PLANS were finalised this week for a major new Minehead tourist event – a two-day summer speedboat festival which will see Thundercat inflatable catamarans racing at up to 70mph around Minehead Bay.

Scheduled for the weekend of August 4 and 5, the festival will close off roads around the harbour for two days and will also feature jet ski racing and a wide variety of attractions, stalls and children’s events.

Two-crew Thundercat racing is a fast-growing spectator sport which started in South Africa and uses short courses close to the shore.

At speeds of up to 70mph, the four-metre boats are often airborne.

“This should be a spectacular event and a real family attraction,”said Minehead Events Group chairman Cllr Andrew Hadley.

“We have chosen this weekend because neap tides mean that the water stays in the bay longer and the boats can come closer inshore, making an even better spectacle for spectators.”

Apart from 14 Thundercats, there will be a packed weekend programme including over 60 entrants competing in a leg of the UK AquaX jet ski championship.

Spectators could see some eventful racing, according to a Thundercat Racing Organisation spokesman who said: “Minehead could provide the toughest conditions of the season, with potentially strong winds and big waves likely to ensure the weekend is a true test of stamina and ability.”