Brett Stuart won the final heat of the Chris Hani District Municipality F1 Powerboat Grand Prix in Queenstown this afternoon after Tim Fetherstonhaugh had electrical problems and could not get his boat onto the start line. Marit Strømøy, who had mechanical problems in both the earlier heats, showed what she could do when she finally got her boat going and ended the heat in second. Elzane de Jager continued her run of third places.

Robert Shepard and Steven Zungu had a race long battle with Shepard eventually taking the flag about two boat-lengths ahead of Zungu. Terri Mitchell ended ahead of Andre Kemp in sixth.

Once the day's points had been tallied it was Brett Stuart who took the overall win ahead of Tim Fetherstonhaugh and Elzane de Jager. 

Tim Fetherstonhaugh started the second heat of the Chris Hani District Municipality F1 Powerboat Grand Prix from pole position and controlled things from the front to take his second win of the day. Brett Stuart was close behind him on the run to the first turn buoy, but his boat did not respond when he tried to turn around the buoy allowing Elzane de Jager to grab second. It took Stuart a couple of laps to get back past de Jager but once he did Fetherstonhaugh's lead was too big for him to make much impression and he had to settle for another second place. Marit Strømøy was starting to catch de Jager when her engine stopped just before the half way mark leaving de Jager to a comfortable third.

Robert Shepard claimed another fourth place ahead of Steven Zungu. Terri Mitchell, racing without a canopy to allow the fumes from her first heat fuel leak to dissipate, ended in sixth ahead of Andre Kemp.

Tim Fetherstonhaugh put the fuel problems he suffered during time trials yesterday behind him when he raced to a comfortable win in the first heat of the Chris Hani District Municipality F1 Powerboat Grand Prix at the Bonkolo Dam a few minutes ago. Starting from sixth on the grid the Port Alfred driver powered his way to second place behind Brett Stuart by the end of the first lap. Pole sitter Elzane de Jager was third. Fetherstonhaugh made his move on the fourth lap and, once he got past Stuart, controlled things from the front for the rest of the race.

Elzane de Jager looked to have things sown up in third place but a late charge by Robert Shepard nearly allowed him past. As is often the case with racing catching someone is one thing, passing them is another and de Jager managed to hold on to third. Steven Zungu ended in fifth with Andre Kemp in sixth. Terri Mitchell's race came to a premature end when a broken fuel line left her stranded on the circuit while visiting Norwegian driver Marit Strømøy's boat did not get off the start line.

Elzane de Jager will start the first heat of tomorrow's Chris Hani District Municipality from pole position after setting the fastest time during qualifying on Queenstown's Bonkolo Dam this afternoon. She was just over half a second quicker than Brett Stuart with Robert Shepard in third.

Andre Kemp, racing his new boat for only the second time, will start in fourth ahead of Steven Zungu. Championship leader Tim Fetherstonhaugh did could not set a time after his fuel pump failed while he was waiting for his run around the course. Mechanical maladies kept Terri Mitchell and Marit Strømøy off the water and they will line up in seventh and eighth respectively.

Eight F1 drivers and their crews are in the final stages of preparing for the weekend's Chris Hani District Municipality F1 Powerboat Grand Prix at the Bonkolo Dam just outside Queenstown in the Eastern Cape. Seven South African drivers have been joined by Norwegian Marit Strømøy, back in country for the third time this season. Tim Fetherstonhaugh currently leads the championship after winning the last two rounds and is looking to extend that lead with another overall win. Elzane de Jager leads the pack that will be out to stop him with Robert Shepard just behind her.

Time trials will take place this afternoon with the three heats that make up the Grand Prix scheduled for tomorrow.

Wynand de Jager crashed his boat during the second practice session for tomorrow's eMalahleni F1 Powerboat Grand Prix bringing the Formula 1 part of the day's proceedings to a premature close. De Jager hit the bottom turn buoy which launched his boat into the air and flipped it over. He has been taken to a local hospital to be checked out as he was trapped under the water for a while.