Powerboat P1 keen to keep focused calendar
Friday 03 October 2008
The scenic Portimao marina provided to be a great host venue for the Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea
Powerboat P1 CEO Jim O’Toole has said he’s keen to ensure the championship stays at a maximum of eight events a year while it goes through its latest growing phase. He says that a 12-event calendar – with international forays outside of powerboating’s European heartland – is too much for the series in its current guise.
Although O’Toole is keen to introduce more events to the Powerboat P1 calendar – particularly in emerging sports markets – he’s also aware of expanding too quickly and instead is focused on ensuring that the 2009 calendar is sustainable for teams, many of whom are still privately financed and run independent outfits.
The 2008 Powerboat P1 calendar introduced new events in France, Spain and Tunisia this year, in addition to popular events in Italy, Malta and Portugal, but a round in Bahrain has been postponed to 2009 in an effort to ensure a better experience for teams, the venue and spectators.
“I’d like to think the venues we’ve introduced this year have been better than last year,” he said. “We’ve made a few mistakes – we could possibly have stayed with one or two of the venues from last year, and maybe we were too ambitious with trying to grow too quickly, but you live and learn.”
“We want to take the sport global and add more spice, but there’s also reality. None of the teams are 100 per cent full-time, so we need to respect that eight races a year is probably the limit right now. I’d love to go to 12, but that’s a step too far.
“Having fewer events helps us make the product right, first and foremost. I’d rather have six core events that are fantastic, with a couple of adventures in Eastern Europe, Northern Europe and Scandinavia that we haven’t been to before. Then going into the Middle East in Bahrain, before looking at the Far East and gradually expanding into a global proposition with the USA.”
To read more of Powerboat P1 CEO Jim O’Toole’s thoughts on the 2008 season, the championship’s growth and his plans for its future, click here.