Rob Lockyer’s Good Boy Vodka crew claimed outright victory at the MDL Marinas Ocean Village Cup on Saturday 4 July, topping the podium at Round 3 of the 2026 UKOPRA Championship after winning Class 1. Twenty two boats had entered for a course of up to 100 miles through the Western Solent, but the Officer of the Day brought racing to a close for every class at the end of the first lap.
Ahead of raceday, UKOPRA’s own pre-race notice had flagged the possibility of a shortened course given the forecast, and the call to curtail was made once conditions off the Isle of Wight coastline had built through the afternoon. In a statement issued after racing, the organisers said the decision to stop after one lap was the correct one, adding that safety came first for the teams, the safety crews and the spectators watching from shore.
Entries shifted in the days beforehand. Richard Watson withdrew E-79 UFO on the Friday evening and instead took a standing seat as throttleman on Thunderstreak, filling in for Brian Pelham, who was away on a work commitment in the Bay of Biscay. The Notareal entry was also scratched, with Rob Lockyer regrouping his squad around Good Boy Vodka, joined by Adrian de Ferrenti and navigator James Norvill. Life Racing was a non-starter, and Bullet Offshore Racing withdrew on race morning.
Two starts got the fleet away, at 13:05:55 and 13:13:43. Oceanus Racing VT and Team Interceptor were both out early, and by the end of the opening lap the OOD called time on the day for the entire fleet. Steve Tennent, posting to Facebook afterward, summed it up simply: “it was rough out there.” Bunker Photography, shooting from Hurst Castle, described the conditions as difficult and reported one competitor losing part of its structure on the water.
Class 1 and Class 1L: Good Boy Vodka‘s day
Good Boy Vodka crossed the line in 47:57 for the win, with James Dodge’s Smokin’ Aces taking second in class five minutes back. The result puts Rob Lockyer’s crew on 800 points for the season, with Smokin’ Aces on 700 in a Class 1 title fight that now looks like a two-horse race with two rounds remaining.
Alex Welham’s Sixty9 Offshore Racing was the sole Class 1L finisher, extending an unbeaten run through three rounds and building a big points lead in the class. Black Ball Racing and Oceanus Racing VT both retired.
| Class | Pos | Boat | Race No. | Driver | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st | Good Boy Vodka | 1-25 | Rob Lockyer | 47:57 | Finished |
| 1 | 2nd | Smokin’ Aces | 1-74 | James Dodge | 52:46 | Finished |
| 1 | DNS | Bullet Offshore Racing | 1-47 | Drew Langdon | — | DNS |
| 1L | 1st | Sixty9 Offshore Racing | 1L-69 | Alex Welham | 53:15 | Finished |
| 1L | RET | Black Ball Racing | 1L-8 | Rodney Hawkins | — | DNF |
| 1L | RET | Oceanus Racing VT | 1L-7 | Richard Truscott | — | DNF |
Race curtailed at the end of lap one for all classes. Results unofficial.
Class 2: Unipart moves to the top
Robin Ward’s Unipart took the class win in 1:07:39, enough to lift the boat above Lightning Strikes and into the Class 2 championship lead on 869 points. Lightning Strikes, which had gone into the round on top of the standings, retired before the finish. Ian McCulloch’s Great White was second in class, with 66 Racing 2 third.
| Pos | Boat | Race No. | Driver | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Unipart | M-31 | Robin Ward | 1:07:39 | Finished |
| 2nd | Great White | 2-800 | Ian McCulloch | 1:11:01 | Finished |
| 3rd | 66 Racing 2 | 2-66 | T P Spink | 1:15:15 | Finished |
| RET | Lightning Strikes | 2-69 | Dean Stoneman | — | DNF |
Race curtailed at the end of lap one. Results unofficial.
Class 3: Licence to Thrill, Carpe Diem and Team JB-R share the honours
Lee Ornsby’s Licence to Thrill won Class 3E in 40:15, the fastest time of the day across any class, with Gary Godden’s Rush Racing UK second and Peter Hall’s Thunderstreak third. James Winkworth took Class 3D in Carpe Diem, ahead of Murray MacGregor’s Just Add Water, and John Bunyan’s Team JB-R won Class 3B unopposed after TeamworX failed to start. There were no finishers in Class 3C, with Joker the only entry and a non-starter on the day.
| Class | Pos | Boat | Race No. | Driver | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3E | 1st | Licence to Thrill | E-32 | Lee Ornsby | 40:15 | Finished |
| 3E | 2nd | Rush Racing UK | E-16 | Gary Godden | 45:18 | Finished |
| 3E | 3rd | Thunderstreak | H-400 | Peter Hall | 1:08:50 | Finished |
| 3E | RET | 66 Racing | E-11 | Ben Brown | — | DNF |
| 3E | RET | Mermaid/Wight Offshore Racing | E-12 | Richard Jackson | — | DNF |
| 3E | DNS | Life Racing | E-25 | Craig Austen Fletcher | — | DNS |
| 3D | 1st | Carpe Diem | D-50 | James Winkworth | 54:55 | Finished |
| 3D | 2nd | Just Add Water | D-33 | Murray MacGregor | 1:09:01 | Finished |
| 3D | RET | Team Interceptor | D-6 | Samuel Howes | — | DNF |
| 3B | 1st | Team JB-R | B-26 | John Bunyan | 59:12 | Finished |
| 3B | DNS | TeamworX | B-33 | Clive Prestidge | — | DNS |
| 3C | DNS | Joker | C-38 | Richard Dean | — | DNS |
Race curtailed at the end of lap one. Results unofficial.
Championship picture after Round 3
Good Boy Vodka leads Class 1 on 800 points from Smokin’ Aces on 700, with Bullet Offshore Racing third. Sixty9 Offshore Racing has a commanding lead in Class 1L on 1100 points. Unipart now heads Class 2 from Lightning Strikes and Great White, all closely matched. Licence to Thrill tops Class 3E ahead of Rush Racing UK, Carpe Diem leads Class 3D comfortably, Frode Racing and Joker share top spot in Class 3C, and Team JB-R leads Class 3B.
Round 4, the Mercury Offshore Grand Prix, runs from the Hamble on 25 July. Entries are open, with Team JB-R and Great White already confirmed.
