Windermere unveils new sustainable GT Mono Light class

Windermere’s third annual sustainably fuelled powerboat racing event has introduced the new Sustain GT Mono Light class for the first time.

Hosted by Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club on 18 April in partnership with Sustain Fuel, the seven-race event saw 17 teams from Scotland, the Midlands and the North West competing on Sustain Racing fuel.

The fuels used offered sustainable content levels of either 70% or 50%, with a greenhouse-gas saving of up to 65% compared with fossil fuels. Sustain contains second-generation biomass, including food and agricultural waste, straw and other non-food by-products. It is a drop-in fuel, fully miscible with fossil fuels, and can be used in boats without modification.

The final race featured the new Sustain GT Mono Light class for 16ft, 90hp boats, with 10 teams competing. WMBRC has been tasked by the Circuit Powerboat Association with establishing the class as an affordable entry point to the sport. It is expected to race nationally across all four UK clubs from the 2027 season.

Paul Rayner-Scott, racing in his Parsun Racing 16ft GT Mono boat, won the WMBRC Sustainable Trophy. He is also known as the owner of Simia Marine, which builds and restores boats from Kendal.

Adam Brown, Chair of Racing at WMBRC, said the initiative was helping move racing “onto a more sustainable footing” and had brought new interest from younger drivers.

David Richardson, director at Sustain, said the event showed what sustainable fuels can do without modifications to boats.

Chris Loney, Chair of the Circuit Powerboat Association, described the new class as “a hugely important milestone” for UK circuit powerboat racing.