POWERBOAT racer Roy Smith was travelling back to Jersey this morning furious that the 2-litre world title had been awarded on the basis of just one race.

The championship, at Jesolo on the Adriatic coast of Italy, should have consisted of three races.

But after the first, last Thursday, was declared invalid following a start line protest the race scheduled for yesterday was cancelled because of rough weather – conditions which would have suited Smith’s monohull Condor Ferries perfectly.

Said Smith, who had been hoping to recapture the title he won two years ago: ‘It’s disgusting.

It was my water yesterday – in Britain we’d have raced.

If we had we could have turned everything upside down.

‘The rule book says there has to be a minimum of two races but they got round that by saying the first one was held before it was declared invalid.

It’s a big disappointment.’ Smith had finished 19th out of 30 boats in the one and only race on Friday and afterwards conceded that he had no chance of overall victory.

However that race had been held in smooth conditions which suited the catamarans in the fleet and Smith had been waiting for the rougher seas.

When they arrived the organisers deemed them too rough – which left a bad taste not only in Smith’s mouth but those of all the nine monohull racers in the 30-strong fleet.

The championship went to the winner of the only race, Italian and local hero Dino Bianchi in his boat Castle.