Balloch powerboat racer Oban Duncan set to fly the flag for Scotland with new livery

Balloch’s Oban Duncan will be flying the flag for Scotland this year - literally.

The 17-year-old starts her second year in the fiercely competitive F4 class next weekend, with her powerboat now sporting a striking saltire livery.

After months of hard work on the boat over winter, Oban hopes to build on a superb debut season in the class.

Oban told the Lennox: “It was great to be back out on the water. It had felt like a long time away.

“We had a lot of work done on the boat, and we changed a lot of things.

“So it was nice to get back in it and make sure that everything was working in the right way. You forget how long you’re away when you finally get back behind the wheel.

“The changes we’ve made have made a big difference to the handling, but we won’t know how big a difference until we get to the first race and see what everyone else has been working on.

“We’ll know for real by next weekend.

“I’m really happy with the livery too. It looks amazing.

“I saw it when it was painted but then I didn’t get to see it until the vinyls were put on.

“But I’ve been incredibly happy with it.

“As the only Scottish team we decided that we wanted the flag on the boat to show everyone who we were representing.”

Oban’s journey in racing started almost a decade ago, and she admits she has to pinch herself at the level she’s now competing at.

She continued: “It’s been such a long journey since I first started racing when I was eight.

“I never expected to get to where I am now, and I would not be here without a lot of people. But especially my mum and dad.

“When I was younger I would never have dreamed of being here.

“Every so often you sit back and think ‘wow, I can’t believe I’m racing at this level’ - and all these people did a lot for