UK PWC News

UK Personal Watercraft News

30th June : European Championship Round 3 Pictures.
A selection of pictures from Round 3 of the 2005 EJSBA European Championship held in Italy at the weekend are now online.
Check them out in the photo gallery.

30th June : Renault Driver Development.
The Renault F1 Driver Development Programme recently took delivery of two Kawasaki SXR 800 Jetskis to complement their training regime.
Kawasaki UK Rider Jordan Fielder joined the team yesterday at Hardwick Parks Watersports Centre to help them get a feel for the Nitrojet Action Sports supplied watercraft.
Created in 2002 the Renault Driver Development (RDD) programme is designed to recruit young talent, contract and accompany them to the top levels of motorsport.
The RDD is very demanding and requires top line physical and mental preparation, Nothing is left to chance: a driver is an athlete and to be successful, he must be in top shape.
Coach Daryl Coombes sets the training plans for each driver customised according to strengths and weaknesses and added the regular watertime on the SXR's to the programme of swimming, running, watersports, cycling, racket sports and climbing as well as time spent in the gym.
The drivers also attend the Human Performance Centre (HPC) at Enstone where they are assessed on their physical condition and further fine tuning of their diet and training according to their schedule and overall fitness is made.
As well as the physical benefits achieved at the lake building team spirit is an important priority and there is a healthy rivalry between them.
The drivers enjoy spending time together and making training fun is an important part of maintaining their motivation and desire to succeed.
Find out more in the August edition of Jetskier Magazine.

29th June : New Loch Speed Limit Could Mean Jetski Ban.

EBEN HARRELL

SPEEDBOATS and jet-skis could effectively be banned over one third of Loch Lomond under proposals to extend a 7mph speed limit.

The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority yesterday unveiled plans to extend the slow limit across the central area of the loch. The proposal will be considered on 4 July, when the authority looks to amend by-laws which have been in place since 1996.

The changes follow a lengthy review in which nearly 1,000 people completed a questionnaire and more than 30 meetings were held with specific interest and user groups.

The national park authority yesterday said the changes would help protect the loch's islands and sensitive areas, along with major shallow areas which are important for vegetation and breeding fish.

In the place of jet-skis and motorboats, quiet recreation such as windsurfing would be encouraged, the authority said in a statement. "Speed restriction is a practical method for protecting sensitive areas, separating recreation activity and reducing the impact on loch shore users," it said.

The speed limit would be enforced by the park's existing ranger service, with £500 penalties for speeding.

National Park spokeswoman Ruth Crosbie said feedback from visitors and locals suggested loud motor crafts, particularly jet-skis, had scared off canoeists, windsurfers and picnickers.

"We talked to over 1000 visitors and a lot of people said the loch was noisy and a lot said there were too many jet-skis on the loch.

"We're not in the business of banning people and we hope bringing the speed down opens up the loch to everybody, including canoeists and windsurfers and people on a picnic."

But the proposal has been greeted with scepticism by local businessmen and residents.

Some have expressed concerns that the byelaw changes are being pushed through under pressure to prove the national park experiment a success. Bill Porter, a 60-year loch-side resident who manages Loch Lomond Boat Sales, claimed rumours and misinformation had been rife.

"There's a lot of speculation out there and I don't think they've made it clear yet what it is they are after.

"The main problem around here is jet-skis, so to have an extended speed limit in the centre of the loch, that's fair comment.

"But I want to know the people making this decision. Who are they? Do they live here? Do they live in Scotland? Why are they faceless? They need to introduce themselves to the country," he said.

Among the other proposed changes is to make wearing of life-jackets compulsory. The park authority also wants to increase the age for driving motor crafts from 14 to 16 years old.

Further consultation will take place from 8 August to 28 October. Final proposals are expected to be submitted to the First Minister for approval in December.

Similar speed restrictions on Windermere in the Lake District raised fears about an increase in speedboats and jet-skis on Loch Lomond.

From Scotsman.com

28th June : European Championship Round 3 Results.

Results and overall championship standings after the Third round of the Corona European Championship in Imperia, Italy at the weekend are now online at www.ijsba.com

UK Rider Results in Brief
Freestyle	Lee Stone	1st

Ski Junior	Luke Brooks	2nd
	Anya Richardson	11th

Runabout F1	Phil Pope	5th

Runabout F2	James Bushell	3rd
	Ria Pickard	5th
	Josh Toogood	7th

Runabout F3	Josh Toogood	6th

Ski F1	Chris Wilkinson	13th

Ski F2	Neil Smith	8th

Ski F3	Chris Wilkinson	2nd
	Neil Smith	10th

Well Done Team GB!

22nd June : Jetskis help scientists predict and monitor storm damage.

EPSRC press release

Quad bikes and jet skis, as well as computer models, are being used by scientists and engineers to measure and predict storm damage.

Every winter hundreds of British homes are at risk from being flooded when storms hit our shores. Global warming is expected to make matters worse for the future.

Environmental scientists from the University of East Anglia and maritime computer modellers from the University of Liverpool have been collaborating on a project – funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) - to study the effectiveness of structures such as breakwaters (piles of rocks just off the coast) at protecting the coastline from storms. This side of the research is being carried out in the South East, which is particularly vulnerable to the effects of storms because the land here is sinking at a rate of around 1mm per year.

The research group needed to take measurements on a rapid response basis, dashing out just before a storm was forecast. To do this, the researchers used quad bikes and jet skis. They were then able to rush out and measure how much sand had been moved around by a storm. This in turn helped them to ascertain which areas had been left most vulnerable and provided unique data to test the computer models.

Field team project leader Professor Chris Vincent, Head of School and Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, said:

"Areas of the South East are at severe risk of disappearing and we need to understand what is happening and why. Houses and even entire towns could be lost forever if measures are not taken now to ensure their survival. We have been investigating the impact of the large breakwaters that lie just offshore along the East Anglian coast, near the village of Sea Palling in North Norfolk. We wanted to measure how much sand was moved around by each storm and where the most vulnerable places were."

The work has led to a computer model of how winter storms are likely to affect the East Anglian coastline in the future. This will help coastal engineers improve flood defences.

For the past two winters Professor Vincent and his team have been on standby to take the measurements before and after every storm. On land they measured and recorded the shape of the beach by zipping up and down on quad bikes, building up a 3d picture of the site using a global positioning system (GPS).

Out at sea jet skis were employed with echo sounders to monitor how long sound takes to bounce off the sea bed, this enabled the researchers to measure the depth of the water, while the GPS recorded their location. Putting this information together helped the scientists to map the beach and sea floor out to where the breakwaters were.

The East Anglian team worked closely with maritime computer modellers at Liverpool University's Department of Civil Engineering led by Professor Brian O'Connor and Dr Shunqi Pan. They are now working on a predictive model of tide and flood conditions as well as associated shoreline and beach changes. EPSRC is also funding the second phase of the project, which is due to start later this year and involves the effects of multiple storms over many years of action, as well as the influence of changing climatic conditions.

Currently the Environment Agency has to artificially 'feed' beaches with sand near Great Yarmouth as a result of sand starvation from the action of the breakwaters near Sea Palling.

In 1953 Sea Palling suffered a large winter storm. Seven people were drowned when the waves crashed over the sand dune that separated the land from the sea and many houses and fields were damaged by the ensuing floods. After this tragic event a concrete sea wall was built to provide extra protection for the community but by 1994 the sea wall had started to show signs of serious damage and urgent action was needed. The Environment Agency quickly constructed a series of breakwaters to try and lessen the impact of the waves.

If you want to find out more about 'Breaking the Waves' visit http://pcwww.liv.ac.uk

The research project into 'Breaking the Waves' has received a grant from the EPSRC of £477,773.

18th June : Jetskier & Personal Watercraft Magazine.
The July Edition of JS&PW is on sale from all the usual stockists priced £3.20. Included in this edition are all the usual sections plus Hydrospace First Ride Report, North West Dealers In Profile, UK Racing & Freestyle, European Freeride Mayhem, At The Sportsboat & RIB Show and much more.
Check out the final Web News
Get Yours Now!

17th June : British Championship Round 3 Pictures.

Dave Stewart of Xtreme Action Images has posted a selection of pictures from Round 3 of the 2005 JSRA British Championship held in Liverpool Last Weekend.

Check them out at www.xtreme-action-images.com

16th June : BRP Launches International Website.

BRP are pleased to announce that they have launched an international version of the www.brp.com web site in an effort to be more in line with the premium positioning of its product lines in international markets, and to have a closer link with their customer and their unique needs.

The new BRP International web site can be accessed via the www.brp.com web site by clicking on the “International” link. You will then be redirected to the International BRP web site.

The International version of the brp.com web site includes:

Presentation of BRP International, its vision and its business activities around the world
An in-depth overview of all the BRP product lines available in international markets, including product information specific to their international markets (i.e. EC homologated ATVs, saltwater outboard models etc.)
The latest BRP International news and press releases
A complete listing of their distribution network worldwide

Ada Nazzari, Senior Advisor, at BRP International believes that it was an important step: “This will help us to establish a better link with our customers world wide, and, in time prove to be a growth engine for the company, given the extent of our business activities in international markets.”

www.brp.com

16th June : Yamaha Marine Racing.
Interested in Waverunner Racing?
Join the Yamaha Team Racers on Yamaha Marine Racing 2005.
Watercraft racing is a serious business at Yamaha. It has to be. It's where our machines are put through their paces and tested to the limit by the world's greatest and most demanding riders, and where our reputation was created for building musclecraft with ultimate performance, handling and style.

But it's fun too! We got a great buzz out of our participation in the 2004 Corona Extra sponsored European Tour and the fantastic success of our star rider, Nicolas ('The Fighter') Rius. At the end of a thrilling and dramatic season of racing with Yamaha, he not only took the European Championship title in Runabout Superstock, riding his ultra reliable and super quick GP1300R; he also stormed through to a credible 3rd place in the highly competitive Ski Superstock class on his legendary Superjet 700.

To celebrate the success of the outstanding partnership between Yamaha and Nicolas Rius, we've also created two very special Limited Edition Waverunner models, the Rius Racing GP1300LE and the Rius Racing Superjet 700.

So join us as we experience the thrill and drama of the race circuit once again, for the 2005 Corona Extra Tour Events, when Nicolas and the other Yamaha racers will be going all out for points and titles in what looks like being an even more exciting season.

Register with us now for:
Advanced info on the 2005 Corona Tour Events All the latest results and race news as it happens Details of our special Yamaha Racing promotions
YAMAHA MARINE RACING

15th June : Jet Guard Seadoo Insurance.

The biggest European distributor of Bombardier Recreational Products, Jets Marivent, has announced the launch of a new insurance for Seadoo Personal Watercraft.

This comprehensive insurance is called Jet Guard and is provided by the well renowned Weihtag Group and is exclusive to Seadoo watercrafts.

Jet Guard offers affordable rates, excellent customer service and solutions in tune with the current status of insurance law. Their experience in the international insurance market creates confidence, security and value for their clients.

This exclusive Seadoo insurance, specially negotiated for the Jets Marivent group, will be available for all 2005 models Europe wide and can only be bought through an authorized Seadoo dealer.

In addition to the comprehensive insurance available, all Seadoo PWC's come with a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty to offer Seadoo owners yet further peace of mind.

For more information about Jets Marivent or the new Jet Guard insurance,

Please visit www.jetsmarivent.com or contact your local Seadoo dealer.

15th June : JSRA British Championship Results.
The JSRA British Championship results from Round 3 at Crosby Marine Park, Liverpool on 11th - 12th June are online.
Check them out at...
www.jsra.co.uk

9th June : Queenford Announcement.

Following on from the news of the Nitrojet relocation, Chris and Lisa of Queenford Jetski have made the following announcement.

"Due to our ever increasing ski and engine building the time has come to expand this & the ATP side of Queenford.

We just cannot work as efficiently as we would like in the space we currently have so we have taken on an industrial unit 10 minutes down the road from the lake.

This will give us space to incorporate a much larger workshop for working on skis along with a dust room, spray booth, laminating room & a bigger shop for our ever expanding range.

The composite side of ATP is now set to grow very quickly with most parts being made by ourselves.

For the time being all contact details will remain the same. When the time comes we will publish our new phone number and address everywhere as well as on our website. Our e-mail and website address will stay the same.

This move is well overdue and will enable us to have a day off to ski, concentrate on expanding the workshop side, increase the ATP range even further, and attend the British rounds to support our sponsored riders as well showing off the ATP range to everyone.

In readiness for Nitrojet taking over the lake we are now open to sit-down jetskis 7 days a week. For membership you can contact either QJS or Nitrojet for further details.

We, along with our riders will be maintaining close links with the lake and Guy & Dawn are very keen to keep the freestyle connection synonymous with Queenford.

All customers new, old and very old can be assured of our continual excellent service, products, reputation and support.

This is a big move for both Queenford and Nitrojet and we would like to take this opportunity to wish Guy and Dawn every success in this venture."

Chris & Lisa

www.queenfordjetski.co.uk

8th June : Amputee To Jetski Across The Irish Sea.
A ONE-legged man is preparing to jet-ski across the Irish Sea to raise money for others with disabilities
Matt Browne, of Clane, County Dublin, had his leg amputated five years ago after being diagnosed with diabetes.
He was also a heavy smoker and arteries in his leg had become blocked.
A veteran fundraiser, Matt hopes to raise cash for Rehab, which provides services for people with disabilities.
Matt and nine team-mates will embark on the 250-mile round trip from Howth Yacht Club, Dublin, on July 4.
He will be stopping at Carlingford in Louth, Port St Mary, Conway Bay and Holyhead in North Wales, before returning to Howth on July 8.
Matt said: 'It's going to take four or five days and it's going to be tough. It's like going up a continuous hill, hitting the waves all the time and you have to know how to handle them.
'If something happens we will have support boats on hand.' Matt has been training since February and started practicing in the sea last month. He admits he is not quite ready for the challenge.
He said: 'With having only one leg I have to work extra hard to balance the machine, so I need to keep practicing. 'I don't really know if I enjoy the sport. I think when I get going on the challenge I will soon find out!'
Matt has the support of his three children — Ian, 25, Adele, 24, and Laura, 21.
He said: 'They are always supportive of everything I do and always try to help me in my quests.'
Matt, 52, has been a charity fundraiser for more than 40 years and has organised events including a 750-mile bus trip around Ireland — in reverse!
He also talks to patients who are about to have limbs amputated and reassures them that life still goes on. Matt said he must look funny when preparing to launch his jet ski.
'I have to be pushed down the slipway in a wheelchair, then I climb on to the jet ski and then I am ready to go. 'It must look a funny sight to people but it's reality, that is the only way I can do it.
'It's a bereavement to lose a limb because you are never going to be the same again. I have an prosthetic leg but you always need crutches on standby as you can't wear it in bed.
'No longer can you get up in the night to go to the toilet without having to use your crutches, otherwise you end up flat on your face on the floor.'
Matt hopes the effort will raise 50,000 euros for Rehab and is looking for sponsorship.
He said: 'If there is a company in the Isle of Man that would like to sponsor me and get some advertising, either on my bodysuit or jet ski, that would be great.'
Matt said he valued life a great deal before he lost his leg but even more so now.
'I have the attitude that life is for living and I just love it.'
Anyone keen to sponsor the challenger should contact Matt on 00353 87 265 4582 or Eileen Rowland on 00353 1 205 7313.
From Isle of Man Today

7th June : Nitrojet Relocation.
Nitrojet are extremely happy to announce that later this year Nitrojet Action Sports Ltd will be relocating to Queenford Lakes in Oxford.
"This new development for us means that not only will we be able to offer the same first class service in terms of products, watercraft and ATV sales and servicing but now this will be accompanied by an on-site 25 acre lake, which will be open 7 days a week to both sit-down and stand-up watercraft. As with previous lakes we will also have a designated towing area."
The move will inevitably be a huge one for both staff and customers, which is why we are now holding our
"WE'D RATHER SELL IT THAN MOVE IT SALE!"
"Everything we currently hold in stock is reduced dramatically, both on-line and in-store". Browse through the products section on the left hand navigation bar on www.nitrojet.co.uk to see many of the reduced items.
We are also currently putting together membership information.
If you would like a membership at Nitrojet Lake, Berinsfield, oxford. Please complete the information form on the home page of www.nitrojet.co.uk and we will email/post information out to you.
Please remember to complete all information including your address and make/model of watercraft.

www.nitrojet.co.uk

7th June : European Championship On The Box.
Round two of the Corona Tour European Jetski Championship goes to air on Motors TV (Sky Channel 413 ) beginning Saturday 11th at 3.30pm.
The best jet ski competitors from around the world come to Austria to compete in the toughest championship in the world.
The half hour program is then repeated at the following times.
Monday 13th June 07:00
Tuesday 14th June 15:30
Thursday 16th June 16:30
Friday 17th June 02:30
www.motorstv.com

6th June : Jet Skiers Set Off In Charity Bid.

Three men from Lincolnshire have started a record-breaking attempt to jet-ski around Britain's coastline.

The team of William Watson, Mark Kennedy and Lloyd Sylvester, set off on the challenge from Winthorpe, near Skegness, on Monday morning.

They are aiming to complete the 2,300 mile journey in just 13 days - raising money for Cancer Research and the RNLI.

Mr Watson said the bigger firms had not backed the project, but the local community was very supportive.

He said: "We wrote a thousand letters to major companies and we've actually had a thousand replies of 'No'.

"What I must say is that, the people who've supported us, we're really glad of their help."

"The people of Chapel St Leonards especially - for a small village they have done us very, very proud."

From BBC News

4th June : Hydrospace On Test.
Round two of the Corona Tour European Jetski Championship in Reifnitz, Austria coincided with the first race appearance of the Worlds first 4-stroke stand-up watercraft.
JMUK was invited to test the S4 from Austrian Manufacturer Hydrospace and who better to evaluate a ski 'Made for Racing' then two British racers with many years of experience and success on race prepared models from all manufacturers.
Over to you Lisa Barsby and Jim Goodchild.

Eight months ago when we first heard about the Hydrospace, the world’s first four-stroke standup, we were just a little sceptical to say the least. For many years the rumours of 4-stroke stand-ups had been doing the rounds, but issues with cost, power to weight ratio and the physical size of a four-stroke motor inside such a small hull had kept other manufactures away from producing one sooner. Also was there really a market for one?
So now we were expected to believe a new manufacture called Hydrospace would not only produce the first four-stroke standup, but also produce it within 8 months of conception and ready for the first round of the European championships at the beginning of May. So when they failed to show up in Spain on May 6th we weren’t totally surprised and to be honest our expectations for a 2005 debut at all weren’t running high. Not to say we weren’t interested but just realistic. Hydrospace were talking F1 timescale and lets face it Jet Skiing is a far cry from Formula One.
So three weeks later we find ourselves in Austria for the second race of the tour and the homeland of Hydrospace Racing. And guess what we have to eat our words! Not only is Hydrospace ready with boats to test, but also the Race Team will be making their on-track debut. Truly amazing!
The First Ride
After spending the weekend watching Chris MacCluggage muscle his Hydrospace S4 around the race track to a third overall in the Pro-Ski class, we were keen to find out just how good this baby really was. We had a sneaking feeling that the overly large course with shallow turns and not forgetting to mention the superior riding style of Mr MacCluggage, a multi World Champion in every category all benefited to the S4’s impressive first outing.
But what about the rest of us? Only riding the S4 would truly lay our cynical minds to rest!
On first inspection, the Hydrospace seemed quite small and fragile, its integrated plastic bond rails and sharp edges look attractive but one has to ask how strong they are, and if you have a smash on the track how are they replaced? And personally the sharp edges raise concerns about safety in the water, but we guess the IJSBA rules committee will address all these things in time.
The first thing you encounter as you board the ski is the overly high tray. The extra height requires you to stretch over the ski to climb aboard and if you’re vertically challenged it is quite a stretch. This also might make it difficult if you have to make a deep-water start, plus remounting after a spill requires a lot of upper body strength to haul yourself back into the tray. The tray is slightly smaller than an SXR, but we found the ski to be quite buoyant so no fear of tipping off before you get going.
Once on board the controls feel pretty much like any other ski, but one which already benefits from a pole spring and handling gear. It comes standard with a UMI style steering system; straight bars with good quality grips, a manual trim system and a billet finger throttle. All items that most riders replace immediately on a stock ski. The pole was strong, light and well balanced with the added benefit of offering an adjustable lengthening system. Hydrospace have made the top part of the handle pole (where the pole-pad sits) interchangeable by means of simply unbolting and replacing with a shorter or longer steering section – benefiting individual physique. They have definitely addressed all the racer handling needs!
With all four strokes no throttle is required, just a touch of a basic on/off switch fires it into life. The first notable thing was that it revved on quite quickly – which could be unnerving for a novice rider. But we soon got used to it. In fact it felt very useful almost immediately, but then it does a have a hull design similar to that of an SXR.
The power was initially slow but smooth in its delivery, and if you kept it on the pipe it was very easy to ride, it was only when it came back down that the characteristics of a four-stroke engine could be felt – a laziness on the very bottom. We didn’t have means to clock its top speed so by feel alone we felt in was on par with a stock SXR, maybe just a tad quicker.
Around the buoys the S4 is a demon, its turning capabilities are superb, but be warned if you stand on it like a peg be prepared to get thrown out the back door as this ski isn’t for stiff riders. You need to be able to feel the power and move with it. This feature may make it an unattractive ride for some but not for us, as we really enjoyed this characteristic. However, to make the most of this feature, again you need to keep the power on throughout the turn and from watching MacCluggage on the racetrack that’s exactly how he rode it.
One of the best things about the S4 is that you can approach the buoys at almost full power confident that it’s going to turn in with very little effort. The key is staying with it. Once you’ve sussed that the power is so linear that it won’t catch you out. Coming out of the turn there is no snap to deal with so again you get a very precise and direct exit.
Overall the S4 felt small but solid, it handled well and the mats despite their quirky design with inbuilt up lifters worked well and didn’t hinder our riding experience where some had criticised. The ergonomics were good, as were the fit and finish. The general spec was also good for a stock boat, but then again this boat isn’t cheap so you’ll need to weigh up the pros and cons before purchasing. The overall power was manageable, and we would expect to see more from this motor as the boat becomes widely available. Fuel consumption is also stated to be excellent – it was alleged that Mac’s S4 consumed 9 litres of fuel per race(18minutes), whereas the average SXR Superstock would use almost twice that.
On the negative side the S4 didn’t feel particularly fast for a 100hp engine and certainly didn’t live up to the initial top speed claims. It wasn’t mind-blowingly dominating against its competitors, but it was competitive – just. It is very noisy even in its stock state, and we would imagine Hydrospace would need to address this issue for the boats to pass tech at the World Finals. Also we don’t know whether the purchase of an S4 would be an attractive proposition for a recreation rider because the power was so poor low down making it very difficult to maneuver which in turn would take away the fun factor – but remember this ski is made for racing.
We would have preferred more time on this revolutionary new craft to get a more accurate review, but alas there is never enough time so with that in mind we give the Hydrospace the thumbs up on first impressions. However the question we still ask is – Is there a market for a four stroke standup?
Only time will tell....

3rd June : European Championship Round 2 Report.
Round 2 of the European Championship last weekend saw the Tour arrive in Reifnitz for its first ever visit to Austria.
A huge expanse of water with a picturesque backdrop greeted Team GB for what was to be a scorcher of a weekend.
Unfortunately a couple of the British Pilots who had appeared at the previous round were missing but the UK was still well represented in all classes by Luke Brooks, Chris Wilkinson, Lisa Barsby, Vicky Beale, Jim Goodchild, Neil Smith, Ria Pickard, Phil Pope, James Bushell, Josh Toogood and Lee Stone who all made the 800 mile trip.
As with any international competition the level of skill is very high and the UK riders once again showed they can compete with the best.
Round Up
For Luke Brooks in Ski Junior, this weekend was to prove difficult to maintain his run of first positions. The competition was tough but he managed a first in moto one before succumbing to fourth in the second and playing follow the leader in the third. Obviously not happy at letting others receive the chequered flag before him as in the previous moto, Luke pulled off a smart move in the dieing seconds of the final lap to return him to the front to the delight of his supporters.

Ski Ladies saw a very different Vicky Beale to round one. Vicky was onboard her own Kawasaki SXR and put in a fantastic performance over the weekend. A second, third and an eighth got her on the podium in third place. Once again Lisa Barsby was a prominent figure in this class. Beginning in moto one with a third place behind Vicky and leading moto two before a mechanical failure on the final lap saw her towed off. A second in the last moto was not enough to keep her top spot and she has dropped into second place in the championship.

With only one UK rider in the premier Ski F1 class, it’s a big job for someone as young as Chris Wilkinson. Last years British and European Junior Champion, who is still only fourteen has elected to move straight to the top. Also deciding to enter on a Kawasaki and stay with the Polaris in F3 makes this move even harder. Two twelfths and a thirteenth in Austria see him in Thirteenth position overall.

In Ski F2 we have two British pilots, Neil Smith and Jim Goodchild. Neil didn’t do as well as in the F3 class finishing an overall fifteenth and Jim Also got off to a bad start with a thirteenth place in moto one. He was back on form however in moto two showing the majority of younger riders the way round for second place. In Moto three the magnetic properties of the number 51 ski were again brought into question when a collision on the start led to a lost hood and partially sunken ski. Despite this Jim did well to finish in fifth once the race was restarted.

Ski F3 saw Chris Wilkinson and Neil Smith going into battle. The M&M teammates both hold good positions in the championship and came away in second and third with only 24 points separating them. Round one was Neil’s but at round two Chris grabbed a second, fourth and third to Neil’s tenth, ninth and fourth.

In Freestyle Lee Stone who only just missed out on the top spot in Spain, once again took to the water with a routine of huge air tricks! With a presence on the water of someone who’s been competing for much longer than the 13 year old has, a full compliment of barrel roll combinations and attention to spectator involvement, Lee soon had everyone in the stands up on their feet. For the first time in competition Lee took a shot at and almost hit the bulls-eye with a back flip during the boat wake section of the competition. Up next and well aware of the crowd’s response to Lee was Rok Florjancic of Slovenia. Rok came out of his corner like a man possessed and what followed was one of the best two minutes seen from him in a long while. A jam packed routine with hardly a breath taken between the endless barrage of inverts, hood tricks and jumps before holding on to an almost completely rotated flat water back flip then landing the same from the boat wake to maintain his first position run.

Runabout F1 Phil Pope was injured in Fridays practice and taken away by ambulance after a tumble from his GPR. Returning bruised and in obvious pain it wasn’t going to stop him perusing the premier class top spot in 2005. Despite the setback Phil led moto one to the cheers of the UK supporters and was clearly disappointed when he was downed laps for taking a buoy incorrectly on a number of occasions putting him back to eighth. A third and a fifth in the next two motos was just enough to hold onto his second place in the championship but Cyrille Lemoine is hot on his heels.

James Bushell competing in Runabout F2 dropped a few points compared to his round one performance. It was difficult from the start and if you didn’t get out of the gate, you could get caught up in the rail rubbing as you rounded the holeshot. A couple of poor starts saw him amongst the bunch and only returning 53 and 43 points for his second and fourth place finishes. Moto three however saw him back on form collecting the top 60 points for his efforts and maintaining his first position in the championship despite a second to Angelo Bertozzi on the day. After Ria Pickards fantastic first moto, which saw her finish third, moto two wasn’t to be a repeat. Ria got sandwiched on the start and couldn’t recover leaving her back in ninth and a similar story in the final moto with a sixth place finish kept her off the podium.

Runabout F3 saw only one competitor from the UK Josh Toogood. Despite a slow start on Saturday Josh had a fantastic second moto on Sunday finishing fourth and with his moto 3 result it meant he just missed out on a podium position with an overall sixth place finish.

Round three of the European Tour is being held at Imperia, Italy on the 24^th-26^th June.
Whenever possible JMUK will bring you on site reports as the championship continues.
See you there.

2nd June : European Championship Round 2 Pictures.
A selection of pictures from Round 2 of the 2005 EJSBA European Championship held in Austria at the weekend are now online.
Check them out in the photo gallery.