The Solent delivered sun, speed and spectacle on last weekend as the UK Offshore Powerboat Racing Association (UKOPRA) staged the third round of its 2025 Championship — the Solent 80. Hosted at Haslar Marina, the race featured a competitive fleet of nearly 20 vessels across multiple classes, tackling a demanding offshore course around the Isle of Wight at speeds exceeding 50 knots.<
But the biggest story of the day came from an unexpected name: Alexander Welham.
Just six days before the event, Welham had no boat, no race number, and no UKOPRA experience. After contacting UKOPRA Chairman John Moore earlier in the year to express interest, the stars suddenly aligned. A proven race boat — Rob Lockyer’s Sunseeker-Buzzi XS2000 — became available. Welham viewed it on the Monday before the race, trialled it on Tuesday, bought it on the spot, and then got to work.
By Saturday, with veteran throttle man Mike Bontoft on board to assist, Welham and his friend Neil Raven not only made the start line — they crossed the finish line first in Class 2.
“It’s important that other people in my situation know that racing in the UKOPRA series for the first time isn’t as daunting as it first looks,” Welham told organisers post-race.“We can’t believe the help we were given in such a short time. Rob Lockyer was amazing, and the UKOPRA officials did everything they could to ensure we made the start line.”
Fast and furious from the start
The race started promptly at 12:15pm, with boats surging off the line in full-throttle formation from the Roway Wreck beacon toward Pullar Buoy, before rounding the island via a series of coastal marks including St Catherine’s Point and Hurst Castle.
In Class 1, the team aboard Good Boy Vodka (Lockyer/Linden/De Ferranti) delivered a dominant performance, clocking the fastest overall time and sealing first in class.
Chasing them was Double Trouble (Aldington/Gardner), who suffered a dizzy wire break early on. The crew made emergency repairs — losing an estimated 8 minutes — but clawed back time and stormed to a second-place Class 1 finish. Silverline rounded out the top three.
Dry Martini (Ormiston/Hall/Jackson), racing in Class 1L, drew admiration for a composed, conservative throttle strategy. They backed off to preserve their twin Kiekhaefer engines mid-race, but still took first place in their class.
“We were nice and trimmed in and backed off all the way down the back of the Wight,” reported one crewmember. “This was the home stretch.”
Black Ball Racing (Hawkins/McLaughin/Elliott) gave strong chase but couldn’t close the gap, settling for second in Class 1L.
Across the classes: offshore racing in full colour
The race featured a wide spectrum of machinery, from the blistering V8 muscle of Class 1 to the lightweight, nimble vessels of Class 3.
In Class 2, True Blue (Petrie/Lynch/Finlayson) secured second behind the fairytale run of T25 Sunseeker. Further back, Class 3E saw Blast From The Past (Tennant/Horner) and Oblivion (Dodd/Girdler) putting on a strong showing, with catamaran Oblivion chasing down bigger-class boats in a spirited mid-pack duel.
Elsewhere, the 7.9-metre The Nicotine Machine, Warlord, and Renegade 2 gave fans of the sport’s smaller divisions plenty to cheer for.
“Proper offshore racing,” one onlooker posted. “So many cool new and old race boats out there. You’re all doing an amazing job with this series.”
The scenic route, blue skies, and strong turnout both ashore and afloat made for a memorable day. The 2025 Solent 80 also acted as a prelude to SailGP’s Portsmouth return next weekend, further underlining the Solent’s status as a world-class venue for marine motorsport.
Looking ahead: next stop, Shamrock Quay
With the dust settled and the champagne sprayed, teams now turn their attention to Round 4 of the UKOPRA Offshore Powerboat Championships. The next race will take place on Saturday 9 August, with Shamrock Quay in Southampton as the base. The start is expected to be in the Western Solent.
Stay tuned to UKOPRA’s official Facebook page and website for entry lists and course announcements.
