Mike Lovell, a well-known and well-liked 27-year old powerboat racer, has died after being thrown from his vessel at high speed during a P1 Superstock UK Championship race in Weymouth.

Mike lovellMike was on the second lap of the last race with his navigator, Dan Whapples, on board his 250hp Brookspeed Team race boat when the incident occurred. According to reports, the craft barrel-rolled on the combined wakes of other boats, flinging the two men clear of the vessel. Both men were very seriously injured - and while Mike was picked up by the RNLI lifeboat and then flown by the helicopter to Southampton General Hospital, Dan was transferred to the hospital by air ambulance. Dan has since undergone surgery and is now in a serious but stable condition. Sadly, however, Mike died from his injuries during his first night in hospital.

Brookspeed Team owner, Martin Braybrook, said of Mike: “When the opportunity arose for him to be involved in amateur racing, he embraced it wholeheartedly, jumping at the chance to pilot the boat. He loved every second of it. Mike was very popular and much loved by his colleagues and peers in the motor racing community. He touched the lives of many during his short time, and we all feel stunned at his loss. There is nothing that can salve this great sadness, and our love and thoughts go to his family and friends.”

Written by: Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a journalist, copywriter and magazine editor with a long history in boating and a happy addiction to the water. He’s worked on boats, lived on boats, bought boats, sold boats and – when he’s not actually on board a boat – he can generally be found in his Folkestone office, tapping away at the computer and gazing out to sea.