P1: Series news 2010-02-12

POWERBOAT P1 AWARDS ANNUAL MANUFACTURERS' WINNERS AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

Chairman Asif Rangoonwala Makes Presentation as U.S. Takes 3 of 4 Manufacturer's Awards Hot on the heels of announcing its intention to run a North American championship series in 2011, Powerboat P1 World Championship visited the Miami International Boat Show to present the series' annual Manufacturers Awards.

The British-based international racing organization honored its 2009 world championship winning hull and engine manufacturers -- Outerlimits Performance Powerboats, Mercury Racing, Chaudron Powerboats, Ilmor Performance Marine and -- in front of esteemed members of the marine industry, international media and the public.

"I'd like to congratulate our four winners for their outstanding achievements in 2009," said Rangoonwala, "Powerboat P1 is extremely fortunate to have the ongoing support from the best in the business, and we promise to continue offering a competitive marketing platform for our manufacturers to test their products."

Italian race team SNAV OSG raced a SV 43-foot outerlimits Logo Outerlimits -- powered by twin Mercury Racing engines - to the Evolution Class World Championship title in 2009, winning five-out-of-ten races. "It was a long battle, having come so close to the title for the past two years," said Outerlimits President, Mike Fiore, "This is a real feather in our cap. For three years we've been able to demonstrate the reliable performance of Outerlimits' hulls. In 2009, Outerlimits raced two Evolution Class boats in the championship. SNAV OSG was consistently dominant both in the rough water, which is what we're known for, as well as on flat water," he added.

Fiore occasionally piloted the other SV 43 Outlerlimits boat racing in Powerboat P1, the Lucas Oil Outerlimits, ran by Nigel Hook and Joe Sgro. The line-up pitted the younger Fiore against his father, Paul, who served as Team Manager for the SNAV OSG team.

Mercury Racing also received its first Mercury Racing Logo Evolution Class Manufacturer's Award for powering the Italian team, comprised of Giancarlo Cangiano, Hannes Bohinc and Giovanni Carpitella, with a pair of its venerable 750 SCi engines and legendary #6 drives. Mercury Racing President Fred Kiekhaefer thanked Powerboat P1 for the recognition and enthused, "We're proud to show what can happen when one puts capable hardware in the hands of a competent racing team. Mercury Racing is pleased to have played a role in SNAV OSG's success, and it's good to have Mercury power in most of the P1 fleet again this year."

Recognized for its third Manufacturer's Ilmor Logo Award in as many years, Ilmor Performance Marine claimed bragging rights in the SuperSport Class. A pair of its V-10, 570 horsepower engines drove a 41-foot Chaudron hull raced by Italian Angelo Tedechi two-time SuperSport Class king, and co-piloted by Aaron Ciantar, whose family manufactures the boat in Malta, and former Ukrainian Minister of Justice, Viktor Shemchuk. Charlie Ciantar traveled from Malta to Miami to receive the award.

Ilmor Performance Marine President Paul Ray said the closer level of competition in the SuperSport Class tests the product on every level. "It's not enough to be just reliable, your product has to perform at every level; fuel efficiency, torque, horsepower and reliability."

Both Ray and Fiore offered similar praise for Powerboat P1 and its style of racing, branding it the "best racing series" that either company is associated with. Both Outerlimits and Ilmor believe their sales success across the Atlantic can be largely attributed to participating in the Powerboat P1 World Championship. "It has helped raise our profile both in the U.S. and in Europe," Fiore said, "We have established a good penetration in the European market because people have followed our performance in the Powerboat P1 series. They see first-hand how the boats run, and that has returned a positive impact on sales."

Ray agrees that the marketing benefits that Ilmor Performance Marine receives from its association with Powerboat P1 represent a key component to its European success, adding that the offshore racing platform is essential to the business. "Bringing a product to market is only 99-percent proven. Tough, competitive racing allows you to figure out that final one-percent. Our equipment is run harder in one weekend than in any poker run, or in several seasons of pleasure boating. Racing always adds that additional last element of proof that your product is strong enough, which is why we only race what we sell everyday."

Chairman of Powerboat P1, Asif Rangoonwala, together with Director of North American Operations Martin Sanborn also spent time addressing questions from racers about plans for its 2011 racing calendar, following January's seal of approval from American Powerboat Association (APBA).

The 2010 Powerboat P1 World Championship kicks-off the new season in Split, Croatia in April with 6 new American-built hulls vying for a chance at this season's coveted Manufacturer's Award.

-source: p1 powerboat