A new seaplane racing season will be launched in Maryland

HRL racers will compete in 5 boat classes on the Choptank River from May 20-21. Engines will be heard roaring, methanol will be smelled and buoys will breed in pontoon battles. Here is a summary of the forces present for this year’s inaugural meeting.

The cars of the Grand Prix class “Niagara Falls” will bring life to life and champion Andrew Tate will begin his title defense. After winning all finals in 2022 aboard the GP-777 “Steller”, the pilot returns from Walled Lake (Michigan) to pilot the same boat with a new team, Michael Movinsky’s GP-88 “Hydrofish”.

New Zealanders Kane and Jack Lupton will pose threats to win the championship, with the former taking on a new Henderson boat that will once again bear the name “Lucas Oil” GP-577. The youngest of the brothers, Jack, will return to service at the wheel of the Lupton Motorsports GP-33.

Quebec will be well represented by three teams, including the “Plomberie Sylco” GP-212, a new name for “Supernova,” which will be co-piloted by Yannick Léger and engine specialist Eric Langevin. Marc Lecompte hopes to rely on his trusted mechanic in “Miss Cléopâtre” GP-104 while Robin Demers and Mario Blain attempt to pilot “Canada Boy” GP-757 to a safe destination.

Cousins ​​Bobby and Brandon Kennedy are uniting this year with a new seaplane assembled by the GP-35 “TKO Racing” team. Jeff Bernard (Bad Influence GP-79) and Ken Brodie II (Freedom GP-50) remain to be watched while Bobby King (Mégavolt GP-39) and Tom Thompson (Fat Chance GP-525) should complete the list of entries.

Hydro 350 and Formula 2500

The Hydro 350 class will bring together 16 competitors including champion Tyler Kaddatz who was crowned season finale at the controls of the “Ah Sum Secret” H-195. Andrew Tate (Penzoil H-300), Kent Henderson (H-519), Martin Rochon (H-773), Michael Tremblay (H-8), Nicolas Rousse (H-225) and Eric McKenna (H-999) should Submission is a difficult time.

Former 2.5L Champion Dominic Maisonneuve will replace Erik Allard in the H-4 “Big Decision” while Karl St-Vincent (H-37) and Richard Haineault (H-2) will drive with an improved body. The Quebec squad also includes Tommy Shannon (H-306) Marc Lecompte (H-104), Louis Alexandre Baudouin (H-113), Michael LeBeouf (H-155), François Leroux (H-447), and Danny Leger (H-447). ). -666).

The new Formula 2500 champion will be celebrated as Steve Armstrong hands over his ‘Tenacity’ F-92 seat to veteran John Shaw, 2^H To the championship in 2022 in Doug Martin’s F-43. The latter sold the boat to Don Less who would entrust the “Cents Less 16” F-500 to Eddie Canfush, HRL rookie with distinction last year.

Stephanie Blaine (F-757), 2022 2.5L Champion, and Simon Fortin (F-199), Vice Champion, jump into the F-2500. Owen Henderson (F-3) will definitely want to work on his excellent finish to the campaign, which won’t make it easy for Guillaume Charette (F-44), Marc Lalonde (F-751), Frédéric Couturier (F-52), Tommy Shannon (F -4) and Kevin Smith (F-26). Eric Labelle (“General C” F-102), Dominique Bellet (F-22) and Samuel Tremblay (F-113) return as John Peters, an outdoor hero, arrives from the US Northwest Coast with the “F-499” he bought from Tyler. Kadaz in 2020.

Winds of youth

A young wind is blowing in the 2.5-liter class, particularly with the arrival of 15-year-old Grant Liddycoat, who will make his HRL debut aboard the new S-97 ‘Legend Yacht Transport’. Kenneth Brody, who took over in the “S-50,” as well as Austin and Kyle Hayes, co-pilots on the TM Special S-35 (formerly S-88), were added to the youth group.

Matisse Gabriel Chiasson (S-57), Marc-Antoine Racine (S-17), Mathieu Brown (S-74) and Alexandre Leduc (S-88) are also part of this youth movement and then Vincent Laberge (S-25), with the latest Boat (formerly S-333), Adam Carruthers (S-38), Ryan Slate (S-63), and Garrett Hough (S-878) will be in their second season. Sebastien Leduc, who finished the season at the foot of the podium in 2022, will be among the favorites aboard the “Happy Lucky” S-555.

According to the latest news, the Jersey Speed ​​Skiff class has 5 team regulars: Jimmie Stewart/Peg Ewancio (JS-10), Normand Boudreault/Valmont Groulx (JS-30), Samuel and Michael Tremblay (JS-48), Davey Greenlaw / Alex Deroy (JS-99) and Louis Alexandre Baudouin / Evelyn Côte de l’Isle (JS-113).