Treacherous sea conditions amid a yellow-level alert eliminated a number of top contenders, but could not cool Heatwave in the annual Great Race on Saturday (August 15) morning. Hours before 30 powerboats left Chaguaramas around 7 am, the race was still up in the air with the Trinidad and Tobago Powerboat Association (TTPBA) contemplating postponing the race due to the conditions.
However, TTPBA president Steffan Lewis said around 5 am, meteorological experts gave the all-clear as most of the bad weather had shifted closer to Barbados.
Lewis confirmed nine boats were unable to finish the race, and among them was the fans’ favourite, the most popular boat Mr Solo Too.
“The weather did gave us a little scare. With all the challenges with any racing, this is the best outcome we could have asked for,” Lewis said, as he commended the entire race team.
Hundreds of people lined the shore at Store Bay while some took up vantage points on boats to catch a glimpse of the powerboats as they sped to the finish line.
Justified, competing in the 50mph class, was the first boat to enter Tobago waters, but did not have enough horsepower to stave off Heatwave. Driven by John-Michael Sabga alongside throttleman Morgan Honnock and Shane and Christian Telfer among the crew, Heatwave finished first in one hour and 36 minutes, to not only take the honours of First to Tobago, but was also crowned Fastest to Tobago, along with its victory in the 80-mph class.
Honnock said, “It was the roughest Great Race in the last 14 years. Extremely rough conditions, very challenging and definitely testing the crew and the equipment.”
He credited meticulous preparations for helping them make it through the arduous journey.
“We don’t miss a beat when it comes to preparations. We go over everything a 100 times and stress out each other, making sure it is all ready to go.”
Sabga acknowledged there were a few moments where the crew questioned whether they would make it to the finish line.
“We had one or two issues on the way over, couple in the shallows, a couple on the finishing course where we had to stop a few times, but it’s part of the racing,” he said.
Joining in the celebrations was the Track support team, led by Reynold Ramnath, brand manager, who could not contain his excitement.
“It is quite an achievement that we are the first boat, a lot of hard work went into getting the boat ready,” he said.
He commended another vessel, Big Yellow, for pausing their race to tow competitor Outlaw, which broke down on the way to Tobago.
“That shows tremendous camaraderie and team spirit,” he said.
Veteran competitor Mr Solo had a heartbreaking end to this year’s event with an electrical problem just two miles off Tobago.
Throttleman Darren Marshall said one of the boat’s compartments became flooded and began to short-circuit electricals.
Driver Hayden Charles said this year’s race brought back memories of other challenging conditions. He said, “Today was really bad after Grande Riviere. You have to be concentrating constantly. Unpredictable was putting it mildly.”
His son Joseph Charles added, “There had a couple times the boat fly up in the air for two to three seconds. Everybody let out a grunt and ask, ‘Are you okay?’”
While the powerboats encountered serious challenges, approximately ten pirogues battled giant waves to make the trip to Store Bay to enjoy the celebrations. Sangre Grande fisherman Shane Eslam looked dazed as he walked out of the water on Saturday morning.
He said, “It was the worst I’ve ever had. It was real bad. I still can’t see (properly) with the water. It was real bad, trust me, real bad,” he said.
Asked what prompts him to make the difficult journey every year from Toco, he added, “Just the fun of the Great Race. It is a fun experience.”
Assistant Secretary of Tourism Niketa Percy was pleased with the turnout. He revealed the division has a mandate from the Chief Secretary to make sports a main element of the island’s tourism product.
“This is something we always look forward to in August. The boats make it exciting when you see them coming across the water. People come from all over for this excitement,” he said.
Percy hailed the weekend as a success, as it has given the island a tremendous economic boost.
“I called yesterday for guesthouses for the artistes and most of the places booked out. Car rentals booked out, taxi drivers can’t get enough space in their vehicle to carry people. This is what we want on a regular basis, for the trickle-down effect that locals will say, ‘Yeah, this was a great event.’”
2026 Great Race class winners:
95mph – Mobil Tyrant
80mph – Track Heatwave
70mph – Ratchet
60mph – Timeless
50mph – Justified
SPEC – Ballistic
130 mph – Did not finish (Mr Solo)
120 mph – Did not finish (Iron Man)
