British Powerboat Festival (From Daily Echo)

British Powerboat Festival

2:10pm Friday 27th August 2010 in

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THE British Powerboat Festival, which started at Cowes today, is just the start of a personal journey for Hamble’s Sarah Donohue that could take her all the way to China.

Former television presenter and James Bond actress Donohue is racing with Devon-based Chinese businessman Martin Lai and navigator Tom William-Hawkes for Lai’s Ocean Dragon Racing team, which has well advanced plans to introduce the sport to the Chinese market.

World class powerboat racing is already one of the fastest growing motor sports in the world and Lai’s team, with their boat “Powerboat Asia 2011-2015”, is a regular on the World Power Boat Racing Circuit.

Lai is planning to take the sport even further next year by organising the Powerboat Asia Event 2011-2015.

Donohue explained: “Powerboat racing has never gone to Asia and Martin has been working to take racing over there as part of a cultural exchange.

“China plans to develop its sports industry and so we are seeing a more open sports market in Asia.

“There are numerous opportunities for powerboat racing teams, sponsors and other businesses.

“A new commercial opportunity is being presented, through sport, for European and American businesses to better understand and penetrate the Asian markets.

“The Powerboat Asia 2011-2015 event we are promoting will no doubt push east-west co-operation in numerous industries.”

The trio will be racing at Cowes in a brand new boat, which was specially built by American firm Pantera.

The boat is 41ft long, powered by two Mercury 525 EFI engines, capable of producing a bhp of 1,050, equivalent to two F1 Formula racing cars.

It can reach speeds of up to 90 knots, or 105 miles per hour.

Donohue is one of just two females competing in the British Festival, which features Sunday’s 50th staging of the Cowes Torquay Cowes race.

The other is 19-year-old Milly Pascoe from Hedge End.