GCN Peach Beach

GCN Peach Beach is the first course in the Shell Cup in the Retro Tracks. This is a fairly simple course with a tranquil setting. Its course abbreviation is rPB.

Character and vehicle combination
The best character and vehicle combination to use on GCN Peach Beach is Funky Kong and the Torpedo/Spear.

Funky Kong's speed bonus is highly beneficial due to the very long straight on this course, with the Torpedo/Spear being the fastest available bike.

Strategy


It is most important to note that this is a unique course in the way that it does not adhere to the typical '1-1-1' mushroom strategy, where one mushroom is used per lap. The world record uses a '1-0-2' mushroom strategy.

The first mushroom is used to cut the grass on lap 1, to the right of the last two trees. The second to last mushrooms are used to go through the water on lap 3 (or possibly lap 2), as the tide extends very far out at this point on world record pace.

The alignment as you exit the first mushroom is fairly difficult to master. If you end up going far out to the right, you want to hop left before the wheelie ends. If the alignment is just right, you want to get the chain wheelie and hop after you pass the water completely. It doesn't hurt to go ever-so-slightly through the water as long as you don't slow significantly. It is only faster to go for the chain wheelie if the chain wheelie is good. If you are not confident with chain wheelies, you may want to aim more to the right purposely to miss having to go for the chain wheelie, hopping earlier.

If you are approaching the last turn of the lap too much to the right, you will want to hop left as you go over the bump before the turn, then start drifting right as you normally would. It is also possible, if you continue the wheelie and get air from this bump, to time a hop and bounce over a large portion of grass as a faster way of recovering. This, however, is very difficult and has an element of luck to it. Unless you are going for an extremely fast time, it's not that worth it.

This applies to both laps 1 and 2, not lap 3 as you would normally approach the last turn more to the left due to a cataquack.

Lap 3 relies almost entirely on the timing of the third mushroom in the water. You want to use it just as the second mushroom begins to wear off. The exact timing of it should really be learnt through experience. The second mushroom should be used just as you enter the water.

Another point to make is that the chances of getting air time as you approach the second to last, and the last turns on each lap due to a bump are rather high.

For the second to last turn, on laps 1 and 3, the player should use this to their advantage in order to charge a fast mini turbo using a slip drift. On lap 2, it is more difficult. It is hard to recover from air time here as you are approaching the turn from an awkward angle. If you get air time, you will most likely want to time a hop as you land from the air time. This will take some getting used to; it's something that is learned through experience.

In the event of air as you approach the last turn, you will want to time a hop as you land from it. On lap 3, this is harder as the cataquack means you will approach the turn from a harder angle. You may just want to hop earlier and play it safe.

Flap
For the flap, the player should enter the lap just before the 40 second mark.

the first two mushrooms should be used to cut the grass on the first turn. Here it is best to use the first mushroom before hopping into the grass. It is fairly difficult, so hopping and then using the mushroom isn't that much slower.

The last mushroom is normally used to avoid the chain wheelie on the beach. The world record, however, uses the last mushroom to cut through the grass on the second to last turn. This strategy requires you to enter the lap just before the 1 minute 40 second mark.

Some players have said that the Bowser Bike/Flame Runner is far easier, due to the first two mushrooms of this flap. It is, of course, slower than the Torpedo/Spear, but still fast enough to achieve a decent time.

Advanced strategies
As you enter the first turn of laps 2 and 3, you can pull off a strategy known as the 'curb ride'. It is a very small timesaver which requires extreme precision. It simply involves riding the sloped edge of the road, so that the wheelie lasts very slightly longer, plus it keeps a tighter line. The best way to hit the 'curb ride' is perhaps to wheelie almost parallel with the curb, but facing ever so slightly to the right, touching the curb just as the turn begins. At no point should you turn the wheelie.

It is so precise to the point where you may consider it not to be something that you would go for consistently, but as something that just happens if you happen to approach the curb at an absolutely perfect angle through luck. Even though it is a small and risky timesaver, it is very beneficial at world standard.

Glitch
There is a glitch on this course, which involves clipping a tree to propel yourself over an invisible wall, landing on the beach. For successful results, a perfect angle and a perfect amount of air time are an absolute must. This is incredibly hard and requires lots of time consumption, since it is predominantly trial and error.

A good example can be found in the video of the glitched world record, found on the right.

There are several mushroom strategies used for the glitch category. The one used in the world record (3-0-0) is widely believed to be the fastest, assuming you do not land in the grass after performing the glitch. Other players have used a 2-1-0 mushroom strategy as they tend to land in the grass after the glitch, using a mushroom to exit the grass.