PowerboatP1 SuperStock mid season review
Since taking over as rights holder of the Honda Formula 4-Stroke Association (F4SA), Powerboat P1 is three events into the new P1 SuperStock Championship, and we were curious how the series organisers were getting on continuing the British offshore racing series’ legacy.
P1 has introduced a new engine manufacturer in the shape of Mercury Racing Engines, and is slowly rebuilding the platform of British powerboat racing and putting the Cougar Marine boats out on the water in front of huge crowds.
The last race in Pwllheli before a long summer break until September 12th brought us an excellent chance to talk to P1 representatives and get the opinions of the teams currently sitting on top of the leaderboard in the reinvented series.
Under the new SuperStock racing rules there are 2 main classes; the 150 and the 300 disciplines, the numbers obviously referring to the amount of horsepower the Mercury Racing engines powering the boats put out. The boats that are out on the water are Cougar Marine racing hulls.
The reasons for racing similar boats and engines are obvious. When equipment is all in the same category the racing tends to be more exciting, brings the action closer to the crowds on the shores and to a captive television audience. Winning races is mostly down to the skills of both the pilot and navigator and the teams with the biggest budgets are less likely to take the checkered flag every race.
Another factor in choosing this setup is to bring costs down and to bring the racing to the masses. A team’s budget for a season of racing are in some cases as low as 35,000 euro’s per year. This would include buying a second-hand boat, engine and propellers. It’s still a sum of money but considering that the racing is taking place at packed venues and that the action on the water is televised, teams have the exposure that could bring sponsors to the table. With sponsors chipping away at the budget, sometimes teams have to cough up the fees themselves, and it becomes more a question of proper organisation and talking to the right potential sponsors, than it is to just put your life’s savings into racing.
With eight teams currently represented in the 150 class and six in the 300 class, Powerboat P1’s main goal for next season is to increase the number of participating boats in both classes. The ultimate goal being to one day return to the glory days of the F4SA when 40 boats powered up to the start line on a racing weekend. The goal for next year is to have ten in each class. Another goal is to expand the series internationally once the P1 SuperStock Championship is fully established in the UK.
Talking to participating teams, it is clear that Powerboat P1 has already brought more professionalism to the venues and added greater commercial value to the series. Crowds flock in their thousands to see the racing with the recent event in Galway turning out an absolutely stunning number of 95.000 spectators over three-days of racing. For the teams racing, these numbers together with television coverage that Powerboat P1 provides are helping tremendously in securing sponsors for future seasons.
Talking to Rupert Pugh, driver of the Heights of Abraham team that currently leads the 300 Class, we hear that same enthusiasm on how the series is run. “P1 has a fantastic marketing machine. We get an increased level of quality press coverage, both nationally and locally, and the racing is even aired on TV. For us, the introduction of Mercury Racing Engines is also a great step forward. The boats are quicker and have a better acceleration. The noise they make is incredible too. We now have bigger audiences, more excitement surrounding the championship, and we generally tend to have more fun on the water. The boats are a challenge to drive fast but who doesn’t enjoy a challenge. We love the fact that there are three races-per weekend in every class. It gives the spectators a fantastic show, which gives us the opportunity to get some exposure for our sponsors. We are sure SuperStock will have a great future.”
John Wilson of Premier Cru leading the 150 class has words to spare of a similar nature. “The series has become that much more professional but things are still done in the spirit of love for the sport. Last night all teams spontaneously got together for a barbeque. And let’s not forget all the people that live and breathe the sport. There are so many volunteers in the rescue teams, time keeping, administration, race direction. It is because of their efforts that we are all able to race. I would like to thank all the volunteers and I am sure I speak on behalf of all the teams when saying this. We are glad things are getting more professional with the atmosphere of camaraderie and team spirit being upheld. Racing is still down to courage and ability and not to budgets. To everybody out there that has an interest I would say: Come racing!”
On September 12, the P1 SuperStock Championship will take to the water again in Southampton. More information on the series can be found on: http://www.p1superstock.co.uk/. For queries about entering teams into the series please contact Sam Feasey on sam.feasey@powerboatp1.com or call: +44 (0) 207 616 5570.
Pictures courtesy of onEdition.
