S.B.A. / Young Economical Council of Dinant / City of Dinant / Corona Extra GLC / Yves Van Heers Racing Organisation
Public Announcer: Thierry Schraff
To order VP Racing Gas: AC Motorsport
Phone: (+33) 442 50 60 36 Fax: (+33) 442 50 82 86 E-mail: info@ac-motorsport.com
Your race number: Philippe Hendricx
Phone : (+32) 475 37 00 54 E-mail: jet_philippe@skynet.be
Promotion and Sponsorship of the Tour / international Press Accreditation:
G.L.C. Gilles et Elodie Laumonier Phone: (+32) 475 295 796 E-mail: elodie@gbh.be
Race Director: Yves Van Heers
Phone: (+32) 475 47 16 64 Fax: (+32) 2 251 28 67 E-mail: info@jetskivanheers.be
Memoriam André Jacobs / Race for mechanicals and riders relatives:
Like every year since the tragic accident of Andre Jacobs, we will organise a race on Saturday evening for all the Mechanicals and riders relatives.
Condition for participation: Not be holder of a race licence in 2004
This race is always successful; it is a mix of emotion with the souvenir of André and the fun to see those that are mostly on the shores on a Jet Ski.
Important to know: Internal rules for Dinant
1 You will have access to the paddocks only from Thursday August the 19 at 8.00 am; if you want to be earlier at Dinant, you must go to two parking (parking des Oblats and or parking de l’Abbaye de Leffe) you will find this two parking on the map of the site on www.jetskidinant.be
From Thrusday 8.00 am, marshals from Dinant will bring you to the paddocks.
2 Go Ped are not permitted!!
3 You can use Quads outside the paddocks only with valid registration and insurance, helmet is mandatory!
4 Every Quad must have the race number of the rider on the front
See you at Dinant,
Yves Van Heers
The Russian Power Boat Association is looking for a Rider able to teach the Russian Junior Team in Closed Course and Free Style; one or two weeks in August. Contact Yves Van Heers.

11th August : ONFIRE Buy 4 Get 1 FREE.
Currently when you order any four items from the ONFIRE on-line store they will give you the item with the lowest value for free!
Just select the four items you wish to purchase and when they receive your order they will deduct the item with the lowest value from your final bill.
Offer valid until 1st of September 2004
www.onfire.co.uk

10th August : Xtreme Weekend Pics.
A selection of pics from the Xtreme Action Weekend, Round 5 of the JSRA British Championship and the JSRA National Slalom Championship at Tattershall last weekend are now online.
Check them out in the photo gallery.

3rd August : Jetskiers Assist in sinking boat drama.

FOUR men were forced to swim to shore after their speedboat sank in the entrance to Herne Bay harbour.

The incident occurred at around 2pm on Sunday when the boat started to sink close to the old pier head around half a mile off the town.

The crew headed to shore at speed, sitting on the foredeck to keep the boat afloat. She finally sank between the end of Neptune jetty and the modern pier head, leaving the men to swim the final few yards to safety.

Canterbury Water and Shore Patrol and Canterbury Dive Club took part in the complicated rescue of the 20ft speedboat.

With only about 18in of the bow visible above the water the boat was considered a significant hazard to other vessels using the harbour.

WASP II, the Canterbury council patrol boat, was on the scene within seconds but initial attempts by her to pull the speedboat clear of the harbour entrance failed as the stern of the boat with its large outboard engine had sunk into the seabed.

Members of Canterbury Dive Club were in the area and dived inside the hull to attach air bags to the boat. An exclusion zone was set up with the help of jet skiers to ensure that the divers could work in safety.

The four men, all from Potters Bar, were unhurt. The recovery of the speedboat took around two hours.

Report from Kent Online

3rd August : Hunt on for gang who attacked jet skiers.

FOUR visitors who had spent a day in Herne Bay jet skiing were attacked on their way home along the Thanet Way.

The four were heading back to Gravesend at about 4pm on Saturday when they were flagged down by a passing silver BMW. A silver Rover, towing a jet ski, also pulled up alongside, blocking the victims' Ford Escort.

When the cars stopped, two men got out of the BMW and four men got out of the Rover. The gang, one of whom was wielding a jet ski anchor, smashed the windows of the Ford Escort while other members of the group kicked the car.

One of the attackers grabbed the keys from the ignition of the Ford Escort before the offenders ran back to their cars and drove off towards London.

The victims, aged 53, 18, 24 and 27, suffered minor cuts during the incident. The cost of the damage is about £2,000.

Witnesses to the attack, which happened near Herne Bay, should contact DC Ronald Smith at Canterbury Police on 01227 762055 or the free and confidential Crimestoppers number on 0800 555 111.

Report from Kent Online

2nd August : European Championship Round 3 Report.
The third round of the European Championship in Closed Course was held under a pungent heat (42°C), in Mirandela, a small Portuguese city located at a few hundred kilometers East of Porto.
Nearly 150 pilots gathered on the river Mira Tua which runs in the middle of the city. After an opening ceremony, presented by Francisco PITA, the President of the organizing Portuguese Federation, the races were held throughout the weekend on a track, as always, extremely demanding.
The third round (of five scheduled this year) was in fact kind of a turning point in the season and for this reason many riders were extremely nervous! Several times, the Race Director Yves VAN HEERS, had to intervene to calm the emotional state of the riders, which proves that the riders really have their hearts set to do well in this Championship. Once again, spectators filled the shoreline to view the show. And they were not disappointed, as all the categories and classes provided great entertainment and excitement.
Beginning with the Ski Stock class where, even if Jordan FIELDER has dominated the races on his KAWASAKI, it is finally Frenchman David MEYRAND who excels in front of his countryman Jimmy PONS, both on POLARIS, as the British (Fielder) was a victim of a mechanical failure in the second moto.
Fortunately, it went better for the English, in particular in Runabout Limited where Phil POPE won all three motos in front of James BUSHELL and the French André CRIBIER, all three on SEADOO. POPE was in great shape in Portugal as he also took his SEADOO XP to victory in Runabout Stock, in front of the SEADOO RXP 4-stroke of Italian Gimmy BOSIO and another XP of Belgian Sven PUTZEYS.
British victory also in the Ski Junior class where the POLARIS of Chris WILKINSON precedes the YAMAHA of Frenchman Edouard MENGUY and the KAWASAKI of the American Mitchel MACCLUGAGE, who took the trip together with his famous cousin (Chris) to the European Championship.
In the womens class, it is the Italians and KAWASAKI setting the law. Ida ALESSIA makes no mistakes and wins all three motos ahead of Tatiana MERCURIALI and Lisa BARSBY from England who returned to the races for this one week-end.
Nicolas RIUS had announced twice that, after his performance in Impéria, Italy, that he would win the two classes in Portugal! The multiple World Champion kept his word by easily winning all three motos in Runabout Superstock in front of a very strong Franky ZAPATA on his KAWASAKI but powerless in comparison to that of the YAMAHA of TEAM RIUS. In the YAMAHA team from now on, Nicolas has not only Mohamed Al MANSORRI as his team member, but also Rashed Al TAYER, who proved even more powerful than his countryman of the UAE, as Al Tayer ends up on the second place on the podium.
Victory for RIUS also in the Ski Superstock class on his YAMAHA Super Jet. This time, it was more complicated since Nicolas won the event without winning any moto. But RIUS showed consistency and benefited from the performances (or bad luck!) of his competitors on KAWASAKI. Indeed, Steven DAULIACH breaks down in the first moto, falls in the second before winning the third moto while Chris MAC CLUGAGE makes a mistake, three turns before the end, which sends him to an eighth place after his second place of Saturday and his victory in the moto during the morning. A special mention goes to Vincent VILLAT who takes the third place on the podium after having, for the first time of its career, beaten all the specialists in the class in the first moto.
Podium 100 % French in Ski Limited, which remains the most competitive category. Ludovic CAUMONT, two-time European Champion in the class, came to Mirandela as the leader and, impressed once again. But it was not without a fight from Jean Baptiste BOTTI, his young team-member at POLARIS who won the second moto coming from a tenth place after the first buoy! Great performance also from Jérémy MAZAUD who places his KAWASAKI in third place, confirming his high level of riding.
In Freestyle, Englishman Daniel ASCROFT wins once again in the amateur category in front of his younger team-member, 12 year old Lee STONE, and the Belgian Tom DE POOTER wrapped things up by taking third place. In the pro category, the Slovenian Roc FLOJENCIC remains unchallenged, even if the French Romain STAMPERS who improves consistently every round takes second and Jean Régis VILLETTE, third, all performed a perfect routine in Portugal. And because of the live TV transmission, this time, the Freestyle competition concluded this beautiful weekend of competition in Mirandela.
Next appointment of the 2004 CORONA EXTRA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP, the course of Dinant in Belgium set on the Meuse river in downtown Dinant. The most spectacular test of the season will continue on August 20-22, 2004!
Thierry Schraff

2nd August : Out N About.
Jetman was Out n About at the weekend visiting Billing Jetski Centre on Saturday and Church Wilne Sunday.
A Selection of pictures from both venues are now online!
Check them out in the photo gallery.