By David LennardA POWERBOAT racer has survived a horrifying 100mph accident in which his craft somersaulted 50ft in the air before crashing back into the water.

By David Lennard

A POWERBOAT racer has survived a horrifying 100mph accident in which his craft somersaulted 50ft in the air before crashing back into the water.

Neville Moore, of the Lowestoft and Oulton Broad Motor Boat Club, escaped from the incident without injury.

Mr Moore, a boatbuilder who used to live in the Woodbridge area, is a member of the north Suffolk club

He was competing at the Stewartby Lake, near Bedford, on Sunday when the accident took place as he raced in his new Lucini hydrocat.

Mr Moore had missed the first heat through fuel problems and was progressing rapidly through the field in the second race with his new 500cc Rossi motor when he took off at full speed along the back straight.

The boat rose 50ft into the air as it turned a complete 360 degrees before crashing back into the water.

Mr Moore was strapped into the safety cockpit of the composite boat, which was virtually undamaged, but the engine was wrecked with the hydraulic effect of water entering the high revving motor at full speed.

Trevor Chatters, of the Lowestoft and Oulton Broad Motor Boat Club, had been filming races immediately before the accident.

He said: “I had just put my camera down when Neville had his accident. It was an horrendous incident, but because he was strapped in to a safety cell we are happy that he is okay.”

It is understood that Mr Moore had taken a break from motorboat racing for a few years and had been testing new equipment in preparation for his comeback when the accident happened.

“It is just one of those things and happened right at the end of the weekend's racing,” said Mr Chatters.

Keith Wood, also a member of the motor boat club, said he was “mightily relieved” that Mr Moore had escaped unhurt.

“These kind of high-speed accidents when craft leave the water like that can be so dangerous. I cannot begin to explain how relieved we all are that Neville escaped unhurt,” he added.

david.lennard@eadt.co.uk