TEAM NEPTUNE

TEAM NEPTUNE

			LOWESTOFT BOAT SHOW
		THE CHAMPIONSHIP
THE BOAT	MEET THE TEAM	WHAT IS FORMULA 4-STROKE?	NEWS AND RACE REPORTS

THE BOAT	150 Class - Cougar GRP Monohull
		Overall length 6.4m/21ft	Overall Beam 2.1m/7ft
		Engine Honda BF150 VTEC	Power output 150bhp
		Displacement 2354cc	Max speed 55mph/48 knots
THE TEAM		Driver VERNON HUNT is one of the most experienced Formula 4-Stroke competitors, having raced in nearly every HF4S 130/150hp race since the series started in 1999. In 2004, as well as racing his 150hp boat 'Extreme Chaos', he navigated for driver Kevin Marshall in the 225hp boat 'Buildbase'. Competing in four races in each stage of the series - no mean feat - just how much adrenaline does one guy need?
		Co-Driver/Navigator ALAN YOUNG is also an extremely experienced competitor. Having owned and raced the 150hp boat 'Alien' for some years, Alan was considering taking a break from the sport, but the temptation was too great. This was lucky for Team Neptune, as Alan and Vernon rank as one of the most formidable teams in the series this season.
		Navigator LEE SHEPHERD makes his race debut this year. Lee works for DS-Neptune Developments, the sponsors of 'Team Neptune' and is experienced in radio and electronics. He has really been bitten by the racing bug and can't wait for the season to start! To show how keen he is, Lee is currently training for his RYA Class 2 certificate in powerboat handling and navigation with Peter White of Seafever International.
WHAT IS FORMULA 4-STROKE?		Take 15 identical boats powered by identical 225hp engines and 20 identical boats powered by identical 150hp engines. Add 35 competitive amateur and semi-professional teams, hungry for the chequered flag and you have the Honda Formula 4-Stroke Championship - the largest, most exciting powerboat series in the world. The Honda Formula 4-Stroke Race Series has created, for the first time, an opportunity for competitors to race on a level playing field, in identical boats - no modifications to the boat or engine are allowed. This means that everything is down to the skill of the drivers and navigators. None of the boats will give an inch at any time during the race - this really is the 'ultimate formula for racing'.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP	RACE DATES FOR 2006	24/25 June STEAM PACKET GRAND PRIX OF THE ISLE OF MAN 22/23 July GRAND PRIX OF NEWCASTLE 5/6 August HONDA BRITISH GRAND PRIX - PLYMOUTH 26/27 August GRAND PRIX OF COWES 9/10 September GRAND PRIX OF LIVERPOOL
NEWS	(to be updated after each event)	Follow the team's progress through the season HERE Round 1 - Isle of Man report Round 2 - Newcastle Grand Prix Round 3 - British Grand Prix - Plymouth
LOWESTOFT BOAT SHOW		On Saturday and Sunday, 13th and 14th May, H4 'Team Neptune' attended the Lowestoft Boat Show - offering members of the public the chance to experience for themselves the unforgettable thrill of powerboating and raising money for children's charities as well. Photographs of the event and a full report are on our Boat Show page.

JOINT PROJECT - H4 acts as 'guinea pig' in testing new product

As part of our sponsorship of H4, as well as providing the communications, we have undertaken the repairs and refurbishment of the boat hull. The work we have done has resulted in a marked improvement in performance and handling - and, yes, 56.9mph was recorded recently at Southampton.

In discussions with other crews, we discovered that many of the boats in the fleet were using special coatings on the boat hull. The only drawback was that the coatings would last little longer than one race. What we were looking for was something much longer-lasting.

We contacted Clean Image, who had several possible products comprising a water repellent chemical or a sealant to add to the buffed boat hull. They felt that neither option would give exactly the effect required and they decided to develop a completely new product - a long-lasting water repellent coating which would also withstand the impact of salt water at high speeds.

Clean Image contacted Willy Winterfalk of Allbrite Europe to develop a new mix of chemicals. In conjunction with Allbrite U.S.A. the new mix was made up and tested at a lab in California. This involved the application of the mix to fibreglass and spraying salt water through a pressure washer.

The, as yet un-named, product was ready for field testing and H4 Team Neptune and Paul Charman's 225 Team Mermaid agreed to act a guinea pigs and to report their findings. Willy flew over from Sweden and joined Clean Image and Autobright (Allbrite's UK distributor) at our premises in Lingfield to apply the coatings. The coating is not detectable on the white hull of H4, but the black hull of Paul's 225 gleams like a mirror.

We have yet to test the product under race conditions, but H4 managed to achieve 54mph at the Lowestoft Boat Show with 4-up!

Photograph of coating being applied to H4 by courtesy of Clean Image.