First off don't feel bad. There are many people who for one reason or another can not seem to beat Hovis no matter what. I even remember someone talking about having to MOD the files to make the game think they had already completed this mission. I don't remember more but I am sure if you do search for "Hovis" you will come up with something. I used to play a lot of X-Wing/Tie Fighter so I was familar with this type of race (proving grounds). I have found the biggest help for me was to always keep an eye on the ring after the one I was currently headed for. took me 3 trys to beat Hovis. If you just bump him a little (and I do mean little) befor the 1st ring he does not get totally p.o.ed. After that as long as you don't make any mistakes he will loose the race by messing up himself toward the end. Good luck

"Not all those who wander are lost."

Just hit you thrusters before he does, make sure you do all the right turns and you can beat him. Its not hard, make sure you know ALL turns, and if your cruisin before him, hell be way behind you.

-"Xan, the ship consists of republican civilians and politicians!"
-"Open fire, destroy everything"

Get a light fighter - any will do, as long as you know how to maneuver it - and then it's simple. Hit the cruise engines as soon as the race starts, keep an eye on the waypoints so you know where the next one is, and for the love of God don't bump into anything, not even Hovis...it throws you off course and that means he'll win. For some reason the idiot slows down at the end of the race, so you'll beat him even if you're behind him. I managed to complete it first go in a Piranha, so you'll have no probs if you get the right technique!

"Cardamine: a brief-acting psychotropic drug, the effects of which are akin to sliding two distorting lenses in front of your eyes, placing your head in a swimming pool and shoving a chemical factory up your nose in a shifting gravity field..."

If you cant win the race, just run him down! But anyway, i think it's due to a bug...

cruise + afterburn
adjust ur mouse sensitive
it is really easy........

jessy thinks juni loves trent, but dare not to say........

Please look for others ideas in the post titled "thats it I'm out Hovis got me" a fellow named GDN had a similar problem and without going over all of it again look there.

Some good Ideas are prefly the ring without running the race, change the settings on mouse and you video to make response faster, use a light fighter, and many others.

anyway,Hope it helps

Just some thoughts from the edge of space

I dont understand , how come so many people cannot do this? i got it first go. Look just keep on holding **** and keep on pressing w until the race starts. THen just keep on going it is soooo easy

hehe I dunno what hovis says if you lose yet.. flew the rings first try too- all did was hit cruise and look at the next ring comming up- ended up passin about halfway through the course then he says something like light em up boys.. but the weapons platform missles did'nt even hit.. try to look at the next ring and ignore hovis

I would have beaten him my first try but I hit a ring about 3/4 of the way through the race. I beat him the second time though, and I was flying a crusader.

Our's is not the reason why...
Our's is but to do and die.

I won the race with the big ugly Bretonia Crusader, it was so easy gettin' past the weapons platforms at the end too! Just keep your Cruise on and try to get past him in the last quarter

Hovis was an exasperating experience...but fl gives you a clue..."race when you and your ship are ready." i tried 20 times and still lost...so i sold everything but my thrusters, that's right, guns, missiles, nanos, batts, even my grav shield...all to make the ship lighter. It worked, i won the first try...but it cost me a fortune. (and you can't buy the same stuff back.)

I just don’t understand this problem at all. My best friend has a neurological disorder and has to take a fairly slamming dose of Dilantin which makes his hands shake. Fine motor skills suffer greatly but he still managed to beat this race. It took him a couple tries, but he did it. DO NOT use the go-to function; fly with the cruise engines. Look more than one ring ahead and plan what you’re going to do. If my friend can do it ANYONE can because most of us are not fighting the same disability. Of course my friend has the benefit of an enormous drive to succeed against any odds; if you don't have the same drive your mileage may vary.

Ne frustra vixisse videar

A few handy tips that could help:

1. Turn your graphics settings ALL THE WAY DOWN. Yes, it looks ugly that way, but it will improve your framerate like you wouldn't believe. That alone will give you better control over your ship, and a higher probability of winning.

2. Do NOT use GoTo, as it turns off your cruise after each waypoint.

3. Sell any crago you might be carrying, IIRC it will make your turning rate improve a little.

4. Lead your turns. The heavier your ship, the longer it will take to change course.

5. If you really have problems, buy the Cavalier LF sold on the Hood, and do the race in that. There's a very good reason why it's sold there.

Reaper: $200,000,000.
Rockets: $100,000
The look on that pilot's face when you launch a full pod of screamers up his tailpipe: priceless

i beat hovis on the first run with a crusader,

TIP!: look and angle towards ur next ring whenever u turn into a ring and keep to the sides

'Freelancer 1-1, I am scanning ur cargo bay for contraband'