Lockyer And Good Boy Teammates ‘Perfect’ In Endurance Racing Series
There are tough guys, the kind who pose and flex and often make a lot of noise. And then there are tough men, the kind who understand that true strength and grit come quietly from within. Count offshore endurance racer Rob Lockyer in the latter group.
Rob Lockyer and his Good Boy Vodka teammates enjoyed a perfect UKOPRA season. Photo from Cowes-Torquay-Cowes 2024 courtesy/copyright Nigel M. Cole. Click here to view the photographer’s complete Flickr gallery from the event.
The English gentleman didn’t just claim the Class 1 United Kingdom Offshore Powerboat Racing Association Championship series, which wrapped up last weekend, in his Team 25/Good Boy Vodka Outerlimits raceboat. He did it in dominant fashion, with the 52-footer taking first-place in the four races series races it entered.
What’s more, he did it while battling a serious illness he let no one outside his tight circle know about until the 200-mile British Offshore Powerboat Racing Club-produced Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race last month. For the Cowes event, American driver Alex Pratt, the founder of the Good Boy brand, and teammate Shane Franks joined Lockyer in the cockpit.
Americans Tim Linden and Michael Howe took over for Lockyer and Younger for the Solent 80 event in July, as neither could make the race, and preserved the team’s winning streak. Otherwise for Lockyer, it was a business as usual for the season, which included regular test sessions in the 52-footer.
Lockyer has already put his new Cougar raceboat to good use.
Most recently, Lockyer acquired a “new” vintage Cougar catamaran raceboat that he ran with teammates Linden and Younger in season-ending Lymington Challenge last weekend.
“We finished three-quarters of the race and blew an oil line did not complete,” he said “We were leading our Class 1 Light category when we retired. The boat was absolutely incredible. We just have some upgrades and maintenance to do over the winter.”
Challenging year be damned, Lockyer remains a tough man in motion.
Flanked by friends and offshore endurance racers Miles Jennings and Alex Pratt and Christian MaCauley and Shane Franks, Rob Lockyer enjoyed a fine offshore endurance-racing season.
Asked to describe his 2024 championship season, Lockyer was his typically results-focused self.
“After a long summer race-series in the United Kingdom with some fantastic racing conditions, as well as and some extremely harsh racing conditions, Good Boy Vodka prevailed in winning the UK championship with a perfect record,” he said. “Our season included breaking a record that had stood for 20 years, circumnavigating the Isle of Wight with an average speed of over 118 mph.”
The UKOPRA 2024 Championship Awards Dinner is set for November 30.
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