James Norvill and Andy Foster from the United Kingdom enjoyed victory in Class 400 at the opening round of the IHRA Offshore Series National Championship in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 28, winning in their newly rebranded Team07Offshore Racing Phantom 32 V-bottom, boat #407.
The win came without the benefit of Friday practice. A technical issue within the team prevented them from getting on the water before race day, leaving Norvill and Foster to go into the bracket race with no running time in the freshly wrapped boat.
It made no difference.
They went straight to the front from the start and stayed there, eventually lapping the second-placed #409 XINSURANCE, with Shocker Offshore (#421) completing the Class 400 podium.
Foster told Powerboat News tonight:
“After arriving at the race village with the freshly wrapped Phantom and chomping at the bit to test on Friday, due to a bug in the team this wasn’t possible. Race day Saturday and all were well though a little apprehensive due to no practice. With a fantastic start we were out in front, which is where we stayed, as well as lapping the second place boat. Everything just seemed to slot into place and the boat performed flawlessly.”
New Orleans Next
Team07Offshore Racing now heads to Lake Pontchartrain this weekend for the 2nd Annual New Orleans Powerboat Grand Prix, the second round of the IHRA Offshore Series National Championship.
General admission is free. Full event details: PBN New Orleans race guide.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
