Winners of the coveted EC Griffith Cup event were the team of White Noise with driver Ricky Howard.
Loud roars of boat engines and the occasional humming from acrobatic planes were heard from Lake Mulwala last weekend for the three-day Yarrawonga Boat Racing Spectacular and Fair.
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With perfect autumn weather, the event attracted around 20,000 people from all over the region to the Yarrawonga foreshore to watch the speed boat racing and the aerial shows while also enjoying the atmosphere and hospitality on offer with the Yarrawonga Foreshore Fair.
It was a big weekend for connections of White Noise, taking out the coveted EC Griffith Cup on Sunday.
The EC Griffith Cup didn’t disappoint the fans as they witnessed two big hydroplanes Grant Harrison’s GP1 and White Noise go neck and neck as they attempted to out-race some of the best-blown alcohol displacements in the country in Blake Ramsey’s Destiny, Conner Patterson’s Turn It Up, Mark Gauci’s Immortal, Tate Ramsey’s Reckless and Craig Levis’ Image.
Unfortunately for Harrison, he couldn’t win his 10th record-equalling EC Griffith Cup title, withdrawing during the race for the second year in a row with engine problems. Harrison was neck and neck with Ricky Howard who eventually drove White Noise to a comfortable victory.
Tate Ramsey in Reckless and Conner Patterson in Turn It Up racing in the National Drivers Championship Round 2.
Other featured boat racing events throughout the three-day event were the National Drivers Championship Round 2, Trojan Trophy Round 3, Les Spears Memorial ANZAC Day Trophy, Formula GP Round 3, Hyper 5 Hydroplanes, Oz Lite Australian Championship Round and the 105 Australian Championship.
Victorian Speed Boat Club event director Stephen Scott said the weekend was maybe the best held in Australia.
“It’s being described as the biggest race meeting in Australia in a long, long time - if not forever,” he said.
Red Bull air racing champion Matt Hall entertained the crowds but also took on the boats.
Photo by
Les_Garbutt
“The foreshore was ‘choc-a-bloc’ and the drivers certainly appreciated it – we’ve been getting messages from all over Australia.
“It was a fantastic weekend with fast spectacular racing.”
However, it didn’t go off perfectly with some “logistical problems” seeing the EC Griffith Cup final delayed from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning.
More than 20,000 attended the boat racing event on the Yarrawonga forseshore over three days.
Photo by
Les_Garbutt
“Other than that, it was absolutely brilliant. To have that number and calibre of boats was fantastic,” he said.
The boats range around 1500 horsepower and can boast 500 cubic inch supercharge engines going to 8500 revs, much like drag racing cars but for longer periods.”
In addition to White Noise and Ricky Howard’s first win in the blue-ribbon race, Mr Scott said the addition of the National Drivers Championship to the schedule was a highlight with 16 forced induction boats taking part in what was round two of a four-part series.
The inaugural championship series is being recorded by Network Seven, and the broadcaster will package the footage. It is expected to go to air in the coming months.
Mr Scott said the only crashes were two Formula GP tunnel boats that rolled, but both drivers and boats came away without a scratch. He said water conditions had been “challenging” despite the good weather, with choppy water during racing.
Yarrawonga Mulwala Visitor Tourism Executive Noel Wright said the event was an outstanding success.
“Most people said it was the biggest boat race event they have ever seen in Australia,” Mr Wright said.
“We were lucky again with the weather and the atmosphere was fantastic.
“It was the fourth time the Yarrawonga Fair and EC Griffiths Cup were combined, and it was again very successful, each year it gets bigger.
“The crowd we had on Friday was bigger than last year. The national driver’s champion championship kept people at the event later. Saturday was the huge day with more than 10,000 people estimated to be in attendance, then on Sunday it was well patronised also.
“Red Bull World Aerial World Champion Matt Hall regularly performed aerial stunts over Lake Mulwala to the excitement of the crowd. He was again a fantastic addition to the event.
“It was a great spectacle to see everyone, locals, visitors and tourists alike enjoying themselves.
“The social impact was great, and the police were very happy with the behaviour at the event.”
Mr Wright said the event would again inject millions of dollars of direct and indirect economic benefit into the local region and hoped more businesses could throw their support behind it next year and beyond.
“We again thank the Victorian Speed Boat Club, the major sponsors and businesses who provided sponsorship and raffle prizes and the staff who worked the event. Everyone did a terrific job.
“We would also like to thank those all involved, especially the volunteers. They are a credit to the Yarrawonga Mulwala community, and it is only with this support that events like the EC Griffith Cup and Yarrawonga Fair come to fruition.”
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