Limitless first to reach Tobago

Senior Multimedia Reporter

nigel.simon@guardian.co.tt

Limitless scored a hat-trick of finishing first in the annual T&T International Great Race event from Trinidad to Tobago yesterday. The crew of Otis Walker, the driver from Castara, and throttleman David Singh clocked a time of one hour, 37 minutes, and 53 seconds to complete the 90-mile journey from the Gulf of Paria, just off the Foreshore on the Audrey Jeffers Highway, in Mucurapo, Trinidad, to Store Bay, Tobago.

Meanwhile, the trio of veteran drivers Hayden Charles, Darin Marshall, and the throttleman, along with navigator Devindra Joseph, worked to great perfection for the second consecutive year to lead the legendary Mr Solo Too to a record-extending 20th national title as the fastest to Tobago and in the A Class (130 miles per hour) in the 56th edition of the race.

This year’s edition featured 19 boats that began in the Gulf of Paria at different start times in six classes: S Class (50 mph); G Class (60 mph); F Class (70 mph); E Class (80 mph); D Class (95 mph); B Class (120 mph); and A Class (130 mph).

The trio of Charles, Marshall, and Joseph used the cool weather conditions to great advantage and the much-welcome calm sea waters to navigate their journey following their 8 am start.

Starting among the last of the competing boats due to their status as the lone entrant in the A Class (130 mph), together with Roger Bell and Wayne Honnock’s B Class competitor Iron Man and D Class rival Tyrant with the trio of Daniel Agostini, Gordon Dalgliesh, and Ryan Edghil in the cockpit, the crew aboard Mr. Solo Too crossed the finish line at Store Bay in a time of one hour, 02.33 minutes.

Their winning time was much faster than their time last year of one hour and 14 minutes, when they were the third boat to Tobago overall, behind G Class winner Limitless, who began at 7.25 am and reached Tobago in one hour, 10.07 minutes, with S Class entrant Kraken with Gary Johnson at the wheels and throttleman Jacques Gomes, the second to Tobago in one hour, 11.41 minutes.

With the win, Mr Solo Too added to previous triumphs in 1970, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1985, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2017, and 2023, with Checkmate the next best at seven wins.

Iron Man, which did not compete in the Great Race last year, was the lone boat in the B Class and claimed the second spot, four minutes behind Mr Solo Too in a time of one hour, six minutes, and 33 seconds, while Heatwave was third overall in one hour, 20 minutes, and 31 seconds en route to taking top honours in the E Class ahead of White Heat (1:27.18 hours) and Blue Ice (2:12.36 hours), with Tyrant fourth overall in one hour, 27.49 seconds.

Overall, Mr Solo Too (A Class), Tyrant (D Class), White Heat (E Class), Extreme Measures (F Class), Limitless (G Class), and Kraken (S Class) were the national champions after topping the five regattas during the local season with 5.020 points, all repeating as champions in their respective classes.

From the 19 that began the race, 17 managed to complete the journey to Tobago, with G-Class entrants Raw Knots and Knot in Slow Motion (KISM) the only boats failing to finish.

This year’s Great Race was dedicated to Lennox Tang Yuk, the winner of the inaugural Great Race, who died earlier this year of cancer.

Tang Yuk first won the Great Race in 1969 as part of the Cam-Ena crew, and in 1979 he repeated the feat with Blackmax.

Yesterday’s 50th Great Race results

S Class (50 m/ph)

1. Kraken – (Gary Johnson/Jacques Gomes) -1:40.39 hrs

2. Pandemic – (Justin Wortman/Robert Lobo) – 1:41.21

3. Skapade – (Andrew Sa Gomes/Alex Jodhan) – 1:41.22

4. ASalt Weapon – (Nicholas Lee/Anthony Scott) – 1:41.57

5. Ballistic – (Nicholas Balaldin/Mark Gill) – 1:42.28

6. Arrow – (Scott Knaggs/Jason Reece) – 1:46.37

G Class (60 m/ph)

1. Limitless – (Otis Walker/David Singh) – 1:37.53 hrs

2. Jesus Is Coming – (Dane Mohammed/Christian Mohammed) – 1:45.18

3. John Wick -(Christian Chin/Nicholai Assam) – 2:00.39

Knot In Motion – (reynaldo Mootilal/Kern Colts) – Did Not Finish

Raw Knots – (Dario Jordan) – Did Not Finish

F Class (70 m/ph)

1. Extreme Measures – (Jonathan Mouttet/Johnathan Tardieu) – 2:20.06 hrs

2. Ketch This – (Damian Matamon/Jesse Gangaram) – 2:34.35

E Class (80 m/ph)

1. Heatwave – (John Michael Sabga/Morgan Honnock) – 1:20.31 hrs

2. White Heat – (Victor Tardieu/Richard Tardieu/Robert Tardieu) – 1:27.18

3. Blue Ice – (Jason Alleyne/Ajmal Mustapha) – 2:12.36

D Class (95 m/ph)

1. Tyrant – (Daniel Agostini/Gordon Dalgliesh/Ryan Edghil) – 1:27.49 hrs

B Class (120 m/ph)

1. Iron Man – (Roger Bell/Wayne Honnock) – 1:06.33 hrs

A Class (130 m/ph)

1. Mr. Solo Too – (Hayden Charles/Darin Marshall/Devindra Joseph) – 1:02.33 hrs

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