Speeding to the finish
Plonk a T58 helicopter engine with 1,350 horse-power in a sleek aluminum hulled boat and this isn't grandfather's fishing boat.
Gangster Eagle 2011 World Jet Boat Marathon champion Gord Humphrey of Grande Prairie, keeps his 23 foot-large jet boat, named Unnatural Disaster, under control as he hits speeds of over 209 km/h.
"It's a lot safer than you think," said Humphrey, who finished with a whole time of 4:15:53 over 11 days of racing. "It's very solid in the water."
Jet-boat racers are part mechanic, part airman, and part lucky.
"Mentally, lots of seat time and multiple races will help keep you sharp because it's unexacting to lose an edge," said Tim Greber, who won the CX class in his jet boat Aquaholic. "With all that power, safety is still number one immediacy in the sport. It's a fine line between being in control and out of control, depending on conditions."
Greber's jet boat is equipped with canard wings on the prow, which are a duo of electrically controlled short wings that act like airplane ailerons to give the jet-boat slight lift or downward pry.
