Class 1 World Powerboat Championship

Class One USA
CategoryTwin 1100hp engine Catamaran
CountryWorldwide
Engine suppliersMercury Marine Racing division
Teams' championUnited Arab Emirates 2019 Champion Team Victory Team

Driver: Eisa Al Ali

Throttle-man: Salem Al Adidi
Official websiteP1Offshore.com

The UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship (also known as Class 1) is an international motorboat racing competition for powerboats organized by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM). It is the premier class of offshore powerboat racing in the world.

Class 1 is considered one of the most spectacular marine motorsports. A Class 1 race-boat has twin inboard 1100hp engines and can reach speeds in excess of 257 km/h (160 mph). All boats are limited by a minimum weight of 4950 kg.

The sport of powerboat racing has undergone unprecedented changes since the earliest recorded race in 1887 in Nice, France, organized by the Paris Sailing Club. The French also claimed the next two recorded races in 1903, a 62-mile race in Meulan on the River Seine organized by the Poissy Sailing Club and a 230-mile race from Paris to Trouville. But the first officially recognized international offshore powerboat race was a 22-mile event from Calais, France to Dover, England.

The modern-era of offshore powerboat racing was kick-started on 6 May 1956 with the first running of the famous Miami-Nassau race, which would ultimately lead to the introduction of the Sam Griffith Memorial Trophy and a UIM sanctioned World Championship in 1964. From 1964 to 1976 the winner of the World Championship was decided by points gained from multiple races held at venues around the world. From 1977 to 1991 the winner was decided by series of races at a single event at the end of the year. The World Championship reverted to a multi-event format in 1992.

As of 2019, APBA sanctioned Class One racing is being held by Powerboat P1 under the name Class One USA, with catamarans racing strictly regulated sterndrive Mercury Racing 9.0L 1100 hp twin turbocharged V8 motors, and unlimited power for mono-hulls. The Victory team from the UAE is the current defending championship team.

[1]

  1. ^ "F1 over Tejo waters" (in Portuguese). Publico. Publico. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.