firstly, have you tried everything? I have some tips which might help:

Hovis do's and don'ts:

Do:
- Buy a light fighter, it's more agile. One is for sale at BS The Hood. (Cavalier)
- Go to cruise speed. Default key is Shift + W
- Use Mouseflight. Default key is space-bar.
- Aim for the next gate while you are flying through a gate.
- Use thrusters before hitting cruise. This puts you in front of Hovis before the first gate, after wich you can engage cruise speed and lead the whole way.

Don't:
- Use the Go-To command. When you reach your target with the Go-To command, the ship will stop. And you don't want that
- Use speed mods. Default cruise speed (300) is an excellent speed to beat the race. If you go faster, it will be harder to get to the next gate.
- Use heavy fighters. Although some have done it in a heavy fighter or even a freighter, it's reccomanded for unexperienced racers to use a light fighter.
- Freak out when Hovis starts shooting at you. Just stay in cruise and aim for the next gate. When you reach the finnish, the shooting stops.
- Pay to much attention to Hovis. Just do your own race and all will turn out well.

There's a workaround for the race (why the hell is there a race anyway) but I sugest trying one of these tips first.
Using a different savegame is always an option, but the sattisfaction you get from finishing the race without help is a lot greater.

I hope you get there, but it's no shame if you don't. Many have strugled with this mission.

Good luck

I agree with everything you said, except maybe the buying of the light fighter. If I remember correctly, right after the race, when you get back to Leeds, you have to leave and fight the Rhinelanders to get out of Bretonia and into the Border Worlds to find Kress. That might be a little difficult to do in a light fighter, and I don't think you have the time or ability to buy a heavy fighter again before that. I could be wrong though.

It's not difficult to do the fight out of Bretonia in a light fighter, I did it in the Cavalier first time, well before I knew how to take advantage of maneuverability. One thing I found helpful with the race is the A and D keys, to strafe. Although they don't move you much, it's often useful to set you up for the next gate as you go through one

"There are 10 kinds of people in this world: those who understand binary and those who don't"

One more don't: an old forum said fire a CD at him-yeah, don't. YOu end up failing the mission "and you don't want that."

Dark Helmet: Gimme that, you petty excuse of an officer!
Now hear this: LUDICROUS SPEED!!!
Col. Sanders: Sir, hadn't you better buckle up?
Dark Helmet: Eh, buckle this! Ludicrous speed...GO!!!

Hey! Thanks a lot. It appeared to me that I was using the wrong button tkinking it was cruise speed. Now I got it and just finished the race...it was quite easy afterall... Thank again for your time and worthy advice!!!

'Don't' do it in a Heavy Fighter? I was in a Crusader the first time I tried. And thought it had to be scripted it was so easy, lol. I'm not trying to gloat, on the contrary -- I just don't understand how so many people have problems with this race. The race in pre-patched Mafia, I can understand. I lost that many times before perfecting it. Isn't this race scripted so Hovis makes a mistake at a gate?
Honest, treat it like driving a car -- go into bends wide, cut them short as you take them. Don't miss the rings, obviously. Don't bother with thrusters at the start of the race. You still have to charge your cruise engines too. And while you're doing that, Hovis is already cruising. A quick thrust, a split second, perhaps. But no longer. And when Hovis drops back, if you were behind you'll zoom ahead. If you were in front, it doesn't matter. You win more , if that's possible.

_____________________________
"If it aint on fire, you haven't shot it up bad enough yet" - my old teacher on Planet Housten.

The Bounty Hunter Intelligence and Tactical Computer System

I know it's possible in a HF, hell I know people who did it in a freighter.
But the list was set up for those who have problems with the race and might not realise they are flying a HF and actually need an LF, that happend to me.

The thruster ahead at the start seemed unreal to me aswel, but many people gave that as advice, so I threw it in anyway.

Also, it is possible to finish the game in an LF, Some did it in a Starflyer (!), just as it's possible to do in a Freighter.

*** The Titan flies like a cow ***
Fight like a Warlord

You definitely can't do it in anything but a LF or HF (ie. no VHF's or Freighters) in Evolutions though. It's actually physically impossible, because it takes about 5 secs to charge cruise engines.
Yea, I really can't understand why so many people have problems with this race. I can do it anything in normal Freelancer (look forward to trying it in a Gunbat ).

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If you don't like it, go home.

I won first time through, and i was flying a frieghter at the time(Clysedale)!! me, being the foolish N00B i was, thought having all the hardpoints that friegters had would give me an advantage, even in the demo version i was hunting pirates in a RHINO!!!

I got out in a Legoinairre, no problemo.

"Death to ZugZug!"

This race is really an interesting subject.
It's so strange how some people just can't finish, while others can do it with their eyes closed and hands tied.

I've flown the race three times.
1. Crusader - Was after Hovis until the last quarter, where (I think) he messed up and I cruised into the finishring.
2. Cavalier - Took the lead halfway through, bumped pretty hard into Hovis and we both slid off, I managed to regain control before him and beat him again.
3. Leginnaire - In the lead in the first quarter, got through the finishring long before Hovis.

I did it in a Titan. Course I had Speed 3000 mod on. Hovis took off never saw him again said something like 4k away. Kept bouncing around like he was in a pinball machine. I dont like how mods affect all other ships too.

Never, ever, take a laxative pill and a sleeping pill in the same night.

Hi im new here and to freelancer but i did that race in a heavy fighter the first time. ( i dont mean to boast) Dont use thrusters at the start it doesnt work and as well as that dont use any speed mods wit the singleplayer it measn that if u r flying in a debris feild or bad lands then u will jus keep crashin and die unless u use the invincebility cheat.

Yeah this mission is a pain in the butt no matter what you are flying until you get the hang of the course and how it's laid out. But it's completely manageable with any ship once you know where you're headed and start your turns early enough.

I got stuck with this mission almost immediately after finally getting my Dromedary, so I darn well refused to sell it for something more agile!

It took awhile to get that win, but when I finally got the course right I crossed the finish line miles ahead of Hovis. He starts strong but finishes slow. Flush with victory, I steadfastly refused to change ships for the rest of the game. Bah, who needs Order fighters? I love the Drom.