16 years of Quality Watercraft Racing

Harbor Beach, Michigan
Maritime Festival
Can-Am Cup
July 17-18, 2004

Canadians look to avenge Can-Am Cup loss.
Chris Ogryski
Sports Writer - Huron County Press

One of Canada’s top riders, Jay Edworthy, is looking for payback after the Canadian race team lost to America in last year’s Can-Am Cup at the Harbor Beach Maritime Festival.  Edworthy’s riding skills combined with the building skills of Mark Underwood, could very well put Canada over the top in this year’s event.

Edworthy is an experienced racer from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada who has been affiliated with watercraft since 1992, racing since 1998, and been a member of the International Jet Sports Boating Association since 1998.

Probably one of the highlights of this young career had to be when the veteran mechanic Underwood, who has been in the business for over 20 years, asked Edworthy to ride his boat. It was a moment that excited him as well as made him quite anxious.

“I was happy and excited about everything, but I was rather hesitant as well because I wanted everything to work out for the best,” Edworthy said.

But as with all working relationships, it took time for Edworthy and Underwood to get on the same page. “Any new relationship comes with a learning curve,” Edworthy admitted.

But once the two got on the same page, things have been going strong ever since. In fact at last year’s Maritime Fest, Edworthy took top honors in the 1200 and is looking to hurt America’s chance of winning this year, by doing it again.

The day that Edworthy won that race is one he will never forget. “The boat was flying that day- it worked extremely well. We had a bad start and almost a crash in the first corner,” Edworthy said. “After that we came through the start/finish last on the first lap.”

But Edworthy didn’t give up and it is that kind of persistence that has gotten the American team worried at this point. “I hoped for the best and that the boat wouldn’t give up and we made it through the remainder of the race without any problems,” Edworthy recalled. “Looking back over the 2003 season, I would say it say it was a great decision (to team with Mark Underwood and Cal-Jet).”

That decision also led to Edworthy finishing strong on the grand stage as he finished second in the Pro AM SS 1200 at the 2003 World Finals and also seventh in the 1200 Expert at the same event. Ironically, the second place finish in the World Finals is the biggest thrill and the biggest disappointment in Edworthy’s young career, as he was excited to finish so high, but upset he broke his arm while closing in on first place in that event.

Edworthy is currently ranked second in the  Pro AM R/A 1200 S/S and sixth in the Expert R/A 1200 S/S in the top 100 pre-season rankings in each race type at www.uswra.com, which stands for United States Watercross Racing Association which is the governing body for these races. Those rankings indicate that Edworthy could easily be a thorn in America’s side at race time in Harbor Beach.

In fact Edworthy is really looking forward to being a part of that event in July. “I am excited and a little bit curious to see which teams are going to show up,” Edworthy admitted. “May the best team win on that day.”

Obviously, as a top ranked racer, Edworthy has got to think that the best team is his squad- the Canadians. But no matter who wins, he hopes the fans will have another great day filled with exciting races to remember. “The ultimate goal is to provide good entertainment for the fans and a fast clean race for the competitors,” Edworthy said. “The fans (in Harbor Beach) are tremendous in numbers and support. It is a great family festival atmosphere in small town America.”

With such a strong competitor leading the way for Canada and teaming up with one of their nation’s best builders, the US could be in for come trouble at this year’s event. With such a strong combo heading up the Canadian contingency, the question now becomes which American racer will step up to answer the challenge of one of Canada’s top racers? 

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