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.

Around 455,000 people attended races this year, with 250,000 spectators confirmed over the three days of the Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea in Spain in September. The Powerboat P1 series received around 475 hours of TV coverage on major global networks in 182 countries around the world, including Eurosport, ESPN, Star Sports, FOX Sports and Sky Sports.

Over 130,000 visitors from countries as far afield as Canada, Australia, Sweden and Japan visited Powerboat P1’s new-look website, viewing just over 1,100,000 pages and spending a cumulative total of 15,000 hours online, watching live internet coverage on Virtual Spectator and radio commentary from P1 Radio.

“During the course of the last 12 months, the Powerboat P1 World Championship has gone from strength to strength,” Rangoonwala said this week. “The introduction of a new management team in the run-up to the 2008 season helped to refine the series’ proposition for teams, manufacturers, the public and the media, and I’m delighted at how they have all responded with their investment and enthusiasm.

“With the huge interest we’ve had from competitors, fans and journalists alike – from all around the world – we can truly say that Powerboat P1 is a global championship, and offshore racing’s fastest-growing series.”