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History of the Team
(clic on the pictures to enlarge)
| The Hard Left Racing team was founded
in 1996, after buying a Carruthers hull in 1995 |
Candiac 1995 |
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Candiac 1995
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Candiac 1995
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after spending a year rebuilding
and installing a reinforced cockpit we were ready to go racing. |
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Upon are first
test season everything seemed fine, so we made are final preparations and headed
to
Valleyfield
QC
for are first race event ever.
Being only 19 years of age and
thinking everything was fine we put the boat in the water for are first heat.
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Valleyfield 1996
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Valleyfield 1996
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As
I left the dock I remember thinking that this was incredible. Here I was
fulfilling one of my childhood dreams. That thought lasted ¾ of a lap until the
engine went dead and the boat started to sink. I had put a hole in the bottom of
the hull! That was the end of my first race weekend experience.
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Are next race experience came in
Hamilton
Ontario
. Things went a whole lot better. We finished every heat of
qualifying. Even though it was last place every time we still managed to make it
to the final. In which not break with tradition, we finished last again. (Everyone
has to start somewhere!!)
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Hamilton 1996
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1998
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Over the course of the next 5 years I
was able to learn a lot with that first hull. Are best result was 2nd
place in Wildwood N.J in 1999.
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The same years I had hired Grant
Rollason from
New Zealand
to refurbish and rebuild the boat. He did incredible work.
Over a 2 week period, he was able to change the belly pan, remove and lower the
cockpit, extend the leading edge by 14 inches, build and Install a wing and
rebuild one of the sponsors, Thanks Kiwi!!! |
Candiac 1999 |
Kiwi (Candiac 1999) |
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After running the boat for one more
season and doing everything I could, it started to become apparent that the boat
being no longer competitive with the new composite boats.
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2000
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Lake Hopatcong 2000
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So at the end to the
2000 season, I made a deal to buy Martin Larochelle's Abitibi Special which was
the ex Ahh Sum Secret of Bert Henderson.
Upon receiving it we only had 5 days
to transfer all the engine equipment from one hull to another. We went to lake
Hopatcong N.J to familiarize are self’s with the boat before the off season.
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I remember sitting in the boat
waiting for the five minutes gun, thinking that I hated being enclosed inside
the cockpit, as I had spent all those years with my head out in the open. That
thought lasted until the end to the first straightaway! Then it was more of “
Wow, I should have got this a long time ago!!”
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Over the last 4 years we have had a
lot of good moments. We finished 2nd high points 2002, 3rd
at the worlds 2002, 3rd high points in 2004, 3rd in the 2004 extreme
series and a multiple of podium finishes at the other races sites.
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Valleyfield 2003
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In the 2005
season the HydroplaneQuebec.com Team finished the
season on a positive note finishing third in Canadian Boating Federation High
points Championship.
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Lake Hopatcong 2005
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Even
though it was a season long struggle with our engine program we were able to
finish once again in the top three. With consecutive podium finishes in Gaspe
(2nd)(North American Championship), Venise-en-Quebec (2nd) and Wildwood NJ (3rd)
we were able to propel ourselves from 6th to 3rd place overall.
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If all goes well 2006 should
hopefully bring Hard Left racing are first victory.
See you turn one!!!
Derek Anderson
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