A Sterling 34 that vanished from UK offshore powerboat racing over a decade ago is back on the water, and a new documentary series is tracking every step of her comeback.
The Sterling 34 that vanished from UK offshore powerboat racing for over a decade
Built in the early 2010s, the hull first raced under the Banana Shark Racing banner, reaching speeds close to 100mph before losing sponsorship and disappearing from the grid. She hadn’t touched the water since 2013.
Why the rebuilt boat now carries the name Berserk in tribute to Ian Stirling
Now rebuilt, the boat carries a new name: Berserk. It’s a tribute to Ian Stirling, a national and European offshore champion who died racing 16 years ago. For a UK offshore racing world where names carry history, reviving a lost boat under his name is no small gesture.
Inside 66 Racing’s rebuild from twin inboard diesels to twin outboard power
The revival is led by Malc Dopson, known within the team as Mouse, alongside partner Claire, Tim Spink, navigator Louis Spink and engineer Rob Hingston. Engine partner Tonto Marine handled the conversion from twin inboard diesels to twin outboards, a rebuild that meant remoulding the transom and re-engineering the engine beds from scratch. Sceptics doubted outboards could handle the load. The team’s first crane-in and sea trial proved otherwise, with early runs reaching 65mph on the rev limiter before bigger propellers went on for more.
66 Racing’s season goal is a Cowes-Torquay-Cowes offshore racing campaign
The season goal: a Cowes-Torquay-Cowes campaign, one of offshore racing’s toughest tests. Episode 1 of Tonto Marine’s 66 Racing documentary series, Poseidon Tax, covers the purchase, the rebuild and the first test runs, ending on a cliffhanger heading into the team’s opening race weekend.
