Overview

• A powerboat struck a stationary houseboat at Oulton Broad Water Sports Centre on July 24 during the ninth round of a sanctioned race, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
• No other competitors or houseboat occupants were injured, and Suffolk Police, HM Coastguard, the East of England Ambulance Service and a volunteer SARS paramedic responded immediately.
• The Circuit Powerboat Association described the crash as a lone racing incident and has appealed for privacy for the late driver’s family while withholding further details.
• Suffolk Constabulary and the Marine Accident Investigation Bureau have launched a joint inquiry, with inspectors conducting preliminary enquiries and on-site examinations of the houseboat.
• Investigators are probing possible mechanical issues, including a suspected steering malfunction, to determine how the powerboat veered off course and struck the houseboat.