Twenty-eight boats will be competing in the 55th Great Race today.
The powerboat event will see boats in eight classes aiming to complete the 90-mile journey from the Mucurapo Foreshore, Trinidad to Store Bay, Tobago.
Six-time winners Monster will not participate this year, which means that a new champion will be crowned, while Mr Solo will be the only boat lining up in the 130 mile per hour (mph) A Class.
Smaller boats will be starting at 7.15 am. The cruiser 50 mph class will begin at 7.15 am, followed by the spec and G class (60 mph) at 7.25 am. At 7.30 am, the F class (70 mph) will speed off, then the E class (80 mph) at 7.45 am.
At 8 am, the A (130 mph), B (120 mph), C (110 mph) and D (95 mph) classes will begin their trek to Tobago.
The spec class boats will make their debut in this year’s event. The spec category does not have a speed bracket, but all the boats have the same length, hull and engine.The spec class was well represented in the five-race 2023 National Championship series, which is held annually in the build-up to the Great Race.
Arrow won the spec class in the championship series, finishing with 5,350 points, and also won the overall title. Joining Arrow in the spec class on Saturday are Kraken, Pandemic, Asalt Weapon, S Kapade and Ballistic.
The G Class will have the most participants, as eight boats have registered.
Two of the main sponsors of the 2023 Great Race are Carib and the National Lotteries Control Board.
Entrants:
A Class: Mr Solo
B Class: Iron Man
D Class: Tyrant
E Class: Heatwave, Mobil Outlaw, Blue Ice, White Heat
F Class: Extreme Measures, New World Order, Ratchet, Ketch This, Fire Chief, Predator
G Class: Timeless, Devil’s Advocate, Knot in Slow Motion, Raw Knots, John Wick, Try Jesus, Limitless, Trident II
Spec Class: Kraken, Arrow, Pandemic, Asalt Weapon, S Kapade, Ballistic
Cruiser Class: Fountain.