Powerboat racing returns to Oulton Broad on Thursday, April 26 after the winter break with a practice night for all racing classes starting at 6pm.

Each group will have two or possibly three x 10 minute sessions to race tune the boats on the water and test propellers, so there will be much action in the pits as well as on the water as adjustments are made.

The first club night for championship points of the 2012 season follows the next Thursday which is May 3 again starting at 6pm when all classes will have three heats, nine laps for sportsboats and six laps for hydroplanes and the junior boats.

This will as usual in club racing be on individual handicap times, the faster boats catching the slower outfits as the race progresses making for very exciting finishes.

The banks of the park are a great spot for watching the racing and hearing the full race commentary, or come to the club house and join the club for an even better view from the club enclosure where hot food and a bar is available on club race nights

On the bank holiday weekend the club will invite the cream of the country's drivers to round one of the national championships.

Racing will start at midday on the Sunday and bank holiday Monday. Star entries so far include the British F2 champion Malc Goodman part of a very large new team from the Lancashire club and Sven Hamer from Holland. World F4 champion Scott Curtis from Norwich will be out to beat a very strong entry of 850cc outfits including Steve Hoult making the long Journey from Sunderland.

Current Monohull British number 1 Mark Williams will again be defending this series while in the very competitive OSY hydroplane series Lowestoft driver Luke Hugman will be another man out to defend his title against strong opposition. World GT15 champion Ben Jelf from Kent will be the lad to beat in the Junior class but will have strong competition from our local drivers.

The new GT30 monohull class is also expected to have a strong entry with some very close racing on the short circuit. The public are invited to visit the pits at Colemans dyke on the morning of both days to meet the drivers and get a close look at the racing outfits between 9am and 11am.