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Inside The Cowes Classic, Offshore Powerboating’s Toughest Endurance Race

The last weekend in August was a great one for veteran offshore powerboat racer Miles Jennings, who is currently competing in the Union Internationale Motonautique Class 1 World Championship Series in the United States with American Alex Pratt in XINSURANCE / Good Boy Vodka , a 52-foot MTI catamaran powered by Mercury Racing 1100 Comp engines. Running Silverline , a canopied 43-foot Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats V-bottom with twin 900-hp engines, Jennings and fellow Brit Drew Langdon averaged 67.72 mph over 211 miles of rough ocean water to claim victory in the 2022 Cowes-Torquay-Cowes endurance race off the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. They completed the run in 3 hours and 7 minutes.

Running a canopied Outerlimits SV 43 V-bottom, the United Kingdom’s Miles Jennings and Drew Langdon claimed victory in the 2022 Cowes-Torquay-Cowes endurance race. Photos courtesy/copyright Chris Davies, Tim Tapping, Andy Blondell, Graham Stevens, Stuart MacTaggart, William Evans and the British Powerboat Racing Club.

Though their average speed was significantly lower than the 94-mph average they were able to maintain in the 2021 event, it was still enough for the win—No. 6 in Cowes-Torquay-Cowes for Jennings, which ties him with the late Fabio Buzzi for the most wins in the historic event.

The cockpit duo described the race as tricky and tactical thanks to wind-against tide conditions.

“We needed this win to secure the overall British championship, but we had our eye on a fourth consecutive win as a team to take the Beaverbrook Trophy,” Jennings said. “And we knew we had a tough fleet of teams that also wanted to win at Cowes.”

Added Langdon, “This race was far more complex, swapping fuel usage between front and back tanks to keep the boat level allowing a good average speed. Usually the front tank would be used first for increased bow lift but this wasn’t an option in such confused seas.”

Shortly after stepping off the podium, Jennings caught a flight to the United States. The following weekend, he and Pratt competed in the P1 Offshore -produced St. Petersburg Grand Prix , the fifth of eight races in the Class 1 World Championship Series, where they finished fourth in the six-boat field.

After celebrating his fourth consecutive Cowes victory, Miles Jennings (second from the left) was off to the United States for the fifth race of the 2022 Class 1 World Championship Series.

The Powerful Attraction Of The Cowes Classic Situated on the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England, Cowes is still renowned for hosting one of the most famous offshore powerboat races in history spanning back 61 years. The Cowes-Torquay endurance race was born in 1961 when Canada-born Sir Max Aitken competed in the Miami Nassau in 1960 and decided to replicate such a great endurance event on British shores. In 1961, the Cowes-Torquay race was born and became Cowes-Torquay-Cowes event seven years later.

Born in 1910, Sir Max Aitken was the eldest son of Lord Beaverbrook, the owner of the Daily Express newspaper group, and after his education joined the Auxiliary Air Force and in 1939. Sir Max flew with the famous 601 Country of London Squadron fighting in the Battle of Britain in World War II and was one of the few lucky pilots who survived the war.

After his flying career, he was credited with having 16 victories, nine “probables” and damaging 15 enemy aircraft. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Flying Cross and was knighted in the 1940s. After the war, he joined his father’s newspaper business and became chairman of Beaverbrook Newspaper Ltd., following his father’s death in 1964.

Including her Cowes-Torquay-Cowes victory in 1978, the offshore racing career of Betty Cook was enough to land her in the Motorsports Hall of Fame.

American offshore racing pioneer Betty Cook competed in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes event in 1978 and claimed victory in KAAMA , a 38-foot Scarab V-bottom powered by two MerCruiser engines alongside, John Connor and British racer Mike Mantle. In 1996, she was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America incorporated in Novi, Mich.

Other American powerboat-racing greats who have competed in the Cowes Classic include Dick Bertram, who claimed victory in 1965 in Moppie , and marine industry propulsion engineering legend Jim Wynne, who won the event in 1966. In 1972 and 1974, Richie Powers and Italian Carlo Bonomi teamed up to take wins. Carl Kiekhaefer, the founder of Kiekhaefer Aeromarine—the forerunner of what is now Mercury Racing in Fond du Lac, Wis.—also raced in Cowes, as did the late Tom Gentry.

Rough water is par for the 211-mile course in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes event.

Organizers of historic event, which is one of the world’s last truly epic offshore powerboat endurance races, are hoping for an infusion of American teams in the near future. Martin Levi, the son of famed powerboat designer Sonny Levi and the director of the British Powerboat Racing Club , is spearheading a move to attract teams from across the Atlantic.

Though the event will retain its traditional last-weekend of August dates, plans include expanding Cowes-Torquay-Cowes into a five-day “festival of speed” with the “Round The Island” contest on Saturday and the 211-mile endurance battle on Sunday.

“The island has always attracted a colorful tapestry of offshore racers,” Levi said. “We think that making the current weekend of racing into a five-day ‘festival of speed’ is the way forward.”

No ongoing offshore powerboat endurance race has a richer history than the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes .

Editor’s note : Sarah Donohue is the United Kingdom-based reporter/commentator for the Sky Sports Network. This is her first article for speedonthewater.com.

For more information on the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes endurance race, visit the British Powerboat Racing Club website .

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Top 10 powerboat racing icons that helped make boating what it is today

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Hugo Peel explores the top ten power-boating events, people and inventions that have influenced today’s sportsboats...

Powerboat racing may seem a world away from the type of cruising most of us do but the sportsboats we enjoy today wouldn’t be half as good as they are without the racers, designers and builders whose heroic efforts helped shape them.

Auto-boat racing, as it was originally known, traces its history back to the late 19th century and for a brief period was even an Olympic sport, with races staged off the Isle of Wight in 1908. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that the sport exploded in popularity as developments in engineering, materials, speed, safety and propulsion really took off.

Racing was the anvil on which these promising technologies were forged. So what are the ten most significant events, inventions and people that have contributed to today’s impressive levels of performance, safety and utility?

While many of these names and events may be unfamiliar now, they are the stuff of legend to all who recall the glory days of British powerboat racing.

1. The Cowes-Torquay-Cowes offshore powerboat race

Many people regard offshore powerboat racing as the ultimate challenge for craft and crew. Arguably the most challenging race of all and certainly one of the oldest is the legendary Cowes-Torquay competition.

Initiated in 1961 by Daily Express newspaper magnate and keen yachtsman, Sir Max Aitken, who foresaw it would help grow the UK marine industry, it bred a string of British and international heroes and brands. This 200-mile race, now known as the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes, and its coveted Harmsworth Trophy, intermittently awarded since 1903, is still the one all top powerboat racers yearn to win.

The marathon Round Britain Powerboat Race started and finished off Portsmouth

2. The marathon Round Britain Powerboat Race

If a 200-mile race sounds challenging, the 1,500-mile endurance marathon that is the Round Britain Race is on an altogether different scale, yet it proved so appealing that it has been run three times over four decades.

The first BP-sponsored race in 1969 comprised ten stages over 1,459 miles and was won by Timo Mäkinen, a champion Finnish rally-driver in Avenger Too propelled by triple Mercury outboards – he averaged 37mph.

The 1984 race was sponsored by Everest double glazing and attracted famous names, including Italian racer/designer Fabio Buzzi driving White Iveco , a single-step GRP monohull with four 600bhp Iveco diesels. Against him was fellow Italian Renato della Valle in Ego Lamborghini , an aluminium-hull craft powered by two ear-splitting 800hp, race-tuned V12 Lamborghinis.

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Test driving the Sunseeker Hawk 38 prototype with Fabio Buzzi

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Victory went to Buzzi who, after the 157-mile Dundee-Whitby leg, during which White Iveco averaged a staggering 69 knots, dismissed it with shrug saying: ‘In Italy, this is just a cruising boat.’

The race was revived in 2008 attracting a field of 47 raceboats old and new, including a number of production RIBs and sportsboats from companies like Scorpion , Goldfish and Scanner. The favourites included Fabio Buzzi again in his classic four-engined Red FPT , and Austrian casino millionaire Hannes Bohinc in another Buzzi-designed monohull Wettpunkt .

This time the overall winner was a Greek entry Blue FPT navigated by Britain’s Dag Pike, who at 75 years old, was the event’s oldest competitor. Many of the production boats also did remarkably well, showing just how far they have come in recent years.

Steve Curtis MBE is powerboat racing royalty

3. Powerboat racer Steve Curtis

If the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes is the benchmark, surely the top driver must be found among its winners? Home-grown contenders must include Tommy Sopwith, a winner in 1961, 1968 and 1970 and the Gardner brothers, Charles and Jimmy, who clocked up victories in 1964 with their Bertram 31 Surfrider , and again in 1967 in the iconic Sonny Levi-designed Surfury .

On the worldwide stage, Italy’s Renato Della Valle won four Cowes Torquay Cowes races in a row from 1982 to 1985. Hannes Bohinc collected the trophies in 1995 and 2003 and another German, Markus Hendricks, whose boat sank on the 2008 Round Britain, took a re-engined 34-year-old monohull, Cinzano , to victory in 2009 and 2011.

They are all brilliant in their way but how could this category ignore the UK’s Steve Curtis MBE, owner of Cougar Marine, with no fewer than eight Class One powerboat racing world championships in fearsome 175mph catamarans? Curtis’s 2016 victory in the roughest ever Cowes Torquay Cowes race, in a 30-year-old aluminium boat sealed his place in the history books.

4. Lady Violet Aitken – the first lady of fast

The field of legendary female powerboat racers may be smaller but is no less worthy for it with three principal candidates – two titled British ladies and an American grandmother.

From the USA, Betty Cook – focussed, smart, and tough – arrived with her 36ft Cigarette Kaama and blew away the opposition in the 1978 Cowes Torquay Cowes race. She went on to secure two world championships.

The British aristocracy provides the eccentric and brave Countess of Arran, who fielded fast if unconventional designs of three-pointers like Highland Fling among others. She was described by The Guardian in her obituary as ‘beautiful, vivacious, funny, fun and entrancing’.

But our top female driver is Lady Violet Aitken, wife of Cowes-Torquay founder Sir Max Aitken and Ladies’ Trophy winner on several occasions. Racing is still in the blood as her daughter Laura and granddaughter Lucci are both keen powerboat racers.

Buzzi’s legendary status stems from 40 years of work in the marine industry

5. Powerboat designer Fabio Buzzi

The late Fabio Buzzi is a legend, both behind the helm and at the drawing board. In more than 40 years of activity, his company FB Design has won a staggering 52 world championships; seven Harmsworth Trophies; two Round Britains; and set no less than 56 world speed records in both European and American classes.

Buzzi designed the boat that has won more races than any other powerboat in history, the quadruple-engined, be-winged 44ft Cesa/Gancia dei Gancia . Today, the descendants of these monohull designs are found in service with government and military agencies all around the world, as well as leisure craft like the Sunseeker XS2000 and Hawk 38 .

But the competition is hard-fought. Sonny Levi’s delta-shaped race-boats A’Speranziella , Merry-go-Round , Alto Volante , and Surfury leave lasting memories by their sheer performance and poise. And their legacy, the Levi Corsair, is still made today.

The UK’s Don Shead also runs Buzzi close having designed ten Cowes-Torquay winners and the 1984 Round Britain race winner. The early Sunseeker ranges also came from his drawing board.

Peter Thornycroft and Alan Burnard merit attention as designers of the iconic Nelson and Fairey hulls respectively, many of which are still in service today. But the sheer scale of Fabio’s achievements trumps them all.

The Mercury V8 took powerboating to another level

6. The Mercury V8 engine

Early racers only had American petrol V8s for choice, mainly Ford Dearborn Interceptors, tweaked to deliver big torque and 300-400bhp. There were also a few marinised Jaguar straight-six engines, which consumed oil at a terrifying rate and were fragile. Then Carl Kiekhaefer, head of US outboard giant Mercury, refined numerous Mercury Racing V8s and Lamborghini V12s providing up to 850bhp and things took off. Literally.

To this market came car racing engineers Ilmor in the 1990s with a tuned Dodge Viper V10 engine, pushing out a reliable 700-800bhp. The Italians, at the behest of Fabio Buzzi, developed the 16-litre 1,000hp Seatek diesel for ultra-marathon events, providing unparalleled torque with (relatively) light weight and reliability.

A special mention for the maddest motors must go to Tommy Sopwith, who put a pair of helicopter turbines into a 44ft Don Shead hull delivering over 1500bhp and Domenico Achilli, who ‘glued’ two Subaru flat-four rally car engines together, and split our eardrums while winning the 1990 Cowes Torquay Cowes race.

But for sheer consistency and the countless number of ever-faster, smoother, more reliable production engines its powerboat racing successes have spawned, Mercury and its big displacement V8s have to take the crown.

Offering horizontal thrust and reduced drag, the sterndrive greatly increased the speed and efficiency of both race and pleasure craft

7. The sterndrive unit

Early shaft-driven race-boats normally placed engines amidships with straight shafts to the propellers. Then the vee-drive option enabled engines to be moved astern for better weight distribution but, in both cases, the angle of thrust was still pushing the hull ‘uphill’.

With the arrival of the sterndrive came horizontal thrust to harness the growing power of engines, and hugely reduced hydrodynamic drag by doing away with separate rudders, shafts and P-brackets. This greatly increased both speed and efficiency while the ability to trim the angle of thrust also enabled drivers to adjust the boat’s trim to suit differing sea conditions.

Surface-drives from Arneson and Trimax reduced drag even further but at the cost of low speed manoeuvrability and we mustn’t overlook the impact of the outboard engine on both race and leisure sportsboats.

However, for sheer versatility, the impact it has had on both powerboat racing and leisure craft, and its ability to work equally well with both petrol and diesel engines, the sterndrive has to take it.

Hunt’s deep-vee design proved a powerboat game-changer

8. Racing hull designer Ray Hunt

The most successful hull builders embraced the fast-developing world of engineering and materials as well as developments in design. Cold-molded mahogany plywood gave way to GRP, which in turn surrendered to carbon-fibre reinforced by Kevlar.

However, it’s hard to think of a bigger leap in hull design than Ray Hunt’s deep-vee concept, demonstrating an immediate and staggering superiority over previous hard and rounded chines. Nothing underpins this assertion better than Dick Bertram’s 1961 Miami-Nassau victory in his prototype Moppie – finishing a whole day ahead of the third-placed boat.

The likes of Levi, Shead and Bertram all helped refine the concept but the winner has to be Ray Hunt who, along with Dick Bertram’s investment and encouragement, became the grandfather of today’s sportsboats.

Peter Dredge skims Vector Martini to an average speed of 94.5mph during the 2015 Cowes Torquay Cowes race. Photo: Alamy

9. Speed record breaker Peter Dredge

World Water Speed records set by the likes of Donald Campbell’s Bluebird and Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic Challenger II are momentous achievements in their fields but their designs have bred few, if any, current sportsboats. Offshore powerboat racing records may not be as well publicised but are arguably far more relevant.

The average speed records of historic races like the Cowes Torquay Cowes race are a perfect demonstration of the improvements made in powertrains, hull design and strength. The first race in 1961 was won by a 24ft wooden Christina averaging 24.5mph. It took another two years to break 40mph, and a further four to exceed 50mph. In 1969 the record tumbled again with an average speed of over 60mph.

A gap of six years then ensued before the record climbed over 70mph and a further 13 years for technology to reach an average exceeding 80mph. A very calm race in 1990 saw the Italians hit over 90mph average – and then we waited 25 years before that speed was finally exceeded in 2015.

So until that record is beaten, preferably with a speed of more than 100mph, our winner is the current record holder Peter Dredge who propelled the awesome 1,500bhp, 44ft Vector Martini to victory at a remarkable average speed of 94.5mph.

Dag Pike, the brains behind so many great powerboat victories

10. National treasure Dag Pike

No top ten list could be complete without mention of those quiet but significant contributors to the sport of offshore powerboat racing. Among those names must be Class-3 racer, commentator, sport historian and MBY ’s longest-serving contributor Ray Bulman, who passed away last year .

The racer, organiser, enthusiast and flamboyant, chain-smoking Tim Powell also has to be in the running. Other characters like Commander Petroni of Italy’s Tornado Racing Team and Tommy Sopwith’s regular crew Charles de Selincourt, who guided him to victory in several Cowes Torquay Cowes races also deserve mentions.

But my National Treasure award goes to Dag Pike; writer, raconteur and navigator extraordinaire who has been the brains behind countless race wins for dozens of different drivers. Having been shipwrecked eight times himself but also having rescued more than eight people in his long career offshore, he has in his own words ‘balanced the books’.

The last word

As with any top ten list it can never be comprehensive and will always be open to differences of opinion but that’s not the point of this article. We simply invite you to ponder that, whatever boat you drive and whatever propels it, its performance and seaworthiness possesses at least some of the DNA of the many great raceboats, designers, engineers and technologies, forged in the heat of offshore battle.

First published in the June 2019 issue of Motor Boat & Yachting.

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WELCOME TO BULLET OFFSHORE RACING

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TO BULLET OFFSHORE RACING

The Cowes-Torquay-Cowes powerboat race is considered to be one of the toughest and most prestigious offshore powerboat races in the world. The race covers a distance of approximately 190 nautical miles, starting and finishing in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, England, and passing through Torquay on the south coast of England.

The race has a rich history, dating back to 1961, and has attracted some of the biggest names in powerboat racing over the years. Drew Langdon is a British powerboat racer who has competed in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race, as well as other offshore powerboat races around the world. He has achieved multiple victories and podium finishes in various powerboat racing events throughout his career.

Pressing on at the week end – A second win in the championship at Poole Bay Classic

Poole Bay 100 is an offshore powerboat race that takes place annually in Poole Bay, on the south coast of England. The race covers a distance of 100 nautical miles and is organized by the UK Offshore Powerboat Racing Association (UKOPRA).The UKOPRA is the governing body for offshore powerboat racing in the UK and is responsible for organizing a number of offshore powerboat races throughout the country. The organization sets the rules and regulations for the races and ensures that they are conducted safely and fairly.

The Poole Bay 100 is one of the most popular races organized by the UKOPRA and attracts competitors from all over the world. The race takes place in September each year and features a variety of different classes of powerboats, ranging from smaller entry-level boats to larger high-performance racing boats.

The Lymington Challenge is an offshore powerboat race that takes place in Lymington, a coastal town located in Hampshire, England. The race covers a distance of approximately 100 nautical miles and is organized by the Lymington Powerboat Racing Club.

The Lymington Challenge is open to powerboats of all types and sizes, and is known for attracting a diverse range of competitors, from amateur enthusiasts to professional racers. The race is typically held in June or July each year and is one of the highlights of the UK offshore powerboat racing calendar.

The course for the Lymington Challenge takes competitors along the Solent, around the Isle of Wight, and back to Lymington. The race is known for its challenging conditions, with strong currents, rough seas, and shifting winds adding to the difficulty of the race. Despite the challenges, the Lymington Challenge is a popular event among powerboat racing enthusiasts and is widely regarded as one of the most exciting offshore powerboat races in the UK.

2019 CTC – 1ST OVER ALL WITH AN AVERAGE SPEED OF 92.87 MPH

The Cornish 100 Trophy is an offshore powerboat race that takes place in Cornwall, a county located in the southwest of England. The race covers a distance of approximately 100 nautical miles and is organized by the South West Offshore Racing Association (SWORA).

The Cornish 100 Trophy is open to powerboats of all types and sizes, and typically attracts a range of competitors from amateur enthusiasts to professional racers. The race is usually held in July or August each year and is one of the most popular offshore powerboat races in the UK.

The course for the Cornish 100 Trophy takes competitors along the Cornish coast, past rugged cliffs and beautiful beaches, and around the famous Land’s End landmark. The race is known for its challenging conditions, with strong winds, choppy seas, and unpredictable weather adding to the difficulty of the race.

Despite the challenges, the Cornish 100 Trophy is a popular event among powerboat racing enthusiasts and offers a unique opportunity to experience the stunning coastline of Cornwall from the water.

The John Mace Perpetual Trophy

The Late Mike Fiore was awarded ‘The John Mace Perpetual Trophy’. I was honoured to accept on his behalf at The Royal Yacht Squadron Cowes UK for his contribution to Powerboat development. Mike having designed and built my Outerlimits SV43 which has now given us two consecutive wins at the International Cowes Torquay Cowes Powerboat Race In 2018 & 2019.

UKOPRA MARATHON WORLD CHAMPION 2018

CLASS 1 OFFSHORE RACING

Offshore racing in the UK is a highly competitive and exciting sport that involves high-performance powerboats and attracts top teams and drivers from around the world. The sport is governed by two main organizations: the British Powerboat Racing Club (BPRC) and the UK Offshore Racing Association (UKOPRA).

The BPRC is responsible for organizing and promoting the races themselves, while the UKOPRA oversees the technical and safety aspects of offshore powerboat racing in the UK.

Class one vee powerboats are a popular type of powerboat used in offshore racing in the UK. These boats are designed for speed and maneuverability, and can reach speeds of up to 120 mph. They are typically piloted by a team consisting of a driver and a throttleman, who work together to control the boat’s speed and direction.

Offshore racing events in the UK featuring class one vee powerboats include the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes and Poole-Bournemouth-Poole races, as well as the Guernsey Gold Cup and the Falmouth Fowey race. These events are highly competitive and attract large crowds of fans and spectators.

Safety is a top priority in offshore racing with class one vee powerboats, and strict rules and regulations are in place to ensure the safety of the drivers, teams, and spectators. The boats are equipped with advanced safety features like roll cages, fire suppression systems, and emergency air supplies for the crew.

Experience the Thrill : Class 1 Vee Powerboat Racing

Dive into the adrenaline-fueled world of Class 1 Vee racing, where cutting-edge technology meets extreme speed. Governed by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the sport’s international authority, Class 1 Vee racing adheres to stringent rules and regulations, covering everything from boat design to team requirements.Constructed with precision and safety in mind, these boats boast specific hull designs, cockpit layouts, and engine specifications. Advanced materials like carbon fiber and Kevlar ensure both strength and minimal weight, allowing for optimal performance.

Behind the wheel, a skilled duo of driver and throttleman work in harmony to master the boat’s speed and direction. The driver focuses on steering, while the throttleman fine-tunes the boat’s power, adjusting the throttles accordingly.Racecourses, marked by buoys or other markers, challenge teams with multiple laps around 6-8 mile-long tracks. The length and difficulty of these courses can vary based on location and conditions, but one thing remains constant: sheer exhilaration.

Propelled by twin engines generating up to 1750 horsepower each, these powerboats can reach astonishing speeds of up to 120 mph. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and safety is paramount in Class 1 Vee racing. Advanced features like roll cages, fire suppression systems, and emergency air supplies keep the crew protected.Before joining the ranks of this high-octane sport, drivers and teams must undergo extensive training and certification. Only then can they experience the unbridled thrill of Class 1 Vee racing. Join the excitement, and witness powerboat racing at its finest.

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It’s a powerboat racing website that has covered circuit racing, offshore racing and PWC since 2016. Maintained by The Race Factory based in Norway who have specialists in event planning and promotion, social media, graphic design, and photography. We are currently working on our vision and believe that we can and will make a different in powerboating. We will dedicate our time to produce accurate factual stories and to promote the sport to a wider global audience.

The American Power Boat Association (APBA) has announced its plans for the 2021 race season which include a comprehensive calendar of events for all offshore classes.

This is the first time for more than 30 years that the APBA has sanctioned all offshore powerboat racing events and the full calendar was confirmed and released at the Annual Meeting of the Offshore Racing Commission today.

Using one set of general racing rules, the schedule includes both Na9onal and Regional Championships, UIM/APBA sanctioned World Championships for each class, the OPA Kilo Run and the Ocean Cup Series.

This month marks Rich Luhrs’ first anniversary as Chairman of the APBA Offshore Racing Commission and he said:

As a result of the combined efforts of the Offshore Powerboat Association, Powerboat P1, Race World Offshore and Ocean Cup, racers and fans will be treated to the largest and most varied program of events in many years. Thanks to the intense effort, teamwork and passion of these race promoters there really will be something for everyone to support and enjoy.

Following the announcement last October that it had signed an exclusive 10-year deal with the UIM to organise and promote Class 1 offshore racing, Powerboat P1 released a six-venue race calendar which kicks off in May at Cocoa Beach on Florida’s Atlantic Coast.

P1 also reached agreement with the APBA to obtain the exclusive worldwide rights to film and distribute its offshore events for the next 10 years.

Azam Rangoonwala, chief executive of P1, explained:

Putting in place these two significant, far-reaching agreements allows us to develop the UIM Class 1 Championship commercially and promote the series both nationally and globally to deliver enhanced value for race teams, venues, sponsors and partners. Each event on our schedule will be live-streamed in its entirety on our Facebook page, meaning all classes in addition to Class 1 will receive coverage. We will also produce a one-hour television program from each race to air at a later date. Our principal aim is to return Class 1 to the pinnacle of offshore racing by attracting more teams and building the worldwide television audience. We will work closely with everyone involved in offshore racing to unite the sport and meet this objective.

Rich Luhrs added:

APBA Offshore is pleased to be part of this new TV relationship with P1 because we feel that quality broadcast coverage is a basic building block for any successful motorsport.

Opening its extensive season with the Ocean City Grand Prix in Maryland at the end of April, the OPA National Championship Series features six events which, together with the other races on its roster, count towards APBA High Points Championships in all applicable classes.

OPA president Ed ‘Smitty’ Smith said:

We’ve never had this many races on a schedule before – I just love this sport. We’ll promote or co-promote at least one offshore race event a month from April through to November and again partner with Powerboat P1 to stage a six venue APBA Offshore Championship series. We’ll head back to Maryland in July for the OPA Kilo Run in Baltimore.

The APBA Offshore Championship will return to four of its 2019 venues, starting at Cocoa Beach in May, with the St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix and Key West Championships joining the schedule.

RWO president Larry Bliel commented:

I have been working tirelessly to make this year’s UIM/APBA World Championships in Key West the largest event ever in the southern-most city of the United States. I am looking forward to working with all the APBA offshore promoters and race teams, combining our efforts to restore the sport of offshore racing to its former glory and plan for the future.

Ocean Cup contender Lucas Oil boat Photo Credit: RonnyMac

The 2021 schedule includes a long-distance Ocean Cup event in early October and veteran racer Nigel Hook explains:

The series revives the tradition of real offshore racing using technology to share the virtual experience live with an international audience. The second annual Ocean Cup will be part of The Great Pacific Airshow at Huntington Beach, attracting two million people to watch the powerboat world record attempt off the southern California coast as well as top military performers in the air.

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