It’s argued that the near-week-long KaruJet Offshore Endurance Championship is possibly the hardest, most grueling test of both athlete and machine in our sport. Encompassing much of the surrounding shoreline – and beyond – of the French insular island of Guadalupe, KaruJet beckons to racers from around the globe to dare to compete, many of whose competitors are locals who’ve navigated the tempestuous waters on a weekly basis.
Some of the biggest names in offshore runabout racing have thrown their hats into the ring, and of them few have returned home with championship gold. One such racer, Frenchman Alex Barret was a regular fixture in the lineup, striving for a win at KaruJet for the better part of a decade. This year, the fates showed Barret some favor, and through a whirlwind of grit, a 350-pluys-horsepower Kawasaki that held up over 4 days of offshore racing, and a solid team behind him, finally took home the win he had been pining for.
Previous KaruJet winner, Teddy Pons was close on Barret’s heels, but first place eluded the racer after hull damage to his Kawasaki Ultra 310X permitted water into his ski over the last two days. Pons would claim second place as Francois Medori took third. All racers expressed gratitude to the KaruJet organization, which excelled at keeping racers and teams informed with live results and field logistics.
Pertaining to his win, Barret wrote, “We took over the head of the world championships with a slight dislocated shoulder in the channel this morning. A dream made [real] thanks to you all: My team MRJ Competition that has done an exceptional job, an efficient and reliable machine; my father, and David DaMota and the assistants of my teammate François Medori for their valuable help; the Jet Style Store for its help on site and the hospitality of Franck Arnoux; to my friend Francois for everything he does for me – I congratulate him also for his 3rd place; all my partners for their trust for many years; to the woman of my life [who] I love more than anything in the world; and to all of you for all your support and encouragement – you can’t know how much I appreciate it.”
