Powerboat races a minority pursuit provide high speed free entertainment in Dublin.
Seventeen boats from around Ireland took part in the afternoon boat race on the River Liffey in Dublin Port.
Although of minority interest with only fifty licensed powerboat racer drivers in Ireland, spectators lined the quays and the Matt Talbot Bridge to catch a glimpse of the boats as they raced up and down the river.
The power boats can cost up to £10,000 each and the larger boats can use up to fifteen gallons of high octane fuel per hour.
Some of these crafts are capable of speeds up to a hundred miles an hour.
Powerboat racing is a dangerous sport and organisers, the Howth Powerboat Club, had rescue boats, divers and ambulances on duty throughout the event. Fortunately, there was only one accident with one man receiving leg injuries from a minor collision.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 16 March 1980. The reporter is Michael Walsh.
