UK’s First Sustainable Powerboat Race

The first ever sustainable handicap powerboat racing event in the UK is to be hosted by the Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club (WMBRC) next month, in partnership with Coryton.

Taking place on Saturday 20th April, all petrol-engine boats will be required to run on SUSTAIN Racing fuel from Coryton. In addition, a sustainably fuelled Catamaran will race against an electric Nissan Leaf-powered Formula 2 Catamaran piloted by Club Commodore Ted Walsh, showcasing green technology’s future in the sport.

Entries are now open for up to 20 boats, with five races planned. The boats will run on SUSTAIN Super 80. The fuel uses carbon recycled from the atmosphere via plants rather than releasing new carbon that’s currently locked in the ground, delivering at least a 65% reduction in greenhouse gases compared to fossil fuel.

The sustainable fuel, which is fully miscible with fossil fuels, can be used in the powerboat racing boats without any modifications necessary. Whilst it is chemically identical to fossil, it is instead made from agricultural and forestry waste which would otherwise end up in landfill or be left to rot, producing the greenhouse gas methane.

The Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club at Broad Leys is one of the oldest clubs of its kind in the world, celebrating its 100th year in 2025. It is working with the Lake District National Park to explore sustainable technologies alongside a joint ambition to reach carbon net zero in the future.

Adam Brown, Chair of Racing at WMBRC, said: “The marine industry is currently behind land transportation in its development and adoption of sustainable technologies. By creating a sustainable race event on Lake Windermere, we hope to further the development of sustainable technologies that can subsequently be adopted – initially within the sport of powerboat racing but also more broadly. We intend to play a leading role in accelerating this transition. Therefore, it’s crucial that we’re able to do this within the National Park and World Heritage Site as this adds the weight of history as well as international significance to the journey to net zero that we’re delivering.”

David Richardson, Director at Coryton, said: “Being involved in an event like this is a fantastic opportunity to really showcase what sustainable fuels can do. These biofuels can be used in exactly the same way as traditional petrol and diesels whilst maintaining, or even exceeding, the performance participants may currently experience. We recently worked with Cox Powertrain to set the world water speed record for a diesel outboard on Coniston Water, using the same sustainable diesel. This event provides a real opportunity for the Lake District National Park to lead the way in sustainable marine technologies, and we’re excited to be a part of that journey.”

Marian Jones, Area Ranger at the Lake District National Park, added: “The zero carbon Cumbria 2037 ambition is a key priority for the Lake District National Park Authority. To that end, we’re really pleased to see Windermere Motorboat Racing Club committed to reducing the environmental impact of motorboat racing and promoting sustainable technology. While we are mindful of the cumulative impact of several race events in the same year, we think this sustainable race event will be a key step in tackling the barriers to adopting low carbon technology in motor boat racing. The Club has a strong track record of managing successful race events on Windermere, and this new event will be a great opportunity for showcasing the technology to club members and its wider audience to drive the transfer to low carbon technology.”

For more information on the event, or to sign up, go to www.wmbrc.co.uk/racing. Spectators are welcome, and tickets are not required. Racing will begin at 12 noon.

We took a trip to Lake Windermere to complete a three boat test, take a look.