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Hovercraft Racing Action As Towcester Greyhound Track Construction Continues

Hovercraft action at Towcester Racecourse.

Towcester Racecourse which is currently undergoing a major development with a new greyhound racing track, didn't stop the hovercraft racing at the weekend. It did however mean that there were some last minute changes to the layout of the various areas.

92 hovercraft from all over Europe assembled to battle it out for the final points of not only the UK Championship, but also the European Championship.

Although Saturday was a murky day weather wise, it didn't stop the many Formula's racing at high speed utilising both the lakes and surrounding field.

The final race in Formula 1 on Saturday saw drama when local driver Conrad Beale from Southam rolled the craft at the first turn after the start, he had just moved into first place when the craft became aerodynamically unstable, he was thrown from the craft and was left unconscious on the ground as the rest of the drivers flashed past at speeds of around 60mph. Conrad was taken to Northampton Hospital where he was given a Cat Scan which revealed a small bleed on the brain, he was finally released on Tuesday after being given the all clear. His two kids Callum and Abi carried on racing on Sunday with Callum, last year's Junior Champion finally taking 2nd place overall and Abi was awarded the most improved Junior Rose Bowl.

An unsual view of Towcester Racecourse Hovercraft racing

The racing for the weekend was finished off with a thrilling three way battle in the Formula 1 race, it saw local driver Darren Wallace from Leighton Buzzard beating the former Formula 1 Paul Hibbard into second and Michele Scanavino, the overall weekend winner, having to settle for third place.

The UK team came with the highest number of craft and featured heavily in the top three places in all Formula's and took the top podium spots in Formula S (Ricky Goosey) and Novices (Ryan Tingley). Team Sweden took the top podium spots in Formula 2 (Magnus Ivanoff) and the Junior's (Lucas Hall). Fabien Santaloulangue from France took the top podium spot in Formula 50.  Michele Scanavino from Italy took the coveted top spot in Formula 1.

The Editor of AboutMyArea/NN12 went along to try and capture some of the action - see the Towcester Racecourse Hovercraft Racing 2014 pictures

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Comments

robinpaine

At 12:09 on 24th September 2014, robinpaine commented:

There is a 700 page book, with 450 pictures called 'On a Cushion of Air', (www.Amazon.com or www.thebookdepository.com and Kindle), which tells the story of Christopher Cockerell's discovery that heavy weights could be supported on a cushion of low pressure air, and the development of the hovercraft by those who were there, from the very early days through to the heyday of the giant 165-ton SRN.4, which crossed the English Channel starting in 1968 carrying 30 cars and 254 passengers at speeds in excess of 75 knots on a calm day. It was subsequently widened to carry 36 cars and 280 passengers with an A.U.W. of 200 tones and was later lengthened to an A.U.W of 325 tons and capable of carrying 55 cars and 424 passengers. The amazing point was that from 165 tons to 325 tons only 400 extra hp was required, although a bit of speed was sacrificed, proving conclusively that Christopher Cockerell's theory was sound.
Sadly, for economic reasons, the service came to an end on 1st October 2000. In total 6 SR.4s were built and the two remaining ones are in the Hovercraft Museum at Lee-on-Solent. See www.onacushionofair.com

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