Two cabbies, a welder and a geek enter “the Mount Everest of powerboat racing”

May 17, 2008 - PRLog -- Announcing the entry of The Bandit into the 2008 Round Britain Offshore PowerBoat Race. The Bandit is run by a totally amateur team from Herts comprising taxi drivers, Barry Deakin and Robin Reade, welder Carl Hamp and IT geek, Graeme Youngs.

The Bandit is a 33 foot Hunton RIB (rigid inflatable boat) which will be powered by 2 x Mercuiser 425hp inboard engines and will be capable of speeds in excess of 70 knots.
The 2008 Round Britain Offshore PowerBoat Race is a 1600 mile, 10 stage race for powerboats around Britain. Over 50 boats are scheduled to compete with a combined power output of over 3 times a Formula One race grid.

We believe we represent the true Corinthian spirit”, said Barry Deakin. “We will be taking on teams with much bigger budgets and many years’ offshore racing knowledge.  Our aim is to finish, to finish well and to have a fantastic, one-in-a-lifetime experience.”

The event has been described as “The Mount Everest” of powerboat racing.  Said Mike Lloyd, Event Director; “This is more than simply a race, it is an adventure on a grand scale, which will not be undertaken by the faint-hearted. Powerboat racing just does not come any tougher than this.”

About The Bandit

The Bandit is a 33 foot Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) designed by Jeff Hunton of Hunton PowerBoats competing in the 2008 Round Britain Offshore Challenge. The Bandit is crewed by a team of amateurs with no experience of offshore racing who will be racing against seasoned professionals such as triple world champion and record holder, Neil Holmes The boat is equipped with twin 8.1 litre Mercruiser stern drive engines outputting a total 850hp and enabling the vessel to speeds of over 90mph. Keen competition will come from the sister Hunton boat in the RB2 class crewed by James May (Top Gear) and Nick Knowles (DIY SOS).

About The 2008 Round Britain Offshore Challenge

The 2008 Round Britain Race is an historic race for offshore powerboats that has been run just two times previously. The race is a tough endurance test and has been described as “The Mount Everest of PowerBoat racing”, comprising 8 legs and a total of 1600 nautical miles. It will start on June 21st from Portsmouth, circumnavigating Great Britain via the Caledonian Canal.  The previous race was in 1984 when it was won by Fabio Buzzi of Italy. Over 50 boats have entered the race to date.  The event will be filmed for a documentary by Iain May (Top Gear). More information at www.roundbritainrace.co.uk

About the team

Barry Deakin, 44, lives in Watford and is proprietor of Eagle Cars based in Watford.  Robin Reade, 48, lives in Watford and is proprietor of Ambers Cars based in Watford. Carl Hamp, 45 lives in Watford and is a maintenance engineer for the Mirror Group. Graeme Youngs, 45, lives in Chipperfield, Herts and is an IT Consultant. For more information, news and blog, visit: www. followthebandit.com