51st Great Race speeds off this morning

A NEW champion will be crowned when the 51st edition of the TT Great Race takes place, as 2018 champions Motul Monster will not be among the participants in this year’s competition, today.

The Great Race speeds off at Williams Bay in Chaguaramas at 7 am and the race will end at Store Bay in Tobago.

A total of 25 boats will compete in the pleasure and race classes. In the race class, boats will participate in the 60 miles per hour (mph) G Class, 70 mph F Class, 80 mph E Class, 95 mph C Class and the 130 mph A Class.

Paramount, Iron Man, Jumbie, Big Thunder and Mr Solo Too will compete in the 130 mph category and will all be in contention to win the overall title. The 95 mph category will feature Energiza, Bacchanal and Gone Wilder and in the 80 mph category Heatwave, Papi Chulo, Hero V and Blue Ice will aim for top honours.

Extreme Measures will be the favourite among the 70 mph boats after winning the class at the National Championships earlier this year. Alien and Predator will be their opponents in the category.

The 60 mph category will have five boats including Trident, Timeless, Outcast, Matrix and Hero Infusion IV. In the pleasure class, boats will compete in the 50 mph X Class.

Competitors in the race always keep a close eye on the weather as it will affect the sea conditions. Last year was forecasted to be rough, but it was a lot calmer than expected. Today, the seas will be moderate with waves two metres in open waters and one metre in sheltered areas.

The TT Power Boat Association (TTPBA) will push the safety measures of the sport with the introduction of enhanced safety features through a partnership with bmobile. Transponders keep track of the location of each boat throughout the race and will facilitate a response within minutes to any boat which may be in distress. Each boat will be equipped with two transponders this year as compared to one in the past.

Those who cannot make it to the start in Chaguaramas or the finish line in Tobago can view the race live on the TTPBA Facebook page. This is the first time in history the event will be seen live.