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.

Six different teams in the Evolution class won races in 2008, with every team stepping onto the podium at least once during the year. In the SuperSport, the #44 Conam Yachts team won all but one race, but the quality of competition throughout the field was intensely strong, with all-but-one team stepping onto the podium during the course of the season.

New power-to-weight ratio rules were introduced for this year in a bid to keep costs under control and to provide a level playing field between different types of hull and engine. Engine and performance monitoring was also improved to further eliminate the possibility of cheating. Stability of rules means that teams should become even closer in performance in seasons to come, and Cangiano thinks that the step forward in quality racing this year means Powerboat P1 is already on that path.

“I’m surprised by the level of performance that has been reached by all the Powerboat P1 teams this year,” Cangiano said. “We need to reflect and talk, not about new rules, but about how to respect the existing ones.”