William Nocker 1965 - 2012

William Nocker, aged 47 years old of Cheltenham, died after the powerboat Class 1 powerboat Welmax no.9 flipped on the water during the Gabon Grand Prix. His co-driver, Norwegian Kurt Olsen, also suffered critical injuries in the collision and was recovered in intensive care.  Nocker and Olsen were helming the Welmax no.9 catamaran powerboat of Welmax Offshore Racing Team, when this flipped at 104 knots following the hitting of a double wave.  A long coming powerboat racer William Nocker had previously competed in the Honda 225 UK championship, with stints in the Powerboat P1 endurance class, and entered Class 1 when he joined Welmax in August 2011 before the Italian Grand Prix.  Nocker was returning to the sport following a five-year suspension after he was found guilty of tampering with a competitor's fuel supply. A tribunal upheld charges of gross misconduct and unsportsmanlike behaviour against Nocker and fellow racer Rob Lister. Water had allegedly been poured into the tank of a rival boat during the Liverpool Powerboat Grand Prix Honda Formula Four-Stroke Series in 2006.