UK's first sustainable powerboat racing event in Windermere

Scheduled for April 20, the event will feature all petrol-engine boats running on SUSTAIN Racing fuel supplied by Coryton.

A green showdown is also set to take place, pitting a sustainably fuelled Catamaran against Club Commodore Ted Walsh's electric Nissan Leaf-powered Formula 2 Catamaran.

The WMBRC is currently accepting applications for up to 20 boats to partake in the event with five races in line.

The boats will rely on SUSTAIN Super 80 fuel, which uses carbon recycled from the atmosphere via plants rather than releasing new carbon in the ground, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65 per cent compared to fossil fuel.

This fuel is miscible with fossil fuels, meaning that the boats can be powered by it without any modifications.

Its composition, chemically identical to fossil, consists primarily of agricultural and forestry waste that would otherwise pile up in landfills or rot, producing methane.

Getting ready to race at Lake Windermere (Image: WMBRC)

WMBRC, which operates from Broad Leys, is one of the world’s oldest clubs of its kind.

It plans to celebrate its centennial in 2025 while working closely with the Lake District National Park towards adopting sustainable technology to achieve its shared goal of becoming carbon-neutral.

Adam Brown, chair of racing at WMBRC, said: "The marine industry is currently behind land transportation in its development and adoption of sustainable technologies.

"By creating a sustainable race event on Lake Windermere, we hope to further the development of sustainable technologies that can subsequently be adopted - initially within the sport of powerboat racing but also more broadly.

"We intend to play a leading role in accelerating this transition. Therefore, it’s crucial that we’re able to do this within the National Park and World Heritage Site as this adds the weight of history as well as international significance to the journey to net zero that we’re delivering.”

David Richardson, director at Coryton, said: “Being involved in an event like this is a fantastic opportunity to really showcase what sustainable fuels can do.

"These biofuels can be used in exactly the same way as traditional petrol and diesels whilst maintaining, or even exceeding, the performance participants may currently experience.

"We recently worked with Cox Powertrain to set the world water speed record for a diesel outboard on Coniston Water, using the same sustainable diesel."

Commenting on how the race aligns with broader environmental goals, Marian Jones, area ranger at the Lake District National Park, said: "The zero carbon Cumbria 2037 ambition is a key priority for the Lake District National Park Authority.

"We’re really pleased to see Windermere Motorboat Racing Club committed to reducing the environmental impact of motorboat racing and promoting sustainable technology.

"While we are mindful of the cumulative impact of several race events in the same year, we think this sustainable race event will be a key step in tackling the barriers to adopting low carbon technology in motor boat racing.

"The club has a strong track record of managing successful race events on Windermere, and this new event will be a great opportunity for showcasing the technology to club members and its wider audience to drive the transfer to low carbon technology.”

For more information, visit: www.wmbrc.co.uk/racing.