formula 1 powerboat world championship

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The company brings together a group of professionals with over 30 years of experience in sport and event management to collectively manage all commercial and marketing activities across three UIM sanctioned properties:

The U.I.M. F1H2O World Championship is the ‘flagship’ international series of single-seater inshore circuit Formula 1 Powerboat Racing. Highly competitive, fascinating, intensely challenging, risky and entertaining, Formula 1 Powerboat Racing is the ultimate adrenalin rush and regarded as one of the most spectacular and exciting sports in the world.

THE AQUABIKE

The UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship is the most acclaimed and prestigious international series promoting personal watercraft in a competitive racing environment, and one of the fastest, most spectacular, demanding and entertaining sports on water.

The UIM-ABP Aquabike European Continental Championship starring the best riders of the “Old Continent”, became increasingly significant in the last years while resistence and strength are the main themes featured in the World Endurance Championship

THE H2O NATIONS CUP

The UIM H2O Nations Cup is a new approach to the spectacular sport of single-seater inshore circuit racing, placing the emphasis on team participation and country success rather than that of individual driver ability and success.

THE H2O RACING GROUP

H2o racing is a sports marketing company whose goal is to promote world championship powerboating events., h2o racing in numbers.

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Our involvement with Powerboating World Championship events began in 1984.   Thirty nine countries make up an extensive world atlas, confirming H2O Racing as a leading global sports events management company.

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UIM F1H2O World Championship - Andersson clinches world title with victory in Sardinia

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F1 Specifications

F1 racing uses tunnel hull catamarans that are capable of both high speed and exceptional maneuverability. Overall, the boats weigh 860 pounds (390 kilogrammes), including 260 pounds (118 kilogrammes) of engine. They are 20 feet (6 metres) long and seven feet (2 metres) wide, keeping weight low through extensive use of carbon fiber and kevlar. The tunnel hull design creates an air cushion under the hull, so that at speed only a few inches touch the water, leading to the high speed possible with these hulls.

F1 boats are powered by a Mercury Marine V6 two stroke that burns 100LL Avgas at a rate of 120 liters (32 gallons) per hour, generating 425 horsepower at 10,500 rpm. This engine can propel the boats to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than four seconds and to a maximum speed of over 240 km/h (150 mph).

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U.I.M. F1H2O Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
Thursday December 8
10:15 - 11:15
15:30 - 16:30	Qualifications
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Friday December 9
10:15 - 11:15
15:30 - 16:30

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UIM F1H2O World Championship
	SAU		Mar 30	C
	POR		May 19	C
	FRA		Jul 7	C
	CHN		Oct 19	C
	CHN		Oct 20	C
	UAE		Dec 21	C
	QAT	Doha	Mar 11	C
date and venue could be changed

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Nominees Profile

F1H2O Nations Cup Singapore 2011
Friday Nov 18
11:00 - 13:00
Saturday Nov 19
11:00 - 12:00
12:00 - 13:00
15:30 - 17:30
Sunday Nov 20
11:00 - 12:00
16:00 - 17:00

Grand Prix of China - Xiamen
01	Shaun Torrente
02	Philippe Chiappe	+ 0.91 secs
03	Jonas Andersson	+ 2.75 secs
Fastest Lap
Shaun Torrente		0:56.12
Pole Position
Shaun Torrente		0:50.87

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Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship

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Formula One Powerboat Championship is a high-speed, international boat racing series that features some of the fastest and most technologically advanced powerboats in the world.

The boats used in the championship are known as Formula 1 Powerboats and are single-seat vessels powered by high-performance outboard engines designed to travel at speeds of up to 140 miles per hour.

Formula One Powerboat Championship events are held around the world, including in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The championship is known for its high-speed action, as boats jostle for position on the water, making daring turns and maneuvers at breakneck speeds. The events draw large crowds of fans who come to witness the spectacle of these high-speed powerboats in action.

Watch Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship FREE on SPEED SPORT 1.

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f1 powerboat racing[…]

Formula 1 Powerboat Racing Is the Ultimate Adrenaline Rush on the Water

What could possibly make Formula One car racing more exciting?

How about popping off the wheels and adding water ?

The Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship is considered the highest court for international inshore powerboat racing in the world. Organized by the international powerboat racing governing body, the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), and promoted by H2O Racing, Formula 1 Powerboat Racing brings all of the excitement of high speeds and horsepower to the water.

What Is the UIM F1H2O World Championship?

F1H2O, or Formula One H2O, powerboat racing is a grand prix-style event that has been pitting international teams and boats against each other since 1981.

Each race lasts approximately 45 minutes, with winding courses plotted over large bodies of water to accommodate the tunnel hull catamarans that run the race. With each F1 powerboat measuring approximately 20 feet long and 7 feet wide, and top speeds reaching 155 miles per hour thanks to the 400+ horsepower engines used, it's easy to see how the sport has earned a reputation as the ultimate adrenaline rush.

In the early days of F1H2O racing, these boats were made of plywood with an open cockpit. Today, drivers have the benefit of a hard-shell, enclosed cockpit with harnesses and airbags. Today's racers also need to an FIA Super License, which includes testing to demonstrate the drivers' ability to escape a submerged cockpit. When is the last time you almost drowned while getting your license?

The History of the F1H2O World Championship

The inaugural Formula One powerboat racing championship was held in 1981, though the history of the event involves a lot of strife and competition between Mercury Marine, the Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC), mostly regarding the use of ON or OZ engines. The OZ class developed into Formula One racing, while the ON class became the "World Grand Prix Series."

And that was fine, for a while. OMC concentrated on building bigger and faster V8 engines, which caused greater safety concerns. Following a series of tragic deaths in races, it was clear that OZ races weren't going to last long.

So, they did what any waning top-tier sports event would do and doubled down. With American sponsors Champion Spark Plugs and Belgian promoter Pro One, the purse was increased, and boat safety was taken into greater consideration than ever before. Just when it appeared things were on the uprise, OMC took a look at Pro One's receipts and realized the promoter had spent around three years of budget in just one season. OMC shut down Formula 1 operations in Europe, and from 1987 to 1989, there simply was not a world champion.

Rivals to the Rescue

Meanwhile, Mercury and the ON engine fans had formed the Formula ON Drivers Association (FONDA), which was doing just fine. Sponsored by Budweiser, the FONDA World Grand Prix Series absorbed many of the powerboat drivers left behind by the dissolution of the OZ Formula 1 series.

In 1990, the UIM officially announced that the FONDA World Grand Prix Series would become the Formula 1 World Championship.

David Parkinson, who was tasked with creating the revolutionary Canon Trophy, on which the series was based, continued as series manager and promoter until 1993, when he handed the responsibility off to Nicolo di San Germano.

Today, the F1H2O Grand Prix consists of 279 Grand Prix races, which take place in 32 countries and five continents. In Formula 1 powerboat racing, it's not uncommon to watch four-time champion Shaun Torrente of Team Abu Dhabi take on the most decorated world champion, Guido Cappellini, and his fellow Italian racer Alex Carella (who competes for Team Qatar), along with three-time World Champion Philippe Chiappe of France, or Finland's Sami Selio and Wales' Jonathan Jones, both of whom have won two world titles each. F1 powerboat racing is truly an international sport that reflects all parts of the world in the championship standings.

If land-locked racing has left you feeling a bit dry, perhaps it's time to take to the lake with UIM F1H2O World Championship powerboat racing. There's no time like the present to pick up a new speed sport to watch, after all!

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Carlsberg Velden

Formula 1 powerboat, to the carlsberg velden formula 1 powerboat website, formula 1 history.

The concept of a single unified championship for inshore powerboats had been conceived three years previously in 1978 when David Parkinson, an experienced PR manager, was offered the support of Mercury Marine, one of his clients, if he could establish such a series. The concept became the Canon Trophy, sponsored by another of Parkinson’s clients, Canon Inc.

A steady escalation in engine development between Mercury and arch-rival OMC was already underway as the Canon Trophy was formed, and this arms race ultimately resulted in massively powerful 3.5-litre (210 in 3 ) V8 engines being used and led to the creation of the OZ class. Each manufacturer offered as many as half a dozen drivers with a free supply of these OZ class engines in a bid to succeed. The OZ engines differed from the ON class which was centred around a standard 2-litre capacity and consequently OZ machines, with their superior power, swept all before them. Matters came to a head when, in an attempt to extract an even greater advantage, Renato Molinari turned up with two engines on the back of his boat at the Italian Grand Prix. A petition was signed by 28 drivers in 1980 to outlaw the OZ boats and the Formula ON Drivers Association (FONDA) was born. Mercury withdrew their T4 engine and the split was confirmed. OZ and ON classes would have their own championships in 1981.

Somewhat understandably, both championships attempted to use the title of Formula 1 to market themselves as the pinnacle of powerboat racing. For much of 1981 however it was largely irrelevant. John Player had chosen to support the OMC-powered OZ championship, giving it not only an advantage in speed and technology, but also marketing. The championship was still in its early stages with a small grid, but FONDA’s ON class was not much better either and was effectively the remains of the Canon Trophy. Journalists of the period continued to use the familiar terms of ON and OZ to avoid confusion, and it was only when the UIM stepped in to sort out the mess that resulted in the OZ class being awarded Formula 1 status, with the ON class given the consolation title of “World Grand Prix”. Thus, with the backing of the drivers’ association behind it, the FONDA World Grand Prix Series entered into a period of being overshadowed by its bigger, faster brother, the Formula 1 World Series.

By bringing together the financial support and marketing ability of John Player Special, as well as the clarity and consistency of a championship with an established event structure, one which focused on sprint races rather than a mixture that included endurance races in previous years, the category allowed for a relatively stable environment in which the top powerboat teams and drivers could compete. A fixed points system made comprehension easy for spectators, with it matching its motor racing equivalent with 9, 6, 4, 3, 2, and finally 1 point on offer for the top six finishers.

Safety was always looming large in the background of the F1 series. The ever-increasing speeds of the 3.5-litre V8s, as OMC continued to refine them, meant that surviving a ‘big one’ was becoming less and less likely. In 1984, matters reached a tragic conclusion when Tom Percival was the last of four drivers to lose their lives in the space of a matter of months. Cees van der Velden pulled his three-boat Benson & Hedges-backed team from the final three races of the season, and Carlsberg cancelled their partnership with Roger Jenkins, having told the 1982 champion, “another death or serious injury, and they were out”. OMC were able to pull together a depleted field to see out the season, but the writing was on the wall. It was the beginning of the end for Formula 1 as the OZ class.

Keen to keep the championship running however, OMC gave the F1 World Series a facelift. With Benson & Hedges vacating the series’ title sponsorship, in came to create the Champion Spark Plug F1 World Series, and a new Belgian promoter, Pro One, was tasked with turning the series around. Prize money was significantly increased to attract drivers and a greater presence in the United States was sought. Following the trends in hydroplanes with seat belts and safety cells, boat designer Chris Hodges introduced the first iteration of his safety cell which paved the way for a revolution in boat safety and Bob Spalding won the title driving for the Percival Hodges team. On the outside, it appeared as if Formula 1 was set for a new period of growth, until OMC uncovered the level of spending that Pro One had undertaken to raise the profile of the championship. Rumours suggested the promoter had spent the promotion budget for the next three years in a single season. Figures of $4–5 million were passed around. OMC called time on the whole European operation at the end of 1985 and in 1986, based solely in North America, the F1 World Series was wound down before it was completely assimilated into the domestic US championship.

From 1987 to 1989, there was no official Formula 1 championship. The FONDA World Grand Prix Series continued to operate with title sponsorship from Budweiser and benefitted from F1’s demise in Europe as drivers moved back over. In simple terms Mercury’s two litre formula had outlasted OMC’s monster 3.5-litre V8s but the reality was far more complex than that. In the United States, Formula 1 lived on, but as far as the world stage was concerned, the powerboat community once again turned to David Parkinson, who having established the Canon Trophy back in 1978, was still at the helm of the FONDA series into which it had evolved. With no other challenger unlike ten years previously, the UIM reinstated the Formula 1 category to World Championship status and in 1990 the FONDA World Grand Prix Series became the Formula 1 World Championship.

David Parkinson continued to manage and promote the championship until the end of 1993, at which point he handed over to Nicolo di San Germano, who continues to lead the series to the present day. Di San Germano has overseen a period of continued improvements in driver safety, managed the championship through multiple economic downturns and seen a shift in focus for the series away from Europe towards the Middle East and Asia, driven by a need for financial stability. The cost has been a heavy one in the eyes of many traditional fans based in Europe as calendars and grid sizes have shrunk but the attraction remains – the series will return to Portugal and France in 2015 and there is a focus on four-stroke technology to finally overhaul the decades-old two-stroke engines that have dominated the sport since the very start.

Inaugurated in 1981, F1 powerboat racing is a Grand Prix style event, in which teams compete around the world each season. In the 2013 season, a total of 23 drivers and 9 teams entered at least one race, with 16 boats competing full-time. The races take place along a track of approximately 350 meters with multiple turns, over which the boats can reach 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph). The races are longer than most powerboat races at approximately 45 minutes, but still shorter than many car races.

Racing Boats

F1 racing uses tunnel hull catamarans that are capable of both high speed and exceptional manoeuvrability. Overall, the boats weigh 860 pounds (390 kilogrammes), including 260 pounds (118 kilograms) of engine. They are 20 feet (6 metres) long and seven feet (2 metres) wide, keeping weight low through extensive use of carbon fiber and kevlar. The tunnel hull design creates aerodynamic lift due to a ‘wing’ formed by the deck and under surface of the hull. This increases lift and reduces drag, so that at speed only a few inches of the boat touch the water, leading to the high speed possible with these hulls.

F1 boats are powered by a Mercury Marine V6 two stroke that burns 100LL Avgas at a rate of 120 liters (32 gallons) per hour, generating over 400 horsepower at 10,500 rpm. This engine can propel the boats to 62 mph in less than four seconds and to a maximum speed of over 155 mph

text by wikipedia.org

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Formula One Powerboat Racing

The Formula One Powerboats for the last five decades, have been recognized as one of the world’s most spectacular racing experiences. With lightning speeds over 120 miles per hour and nimble handling, the Formula One boats and their world-class drivers thrill audiences with it’s up close and personal deck-to-deck, sponson-banging competition. This brand of racing typically produces the largest motorsports event of the year in the markets it visits. Through live attendance and media coverage, Formula One Powerboat Racing reaches hundreds of thousands of consumers each season.

The Formula One Powerboat Race is the centerpiece of the weekend’s festival that often are the biggest entertainment event of the year in their communities. These events increase tourism, boost awareness of the regional attractions and businesses along with generating millions of dollars in economic activity. Annual powerboat races often are woven into the fabric of a community and become an anticipated yearly focus of corporate hospitality activities.

Formula One Powerboat Racing enjoys a stellar 50+ year history of thrilling audiences with it’s up-close and personal nature of racing events facilitating consumer awareness and brand bonding. Imagine your unique branding on a 120 mph billboard streaking across the waterfront with hundreds of thousands of loyal consumers in plain site of the entire course. Motorsports have become recognized as one of the most cost effective marketing tools available today. Each race is more than a series of one day events, these races have evolved into the anchor for a weekend long multi-interest community festivals, providing individual events that appeal to all ages and lifestyles. The Formula One Boats are front and center throughout the race events. It’s hull has several large marketable surface areas, that are great for promotional branding.

Formula One Powerboats are 17′ long, 7’2″ wide, and weigh 1155 lbs. including the driver. The power to weight ratio is among the highest in all of Motorsports. As for the Performance, these powerboats accelerate from 0-100 mph in 3.5 seconds. Top speeds over 120 mph and has the capabilities of going around a 180 degree corner at over 100 mph, pulling 7.0 G’s in the process making them the hardest turning race vehicle in the world. Combination of half boat and half plane, Formula One Powerboat Drivers actually fly the boats across the straightaways.

Formula One Powerboat competition starts with a 15-20 boat field lined up on the starting pontoon with the engines off. A Lemans start springs to life as the engines roar and the rooster tails spray thousands of gallons of water as the boats head to the first turn. A 1.25 mile course made of a combination of right and left hand turns with a variety of straight aways provides for deck to deck competition within inches of each other. No two laps are ever the same with Formula One Powerboat racing due to the ever changing water and wind conditions making the Formula One Boats one of the most challenging racing vehicles in the world to drive. There are several races each day with 10 lap heat races, and 30-50 laps finals.

Boca Ciega Bay offers a variety of boaters’ destinations, special habitats, and  spectacular natural resources. The bay is located on the north side of the mouth of Tampa Bay and is bordered by the cities of St. Petersburg, Tierra Verde, St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Gulfport, Seminole, and Madeira Beach. Waterways emptying into Boca Ciega Bay include Lake Seminole (through Long Bayou), Cross Bayou, Bear Creek, Clam Bayou, and Frenchman’s Creek.

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H2O RACING'S

Carbon neutral strategy.

The UIM F1H2O World Championship is the world’s foremost international series of single-seater inshore circuit powerboat racing.

Highly competitive, intensely challenging, risky and entertaining, inshore circuit powerboat racing is the ultimate adrenalin rush and regarded as one of the most spectacular and exciting sports in the world.

Thani Al Qamzi - 5

Filip roms - 18, bartek marszalek - 77, rusty wyatt - 17, ahmad al fahim - 3, duarte benavente - 10, cédric deguisne - 73, sami selio - 11, jonas andersson - 1, brent dillard - 8, marit stromoy - 50, alberto comparato - 6, erik stark - 4, ben jelf - 9, rashed al qemzi - 16, stefan arand - 2, peter morin - 7, ferdinand zandbergen - 12, alexandre bourgeot - 74, stromoy racing, team vietnam, victory team, team abu dhabi, maverick racing, red devil - smc f1 team, sharjah team, f1 atlantic team, china ctic team, n.3 - june 2024.