The Honda Formula 4-Stroke Powerboat Race series is making the final preparations before the opening round of the 2009 race season in Pwllheli on May 9th and 10th.

The Grand Prix will bring up to 20 Cougar powerboats to the towns’ impressive marina along with a vast crowd of enthusiasts and holiday makers.

With less than two weeks to go before that the start of the Grand Prix competitors competing in the series are preparing their boats for the first of five race weekends which will take place throughout the UK this summer, and, with a mixture of 150hp and 225hp boats split across two classes organisers of the event promise a fantastic on-water showdown to mark the start of what looks to become one of the biggest Honda F4SA race seasons to date.

News from South Africa: The World Championship was a tremendous success, fantastic racing and all three disciplines raced – Well done Greg and his team!

The title for the P750 Blue Print class was the main championship being contended for as there was an International fleet with 2 Swedish, 1 New Zealand and the other teams being from South Africa.

Unfortunately for the P750 Modified and Standard class there were only South African entries and no other nations which is a shame as its not really a world status with entries only from one country

It’s only happened once, but already the new two race event format has brought a lot of opinions along with a lot of excitement for race fans and teams who now get to see two Grand Prix’s in one weekend instead of usual one as the U.I.M. F1 World Championship for power boating turns a new page in history in its 16 race schedule for the 2009 campaign. What do the teams think of the new racing format?

“Its been great not only for our team, but for the spectators as well,” stated the Manager for Team Abu Dhabi and four-time World Champion Scott Gillman. “Obviously we are pleased since each of our two drivers (Ahmad Al Hameli and Thani Al Qamzi) won a race at the Grand Prix of Portugal and I think it will take a mixture of time and education to have the race spectators understand that the first day of competition is as important as the 2nd day which was our traditional Grand Prix time.

Victory for Fazza 3 in the opening round of the UIM/WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Championship was sealed this afternoon by Arif Al Zafeen and Nadir Bin Hendi. Second place went to home favourites Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani and Steve Curtis, with Class 1 debutant Mohammad Al Mehairi and Jean-Marc Sanchez claiming third place in a sun-kissed Qatar Marine Festival Grand Prix.

The reunited pairing of Al Zafeen and Bin Hendi powered through to a comfortable victory in the end, but they did not have it all their own way. A fantastic start by Qatar 95 saw the Edox Pole Position winner's storm away with the early lead, but engine troubles forced them to retire on lap nine while leading the race.

A high speed spin-out on their first practice lap of the morning has ended Maritimo 12’s Class 1 debut.

The raceboat spun out of the water, re-entering backwards and flooding their engine bay. Although they showed much promise on day two of the weekend, following sensor problems on day one, Peter McGrath and Giorgio Manuzzi will be bitterly disappointed with how the weekend has turned out.

After landing safely on the pontoon, a relieved McGrath said: "We went for a spin. I don’t think there is a hole in her, we went in fast backwards and water came over the back."