A POWERBOAT designed and built by a South Hams boat-building firm, which is completely carbon neutral, was launched in Salcombe at the weekend.

BananaShark's spectacular new 37ft powerboat was unveiled for the first time at a launch party at Salcombe's Island Street Bar and Grill.

And its emissions, as well as those of all its support vehicles, will be carbon neutral due to carbon credits.

The sleek and impressive green machine was designed and built by Salcombe's John Cooke, owner of BananaShark, and Kevin Stephens from Malborough.

Mr Cooke said: 'After discussions with our new sponsor E-Lites, it was decided to make the whole team carbon neutral and try and lead the way to other teams in becoming more environmentally friendly.

'Races we will be taking part in, such as Round Britain, are already carbon neutral and go around all the sensitive areas of our coast so as to present the smallest possible impact on the marine environment and Britain's wildlife.'

Cooke, along with co-drivers Graham Lawton from Loddiswell and Aveton Gifford's Jeremy Gibson, will now be embarking upon an exciting and ambitious programme of racing.

For instance, the team have set their sights on a new world-record attempt on Lake Coniston in the Lake District in November, in which they hope to reach 70mph-plus.

They will use this as preparation for their entry into the RB12 Round Britain campaign next year.

This will test endurance levels to the maximum on a 1,700-mile tour of the country's coastlines.

But first up for the crew is the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race between August 26-28. The boat will then be appearing at the Class 3B World Championships, held in Torquay on September 1-4, where it will be the official start and finish boat for the three races of the world championship event.

The boat features a distinctive red-and-white livery of its sponsor, the leading UK-based electronic cigarette brand E-Lites.

It has twin, three-litre 260 hp diesel engines and four seats.

Cooke said: 'I'm extremely proud to be standing alongside E-Lites and launching such a fantastic powerboat after almost 18 months of development.

'Working with a number of technical partners, including marine electronics company Raymarine, charting company Navionics and engine importer E P Barrus, we believe we've created a craft that will challenge the very best in terms of speed and reliability, which is the key to successful endurance racing. We have already planned a great deal of activity over the next year and there's a lot more to come, so watch this space.'

Mr Cooke added that Salcombe was 'the obvious choice' for the launch of the boat, given that it's considered by many as 'the jewel in the crown of the South Hams'.

The boat will also be at the Southampton International Boat Show, between September 16 and 25, both of the Top Gear Live shows in Birmingham, from November 11 to 13, and London, between November 24 and 27, on the E-Lites stand as a feature of the show.

Adrian Everett, one of the founding directors of E-Lites and a friend of Mr Cooke's, will be at the heart of the action as a co-driver for the team.

He said: 'We're hugely passionate about the powerboat scene and delighted to be getting involved in a way that reflects the energy and enthusiasm we put into our market-leading products.

'That winning mentality should stand us in good stead for the many challenges we have set ourselves as a powerboat team.'