SHAMED Hampshire powerboat racer Rob Lister will have to wait until at least January 2012 until he can compete again, sports chiefs have ruled.

Former European champion Lister appealed against a five-year ban imposed by the Royal Yachting Association after he was found guilty of putting water into a rival boat's fuel tank.

However, the Sports Dispute Resolution Panel upheld an earlier decision of the Powerboat Disciplinary Board to ban Lister and partner William Nocker from the Fatboy Racing Team for gross misconduct.

Lister, of Keyhaven, and Nocker, of Cheltenham, were charged following an incident during the 2006 Honda Formula Four-Stroke Powerboat offshore series held at Liverpool.

Driver Lister was recorded on CCTV entering a pontoon on which the rival's boat was berthed and using a hose to add 70 litres of water to its fuel tank.

Navigator Nocker denied any involvement.

Mark Osgood, a partner with Moore and Blatch solicitors, which represented the Royal Yachting Association at the arbitration hearing, said: "The arbitrator had the opportunity to hear the evidence of all the relevant witnesses and formed the view that Mr Nocker and Mr Lister were acting together, dismissing their case that Mr Lister acted alone. This was an important decision for the RYA as it clearly demonstrated that incidents of misconduct and unsportsmanlike behaviour should not go unpunished and that it was right in its decision."

Arbitrator Charles Flint QC said: "There can be no more serious offence than sabotaging a competitor's boat. The offence strikes at the heart of fair competition."

He accepted the pair may not have intended to cause physical harm, but added sabotage "places the competing team in the way of danger because their engine may fail at any time".

Neither Lister, who runs Southampton-based property developer Solent Projects, nor his solicitor Anthony Harris would comment.