China’s Ocean Dragon
#08 Phoenix throttleman Martin Lai stands out in a Powerboat P1 series that has a traditional European base
When it comes to a mix of globe-trotting nationalities, Powerboat P1 is truly a trans-Atlantic melting pot. From the multitude of veteran Italians that make up well over half the grid, to the recent influx of racers from the US and Britain lies a mix of nationalities that includes Germany, Belgium and Malta and Greece.
One name stands out more than most, though, and that’s Martin Lai – Ocean Dragon Racing team boss and throttleman of the #08 Phoenix SuperSport class boat.
As anyone who knows him can attest, Martin is incredibly proud of his Chinese heritage. Although he was born in the UK, Lai comes from a Chinese business family and spent much of his youth in Hong Kong, only moving back to the UK for school. Now with his own hugely successful restaurant enterprise, Lai is a full-time resident in the UK, but hasn’t lost any of his passion for his Chinese heritage.
“My parents are from the region, so my heritage is from there, even though I’ve spent most of my life in the UK,” Lai says. “Chinese people are traditionally very proud of their culture and their heritage, and I’m no different.”
Lai admits that his time in Hong Kong also gave him his passion for powerboats. “In Hong Kong, you’re always around water, and you’re doing watersports all the time,” he explains. “I first started racing boats in 1999 in local club racing, then I got more serious in 2000. Over the years, I’ve just become more and more passionate about it.”
This year hasn’t been the best of seasons for Lai – in fact, due to technical problems in Malta, he was forced to miss his first race start in quite some time. But that hasn’t diminished his enthusiasm to return to the podium, both for himself and his passionate Chinese fans.
Just witness the large and enthusiastic crowd of Chinese-born residents in Marseille, France, who descended on the marina every day to wish their compatriot good fortune, in what would ultimately be his best results of the season. “Success in racing is always both for me, and for China,” he says. “It was so good to have both my friends and family, and lot of local fans in Marseille cheering me on.”
As the most successful Chinese competitor in what is a niche sport in Europe, let alone China, Lai is something of a celebrity in the Chinese powerboating community. “Powerboating isn’t a hugely popular sport in China yet,” he acknowledges. “I get a lot of attention in the powerboating community, but there hasn’t been a lot of general interest yet, but it’s starting to build up well.”
There has been much talk this year about the Powerboat P1 championship going to China, like so many sport – and particularly motorsport – events. All that is likely to be a few years off, Lai is keen to compete in front of a Chinese crowd. “For me, it would be fantastic to race on home soil,” he says. “But, it will also be fantastic for the boat industry in China. There’s a growing boat industry that hasn’t yet been exposed to Western audiences.”
Although he has yet to confirm his plans for 2009, Lai has admitted he’d like to give his team the complete Chinese treatment in the future by racing in a Chinese-designed and built hull. “I’ve already had a Chinese boat builder contact me with interest in getting involved in Powerboat P1,” he says. “It’s definitely a plan we’d like to explore, but we have to ensure that it’s a competitive package.”
And, as the new Chinese wealth opens up more members of the public to the joys of leisure powerboating, Lai is keen to ensure that he remains at the heart of the industry’s links from West to East and vice-versa. “It would be great for the boat industry in China, and I could be the one who opens up the doors of the Chinese marine industry to the rest of the world,” Lai says. “That would be fantastic.”