By BRAD PERRY

BERRI’S 2010 Speedboat Spectacular lived up to its name with a feast of action at the weekend, marred only by a succession of crashes which left carnage in their

wake.

Perth Speedboat driver Peter Price in All Torq sustained serious facial injuries, including a broken jaw, when his boat collided with another at a fast pace.

Riverland Powerboat Club president Brian Jeffery said Price was struck by another boat during a collision and as a consequence, was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

“It looks like he is going to be okay,” Mr Jeffery said.

Proformance driver Dean Borg, of Adelaide, shocked hundreds of spectators when his propellor shaft threw a blade and was completely ripped off, sending Borg’s ride flipping high into the air.

Three time King of the River winner David Clark suffered major damage to his boat Tuff ‘E’ Nuff when competitor Truly Wicked dramatically ran over the top of his vessel.

“Lucky for him it was two foot forward of where he was sitting, otherwise he might not be here,” Mr Jeffery

said.

A number of the 55 races over two days were red flagged and not completed due to boats stopped on the Berri river course.

Clark was tagged as a major threat in the blown alcohol displacement category but spun out on a tough corner in the Stannard Cup, leaving Victorian racer Wayne Hodgson in Rythum to win the race.

Hodgson continued his top form by being crowned King of the River winner on Sunday in a fast paced race to cap off a truly spectacular

event.

“We couldn’t get better weather and we had swarms of spectators,” Mr Jeffery said.

“It just went off.”

While Mr Jeffery said spectators love the thrill of crashes, he admitted competitors do not.

“These crashes happened on Sunday and it put a bit of a downer on the event a little bit,” he

said. As for Mr Jeffery’s form in boat Bondage, he said an engine problem let him down for the first time in nine meetings.

“That’s racing for you,” he said.