Daredevil Sarah powers to podium
Date published: 31 August 2010
SPEED merchants . . . Sarah celebrates with teammates Martin Lai and Tom Williams Hawkes
DELPH daredevil Sarah Donohue enjoyed a podium champagne celebration at the British Powerboat Festival.
The former lingerie model-turned stuntwoman scooped second place overall in the Cowes 100 with team-mates Martin Lai and Tom Williams Hawkes.
But Sarah’s parents Patricia and Stephen had no idea she was taking part in the world-class event.
The 39-year-old had her face rebuilt after she was brought back form the brink of death following a powerboat crash 10 years ago.
Patricia does not want her anywhere near the sport and Sarah said: “It’s a true motherly instinct. She has three sons but only one daughter and she worries about me.
“When I told her the result and that I’d raced she wasn’t in the slightest bit impressed, but glad I was back on dry land.”
The trio competed in their boat Ocean Dragon Racing (pictured) at the event to celebrate the 50th running of a major powerboat race from Cowes.
More than 40 boats took part and Sarah’s team was powered into second place in the 100-mile race by owner and throttleman Martin Lai.
They were only beaten by Italian multi-millionaire boat designer Fabio Buzzi.
Sarah added: “Fabio is an amazing gentleman, I’ve known him for 17 years and to be fair, he did have a slight advantage over us.He had another two engines and an extra 2,000hp, so to come a close second is as good as win. It was a pleasure to stand on the podium next to such a racing legend.”
Driver Sarah has been racing with Exmouth businessman Martin for three years and he plans to take powerboat racing to Asia for 2011 as part of a cultural exchange.
His new boat was only delivered a month ago and the team is still at an early stage of development. Despite that, it also came third in its class in the Cowes Torquay Race at the festival.
Sarah was part of the powerboat team in the James Bond film “The World in Not Enough” which opened with a spectacular chase on the Thames.
