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POPRA Is Rebuilding & Redefining West Coast Powerboat Racing

The official offshore racing circuit is coming to the West Coast bigger than ever before, and the charge is being led by none other than Scott Arden, former Director of Safety and past president of the Pacific Offshore Powerboat Racing Association (POPRA).

With plans to actively promote and market the offshore racing scene which is next to non-existent on the West Coast, it’s not going to be an easy task. But if anyone can manage to breath life back into the sport it’s Arden.

“Offshore Powerboat racing has dwindled to zero on the West Coast over the past five to seven years,” Arden said, “and it’s time to do something about it.”

Arden, coming from a business background, is taking a more business like approach to the issue of race promotion and marketing. The approach is aggressive and well planned, with his organization already in the process of hiring a marketing staff as well as securing production and TV air slots to generate a much greater reach than ever thought possible. Coupled with an aggressive sponsorship and fundraising campaign as well as plans to offer a significant size purse and tow money program, we can definitely expect to see a sizable resurgence if everything goes as planned.

Arden also understands that in order to succeed he will need to coordinate schedules and events with the other main offshore racing organizations such as OPA and SBI. Plans are already in the works for POPRA to be an APBA affiliate and his hopes are that all of the organizations will be able to work together without conflict towards a unified goal of further promoting the sport. Arden even goes so far as to say that he’s hoping to create a unified APBA World Offshore Championship that would incorporate all of the organizations once a year to end the race season.

POPRA also hopes to bring back the old Factory Classes which many racers got their first start in!

“Reviving the Factory classes is a win-win situation,” Arden said. “It gives the manufacturers an avenue to sell new boats and it brings new racers into the sport. There are many current racers who cut their teeth in the Factory classes.”

We’re looking forward to seeing this develop over the course of the next year as the West Coast prepares to get back its powerboating allure!

(Featured image courtesy of ocphotographics.com)

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Pacific 1000 powerboat race 1979 ~ Hainesy's Hunter wins

Copied from one of my old slides dated 1979.   the pacific 1000 power boat race started in cairns and finished at southport on the gold coast, a distance of approximately 1000 miles. the 1979 race was won by john haines in his boat hainesy's hunter. john haines was the founder of haines hunter, the pleasure and race boat manufacturer. the race finished on a fully overcast day with some light rain falling at times..

The end of a boating era

Acclaimed queenslander john haines dies aged 72.

John Haines, the man who gave Australia the legendary Haines Hunter and later Haines Signature ranges of boats, has died just three years after he gave up the day to day running of the group that bears his name.

In 1960, Haines, then a knockabout young Queenslander with a passion for water skiing and powerboat racing, built his first fibreglass boat and immediately found success.

His combination of excellent hull design and the comfortable and user-friendly style of his boats was embraced by the boating public. Haines' love of powerboat racing kept his boats in the public eye as he won virtually every major offshore and inshore racing event on the Australian calender.

His victories included the original Sydney-Newcastle races, the Cairns-Gold Coat Pacific 1000, the annual Bridge to Bridge race on Sydney's Hawkesbury River and countless state and national titles.

The unforgiving nautical racetrack became Haines research and development laboratory for his pleasure boats for more than 30 years.

Haines success and the popularity of his boats was not unnoticed. He won the Australian Boat of the Year Award 34 times and was either a runner-up of a class winner on many other occasions.

Such was the early success of the Haines Hunter range of boats that the business attracted admiration from overseas interests who bought into the company in the 1970s and forced Haines and his brother, Garry Haines, out of the business in 1980.

Shrugging off the disappointment, Haines restarted in 1984 -- in opposition to Haines Hunter -- with Haines Signature. With the help of a loyal dealership network, Haines Signature was soon a force on the Australian market and in 1988 was the top selling trailer boat brand in the country. At that time Haines was in the happy position of being able to buy back the Haines Hunter factory after the business went into administration.

Haines built a new home for his boats on the old Haines Group footprint.

In 2003 Haines was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his contributions to the Australian boating industry. He considered the award one of the proudest moments of his life.

Haines stepped down from the day to day running of the Haines Group three years ago and left the daily grind to his sons John and Greg.

Generations of boat buyers and race fans knew Haines simply has "Hainsey" and his fives decades of hard work and devotion to the Australian marine industry will not be soon forgotten.

He is survived by his wife Alida, sons John and Greg, daughter in law Belinda and grandchildren Alixandra and Zara.

The funeral service for John Sydney Haines AM was held in Brisbane on August 26, 2009.

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The Excitement of Running a P1 Offshore Race Boat

• By Charles Plueddeman
• November 16, 2023

In this age of 70 mph pontoons , 90 mph center-consoles and 150 mph sport cats, it’s pretty easy to experience eye-popping velocity on the water. So, there you are, the wind flapping your cheeks as you hold that throttle to the stop, one watering eye on the speedo as you bump the trim hoping to squeeze out the last bit of speed it will take to be the first boat to the poker-run card pickup. Maybe you even imagine that’s Reggie Fountain , Steve Curtis or Shaun Torrente at the helm of the boat you are pursuing, and instead of a king of hearts, there’s a big trophy waiting at the finish line. Well, dream on, Speed Racer. You’re going fast, but you are not racing, and your production-built motorboat is no race boat.

Steve Curtis throttles a real race boat. The Victory catamaran Huski Chocolate carried Curtis and drivers Travis Pastrana and Brit Lilly to the 2022 UIM Class 1 championship in the Powerboat P1 Offshore series. Last summer, we met Curtis and this boat, now rechristened Huski Ice Spritz, at the Mercury Racing Midwest Challenge in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the fourth event on the five-race 2023 P1 schedule. The boat is owned by SVEA Racing Inc., based in Stuart, Florida, regarded as the benchmark in professionalism and experience in Class 1 and led by technical director Gary Stray, director of operations Scott Colton and crew chief Patrick Cleaveland.

Curtis, a 59-year-old Englishman and the son of Cougar Powerboats founder and racing catamaran innovator Clive Curtis, claimed his first Class 1 world championship in 1985 in Key West when he was 21 years old. In his career, Curtis has throttled more than 20 world champions. Who would be better to show us under the cowl of a Class 1 race boat than the acknowledged master of throttling racing cats?

Class 1 is the premier category of international offshore powerboat racing. A P1 Offshore event can include a number of classes, but only the Class 1 Championship is sanctioned by the UIM (Union Internationale Motonautique), the world governing body for all ­powerboating activities. Basic rules for Class 1 dictate a minimum boat length overall of 12 meters (about 39 feet) and a minimum weight of 5,400 kilograms (just over 11,900 pounds). There have been seven boats in the Class 1 field in 2023, ranging in length from the 43-foot Skater Monster Energy/MCON to the 51-foot Mystic dfYoung. The Huski Ice Spritz/SVEA Victory is 47 feet length overall, with a running surface of 41.5 feet, according to Curtis, and a 12-foot beam. Curtis explains that the bigger boats often have an advantage in rough conditions, but the smaller boats can be nimbler in a current on flatter water in a tight, multiturn closed course—the 5-mile course at Sheboygan had 10 turns.

“Courses have become smaller to make the event more spectator-­friendly,” Curtis says. “We used to run 40-mile laps and 200-mile races.”

The age of the Class 1 fleet is also surprising. Huski Ice Spritz/SVEA was built in 2007 by the Victory team in Dubai to a ­Michael Peters design.

“The boat has been rebuilt and repowered a number of times,” Curtis says. “I believe it was originally powered by Lamborghini V-12 engines. The boat has been crashed and repaired. The entire deck has been replaced, and the running surface adjusted as the engine package has changed.”

Carbon, Of Course

The overall theme of a race boat is that every element is functional, and this is the key difference between Huski Ice Spritz and your go-fast rig. Speed and safety are all that matter. The hull and deck are laid up with a combination of carbon fiber and Kevlar composite, with foam coring of various density. Bulkheads are carbon fiber, molded in a combination of triangulation and U-channel shape, and bonded within the hull. Each sponson has a pair of steps that are about 1.5 inches deep and a single strake. The tunnel between the sponsons is designed to trap and compress air, which lifts the boat at speed. The tunnel is about 33 inches deep at the bow but only 22 inches deep at the transom.

A V-hull boat could run in Class 1, but the catamaran offers a significant advantage, according to Randy Scism, who helped establish the Victory team as a force in offshore racing before returning to the United States in 1998 to start performance boatbuilder Marine Technologies Inc.

“A comparable V-hull boat will be 20 to 30 mph slower at top speed,” says Scism, who designed the 48-foot MTI Class 1 cat ­XInsurance/Good Boy ­Vodka. “In some conditions, it might corner better, but it could never make up the difference in total lap time. The air cushion under a cat can carry 30 to 35 percent of the boat’s weight, so the bottom is not even touching small waves and chop.”

Builders seek to produce a boat that is significantly below the class minimum-weight specification. This allows each team to make weight using lead ballast—water ballast is not allowed—that can be positioned right on the stringers to keep the center of gravity as low as possible to enhance handling and help trim the boat. Weight, either lead bars or bags of lead shot, can be placed aft to lift the bow in calm conditions or forward to hold the bow down in rough water. Fuel tanks are located directly on the boat’s center of balance so that balance does not change as fuel is consumed. At race venues, a crane fitted with a scale lifts the Class 1 boats from the trailer to the water; this way, each boat is weighed every time it goes in and comes out of the water to prevent cheating.

At Class 1 speeds, aerodynamics becomes critical. The boats literally fly over the water, and the deck is flush with the top of each sponson. The enclosed cockpit is a teardrop blister, hatch latches and cleats are carefully recessed and faired, and air intake is accomplished with low-drag NACA ducts. When conditions are ideal, these huge boats appear to levitate with a grace that belies the brutal thrust required to reach speeds that can exceed 160 mph on the open ocean.

Prescribed Power

There are no surprises below the engine hatches of a Class 1 boat. Since P1 led a revival of the class in 2019, the Mercury Racing 1100 Competition engine has been standard power, a spec engine for the class. The 9.0-liter V-8 engine features Mercury Racing QC4 quad-valve cylinder heads and is boosted by twin turbochargers. Power output is 1,100 hp and 1,100 lb.-ft. of torque per engine on 93-octane pump gasoline. Each big V-8 turns 6,000 to 6,500 rpm. The transmission is the stout model designed for the Mercury Racing 1750 engine with a stronger input shaft and ­internal components.

“Before the switch to the Merc 1100, we were running engines making 1,850 to 2,000 hp at 7,500 rpm,” Curtis says, “and top speeds pushed 190 mph. Those engines needed a rebuild after each race.”

The point of a specified engine for the class is to reduce cost and ensure power parity among teams with unequal resources. With that in mind, the engines are tightly controlled. Teams are not allowed to make any adjustments or modifications to the engines. With the exception of the valve covers, the engines are sealed with special fasteners. At the beginning of each race weekend, the Mercury Racing support team delivers propulsion control modules (PCM) to each team. The PCM units are painted bright ­yellow so they are easy to identify. ­Mercury ­Racing also installs a data logger on each engine.

“After every practice and ­every race, we download the data to make sure it makes sense and that nobody has tweaked on the engines and turned the power up,” says Steve Wynveen, Mercury Racing manager of development engineering. “The idea of Class 1 now is that winning is dependent on driving and boat setup, not on who has the most money to throw at an engine.”

The expectation is that if teams don’t abuse these engines by constantly banging into the rev limiter, each can last the season with just basic maintenance. Teams will put between two and three hours of run time on the engines at each race weekend. Teams are free to install their own PCM for testing between races.

The Huski Ice Spritz/SVEA team engineered a number of quick-disconnect fittings that allow it to remove an engine in about 20 minutes, according to Curtis. This team pulls its engines after each race for maintenance and inspects the bilge and engine mounts below the engines. Typical maintenance includes an oil and filter change, checking the valve lash and adjusting with shims, a compression and leak-down test, checking the turbocharger ­waste-gate adjustment, and ­torquing all fasteners and clamps.

Six of the boats in this Class 1 fleet use surface drives based on a BPM model to put power to the water. The Italian drive only articulates in the vertical plane, which provides a limited range of trim, generally less than 15 degrees or, according to Curtis, about 1.5 inches at the propeller. The prop is located about 58 inches abaft the transom. A drop box located on the exterior of the transom allows teams to quickly change gear ratios to best match engine torque to the prevailing conditions. Curtis explains that on today’s short courses, ­acceleration out of turns is often more important than top speed. Teams using a surface drive are limited to three prop sets but have unlimited gear ratios. Steering is accomplished by a center-mounted rudder—a knife-sharp polished stainless Italian Flexitab model on Huski Ice Spritz—and teams can change rudders based on water conditions.

A sterndrive is also permitted in Class 1, but if the sterndrive can steer, the boat is not allowed to use a rudder. The MTI XInsurance/Good Boy Vodka boat is rigged with modified Mercury Racing M6 sterndrives. Trim is retained, but the skegs are cut off and steering is locked. The boat is equipped with a rudder. Teams running sterndrives are allowed an unlimited number of propellers.

“The problem with trying to steer these boats with the sterndrives is that when you turn the drive, one prop is pushed into water and the other into the air coming through the tunnel,” Scism says. “The prop in the air loses thrust. You want to keep both props centered behind the sponsons. I prefer to use the M6 drives for the added trim authority. That drive is plenty rugged for these engines.”

Read Next: How to Boat Safely at Any Speed

Curtis throttles with his right hand gripping a pair of Mercury Zero Effort controls topped with red plastic knobs molded to the shape of his hand. To his left is a fixed, molded grip with radio/intercom control buttons, trim control, and a button to change the screen display. Curtis can communicate with his team using VHF and UHF radios, and a cellular connection. Below is a pair of Mercury ignition keys, which we were surprised to see.

“When we went to the standard Merc 1100 engines, we wanted to retain the entire stock wiring harness to prevent any sort of tampering,” Curtis says. “So, there are the keys, just like on your fishing boat. It was the ­easiest solution.”

Facing Curtis are a pair of Livorsi turbocharger boost gauges, a Livorsi trim indicator, and a multifunction display usually showing tachometers. In the center of the dash is a Garmin MFD split between navigation and a rearview camera. The driver sits before a quick-release steering wheel with a lap counter on top of the dash, which will also display a yellow-and-red flag signal from race control.

I wish I could describe the ­sensation of driving Huski Ice Spritz at speed while looking through the slit of a windscreen. But as it turns out, there is not enough liability coverage or legal cover to ever make that happen. Scism says MTI will build you a new 48 Race model to Class 1 specs, with a price tag of $2.2 million to $2.4 million with power. A $500,000 budget will cover a bare-bones Class 1 team for a season, Curtis says, with a well-financed team spending more than $1.5 million. SVEA Racing Inc. brings a crew of 10 to each race with a 70-foot race trailer, a tilting boat trailer and its Kenworth hauler, and a world-champion throttleman. They are not going to a poker run.

Safety First

When Steve Curtis won his first Class 1 championship, he was standing in an open cockpit. “There was very little concern for safety in those boats,” Curtis says. “If you stuffed the boat, it was very likely you’d be killed.”

Today the driver and throttle work in an enclosed cockpit that is all business. This is not your pleasure boat—there is no Alcantara upholstery, no bass-pumping audio system, and no LED-illuminated drink holders. Cockpit entry is through a hatch secured with four sliding bolts like a bank vault. In Huski Ice Spritz, Curtis throttles from the port seat, and the driver is at the wheel to starboard. Deep bucket seats have 2 inches of suspension travel, and the crew is strapped securely in place. “During a race, it can actually get rather violent in here,” Curtis says. “It’s not very noisy, but there is a lot of vibration, even in smooth water, because the boat is so rigid. We can feel pretty beat up after a race.”

A cage of carbon channels surrounds the cockpit, which Curtis says is backed by a very thick bulkhead. Crush zones around the cockpit are designed to absorb energy on impact. The interior is raw and black, with no thought of cosmetics. The forward portion of the cockpit structure is formed by a ¾-inch-thick polycarbonate shield modeled after a fighter-jet canopy. The clear portion is minimized for further crew protection. There’s an emergency escape hatch in the floor for egress if the boat flips. The driver and throttle have a 10-minute emergency air supply.

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Ocean City Grand Prix will bring high-octane powerboat racing to resort: All to know

G et ready for the sight, sound and energy of powerboats racing just offshore from Ocean City's Boardwalk as the Ocean City Grand Prix is set to come to the resort this summer.

Here's what we know so far about the big event.

Race World Offshore bringing the event to Ocean City

The Ocean City Grand Prix, featuring high-performance speed boats racing right offshore of Ocean City, is set for June 7-9, 2024.

Here's how promoters Race World Offshore described the coming event in a release:

Race World Offshore said the event "promises to be the pinnacle of Atlantic Ocean entertainment on the upper east coast of the United States. The fastest and biggest teams are set to compete in the new APBA National Series Event.

"With Ocean City’s stunning coastal backdrop, this event is poised to attract spectators and enthusiasts alike, offering a unique blend of adrenaline-pumping action and scenic beauty. The race will feature the most skilled powerboat racers, ensuring an unforgettable experience for attendees and firmly establishing itself as a highlight on the regional sporting calendar."

New businesses all around: Wawa, Jersey Mike's and tons more new businesses in Salisbury, Ocean City in 2023

Promoters, Ocean City express enthusiasm for coming event

“We are thrilled to bring our world class boat racing to the shores of Ocean City, Maryland," said Race World Offshore owner Larry Bleil. "This promises to be a monumental event, showcasing premier race boats, speed and sheer excitement that defines powerboat racing.:

“We are extremely proud to host the Race World Offshore Powerboat Races in Ocean City this summer," said Tom Perlozzo, Director of Tourism & Business Development. "This is the first year of a three-year opportunity to showcase beautiful Ocean City and the thrilling sport of Powerboat Racing.”

Flooding all around in photos: Heavy rain brings flooding to Ocean City, Salisbury, Crisfield and Snow Hill: PHOTOS

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Ocean City Grand Prix will bring high-octane powerboat racing to resort: All to know

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Lake Toba welcomes F1 PowerBoat Championship 2023 enthusiasts with natural charm

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ake Toba, North Sumatera, is the upcoming venue for the F1 PowerBoat Championship from Feb. 25-26, 2023. Touted as the biggest PowerBoat tournament, the Championship will feature 20 athletes spread across 10 teams from six countries.

Aside from being the most important event in powerboat racing, the Championship will provide ample opportunity to promote the natural beauty of Lake Toba and its surrounding areas to international spectators flying in from all over the world.

“This event is as important as the MotoGP in Mandalika, Lombok last year. Thus, we believe that the F1 PowerBoat Championship will be the perfect event to showcase the attractiveness of Lake Toba to international audiences.” said Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno.

“The influx of travellers coming in from all over the world would surely boost economic recovery in the area, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMES),” he added.

In between adrenaline-pumping powerboat races, visitors can fully immerse themselves in the natural allure of Lake Toba, one of Indonesia’s five Super Priority Tourism Destinations. The lake, with an area of more than 1,145 square kilometers and a depth of 508 meters, was formed from by a violent prehistoric volcanic eruption 74 thousand years ago.

Other destinations around Lake Toba are not short of charm either. Situated on the south of the lake, the town of Balige offers a magnificent view of Lake Toba and surrounding mountains. The town was also a witness to the native Batak people’s first revolt against the Dutch government.

Upon visiting Balige, travelers are treated to a scenery of Lake Toba from a variety of different viewpoints at Tarabunga Hill, Pahoda, Lumban BulBul Beach or Samosir Beach.

The Lumban BulBul Beach sets itself apart from other beaches for being a freshwater beach lined with white, sparkling sands. Visitors can take part in exciting water-based activities such as banana boating, riding on the traditional solu boat or renting a motorboat to do some sightseeing around the lake.

Not too far away from Balige is the Meat (pronounced may-ut ) Village in Tobasa Regency. Sitting at an altitude of 919 meters above sea level, the village is often said to be the lowest geographical point in the Toba Samosir region.  After a walk among verdant paddy rice fields, visitors can visit local dance studios and watch performances of the traditional Sipitu Cawan dance.

The nearby Desa Wisata (Tourism Village) is the perfect place to learn about local wisdom. Floating in the middle of the lake is Samosir Island, where two tourism villages, Tomok and Simanindo stand. Home to the Batak ethnic group, residents of both villages still celebrate their ancestors’ rituals and traditions. Here, you can experience a Sigale-gale Puppet ritual that calls upon the spirits of deceased ancestors.

Traveling to North Sumatera is not the same without visiting local workshops and admiring the beauty of Lake Toba’s traditional textile, kain ulos . This signature textile is not just an important cultural heritage to the Batak Toba people, but it’s also a sacred artifact that symbolizes blessings, love, compassion and unity.

Lake Toba is also a haven for culinary enthusiasts. Finding halal food is no obstacle because the region is home to a goldfish dish called Dekke Na Niarsik (Arsik goldfish). Goldfish sourced from the area is cooked until dry and seasoned with various spices, including the Andaliman pepper,

A species endemic to Lake Toba and a staple in Batak Toba cuisine, Andaliman has recently gained attention due to its popularity among culinary enthusiasts from outside the area. People in the area, especially MSMEs, have come up with creations to promote Andaliman with mouth-watering dishes such as andaliman pizza, sambal, bandrek (herb drink) and more.

A boon for the recovering economy

Since its first run in 1981, the F1 PowerBoat Championship is considered to be one of the most challenging sports in the world. Racers require a certain amount of finesse to maintain the balance of their powerboat against the water current. The acceleration of powerboats can exceed that of race cars, reaching 160 km/hour within four seconds. While gliding at incredible speeds, drivers must race against each other without the use of breaks or clutches.

In anticipation of international spectators flocking in to see competitors testing their might at the revered volcanic lake, the government has pushed for infrastructure development and other supporting facilities. Sandiaga himself has also assured that the Tourism and Creative Economy Minister has also collaborated with other ministries and agencies to ready the human resources around the area.

The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has assisted locals in setting up homestay and tourism village tour packages, as well as developing MSME products. The ministry also provides hospitality training, tourism awareness sessions and more.

“Hospitality is key to avoid tourists feeling disappointed after their visit to Lake Toba. We will ensure that the impact of this event can be falt by MSMEs by conducting training sessions and strengthening the supply chain of local products so they can be used by hotels and inns,” Sandiaga elaborated.

The Championship will also have a number of side events including culinary festivals (including a grilled fish festival), watch parties and MSME exhibitions. There will also be entertainment from celebrities and various cultural art attractions from various regions of North Sumatera.

“We expect a 3.7 percent increase within two years post-event. The F1 PowerBoat Championship is predicted to generate 180 million digital impressions and an economic impact of Rp 212 billion (US$ 13.98 million) for the economy of North Sumatera,” said Sandiaga.

The minister further reminded visitors coming to the Lake Toba area to continue adhering to health protocols such as wearing masks, keeping their distance, washing hands regularly, and taking the required booster vaccinations before travelling into the area.

For more information, visit the website indonesia.travel or follow the social media accounts @wonderfulindonesia on Instagram, @wonderfulid on TikTok, @wonderfulindonesia on Facebook, @wonderfulid on Twitter or the Wonderful Indonesia Youtube Account and receive updates about tourism, creative economy and other attractive events in Indonesia.

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China emphasizes importance of asean ties, one child killed, another injured in intan jaya shootout, pdi-p to renominate puan as house speaker for second term, industry ministry defends import restriction on laptops, tvs, acs, the great nastar debacle, govt to realize nusantara fdi after election dispute ruling, most asian markets rise as traders jockey ahead of us inflation.

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