Sixty-eight-year-old Tommaso de Simone showed that age is no barrier in powerboat racing when he and his Italian Super Classic 40 Team won the World Offshore Racing Endurance Championship at the Honda Cowes Classic series .

Their title followed a storming victory in the famous Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race at the weekend when fast flat-calm conditions led to half the fleet breaking down en-route.

Britain's Peter Dredge and Ian Sanderson in Sunseeker finished second overall in the 210-mile Cowes/Torquay event to take the European and RYA British Endurance Championship titles, after finishing second in the final race around the Isle of Wight today.

The second British challenger, Premier Crew, driven by Lord Normanton and David Allenby, finished third in the World Championship behind the Sunseeker, after overcoming mechanical problems during Thursday's first race.

Their team had to fly in a new gearbox from Holland in time to compete in The Cowes/Torquay Race at the weekend, and were rewarded with a third place in yesterday's race around the Isle of Wight.

Austria's Hannes Bohinc, whose 12m 1,640hp Wettpunkt.com had been fastest in last Thursday's first race of the championship, broke down off Portland Bill while leading the fleet towards Torquay when a £20 fuel fitting snapped.

"It was very frustrating. Conditions were perfect for our boat,' said Bohinc.

For Dredge and Sanderson, this was a perfect end to an exhausting season of races around Europe.

The pair now plan to use their production Sunseeker powerboat to attack the Round Britain Powerboat Record next month as a prelude to launching a pan-European championship in identical boats next year.

James Sheppard and Neil Sinclair, who have dominated the Honda Formula 4-stroke Champion-ship, secured the National Championship title with a race still to spare.

RESULTS:

Cowes/Torquay/Cowes Race

Overall: 1; 'Super Classic 40' (Tommaso de Simone/Roberto Buonomo/Jose Loustau Ismael/John Hamilton - Ita) 3hrs 14mins 32secs. 74.73mph. 2, 'Sunseeker XS Racing' (Peter Dredge/Ian Sanderson/Ralf Tilkowski/Will Stirling - GBR) 3:19:18. 72.94mph. 3, 'Premier Crew' (Earl of Normanton/David Allenby/Chris Allenby/Joe Donohoo - GBR) 4:00:15. 60.51 mph. 4, 'Rizzardi' (Corrado, Ricardo & Damiano Rizzardi/Ricardo Fatarella - Ita) 4:37:29. 52.39mph

Offshore Endurance World Championship

1, 'Super Classic 40; 2, Sunseeker XS Racing. 3, 'Premier Crew.'

Offshore European Championship

1, Sunseeker XS Racing. 2, 'Super Classic 40, 3, 'Wettpunkt.com' (Hannes Bohinc - Aut)

RYA British Offshore Championship

1, Sunseeker XS Racing. 2, 'Premier Crew' 3, '00 Heaven' (Richard Bendy)

BIBOA World Cup - Heat 1 (Cowes - Torquay)

Formula 1:, 'Bridge Motorcycles' (Stuart Anthony & C Williams-Hawkes - GBR) 73.74mph. 2, 'Mr Mako' (Jamie Edwards & E. William-Hawkes - GBR) 73.73mph. 3, 'Extremeboat.com' (Jackie Hunt & Mike Shelton - GBR) 71.80mph

Formula 2: 1, 'Dragon's Revenge' John Puddifoot & Dave Field - GBR) 62.60mph. 2, 'Windexe' (Paul Williams & Mark Sansom - GBR) 61.66mph. 3, 'Comfortably Numb' (Gareth Williams & Gavin Brown - GBR) 61.46mph.

Open Class: 1, 'Hot Lemon' (Dave & Mike Deacon/Graham Snook - GBR) 58.9mph. 2, 'Seahound V' (Chris & Sarah Strickland/Darrell Elmes/Ralph Vadas - GBR) 56.91mph. 3, 'Ocean Dragon' (Martin Lai/Guy Child - GBR) 56.67mph

BIBOA World Cup - Heat 2 (Torquay - Cowes)

Formula 1:, 'Bridge Motorcycles' - 69.03mph. 2, 'Mister Exe' (Drew Langdon & Jan Falkowski - GBR) 62.45mph. 2, 'Web Construction' (Andy Bailey & Paul Scott - GBR) 60.91mph.

Formula 2: 1, 'Dragon's Revenge' 61.19mph. 2, 'Comfortably Numb' 59.78mph. 3, 'Revenger Step Forward' (Peter Berrow & Shelley Jory - GBR) 51.77mph.

Open Class: 1, 'Seahound V' 57.34mph; 2, 'Hot Lemon' 48.27mph