Macdonald Mermaid Launched In Plymouth This Weekend
With just a few days to go until the second round of the 2011 P1 SuperStock Championship, the Plymouth Grand Prix of the Sea, husband and wife team David and Kirsty Toozs-Hobson are delighted to announce the signing of a key sponsorship deal with the MacDonald Hotels and Resorts Group.
The couple, who compete in the P1 150 class of the UK's premier Powerboat racing championship, has very strong connections with Plymouth and can't wait to unveil their newly named boat - MacDonald Mermaid - during the build-up to this weekend's racing (16/17 July).
MacDonald Hotels and Resorts Group was named AA Hotel Group of the Year Winner for 2007-2008 and the company prides itself on providing the best in luxury accommodation, delicious food and drink and, most of all, the highest service standards.
Married in October of last year, the Toozs-Hobsons actually got engaged in Plymouth during the corresponding race meeting in 2009. The city is a particularly special and poignant place for the couple, and the weekend will also mark a return 'home' for Kirsty as it's where her father has lived for more than 30 years.
With all of that in mind, round two of the 2011 season will be a very special event for the pair and it will also mark their first competitive appearance of the year. Unfortunately the Toozs-Hobsons had to miss round one, the Jersey Grand Prix of the Sea, due to business commitments.
"Kirsty and I are really pleased to be back in the championship and heading to Plymouth", commented David, "The city means a lot to us as we got engaged on the eve of the race there two years ago! We are both really excited to be back racing and we're working hard to prepare the MacDonald Mermaid so we can go out there and do our best to beat Team Purple."
Colourfully named Team Purple, another of the category's husband and wife partnerships, leads the P1 150 Class points standings as P1 SuperStock heads to Plymouth. Stuart and Sara Cureton (Lindford, Hampshire) dominated the opening round in Jersey and will be looking to repeat that level of performance when racing resumes this weekend.
In addition, Team Purple will also have fresh competition from the Flying Sparks boat of Robert Booker (Reading) and Martin Wild ( Southampton) - bringing the number of P1 150 Class challengers up to eight.
Of the contenders in the headline P1 Panther 250 Class, reigning P1 150 Champion John Wilson (Coleshill, West Midlands) and navigator Neil Scarborough (Monks Risborough) won both races in Jersey to open up an early points lead. They too will have a new sponsor, recruitment agency Pertemps.
Other top entries include the Typhoo boat of Andy Wilby (Fleet, Hampshire) and Steven Reddish (Salcombe) and the Team 88 vessel of rookie Powerboat racing duo Simon Bayles (Battersea, London) and Philippa Baker (Kensington, London).
Further sport at the weekend will come courtesy of the supporting AquaX Championship, the only Jet-Ski category to compete on the sea. Kawasaki rider Russell Marmon (Christchurch, Dorset) comfortably leads the Elite 300 Class, fellow Kawasaki racer Dave Huddleston (Milton Keynes) heads Amateur 300 and Yamaha FX160 rider Duncan Johnstone (Fareham, Hampshire) leads Amateur 200.
