HIGH octane speedboat racing is coming to West Somerset this summer.

Minehead Events Group confirmed this week that Thundercat UK, which has been described as ‘motocross on water’, will be heading to the seafront on August 4-5.

The Thundercat UK championship will see around 14 competitors racing in four-metre long inflatable catamarans with 50 horsepower motors reaching speeds of up to 70mph.

West Somerset is also home to former four-time world champion of the sport, James Tapp, who says he is delighted to see his beloved sport coming to his hometown. He said: “I first took to the water when I was a member of Watchet Sea Scouts and got the chance to try the sport while at University of Southampton. It is high speed and filled with adrenaline.

“I find it very addictive – I first got into it when I was 18 and am still competing at 34. Talks have been held for a long time so it is great to see the sport finally coming to Minehead.”

James said the event will be family-friendly with loads of action, a chance to meet the teams and get up close to the boats in the pit area.

There will also be a heat of the UK AquaX Championships taking place over the weekend.

Andrew Hadley, of Minehead Events Group, said he is delighted the Thundercat UK championships are coming to Minehead.

He said: “It has taken a lot of negotiation but I am really pleased. I think it will be quite an amazing spectacle along our seafront and something for both residents and visitors to enjoy.”

Cllr Hadley said Thundercat UK would provide their own health and safety for the event, as it does for other races around the country.

The news follows hot on the heels of the popular Minehead Harbourfest being cancelled – reportedly due to health and safety concerns and ‘unforeseen management issues’.

The Harbourfest, which includes the annual raft race and fireworks display, was set to take place two weeks later than Thundercat UK but has been called off for 2018. It was also one of the RNLI’s biggest fundraisers, bringing in around £10,000 a year.

However, the organisers say they are working hard to overcome the issues so that the Harbourfest can return in 2019.