WHILE racing at 100mph in highly tuned powerboat is scary enough for the average person - imagine being towed over rough water at that speed. And that is exactly what world water ski racing champion Kim Lumley loves to do. Next weekend, local people will have the opportunity to watch her in action as she is going to race in the water ski classes of the Condor Ferries Guernsey Grand Prix.
It will be the first time ever that water ski races will feature in the annual event that will also showcase the opening round of the Royal Yachting Association’s National Offshore Series. Lumley is coming to the island straight from New Zealand where she would have been trying to defend her world title.
‘She’s down in New Zealand the week before our event and they are expected to do 120mph,’ said Guernsey Grand Prix co-organiser, John Guille.
‘It’s unbelievable to watch it. Around the UK the waters are a little rougher so they don’t quite reach those speeds but what’s the difference between 100 and 120 mph?
‘It’s all mad.’
The 24-year-old from Cambridgeshire besides being the world champion has been the British water ski racing champion for the last seven years running. She won her world crown at the 2005 World Water-Ski Racing Championships at Hunstanton in Norfolk.
Lumley has also won the coveted Catalina Island race four times. The race sees competitors start from Los Angeles harbour and ski a total of 70 miles to the Catalina Islands and back.
Lumley has never been to Guernsey before but is looking forward to the trip.
‘I can’t wait; it’s going to be really nice,’ she said.
‘I’m off to New Zealand to compete in the world championships first so coming to Guernsey will be a nice release.’
The offshore water ski class will be bringing 10 boats from the UK, representing the three classes in the sport. The F3 boats are around 19ft long and powered by standard 150hp engines.
They can reach speeds of 62-64mph with a skier in tow. Ex-F3 European champion Richard Kirk will be competing in this class.
F2 boats use 2.5-litre race-tuned engines to reach speeds of 84mph.
There will also be three F1 boats visiting Guernsey, which will see Lumley take part in. These boats powered by inboard engines or twin race-tuned outboards can reach speeds in excess of 100mph with a skier in tow.
Also competing in Guernsey will be European veteran gold and silver medal winners Steven Benny and Rod Hawkins. On the Saturday the competitors will race around Guernsey and then through the treacherously narrow Gouliot straights between Sark and Brechou.
The straights will also feature in Sunday’s action that will take place along the east coast of the island and in front of Castle Cornet.
‘They are looking forward to coming over,’ said Guille.
‘They are really excited about racing in Guernsey. They want to promote the sport to a wider audience.’
But the big question for Lumley is - is there any fun in hurtling across rough water at 100mph?
‘Of course there is, I don’t do it to scare myself,’ she said.
‘I have had a couple of accidents though. Probably my worst one was when I hyper-extended my leg at the world juniors in 1997 in Sydney Harbour.
‘It bent the wrong way. Oh, and they thought I broke my back once.’
Article posted on 19th May, 2007 - 12.00am
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