The Powerboat P1 SuperSport front-running #47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet team are leading a crop of Powerboat P1 entrants gearing up for a gruelling extra-curricular challenge – the Round Britain race – on June 21-30.

Powerboat P1 CEO Jim O’Toole has hailed the support of the Tunisian national authorities and the local Yasmine Hammamet authorities as being key to the successful return of the world championship to the North African coast.

Leading Powerboat P1 competitors in both the Evolution and SuperSport classes have backed today’s decision to reschedule this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix of the Sea from November 13-15 to a date in 2009 as part of next year’s championship season.

Richard Carr – throttleman of the #69 Honeyparty.com boat – has said that he knew it was only a matter of time before the British-based crew won their first Powerboat P1 race.

#44 Conam Yachts team boss and throttleman Angelo Tedeschi and pilot Aaron Ciantar have expressed their delight at securing this year’s SuperSport championship with a double win in the Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea.

Powerboat P1 Official Champagne partner Taittinger supplied drinks for a champagne reception for the championship at this week’s PSP Southampton Boat Show.

Well, conditions improved slightly during the course of the day, but – in the last hour – the high winds and heavy rain that forced the delay to this morning’s racing have unfortunately returned.

Former Powerboat P1 Evolution-class champion Giancarlo Cangiano – the team boss and throttleman of the #88 Kiton Outerlimits boat – has said that the quality of close racing during the course of the 2008 season means that the sport’s current regulations are right, and shouldn’t be significantly altered for 2009.

There was no surprise at the top of the PowerPole results with #44 Conam Yachts recording a nine-second advantage  in the SuperSport class  to make them firm favourites in their home waters for this weekend’s Malta Grand Prix of the Sea.

Powerboat P1 has announced a key partnership with pan-European broadcaster, Eurosport, which will deliver its World Championship series to more than 115 million homes across Europe.

The agreement will see the adrenaline-fuelled highlights from the 2008 and 2009 Grand Prix of the Sea events screened on Eurosport 1, with the first broadcast planned for Tuesday 28 October. Repeat programming will take place on Eurosport 2.

Powerboat P1 has unveiled a subtly modified set of Sporting and Technical regulations for the 2009 season, with the target of building on a hugely successful revamp of the sport during the last 12 months, and the aim of making the racing and the championship fight even more closely contested in years to come.

The new rules were discussed and ratified in last week’s General Assembly meeting of the UIM – Powerboat P1’s governing body – in Surfers Paradise, Australia.

The SuperSport class Endurance race will be taking place at 11:30 local time (09:30 GMT), while the Evolution class Endurance race will follow at 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT).

The newly-crowned double title-winning #44 Conam Yachts SuperSport team and the Chaudron boat-building firm celebrated their back-to-back championship success with a gala event at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre recently.

Both team boss and throttleman Angelo Tedeschi and pilot Aaron Ciantar attended the event.

Powerboat P1 event promoter Philippe Benhamou has announced the launch of a new French team, planning to compete in the Evolution class in 2009.

The Team Quai 222 outfit will use a revamped Fountain 41 hull, powered by Mercury engines as it enters the series for the first time at the series opener in Bahrain on March 26-28.

Powerboat P1 has announced a key partnership with South African broadcaster SuperSport, which will deliver its World Championship series to over 2 million households across Africa next year.
 
The agreement will see highlights of the 2009 championship, which begins at the end of March with the Bahrain Grand Prix of the Sea, screened by the pay-television channel provider across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The #26 Team Konrad SuperSport-class outfit, which took part in the final two rounds of the 2008 Powerboat P1 season as a Wild Card entry has opted to pick a Donzi hull for its full campaign in 2009.

The British-based team impressed with its rookie pace in a flat-bottomed Velocity hull during its outings in Spain and Portugal.

Reigning Powerboat P1 champion engine manufacturer Ilmor High Performance Marine Engines has unveiled a new ‘Indy’ stern drive, built to capitalise on the company’s road racing success in the Indianapolis 500 motor race and its recent back-to-back title achievements in the Powerboat P1 series.

The all-new ‘Indy’ high-performance stern drive and transmission – launched at the recent Miami International Boat Show - has been designed to work perfectly with the Ilmor’s highly respected and acclaimed MV-10 range, which is based on the V10 engine found in the Dodge Viper road car.

The new French Team Quai 222 Evolution-class outfit that is entering the Powerboat P1 championship this year gave their revamped Fountain 41 hull its first major test this week. The Mercury-powered boat – once owned by prominent US racer Dave Branch – is being run by Powerboat P1 event promoter Philippe Benhamou.

Pilot Bernard Sintes and throttleman Max Dessaux gave the boat its first proper trial runs in its new guess, and Benhamou said that team was upbeat after experiencing the boat for the first time.

Powerboat P1’s new simulator ride proved a big draw as the championship headed to the Middle East for last weekend’s Dubai International Boat Show. The event, at the Dubai International Marina Club in Mina Seyahi, annually plays host to over 800 exhibitors from the marine industry and over 27,000 visitors during its five days.

Team Al & Al crew members Alfredo Nuzzo and Alfredo Amato were there to talki about the latest developments with their two-boat SuperSport team with the international TV, print and online media attending the show...

Powerboat P1 will be in attendance at the upcoming Dubai International Boat Show, which takes place at the Dubai International Marine Club in Mina Seyahi on March 3-7. The event is expected to attract over 800 exhibitors and representatives from the marine industry and over 27,000 visitors during its four days.

US-based hull manufacturer Cigarette will be in attendance, along with a number of the championship’s partners and associated sponsors companies.

The event will mark the debut appearance of Powerboat P1’s new simulator, which allows fans to take a virtual trip in an Evolution-class boat, using footage from 2008.

Former Powerboat P1 Evolution class champion Giancarlo Cangiano is teaming up for with fellow veteran racer Hannes Bohinc for his assault on the 2009 crown. Bohinc will join the 2006 title winner and long-time technical manager Giovanni Carpitella in the #88 Outerlimits boat that finished second in the title chase last year.

Bohinc – a successful businessman with bison farming and online gambling among his successful ventures – is an experienced powerboat racer, with a strong record in endurance racing events. He’s one of only six drivers to have won the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race twice, and is also a double winner of the Harmsworth Trophy. He returns to the Powerboat P1 championship following a successful 2005 season with the Wettpunkt.com Evolution class team.

Italian Powerboat P1 SuperSport class outfit Team Al & Al have revealed that they will be contesting the 2009 season with two boats.

Alfredo Nuzzo and Alfredo Amato finished seventh in the SuperSport standings in 2008 in their Mercury-powered Carpenter 38 hull, #22 Big Sergio, named in honour of the late Sergio Carpentieri.

The double title-winning Racing Project SuperSport class outfit will take on a new look in 2009 as team boss and throttleman Angelo Tedeschi and pilot Aaron Ciantar compete with new Ukrainian backing. The #43 Ukrainian Spirit squad will continue to use a Chaudron hull, but have swapped Mercury engines for Ilmor power this year.

The project has been supported by Ukrainian Powerboat Federation president Victor Shemchuk, and marks the 100th anniversary of the first Ukrainian powerboat race at Odessa in May 1909. The team’s new 41-foot, Ilmor-powered Chaudron hull - liveried in the colours of the Ukrainian flag - was unveiled at Chaudron’s Valetta headquarters in Malta at the weekend, and took part in its first test the same day.

The #44 Conam Yachts boat used by reigning SuperSport champions Angelo Tedeschi and Aaron Ciantar is set to stay in Powerboat P1 in 2009, despite the crew stepping into a new boat. The Mercury-powered Chaudron 41 hull was the clear class leader in 2008, winning all but one race and taking the title for a second year in a row.

Tedeschi and Ciantar are taking on a new challenge in the Ukranian-backed, Ilmor-powered #43 Ukrainian Spirit Chaudron hull, but Racing Project team boss Tedeschi says that he’s keen to keep the #44 Conam Yachts boat racing in Powerboat P1 with a new team – potentially made up of an all-female crew.

OSG yesterday unveiled its new Outerlimits SV40 boat for the new Powerboat P1 World Championship season, with pilot Giancarlo Cangiano immediately pledging to "bring the title back to Naples".

Cangiano and co-pilot Hannes Bohinc were on hand to present the new boat alongside regional councillor Mr Cascetta and Snav managing director Mr Aiello in southern Italy and the OSG duo were keen to discuss their credentials for the 2009 season.

"We are aware that we are among the frontrunners for the P1 World Championship title," Cangiano explains. "As a team we are 110% committed to bringing the title back to Naples."

PM of Malta, Dr. Lawrence Gonzi, is given a tour of the P1 Village by Martin SanbornPowerboat P1’s royalty were treated to a special visit from the Prime Minister of Malta, Dr. Lawrence Gonzi, before Sunday’s Endurance Race showdown.

Prior to boarding his boat for the day, taking in a front seat view of the action, Dr. Gonzi was given the guided tour of the P1 village, weaving through the giant hulls, tents and crane’s, rubbing shoulders with some of the sport’s finest, including Malta’s dynamic duo, Aaron and Audrienne Ciantar.

England might have its football fashion and Wales its rugby religion but Malta is the bedrock of powerboating.

Malta’s celebrations continued with local favourites Aaron and Audrien Ciantar rocketing home to claim top spots during a scintillating afternoon’s PowerPole qualifying round in the sunkissed Valletta Grand Harbour.

Aaron and Angelo Tedeschi, in their new supercharged Ukranian Seagull hull, romped home in just under three minutes 28 seconds, shading fellow Chaudron manufactured monohull, Ikocasa by just over three seconds.

Delighted with the prospect of taking the inside lane, Aaron said: “We always knew the boat was very fast. We always drive the boat to its limits - even around the corners – and we were very confident of being very strong.

The Turkish Grand Prix of the Sea is less than three weeks away and Powerboat P1 officials joined Istanbul delegates at the official press conference at the lavish Çırağan Palace on Monday.
 
Addressing the Turkish media, sponsors and event officials, Powerboat P1 Chairman and Chief Executive Asif Rangoonwala outlined the momentous plans for Istanbul and his eagerness to show-off the Powerboat P1 World Championship to a new fanbase.
 
“Racing in the heart of one of the biggest cities in the world, on one of the busiest waterways, should make for spectacular viewing and attract excellent crowds along the stunning Bosphorus shoreline.”

British powerboat champion Shelley Jory has revealed to powerboatp1.com that she is battling to get to the starting line ahead of the first Grand Prix of the Sea in Malta on 8th May.

Southampton-born Jory has taken the bold step of racing in the first all-girl team in the SuperSport class alongside Maltese racer Audrien Ciantar, sister of Aaron. Jory and Ciantar will race under the umbrella of the Racing Project team owned by esteemed Powerboat P1 World Champion Angelo Tedeschi.

"I have decided to take the F1 "Brawn" approach - get to the line, prove I can get results and try and attract sponsors," says Jory.

Jan Falkowski and Drew Langdon were delighted with their weekend's racingA sensational comeback from Bullet Racing’s #47 Silverline hull scored the British team’s first podium ofthe 2009 Powerboat P1 World Championship season in Malta.

After Saturday’s disappointing fourth place finish in Saturday's first round Sprint Race, Silverline showed its reliable colours streaking past Nigel Hook Racing’s #77 Lucas Oil Budweiser powerboat only two laps from the chequered flag to take second place in Sunday's Endurance race.

The Powerboat P1 stewards have released the timings for the PowerPole qualifying session, which took place at 1515 local time this afternoon in Istanbul, Turkey.

Classified Results (Evolution):

1. #77 Lucas Oil Budweiser (Joe Sgro / Nigel Hook / Mike Fiore) Total Time 02:07.77

2. #10 Cigarette Smash Poker (Luca Fomilli Fendi / Matteo Nicolini) 02:08.51

3. #88 SNAV OSG (Hannes Bohinc / Giovanni Carpitella) 02:09.73
4. #33 Furnibo (Pierre Colpin / Frank Hemelaer) 02:15.04

5. #53 Metamarine Corse Pignolo (Marco Pennesi / Max Ferrari / Stefano Bonnano) 02:15.88

6. #47 Silverline (Jan Falkowski / Drew Langdon) 02:23.53
7. #66 Cranefield Wines (Siegfried Greve / Gino Passchier) RETIRED

The Seagull Chaudron crew celebrate their victory in the Grand Prix of the Sea in MaltaThe #43 Seagull Chaudron and #88 SNAV OSG have been declared as the Grand Prix of Malta title winners in the SuperSport and Evolution classes respectively.

Aaron Ciantar, Angelo Tedeschi and Viktor Shemchuk from Seagull Chaudron and the SNAV OSG crew of Hannes Bohinc, Giancarlo Cangiano and Giovanni Carpitella were presented with the coveted trophy by the newly-elected president of Malta, Dr George Abela.

The Seagull Chaudron hull finished second in the Saturday's Sprint race and emerged victorious from the Endurance race on Sunday.

The Belgian #33 Furnibo boat took the chequered flag in the Endurance race at the Sicilian Grand Prix of the Sea, but it was #88 SNAV OSG who dramatically took the Powerboat P1 World Championship title in the final race of the season.

Needing to merely complete the 76.59 nautical mile course - the team were already expected to claim an additional 50 points for reliability - Giancarlo Cangiano and Giovanni Carpitella understandably drove a cautious race in order to protect their points haul.

From 11-13 September, Siracusa will become the powerboat capital of the world as the Sicilian Grand Prix of the Sea concludes the 2009 season.

Regional Minister for Co-operation, Titti Bufardeci, stressed the importance of such as event for the whole city.

"We do not want events that take place in Syracuse to come here occasionally - we want this World Championship to become a regular event in our seas which will help portray a positive image of our country around the world."

Team SW1 Capital has announced a sponsorship agreement with BBLADES Professional Propellors.

After a series of propellor issues in the first half of the 2009 season effectively ended the British team's Powerboat P1 World Championship challenge in SuperSport, team owner and pilot Dan Cramphorn was advised to contact Brett Anderson at BBLADES.

It was BBLADES first foray into Powerboat P1 and coincided with a sharp upturn in fortunes for the team who subsequently won the final four races of the year to finish the season in third place in the overall standings.

Powerboat P1 this week signed a contract that will see the Croatia city of Split host the fastest growing offshore series in the world.

The three-year deal was signed by Powerboat P1 Commercial Director Robert Wicks (pictured right) and the event's promoter in Croatia Tomislav Blago Misetic.

Wicks commented:  "It is a pleasure to have concluded a long term agreement with our partners in Croatia and with the wonderful city of Split.

Proposed rule changes for the 2010 Powerboat P1 World Championship put forward at the recent UIM General Assembly have been approved.

Powerboat P1 Management presented its review of 2009 and proposed improvements for the new season to UIM council members in Riccione, Italy. Among the 25 submissions to the rule chances for 2010, key alterations include the SuperSport class speed limit and the addition of torque sensors.

The SuperSport speed limit increases from 85mph to 90mph with the allowance for accelerating past the threshold restricted from ten to five seconds. Penalties will be incurred for breach of the speed limit, 30 seconds for the first offence and 60 seconds thereafter. Five offences will result in disqualification.

SNAV OSG and Seagull Chaudron were crowned Powerboat P1 World Champions for 2009 after Sunday’s sizzling season-finale at the Sicilian Grand Prix of the Sea in Siracusa.

The race for Evolution and SuperSport gold went tantalisingly down to the wire with both class champions having to wait until round ten’s checkered flag to finally toast victory.

Triumphant Evolution Class pilots Giancarlo Cangiano, Giovanni Carpitella and Hannes Bohinc have rarely been matched on the waters this season, winning exactly 50% of the races and claiming a podium finish in all but two in 2009.

Swedish driver Michael Silfverberg and veteran Nigel Hook have unveiled their new Vector 40 race boat in which they will compete the 2010 Powerboat P1 World Championship.

The boat, recently featured on the front cover of Powerboat Magazine, is the first of its kind and has only had ten hours on the water to date. The hull is designed by Swedish naval architect Ocke Mannerfelt and the exterior design by his son, Ted Mannerfelt.

Hook, currently in Key West for the SBI World Championships, has been a long time admirer of Ocke’s designs: "Ever since I got passed by a B28 Mannerfelt in a Pacific Offshore race in 1994, I've been fascinated by the simplicity of this design. The Vector 40 may be the first of its kind but it has a true racing lineage."

Shelley Jory, one part of Powerboat P1's only all-female team, has officially become Mrs Jory-Leigh after she married marine engineer, Trevor, at Wimborne Minster last week.

The congregation of family and friends included world powerboat champions Steve Curtis, Peter Phillipson and Neil Holmes along with a number of familiar faces from the Powerboat P1 circuit.

The wedding party all enjoyed several special moments during the service, including a traditional reading by managing director of Honda (UK), Ken Keir, a solo rendition of the song "People" by David Curtis, "Pie Jesu," sung by the Choir of the Wimborne Minster, and a poignant "nautical" reading, written and read by Shelley's BBC Radio H2O co-presenter, Tracey Clarke.

Powerboat P1 radio commentator and powerboating veteran Martin Sanborn rolled back the years to claim the Production 2 World Championship at Key West last week.

Sanborn, no stranger to winning championships, had joined race partner Dan Davies to compete in the same category as Team SW1 Capital's Kim Collins and Dan Cramphorn.

Last week, the English duo of Cramphorn and Collins won impressively on Wednesday to claim their fifth successive victory in what is still only their first full season in powerboating. However, Sanborn and Davies were not to be outdone and powered their Global Warmer Fountain to victory on Friday and Sunday to snatch the title.

Reigning Powerboat P1 SuperSport class World Champions, Aaron Ciantar and Viktor Shemchuk, will be making a step up in class in 2010, after Sunday’s announcement in the Times of Malta, that they will be driving in the Evolution class  next year.

Speaking at the Chaudron factory in Bulebel, Ciantar told reporters that the Chaudron boatyward had also negotiated a new three-year contract with Ukrainian Spirit, which will see the Maltese firm constructing two new powerboats for the 2010 season.

"I am pleased to announce that we have just reached an agreement to extend our relationship with Ukrainian businessman Victor Shemchuk for another three seasons," Ciantar said.

Three-time Powerboat P1 SuperSport Class World Champion, Angelo Tedeschi, has refused to get too downhearted after last week’s shock announcement that the Italian would not be racing with the Ukrainian Sprit team in 2010.

Despite missing out on the opportunity to race as part of the Ukrainian Spirit’s new Evolution Class crew, Tedeschi has thrown down the gauntlet to his former employers and the rest of his SuperSport peers, that next year will see him complete an imperious fourth consecutive title.

Robert Wicks is attending the UIM Assembly in ItalyRepresentatives from the Powerboat P1 World Championships are in Riccione in Italy this week for the Union Internationale Motonatique (UIM) Annual Assembly.

The conference, which took place in Australia last year, sees offshore motorsport promoters from across the globe get together to present their season reviews to the International governing body of powerboating.

The Calendar meeting will take place on Saturday 24th October, when promoters will sit down to ensure that potential date clashes with other competitions are avoided.

Seagull Chaudron throttleman Angelo Tedeschi believes Aaron Ciantar is ready to make the move to the Evolution-class.

The Italian claimed his third World Championship title - his second with Ciantar - in Syracuse last month and the experienced pilot believes his #43 Seagull Chaudron team-mate has what it takes to compete in the closed-canopy class.

"Aaron is a real talent. I now genuinely believe he is ready to compete in Evolution. He needed this year of close competition and battles with our rivals to improve his driving when engaged with other boats.

Powerboat P1 Management Ltd would like to extend its deepest sympathies to the families of Class One pilots, Mohammad Al Mehairi and Jean-Marc Sanchez, of the Victory 1 team, following today’s tragic incident at the Dubai Grand Prix.

Powerboat P1 Chairman and CEO, Asif Rangoonwala said: “The passing of Mohammad and Jean-Marc will be felt by many across the world, and in particular for all those involved in the world of powerboating.

It was a day to remember for local fans in Saturday's Sprint race as #88 SNAV OSG, #10 Cigarette Smash Poker and #53 Metamarine Pignolo 53 made it an all-Italian podium.

Two spin outs at the south end of Lingomare course ultimately shaped the destiny of the Evolution race. A stunning start from Cigarette Smash Poker saw them take an early from rivals SNAV OSG and Metamarine.

However, while in pursuit of the race leader, the SNAV OSG boat spun out at the end of the opening lap to drop back into third.

Having regained second place at the expense of Metamarine, SNAV OSG pressurised the then race leader Cigarette Smash Poker into an error which saw them spin out six laps into the nine lap race.

The crew of SNAV OSG crowned a weekend to remember as they completed a memorable double in treacherous conditions in San Benedetto del Tronto.

Giancarlo Cangiano and Giovanni Carpitella dominated the 76.99 nautical mile race from start to finish to keep their Evolution-class title hopes alive.

"I am very happy that this victory cancelled the double no-score of Istanbul," said a delighted Carpitella. "With the winning of the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea we have moved closer to the leader in the Evolution standings and ready to attack them in Gothenburg.

"We worked very hard between the races of Istanbul and San Benedetto and are very happy to find a good balance of the boat."

#44 Iko Casa pilot Shelley Jory has vowed to put the disappointment of the Endurance race in Italy firmly behind her as she looks forward to competing in her maiden race in Sweden.

The Iko Casa boat failed to register a single point after sustaining a problem which saw the all-female crew of Audrien Ciantar and Jory only complete nine of the 12 laps.

"We found out what went wrong with the boat on the Sunday night after the race. Basically, it was a problem with one, simple $10 wire on the ignition system. The wire came loose and fell off which stopped the engine dead.

SW1 Capital truck driver Grant Hills risked his own life to save the team’s prized powerboat during the early hours of Monday morning.

Couriering the hull back from San Benedetto del Tronto to the team’s boatyard base near Antwerp, the Team SW1 Capital truck caught fire, burning most of the truck’s contents, including all the fittings, mopeds, spare engine, props, life jackets and helmets.

Hills, who only last week had to make two return journeys from Liverpool to Barcelona, went way beyond the call of duty, courageously throwing himself into the flames without even a thought for his own personal safety to disconnect the boat from the trailer.

The pilot of #22 Big Sergio has dedicated the podium position he achieved at the Grand Prix of the Sea in Italy to the entire Al and Al team.

Alfredo Nuzzo, alongside team-mate Alfredo Amato, currently sit at the foot of the SuperSport standings in the Powerboat P1 World Championship, but the Italian duo closed the gap on the leading pack after snatching a memorable third spot in the Endurance race in San Benedetto del Tronto - the team's maiden podium position of the 2009 season.

"I must say it was a great satisfaction," says the 42-year-old Neapolitan. "When you are standing on the "step", the effort and commitment given by the entire team is immediately paid back."

The cream of Powerboat P1's talent are anticipating a weekend of racing to remember as the series heads to Scandinavia for the first time.

#88 SNAV OSG are the in-form team to beat in the Evolution class after landing the Grand Prix of the Sea title in San Benedetto del Tronto following two race wins.

Driver Hannes Bohinc cannot wait for the racing to begin. "This will be a fantastic venue; we are all looking forward to enjoying the Swedish hospitality, racing in Gothenburg and putting up a fast and exciting show."

Three races have resulted in three second-place finishes for the 2B1 Racing Team this season.

And while Pierre Colpin considers what might have been in terms of the Evolution-class title, the Dendermonde-born driver is adamant his team can take this year's experiences into the 2010 season.

"It is such a pity we could not race in Malta," reflects Colpin, who readily admits that reserve pilot Benjamin van Riet has been an influential figure in the camp this year. "Due to our late arrival in the Championship, we had to go to Cosworth to dyno test the engines which meant we were unable to race. Coupled with our problems in Italy last month, who knows where we could have been in the Championship?

Powerboat P1 has landed another major coup by arranging a partnership with ticketing giants Seatwave for the final race of this year’s World Championship season, the Sicilian Grand Prix of the Sea in Siracusa.

Recently named as Europe's fastest growing digital media company by investment bank GP Bullhound and Online Business of the Year at the Fast Growth Business Awards, Seatwave will be exclusively responsible for selling Powerboat P1 Harbour Club hospitality packages.

Launched in February 2007 by Joe Cohen, Seatwave is Europe's leading online marketplace for buying and selling tickets for theatre, sports, music and other live events. The exchange has more than 700,000 tickets on sale at any one time.

#77 Lucas Oil Outerlimits pilot Nigel Hook has pronounced himself "as fit as a twenty-year-old" and ready to race in next month's season finale.

Hook and team-mate Joe Sgro sustained minor injuries following the accident involving their boat in last Sunday's Endurance race, an incident deemed serious enough to prompt Race Control to temporarily suspend the event.

"We are both fine," confirmed Hook. "In better shape than the boat anyway. There's a little bit of soreness there."

P1 seeks to create history when the Championship heads to Gothenburg for the first time on August 7-9.

Spectators are expected to pack out two FanZone areas at Frihamnen and Oscar II Fort - the latter is normally closed to the public which was last opened for the Volvo Ocean Race in 2001.

The fort alone presents a fascinating experience as it is one of the only remaining First World War strongholds and has remained unchanged since it was built in 1907. Most of Oscar II Fort cannot be seen by the public but during the Powerboat P1 race weekend guided tours will be available.

#26 Team SW1 Capital and #88 SNAV OSG have been named Scandinavian Grand Prix of the Sea champions in the SuperSport and Evolution classes respectively.

Brits Daniel Cramphorn and Kim Collins secured their first Grand Prix of the Sea title after winning both the Sprint and Endurance races in Gothenburg with ease and subsequently edge towards the leading pack in the overall SuperSport Championship standings.

Driver Cramphorn said: "We're halfway to achieving what we set out to do by winning the four remaining races this season. We have won more races than any other SuperSport team and we are looking forward to celebrating in style!"

Two Powerboat P1 superstars enjoyed contrasting fortunes last weekend in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes powerboat race - one of the most famous and demanding endurance races in the sport today.

Despite being in a position to be only the fourth man in history to claim the coveted Beaverbrook Trophy, Hannes Bohinc was ultimately denied the chance to complete the race when a ruptured fuel tank forced the Buzzi-designed powerboat to retire 1.5 miles short of the finish line after almost four hours of race action.

Alongside fellow crew members Ed Williams-Hawkes and Max Holzfeind, Bohinc had guided the Wettpunkt.com hull towards the leading pack having reached the halfway stage of the 170 nautical mile race in fifth place.

Pilot Siegfried Greve is adamant his #66 Cranefields Wine team can learn from a difficult 2009 to emerge as a more competitive outfit in next year's Powerboat P1 World Championship.

The German outfit endured a tough Grand Prix of the Sea in Gothenburg last time out - failing to complete either race over the weekend - and currently lie in sixth spot in the Evolution-class standings with one round of the season remaining.

"In Sweden we were plagued by "10 per cent" parts - after we switched back to our 2008 hull we had all of these small problems which has been disappointing. In Saturday's Sprint race we realised we had an overheated engine, forcing us to stop to avoid serious damage.

#22 Big Sergio's charismatic pilot Alfredo Nuzzo is targeting title glory when the 2010 Powerboat P1 World Championship returns in April.

Nuzzo's team finished seventh in the SuperSport class last term and were dogged by poor reliability; something which the Italian hopes won't plague them again in 2010
 
He said: "We had bad luck throughout last season. We broke five propellers in total and only finished 50% of the races due to technical problems.

Though the Powerboat P1 World Championship has concluded its 2009 season, its racers, administrators and fans are still hungry for more racing action.

As previously reported, the 29th Key West SBI World Championships get underway today and Powerboat P1 will be represented by a number of familiar faces including Dan Cramphorn and Kim Collins in their #26 SW1 Capital SuperSport boat.

The #77 Lucas Oil Outerlimits team will split into two teams for Key West. Nigel Hook will pair up with Swede Michael Silfverberg to pilot Hook's Lucas Oil Skater in the Performance class whilst Joe Sgro and Outerlimits will compete in the Super Vee Unlimited class using and brand new SV 43.

The current stars of Powerboat P1 are looking forward to sharing the limelight in 2010, giving the inclusion of the Formula Four Stroke Championship on next year’s racing calendar the thumbs up.
 
The British championship, which ran for a decade in partnership with Honda, has nurtured some of the finest current crop of Powerboat P1 talent and P1 Radio commentator Martin Sanborn feels it will continue to prove a great stepping stone in the future: "As with many classes involving boats that are smaller and less powerful, the opportunity to see racers move up into larger classes is a natural progression.

A posse of Powerboat P1 racers moved from offshore racing to record breaking last week as they established new benchmarks in the Coniston Speed Week .

New speed records were set for both the Evolution class and SuperSport class by the #66 Cranfields Wine Searex Racing and #07 Microlink PC VoomVoom.com crews.

A provisional calendar has been unveiled for the 2009 Powerboat P1 World Championship season, with a host of new venues joining some returning old favourites.

New race hosts Bahrain, Turkey, Sweden and Ireland will line up alongside well-established venues Malta, Portugal, Spain and Italy in what is planned to be an expanded seven-round schedule.

Powerboat P1 chairman Asif Rangoonwala has said that the 2008 season was one of the most significant in the championship’s recent history and growth. The number of teams in the Evolution and SuperSport classes swelled to new highs, while events in Italy, France, Tunisia and Spain bolstered old favourites in Malta and Portugal.

American-based hull manufacturer Cigarette joined the championship for the first time, while existing manufacturers Fountain, Skater and Outerlimits and engine manufacturers Ilmor, Mercury, Seatek and Chief were among the suppliers increasing their input and investment in the series during 2008.

Powerboat P1 fans will be able to get a real taste of the sport at Grand Prix of the Sea events and boat shows this year, as the championship has unveiled a new simulator that allows fans to experience the adrenaline-fuelled action for themselves.

The two-seater simulator – designed in conjunction with FX Simulation - will be on-site in the exhibition area at all seven Grand Prix of the Sea events in 2009, as well as at a number of major boat shows.

Powerboat P1 chairman Asif Rangoonwala has said that championship organisers are focused are keeping entry and running costs for teams and crews under control, even as the series expands to new venues outside of Europe. This follows the general trend of other motorsport championships in the current global economic downturn.

Rangoonwala has talked about how new race venues in Bahrain, Turkey and Sweden are key to expanding the series outside of its traditional base in Europe and the Mediterranean.

Powerboat P1 racer Shelley Jory was one of the star attractions at last week’s London Boat Show, held at the ExCeL centre in the heart of the British capital. The #77 Lucas Oil pilot talked about her rise to fame and her 2008 season, in which she and throttleman Nigel Hook finished sixth in the points.

Jory – the first woman to pilot an Evolution-class entry in Powerboat P1’s history – was one of the guest speakers invited to talk about their sporting and lives on the Fairline Main Stage.

The new #26 Team Donzi Racing outfit has unveiled the new Donzi 38ZRC hull in which it hopes to be challenging for this year’s SuperSport class crown.

The outfit raced in the season-closing events in Spain and Portugal last year as #26 Team Konrad, scoring two points finishes in Spain and fourth place in the Portugal sprint.

Pilots Dan Cramphorn and Kim Collins tested the new Donzi 38ZRC hull at the Bernico’s factory in Willebroek, Belgium, last weekend.

Powerboat P1 Evolution class champion Fountain Worldwide – the international distributor of Fountain Powerboats – will unveil a special edition version of the 42 Lightning model to celebrate the company’s back-to-back title success at this weekend’s Miami International Boat Show.

The 42 Lightning has won more national and world championships than any other V-hull currently on the market and holds the V-hull World Speed Record at 177.883mph. The open-cockpit 42 Lightning ‘Powerboat P1 Championship Special Edition’ is a recreational version of the boat in which pilot James Shepperd and throttleman Craig Wilson secured the 2007 and 2008 Powerboat P1 Evolution class crowns.

Fountain Powerboats president and CEO Reggie Fountain, Ilmor High Performance Marine Engines president Paul Ray and #99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com crew members Craig Wilson and James Sheppard were on hand at this weekend’s Miami International Boat Show to receive their awards for winning the 2008 Evolution class title.

The quartet were formally presented with the handcrafted trophies – constructed from bronze and cherry wood by celebrated Italian artist Andreas Perathoner – by Powerboat P1’s commercial director Robert Wicks. “I’d like to thank Powerboat P1 for creating a fantastic event at each and every race,” said Wilson, who is president of Fountain’s international dealer, Fountain Worldwide. “I’d also like to think Fountain Powerboats, who have proved that they build the fastest V-bottom in the world.”