Powerboat P1 Calls For Move Away From 'Chequebook Racing'

- Powerboat P1 has set out its vision for the future of powerboat racing at the 84th UIM General Assembly taking place this week at the Yas Marina Hotel (pictured above) in Abu Dhabi.

The London-based promoter’s Chief Operating Officer, Robert Wicks, presented highlights of the 2011 SuperStock championships which saw more than 20 races at nine different venues across the United Kingdom and USA. He highlighted the fact that ‘parity’, ‘affordability’ and ‘accessibility’ for competitors are the cornerstones of the SuperStock series and how vital it is for powerboat racing to appeal to new markets.

“It is imperative in the current economic climate the sport moves away from the ‘chequebook racing’ we have seen in so many classes down the years. It is simply not possible to sustain the current costs of racing in many series and motorsport in general is suffering. An affordable race series which has its roots at national level but is also international in scope is the key to unlocking value at all levels in the sport,” said Wicks.

Powerboat P1 launched the SuperStock series in 2010 and is rolling out plans to introduce the series in several new markets in 2012 and beyond. “We are building a series from the ground up with real credibility in conjunction with the national federations represented here this week. This will in turn increase interest and awareness, build new audiences and attract new commercial partners to the sport,” added Wicks.

The UIM General Assembly is the meeting of all national powerboat federations which get together annually in a structured networking environment to build relationships, expand horizons and broaden the sport’s collective endeavours. 

The Assembly continues until Sunday 23 October.