Image Of The Week: Veteran Offshore Racers Get Unleashed
In Northern California a couple of weeks ago to help promote the late-August Ocean Cup Series Farallon Islands Challenge during the fourth annual Unleashed Poker Run on the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta, veteran offshore racer Nigel Hook connected with a former racer he’s known for several decades—Rick Bowling. And—by the looks of the images captured by KKJ Media—the two had a great time during the Friday poker run.
A couple of decorated offshore racers, Rick Bowling (left) and Nigel Hook had fun at the Unleashed Poker Run in Bowling’s 28-foot Skater. Photos by Kris Wesenhagen/KKJ Media
Bowling, a former offshore racing world champion, lives in Alamo, Calif., and is a regular at local events, such as this weekend’s Big Cat Poker Run in Discovery Bay, in either the boat he ran with Hook—his 28-foot Skater Powerboats catamaran powered by twin 300-hp Mercury Racing OptiMax outboard engines—or his canopied 37-foot Talon catamaran with two Mercury Racing 1350 engines.
Both of Bowling’s go-fast boats are named Gone Again like his previous raceboats, and both are extremely well maintained. The 28-footer, which Bowling drove and Hook throttled, looks as good as it did when it Bowling had it painted six years ago.
The Gone Again Skater is a fan-favorite at any poker run it participates in.
Although the Ocean Cup event Hook was promoting ended up being called off a few days after the Unleashed Poker Run, his trip was worth it since he got to catch up with Bowling, tour the Northern California waterways and take part in an event that raised a significant amount of money for the Stockton, Calif.-based Animal Protection League.
Whether Hook, who lives in San Diego and was born and raised in the United Kingdom, will return for the poker run again next year is up in the air, but if the opportunity to throttle Bowling’s sporty 28-footer comes up again, it will be hard to pass up.
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