A funeral procession was held in Ipswich to mark the passing of Brett Duncan, an experienced powerboat racer who tragically died in a racing accident at Oulton Broad.
On 24 July 2025, during the ninth round of the championship held by the Lowestoft & Oulton Broad Motor Boat Club, Duncan’s hydro collided with a stationary houseboat at the Oulton Broad Watersports Centre.
The crash occurred at approximately 6:50 pm, and the emergency services including the East of England Ambulance Service, Suffolk Coastguard, and a volunteer paramedic from the Suffolk Accident Rescue Service were on the scene by just after 7:10 pm.
Despite their swift efforts, Duncan, aged 51, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Circuit Powerboat Association (CPA) stated that Duncan was “an experienced and popular member of the powerboating community” and expressed both shock and sorrow at his untimely death. They extended thanks to event staff and emergency responders for their prompt response.
One spectator, Wendy Shakespeare, described the incident as emotionally affecting: she heard a “almighty bang” and saw multiple ambulances and emergency personnel on site, staying for over an hour and a half. “Lots of us just stayed waiting to hear something,” she said .
The Marine Accident Investigation Bureau (MAIB) confirmed that it is conducting preliminary enquiries to determine the circumstances leading to the crash. Both the CPA and police have requested that the family be afforded privacy at this difficult time.
Powerboat racer and commentator Jason Mantripp also shared the following message online:
“Today was probably one of the hardest days in my life saying goodbye to a friend who was taken too soon.
Your family, friends and sport done you proud today.
RIP My friend.”
John Moore has a longstanding involvement in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism. He organised the historic Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013 and was actively involved with British offshore racing from 2017 until 2025.
In 2017, Moore founded Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news, insights, and event coverage.
He is now Editor of Powerboat.News, continuing to contribute to the sport’s media landscape with in-depth reporting and analysis.