News
GSS MERMAID STRIKE DEAL WITH LUMENSION SECURITY
Team Mermaid is pleased to announce a new partner coming on board for the Southampton Boat Show – Lumension Security. Lumension will be out in force at the event, bringing along plenty of guests to enjoy the day.
SUPERSTOCK POWERS ONTO BOAT SHOW LINE-UP
The PSP Southampton Boat Show will be the backdrop for the fourth round of the 2010 Powerboat P1 SuperStock Championship on September 12.
UIM PRESIDENT COMMENDS FORMULA FUTURE EVENT
The Union Internationale Motonautique President Dr. Raffaele Chiulli pointed towards a bright future for international powerboat racing after an extremely successful Formula Future World and Continental Championships at the Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club.
BOAT MAD BRIDGNORTH STAR SETS SIGHTS ON UK ELITE
Construction Racing will finally make its P1 SuperStock debut in Southampton on September 12 when Marcus Bradshaw and Paul Wilkins launch their 2010 UK powerboat racing campaign.
GERMANY GET GOLD
It was Germany's young marine racers who fought off all the international challengers to be crowned the champions at the first UK hosted, UIM Formula Future and Continental Championship event supported by racing promoter, Powerboat P1.
JUNIOR POWERBOAT STAR TIPPED TO CONQUER THE WORLD
Wigan hot shot Ben Morse is aiming to become a powerboat racing world champion in St. Helens this weekend.
UIM FORMULA FUTURE WORLD AND CONTINENTAL YOUTH POWERBOATING CHAMPIONSHIP COMES TO THE UK
For the first time ever the UIM Formula Future World and Continental Championship is coming to the UK, with junior powerboat racers from across the globe battling it out for a place on the winners' podium.
STATEMENT FROM POWERBOAT P1
Powerboat P1 Management would like to extend its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Ian Stirling, 59, from St Austell, who tragically died at the European and British Powerboat Championships in Harwich, Essex, on Saturday.
TYPHOON WINS POWERBOAT P1 SUPER VEE LIGHT EVENT
Randy 'Mad Dog' Schleuss and Colby Lawrence overcame mechanical problems and several slow heat race starts to win the SuperVee Lite Class of the Powerboat P1 USA Offshore Invitational; the race was held in conjunction with the 101st running of the APBA Detroit Gold Cup July 9-11. In addition to bragging rights, the Team Typhoon names will be inscribed on the historic"Gar Wood Trophy," which is on permanent display at the APBA Museum, located at the organization's headquarters in Eastpointe, Michigan. Typhoon, a 30' Extreme, was part of a 10-boat field of vee bottom offshore race boats invited by APBA, the Detroit River Regatta Association, and Powerboat P1 USA, to perform at the historic Gold Cup hydroplane race -- the oldest active trophy in motorsports. Powerboat P1 USA sponsored the event through a partnership with the Powerboat Marketing Alliance (PMA). Seven Super Vee Light (SVL), two Super Vee (SV), and a SuperSport boat made the trip to the Motor City for a series of exhibition heats throughout the weekend, thrilling the crowd with excellent racing and the throaty roar of powerful offshore power, unmatched by even the much faster hydroplanes that race for the coveted Gold Cup. The Super Vee final was won by Dan Davies in the Global Warmer/Voodoo Ride, a 42 foot Fountain; the overall event win in Super Vee went to Bill Mazzoni and Leon Wollard in the Taboo/My Smokin' Ride, another Fountain. The Gar Wood Trophy is named for legendary racer and boat builder Garfield Wood, a five-time Gold Cup winner; his boats bore his name and dominated powerboat racing for decades as he began setting speed records in 1916. The sterling silver trophy, which bears two replicas of Wood's legendary boats, is inscribed, "In commemoration of the contributions of Gar Wood and the City of Detroit to Power Boat Racing on the Detroit River." The trophy was originally commissioned to honor unlimited hydroplane race drivers, but was retired in 1977. The American Power Boat Association (APBA) decided in 2007 to use it to honor the winning offshore team participating in the Gold Cup, because of the two Garwood boats on the trophy, which resemble offshore vee bottoms. "Detroit ROCKS!" a visibly moved Schleuss told the crowd of spectators at the podium presentation, adding "It was a thrill to race at this historic event and that trophy is HEAVY." The racers spent an hour Sunday morning signing autographs for thousands of fans, who were provided a free commemorative poster provided by Powerboat P1 USA that featured the participating race boats as well as the sponsors who helped make the event happen: Jarvis Property Restoration, Shogren Performance Marine, F!ogs, and Hering Propellers. Also honored on the podium were second place finishers Mark and Jenny Dunbar in Under Destruction; third place Pirate Racing with the father/son team of David and Travis Denham; and the father/daughter race team of Mike and Madison Janssen finishing fourth in Watch Your Back. Madison Janssen made her offshore racing debut at the Gold Cup, and at age 17, easily captured the swagger and bravado synonymous with offshore racing. "Powerboat P1 USA was asked by the Gold Cup Organizers to help put on a show for some of the best race fans anywhere," said P1 USA Director Martin Sanborn, "These teams put on a heck of a show! But talking with the racers, they received far more than they gave! The warm welcome we were given by the Gold Cup organizers and the race fans in Detroit was incredible. And the camaraderie of the teams on and off the race course is amazing, as Typhoon's mechanical woes were solved with the help of a borrowed drive and spare propeller from the Time Bandit and Watch Your Back teams. It was simply a fantastic weekend," he added.
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TYPES OF WAVES
There are many types of wave - the most recognisable by non-boaters may be the Queen's Royal wave, but none of the arm-throwing movement's cause powerboaters too much issue out on the water.
ROUGH CUT RACING UPSET THE FORMBOOK BY POWERING TO THE PWLLHELI GRAND PRIX OF THE SEA TITLE THIS WEEKEND
Ian Brusby and Andy Wilby became the first team to topple the previously unbeaten Heights of Abraham outfit as the new 300 Class kings won their inaugural P1 SuperStock Championship trophy in north Wales.
PREMIER CRU EMERGE VICTORIOUS
TEAMS LEFT FRUSTRATED BY WEATHER
Appalling weather conditions washed out Saturday's racing at the Pwllheli Grand Prix of the Sea.
PWLLHELI RACE UPDATE
Saturday's opening race of the Pwllheli Grand Prix of the Sea has been postponed due to dangerous weather conditions.
WET AND WILD
Thirty-one degrees, clear and sunny, London seems like a world away from the rain and strong wind in Pwllheli that will pose the toughest conditions that the P1 SuperStock teams have encountered in 2010.
JOHN WILSON SETS SIGHTS ON GOLD IN PWLLHELI
P1 SuperStock Championship 150 Class leader John Wilson is confident of securing his third consecutive Grand Prix of the Sea trophy in Pwllheli this weekend.
AZ-TEC RACING JOINS THE 150 CLASS
A new contender is set to climb into the ring with the 150 pilots and battle it out for the remainder of the season. A hardcore skier who's prepared to jump out of helicopters to carve-up the best slopes, Azam M. Ali, has now got his sights firmly locked on the P1 SuperStock series.
RULING THE WAVES
Speed through the corners is the key to success in any form of motorsport and powerboat racing is no different. In Formula One, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have made the pointed front end, the sharp turn in and the loose rear a championship winning driving style.
Apply the same style in a Powerboat P1 machine and your championship dreams will be a drop in the ocean. Powerboats do not have a brake pedal so drivers have to apply the throttle progressively going into a bend while considering the conditions that can easily catch them out.
Something more along the lines of Jenson Button's smooth and natural style of driving - one sweep into the corner, one sweep out - is the key to conquering the waves quickest. GSS Mermaid pilot David Hobson noticed that young karters who took part in Powerboat P1's open day in April tackled the waters like they did the road.
"It was really interesting seeing the young guys drive the boats like karts, throwing them around. You cannot barrel into corners like in a kart because you will ‘hook' the boat and sometimes that can end in the boat turning over on you," David said.
"Smoothness is the key, especially in the 150 class, and keeping the pace up because the smaller boats do not have the power of the 300s to compensate. You are effectively trying to surf the waves, trying to guess them and using them to help you through the corner," he added.
Both David and Team Shark's Stuart Cureton are in agreement that the 150 class boats are more versatile and more fun in close competition because they are shorter, which makes them nimbler in the corners.
"I had no boating experience when I started but the 150 class is a great place to begin. You can do almost anything with these boats and a few more chicanes and tight corners would increase the spectacle and make the racing even closer," said David.
David is considering a move up to the 300 class in the near future but feels that newcomers should start off in the 150 class to get a feel for the racing in light of the vast power difference and different handling characteristics.
Stuart also concurs that new teams should learn their race craft in the smaller machines to develop their communication skills inside the boat and understand how the vessels behave on the water in different conditions.
"In terms of close racing I think the 150 class is better but if it is technicality and precision, the 300 class is more demanding and unforgiving, and a bigger test in that sense," said Stuart.
Stuart raced with Team Purple before making the leap to the 300 class with Team Shark and highlighted the unequivocal difference between the two. Both class boats weigh 1,100kg but the two-stroke Mercury engine produces twice the power of the Honda four-stroke.
A WOMAN'S WORLD?
You could be forgiven for thinking that powerboating is a male-dominated sport. However, the all-women Eclipse team had the last laugh in Galway, halting Premier Cru's winning streak and giving themselves a lifeline in the 150 class title hunt.
POWERBOAT ROADSHOW ROLLS INTO TOWN
The UK's premier powerboat racing series returns to its popular Welsh home in Pwllheli this weekend as twelve of Britain's fastest offshore racing teams power into town for round three of the 2010 P1 SuperStock Championship.
PWLLHELI ATTRACTS ANOTHER MAJOR MARINE CHAMPIONSHIP
Pwllheli Sailing Club welcomes the UK's premier marine motorsport to its marina next weekend with twelve thrill-seeking teams racing around the Lleyn Peninsula for an action-packed weekend.
WIN A GRAND PRIX WEEKEND FOR TWO IN SOUTHAMPTON
Experience first-hand the exhilaration of speeding through the open water at speeds of up to 80 mph as you drop the green flag starting the race! Join the buzz and organised chaos of the Pit Lane, meet the pilots, get their autographs and have your photo taken with the SuperStock Sirens. This is a weekend you'll never forget!
P1 USA SVL TEAM LANDS A DEADLY CATCH
Turnkey Marine has teamed up with Captains Jonathon and Andy Hillstrand, owners of the fishing vessel TIME BANDIT as seen on the #1 hit reality TV show the DEADLIEST CATCH, creating the TIME BANDIT race team.
FORMULA KART STARS LENDS ITS SUPPORT TO SUPERSTOCK
Motorsport's rising young stars are being urged to consider powerboat racing at the end of their karting careers in light of the dizzying costs of four-wheeled motorsport.Carolynn Hoy, director of Formula Kart Stars, the series that jump started Lewis Hamilton's racing career, was bowled over by the affordability of powerboat racing. She sees the Powerboat P1 SuperStock Championship as an attractive option for those unable to progress to racing series such as Formula Renault or Formula Ford due to the expense."SuperStock offers a fantastic alternative to normal motorsport. When our Kart Stars come to the end of their karting careers at 17, some become lost because the next step to cars is so expensive - nowadays the cost is in excess of £100,000," said Carolynn.Carolynn took part in the SuperStock open day in Southampton on April 16 and was thrilled by the excitement of powerboats when she had a ride in a 150 hp class boat."We had a great day and my son Ed particularly loved it. Powerboat racing really appeals to those looking for something interesting to do. People in sport look to their heroes and there is no reason our drivers cannot be one of those heroes in powerboat racing," she added.The SuperStock series offers young drivers the chance to take the plunge and make a name for themselves in a growing sport which has guaranteed television and media exposure. To make the jump takes just four days training and second hand boats are available from £15,000."We are looking to attract a number of new pilots from motor racing as SuperStock offers all the thrills and spills of four-wheeled motorsport with the added drama of a race course which constantly changes due to the influence of waves, wakes and spray," said Jonathan Walls, head of marketing communications at Powerboat P1.Powerboat P1 also invited British Touring Car driver Tom Onslow-Cole and ex-Formula Ford pilot Tom Gaymor to the event. According to Jonathan, both were "surprised at just how competitive the sport is."The SuperStock Championship currently runs in Britain with six more countries on board for 2011. Powerboat P1 Management Ltd hopes to expand the series to 12 nations by 2012."With a season's budget considerably less than a season of top flight karting, we are seeing a real increase in enquiries for training and boat sales from racing drivers at all levels," said Jonathan.To find out more please email superstock@powerboatp1.com
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NAVIGATORS: WHAT'S THE STORY?
Catching air at over 60mph in boats weighing the same as a small hatchback, the Powerboat P1 Superstock Championship is a thrilling spectacle for crowds and an acid test of a team's ability to complete a race distance in record time.
The nature of Superstock, bringing the action closer to the crowd, puts it in line with traditional two and four-wheeled circuit racing where a single driver bears the responsibility of translating thousands of man hours and investment into race wins.
SIR GEOFF SPARKS SUPPORT FOR READING POWERBOAT DUO
World Cup legend Sir Geoff Hurst, MBE, has thrown his weight behind two Reading businessmen who are racing on behalf of international children's medical research charity, Sparks, in the Powerboat P1 SuperStock Championship.
POWERBOAT P1 USA VISITS LAKE CUMBERLAND
Lake Cumberland is an unusual site-a quiet, yet large lake in the middle of Kentucky-known for its horse farms, not necessarily horsepower! A few hours ride from Lexington, Louisville, or Cincinnati, the lake becomes a bustling haven for powerboaters when a race or Poker Run rolls into town! As OSS stopped here for the second race on its circuit, true to form, the pits were alive with engines roaring and competition brewing.
WHAPPLES STRIVES FOR GREATER HEIGHTS
Heights of Abraham were the toast of Galway on Saturday evening after the 300 Class speedsters conquered Salthill to score a fourth successive SuperStock Championship win of the season.
IRISH POWER NOT ENOUGH TO BEAT PREMIER CRU
Irish powerboat pilot Alan Power finished sixth on his Powerboat P1 SuperStock Championship debut at the Galway Grand Prix of the Sea today.
