Mercury 1350 wins Superclass at the 2012 Barrie Beehag Ski Race

Mercury-powered 99 Psycho Clowns became the first QC4V 1350 powered boat to win the annual Barrie Beehag Superclass ski race on the weekend.

This race is dedicated to Barrie Beehag, a Founding and Life Member of the Moama Water Sports Club, the club that conducts the Barrie Beehag event (and the Southern 80).

This river race attracts entries from all over Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. Teams start at Deep Creek Marina, racing their way to Torrumbarry Weir and back again. Times from the first leg and the second leg are combined to get the winner of each class. Around 150 boats and crews took part in a great day of racing in sunny conditions.

The 99 Psycho Clowns team claimed the Superclass race with a time totalling 23 minutes and 28 seconds over the two legs, with Daniel McMahon driving the boat, Ian Baker observing and Michael Kelly and Wayne Mawer skiing.

But behind every successful team is a crew of hard working people. The 99 Psycho Clowns guys work closely with Seaquest Performance (the Queensland-based Mercury Racing Dealership) and together they have got the boat performing.

99 Psycho Clowns is powered by a fuel-efficient, twin-turbocharged, QC4V (Quad-cam, 4-valve) 1350hp Mercury engine, which in its first season has already notched up a series of wins in the Australian Water Ski Racing Championship.

“No-one can deny that it’s an outstanding result for a boat with a 1350hp engine to win in Superclass,” said Guy Williamson, Mercury’s Director of Service and Quality.

“Traditionally Superclass boats are 1400hp and above, so to say the 99 Psycho Clowns team is punching above its weight is an understatement. The difference is that the Mercury QC4V SSM VI package using a Mercury Racing CNC propeller gets the power to the water where you need it, and it’s incredibly reliable which is a absolute must. You don’t win races sitting on the bank”, Guy said.