Going Lean screamed back up the Solent to win the 53rd Cowes Classic Powerboat Race and the UIM Powerboat Marathon World Crown on Sunday.

Dean Gibbs and his co-pilot Dave Brown put in a fantastic performance, overcoming system problems which saw them stop for repairs during the second leg of the race. They recovered and sprinted to overtake Smokin Aces and Silverline in what proved to be a fast and exhilarating race to the finish.

This year saw a change in tradition with the boats racing to a finish line at Torquay and gathering in the harbour to restart for the second leg back to Cowes.

A prize is awarded for the winner of each leg with the boat with the fastest combined time winning the overall race and claiming the UIM Marathon Powerboat Class World Title.

The first leg, from Cowes to Torquay was won by A Class boat Going Lean, followed closely by Silverline, driven by Drew Langdon.

Smoking Aces, driven by Chris and Nick Dodge, and B8, driven by Martin McLaughlin, took the first two places in the B Division.

The return leg back to Cowes saw Going Lean, Smokin Aces and Silverline once again have a hard fought battle back toward the Solent – with Gibbs’s machine just having the edge.

“We had a fantastic ride,” he said.

“We did what we had to do and went as fast as we needed to to look after the fuel and the boat."