Team Isis make an impressive Welsh debut

By fcharles

WITH a new engine tuned by Ocean Racing, there was a lot at stake for Thundercat racer Peter Bonham Christie, co-pilot Tilly Long and Team Isis.

Fingers were crossed for the pair on their debut race last weekend.

Not only was it Tilly's first race but the team had recently taken on the skills of Jeff Purves at Ocean Racing to tune the engine.

Saturday brought strong winds and a nasty short chop making conditions hard on boat and crew.

After a long day's racing they had notched up some very good finishes, and were second in the final.

"It was tough, really tough today," said Peter, who lives at Charlton Barrow, just south of Blandford, and is managing director of Isis Office Hydration, the Thundercat team's main sponsor.

"We have trained for rough weather but you always push yourself harder when you're head to head with other boats, that's when people make mistakes and things go wrong."

Day Two started off in Penmaurmawr A and E with suspected fractured ribs from the previous days battering. Thankfully, bar some serious bruising, no bones broken! With the wind dropped and a flatter sea this was going to be a make or break day. After starting from fifth on the grid Team Isis finished a respectable third.

They took third on the grid to first in the next race and followed on with another first. In the fourth race the pilot, Peter, still slightly new to this boat, misjudged things and clipped a mark, resulting in disqualification. Now starting last on the grid, it was vital they regained a grid advantage to be in with a chance of a podium place in the final.

Asked how they managed to turn an unfortunate disqualification into athird in the final grid position, Peter explained: "Our engine was running perfectly. Jeff from Ocean Racing has done a great job and our prop from Propeller Solutions in Sturminster Marshall was giving us tons of grip so I felt confident to let the other teams fight for the first mark, whilst we carried our speed around the outside."

Finishing a confident second in the final on the second day was enough to confirm to any doubters that

Team Isis have what it takes. "All eyes will be watching this new team at our next meet.

They have done fantastically well and I think there's more to come," said Fiona Pascoe of Thundercat Racing.

Team Isis are competing at Christchurch this weekend.