6.THE RACE

Start of the race was mildly delayed. Around 4-30 p.m. boats leave from quays and lined up on the start area. Start…. From beneath of Cronwerksky Bridge after the first circle is wrest leader - our “Akula” №5, trace for him - "YAMARAN B640R" №7. Start is ours. Remaining task is “just a peace of cake” – to keep leadership in 23 hours 58 minutes and 20 seconds of the race.

Since the first hours of the race hard and uncompromising struggle begins in all classes. Fresh pilots “burn at full trottle”, as if not twenty with spare hours of racing remains, but just 20-30 minutes. From this time it is an impression, that route of this year is harder, and struggle is more hard, even the price of the victory - a rank of Champion of the World.

Immediately collisions and re-gates of boats begun. Amongst the first un-lucky ones - a DSK team from Samara (№61). Their boat with the motor YAMAHA 85AETL, emerge in the class 3, is was overkieled already in the test run. Boat in the upright position was towed to the repair pontone, crane gets it from water… Team merges water from engine and boat, free cylinders from water and goes back in racing … Bravo, YAMAHA.

Sometimes hard sporty struggle grows in the contact struggle without rules. Particularly "are distinguish" team №10 ("Mercury NII TM Service Boat", Mercury XR2) and №1 ("Autonautique", Mercury XR2). Through several hours after the start №10-team has in it’s “asset” above ten penalty circles. Our №7 team gets 3 penalty circles too - but not for the roughness but just "For nothing". A pilot, directing the boat to gasoline pontone, did not get a prearranged signal from the gasoline crew, and directed the boat to the additional circle. Main judge decided this manoeuvre dangerous, in spite of there was not no one boat close to us.

In the beginning of the race "relapse" failure of fuel system of our boat №5 appears. Boat was raised and the crew proceeds with the searching for the failure. Here to time a boat №5 already reached a record of velocity of the trace - a fantastic figure of 120 kilometres per hour! To look forward, will say that team of №5 boat could not repair the failure - a boat was several times raised, repaired and newly put in the race, however finally the boat defect was not avoid. But on speed and impression of it’s motion №5 was the best in the race.