After finishing in the runner-up position to the Victorian Hellbent team last year, Stinga’s driver Greg Houston is out to make amends and has put in the hard yards during the off-season to make sure the trophy will be sitting on his mantle piece by Sunday night.

Houston will be towing skiers Grant Patterson and Daniel Campbell, who have joined the Stinga team for a second season after a stellar first year with Houston which included a Bridge to Bridge win last November.

Houston said he’s looking forward to the Sunday race and has all fingers crossed for a first-place finish and a rattling of the record time of 41:40:08.

“We’re hoping to get back our winning form after being pipped at the post in last year’s competition,” he said.

“We won the first year (2006) and I enjoyed having the trophy around, so we’re wanting to bring it back to the Hawkesbury this year.”

Heralded as the longest 2-up ski race in the world, the Hawkesbury 120 kicks off the Australian Classic Super Series, which encompasses all the river racing classics into one point score series covering all the major river events.

More than 120 teams from throughout Australia will descend upon the Hawkesbury to compete in a number of classes from juniors through to veterans.

Howard Hoggins and his boat Sudden Force, built at the Force factory at Lower Portland, will once again make the long journey from the USA to the banks of the Hawkesbury River for a chance to snatch the trophy from Aussie shores.

But it’s not just the professionals who will see some water action, with Tadpoles (juniors), Veterans and social classes.

Ski Racing NSW’s Shane Earl said there will be something for everyone throughout the weekend, with the Upper Hawkesbury Power Boat Club staging circuit races at Governor Phillip Park and also the NSW Hydroplane Club staging a Top End Sprint from Sackville to Windsor.