Powerboat Racing World

05/08/2024

Racingfabrikken Riding High.

It wasn’t just Team Abu Dhabi that went away extremely happy following their one-two finish at the Tønsberg Båtrace, as the Racingfabrikken backed F4 team of Sindre Sundsdal Anundsen and William Martinsen also occupied the top two steps of the podium come Sunday evening.

Going into the weekend the favourite for victory on paper had to be the reigning UIM F4 World Cup Champion Andrè Solvang, who went out and set the fastest time in qualifying Only 0.4 seconds behind him though was Martinsen, the 2023 GT30 World Champion.

The first of the weekends four heats were abruptly over in the first turn for both of them after Martinsen collided with Solvang. It saw the Sharjah backed driver heading back to the pits to assess the damaged and no points for Martinsen who was disqualified from that heat.

‘I made a big mistake driving into Solvang’ said Martinsen ‘I’m really sorry for spoiling his weekend.’

Taking full advantage of this was Nathaniel Ek who crossed the finish line some ten seconds ahead of Sundsdal Anundsen, with the Swedish racer Hilmer Wiberg third. Following them home were the two UAE racers Obaid Bin Mubarak and Alya Abdul Salam who marked a historic achievement as the first Emirati female to participate in an international F4 race.

Heat Two and when Ek, who had started from pole came under pressure from Solvang going into the first turn he lost control and crashed into the Sharjah racer who must have thought that he had a target on his back. For Ek it meant his weekend of racing was over. It was Martinsen who benefitted this time and won the heat.
As the teams packed their kit away for the night it was Sundsdal Anundsen who topped the results sheet along with Wiberg who were both on 525 points. The surprise was that Solvang was in seventh place and certainly not where he had expected to be.

Cloudy skies greeted the teams on Sunday morning and through the gloom it appeared that two drivers were missing from the start pontoon for the third heat. Ek was out but also gone was Solvang, who was over 300 points behind the leaders.

With less boats on the course the calmer water conditions would suit Martinsen and he went onto dominate the remaining two heats and take overall victory for the Racingfabrikken backed team.
Try as he might Sundsdal Anundsen just didn’t have the pace to trouble his team-mate and slotted into second place, with the third place on the podium going to Wiberg.

Martinsen, who received his winner’s trophy from the ten times UIM F1 World Champion Guido Cappellini was quick to thank his team and described the weekend as having plenty of ups and down’s.

04/08/2024

Just a small snap shot of what happened this afternoon here in Norway at the Tønsberg Båtrace, Round Two of the UIM 2024 F2 World Championship. Photos: Chris Davies.

04/08/2024

Some F4-pics from race in Tønsberg by Jon Petter Marthinsen.
More pics: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=tonsbergboatrace&set=a.1304462810813677

03/08/2024

Tønsberg Båtrace, Xpert F2 Qualifying.

If you asked Guido Cappellini who his sporting hero is he will tell you that it is in fact Sir Ron Dennis CBE who was the mastermind behind the success of McLaren in Formula 1. From his humble beginnings to his iconic leadership Dennis was the driving force behind the teams rise to prominence in the world of motorsport through brilliant innovations and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Only last month McLaren had both their drivers on the front row of the grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix, their first in twelve years.

Now it's Cappellini’s turn to celebrate a ‘front row lock-out’ of sorts as for the first time ever Team Abu Dhabi drivers will start from first and second on the grid for tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Norway, Round Two of the UIM F2 World Championship. The Italian maestro was quick to praise his whole team by saying, ‘We have all worked really hard to put that smile back on Rashed Al Qemzi’s face.’

The four times UIM F2 World Champion Al Qemzi is experienced enough to know that the job is only half done but was genuinely pleased to have his team-mate Mansoor Al Mansoori alongside him when the boats line up on Sunday afternoon.

For Al Mansoori, who so narrowly missed the pole position, there was almost a sense of relief about him because he was able to repay the team that had worked seven days a week often through the night for just one month to deliver a brand-new DAC hull which he was able to put to excellent use.

‘Guido and I sat down and together we designed a hull to my exact specifications. I now have a boat that I have one hundred per cent trust in, the previous one I raced was built for Al Qemzi and of course he is smaller and lighter than me. Now we are both ready to fight because the championship is still wide open.’

Not for the first time it will be a DAC one, two, three on the start grid, the only surprise being that its Jarno Vilmunen who occupies that third spot. The 2023 World and European UIM F4 World Champion admitted that he loved this type of course with its sharp turns and mixed water conditions. He described it as a circuit designed to be driven and not one where you need just flat-out speed, to give you an idea of the Finns talent his DAC was built in 2005. ‘I am not sure how much closer I could have got to the UAE racers as just after I set my best lap time the following lap was looking much better but then I ran out of fuel and had to be towed back in.’

Another driver making their Tønsberg debut was Mathilda Wiberg who knew all about Vilmunen having raced against him on many occasions back in her F4 days. ‘He was always the driver to beat’ said Wiberg. ‘Whether it was at the Finnish or Nordic Championships I thoroughly enjoyed my battles with him. That’s where we both developed our race craft in boats that were very well matched, so it’s going to be fun starting alongside him. I have watched races here before and I know that getting a good starting position is so crucial for your race, in fact I woke up this morning feeling extremely nervous about today, now I’m feeling a whole lot better.’

Edgaras Riabko was another relieved racer after he qualified in fifth place. The Lithuanian driver had struggled throughout the mornings Free Practice session with an engine way down on power. The team then swapped it over with his spare Optimax motor and Riabko was all set to go. The only issue was that due to his earlier issues he had been unable to select the correct propeller to use. ‘When I went out to qualify I almost had to guess which one to use. Then during Q3 I had a clearer idea so half way through that session I came back into the pontoon to swop the prop over. In making that call unfortunately I ran out of time to get the best result out of it.’

Also struggling with prop choice was Mette Bjerknæs, she went for better acceleration which sacrificed her top end speed. ‘I gave it my all’ said Bjerknæs ‘it was good enough for sixth place and if the water are as rough as the last time we raced here then I know I have the hull to cope with those type of conditions.’

Sat alongside Bjerknæs in the pits was the current championship leader Matthew Palfreyman, who was quietly seething inside. ‘Nineth place is the best I’ve ever qualified here and yet I’m still annoyed.’ His frustration was a result of having his best lap ruined by another driver. ‘I kept saying to myself he’s going to move over, he’s going to move over, then at the last minute he shut the door on me and I only just missed the rear of his APX engine.’

The Grand Prix of Norway will get under way at 15:00 local time and let's just hope that with only ten laps to go to the chequered that Cappellini doesn’t have to make a call.

03/08/2024

Pole Position - https://time4.racing/round/uim-f2-world-championship-2024-xpert-grand-prix-of-norway/results
Photo © Jon Petter Marthinsen / JPM Foto

03/08/2024

Photo © Jon Petter Marthinsen

03/08/2024

Boys will be buoys at the Tønsberg Båtrace. I wonder who is teaching Sindre and Obaid to race......no comment😂.

03/08/2024

David del Pin likes to make a splash on his return to the Tønsberg Båtrace, Round Two of the 2024 UIM F2 World Championship. Nicely held sir. Photos: Chris Davies.

03/08/2024

Duarte Benavente and Egidijus Dagilis challenge each other for the same drop of water during the Free Practice session at the Tønsberg Båtrace, Round Two of the 2024 UIM F2 World Championship. Photos: Chris Davies.

03/08/2024

From fridays Speed Run & Match Race - Tønsberg
More pics: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=tonsbergboatrace&set=a.1303703124222979
(Photo: Jon Petter Marthinsen / Jørn Pettersen)

02/08/2024

Great day at the Tønsberg Båtrace 🚀💪🏽😎

Match Race master class from World Champion

As thousands of race fans lined the promenade in Tønsberg eighteen of Powerboat Racings, top F2 racers took to the water for the Grand Prix of Norway’s match Race.

Each of the racers took to the water for a speed lap to secure their place in the match race. With only sixteen places up for grabs Sweden’s Johan Österberg and Lithuania’s Egidijus Dagilis failed to make the cut and were the first boats to drop out of the competition.

As sixteen boats looked for their path to the final two and match race glory. British Racer Scott Curtis beat Tobias Munthe-Kaas and Giacomo Sacchi-Abbate to secure his place in the semi-final.

Next to join the semi-final was Swede Mathilda Wiberg beating Nikita Lijcs and Mansoor Al Mansoori to claim her place.

Defending World Champion Rashed Al Qemzi was the next to the third semi-final position beating Nelson Morin and David Del Pin.

The final semi-final position went to Championship leader Matthew Palfreyman, who faced Edgaras Riabko and Jarno Vilmunen.

The first semi-final saw Mathilda face the returning British Racer Scott Curtis. Little separated the two drivers, but Mathilda managed to steal the win and, in it, secure the first place in the final.

The second semi-final saw Championship leader Matthew Palfreyman pitted against reigning Champion Rashed Al Qemzi. Another close contest, but Rashed edged a head of Palfreyman and powered home to the win.

Rashed Al Qemzi won all four of his Match Races to Claim the Match Race Podium Top Spot in a Master Class from the defending champion.

Sweden’s Mathilda Wiberg secured the silver medal spot.

In a battle of the Brits, Scott Curtis and Matthew Palfreyman went head to head for the 3rd podium spot. Palfreyman edged ahead of Curtis to complete the podium positions.

-ENDS-

📸 Viesturs Lācis

02/08/2024

Al Qemzi Snatches Gold.

The four times UIM F2 World Champion Rashed Al Qemzi has wasted no time in letting the opposition know that he’s hungry for success this weekend when he drove in dominate fashion to claim the Match Race honours on the opening day of the Tønsberg Båtrace, Round Two of the 2024 World Championship.

He posted his best time of just over one minute in the final heat crossing the finish line just ahead of Mathilda Wiberg in her slightly battered Molgaard. In the previous heat the young Swede had seen off Al Qemzi’s Team Abu Dhabi team-mate Mansoor Al Mansoori but heading back to the start pontoon she misjudged her approach speed and slightly damaged her left-hand pickle fork.

It was a Battle of the Brit’s for third place when Matt Palfreyman, fresh from his opening round success last month in Italy came up against Scott Curtis. The British pair had earlier seen off the challenges of local hero Tobias Munthe-Kass and the extremely quick Edgaras Riabko. The Bronze medal eventually went to Palfreyman who crossed the finish line less than two seconds ahead of Curtis.

02/08/2024

Just a few action images taken during the Friday afternoon warm up session before the Match Race and Speed Run get under way. Photos, by a little rusty Chris Davies.

02/08/2024

A few from Match Race Warm Up - Friday - Tønsberg Båtrace - Photo by Jon Petter Marthinsen / Jørn Pettersen. For full album, check: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=tonsbergboatrace&set=a.1303218437604781

02/08/2024

An APX Experience.

It’s probably fair to say that the days of the UIM F2 World Championship racing teams using the Mercury Optimax engine as their power source are rapidly diminishing and that the Mercury Racing 200 APX V6 four-stroke outboard designed with the UIM F2 and APBA OPC series in mind will become mandatory. The question is when will it happen?

One of those teams who decided to go the route of the environmentally friendly engine are the Latvian based Jurmala Racing Team. When they arrived at the opening round of this years championship with a brand new ASV hull and APX engine for their driver Nikita Lijcs they certainly caught everyone’s attention.
‘We actually started this project two years ago’ said Lijcs. ‘A future without the Optimax is just around the corner and I wanted to be ready as fast as possible with its replacement.’

Lijcs has been a factory driver for Hungarian ASV company since 2014 and over that ten-year period he’s developed an excellent working relationship with Alexandr Scserbinyin, the main man behind the acronym. He regularly speaks to him and it was agreed that the raceboat building company would with input from Lijcs design and build a hull capable of running the new power unit.

The Jurmala based team tried to keep the whole project under wraps but knew eventually that they would have to break cover to carry out testing. So the new boat finally made its public debut at the opening round of the Latvian Championship held on the banks of Lielupe. The F2 category would consist of two ‘local’ racers Nikita Lijcs and Dainis Podžuks, as well as the former F2 European Champion Uvis Slakteris from Bauška. Everything was going as planned until an unexpected storm broke out which forced the organisers of the event to make an immediate decision to stop the competition after just two heats. It was enough though to convince the team that they had made the right decision to go with the APX.

‘The data we got that weekend showed we had the acceleration and speed that we had hoped for, this was backed up when we compared those results with the ones we had when we ran the Optimax. Having a brand-new hull designed for the engine and not adapting an old one to use certainly helped us.’

The team didn’t have long before they were at the opening round of this year's F2 World Championship and throughout the weekend they still had a list of small technical issues to deal with. In the race itself Lijcs had to drive thirty-eight laps without any power steering.
‘My body was done after that race’ he said. ‘As soon as I was back I headed straight to my physio for a massage.’

The driver certainly needed some work but they were extremely pleased to report that the engine had surpassed their expectations including posting a few fast lap times during the Sunday morning practice. All of this data is being analysed by Mercury Racing back in the US and the team have had several conversations with Strømøy Racing who are running an APX four-stroke in the F1H2O series.

‘It feels really great to have Mercury Racing involved, although we are far from being a ‘factory’ team’ said Lijcs. ‘We are open to share the basic knowledge in running the APX, sure we are not going to share all of our secrets. We even had the UIM Technical Commissioners taking a very close look at the engine when we were in Italy. I told them that the four-stroke is actually really easy to work with and that there are more positives than negative one when you run this engine. We are a small budget team with big ambitions for the future which with this engine we know it will be a bright one.

02/08/2024

Tønsberg Båtrace is Getting Ready!
Photo © Jon Petter Marthinsen

01/08/2024

A Motivated Mette.

One of only two drivers to be starting their seventh Grand Prix of Norway is Mette Bjerknes and she arrives in Tønsberg having made her best ever start in her UIM F2 World Championship career.

‘When you are out on the circuit, I count those ahead of me as I am always aiming for a podium finish’ said Bjerknes ‘Yes, some drivers get that information over the radio but counting them myself gives me the motivation to try and pass them.’

When she came back to the pits, she initially thought she was fifth but after she spoke to Duarte Benavente, who finished one place ahead of her, she soon discovered that she had been promoted to fourth overall.
‘I was super happy with fifth so when I heard that I was fourth it made all the hard work worthwhile. Brindisi never gets any easier no matter how many times you race there but it brings the best out of me. Still to this day I struggle in qualifying, getting a good lap around a tight course like Brindisi can be like doing the lottery. That means I then approach the race with added motivation to make up for a disappointing grid slot.’

Her weapon of choice is the Moore hull designed and developed in Rouen, France, once famed for the 24-Hour Endurance race along the River Seine. When David Moore put pen to paper he produced a hull designed for just such race where rough water especially during the hours of wind over tide create incredibly choppy conditions.
‘The hours I’ve spent during my four races there meant I faced some seriously tough water conditions but I’m happy to say that I finished all four of them.’

Tønsberg, which in previous years has really produced some rough conditions, has not been a happy hunting ground for Bjerknes. In fact she has failed to qualify for the Grand Prix on the last three occasions, a statistic that does not sit comfortably with her.
‘In more recent years it’s fair to say that the dynamic of the JRM Racing team, who I drive for, has changed for the better.’ Bjerknes continued by saying. ‘I have over the years been in a fortunate position of being able to mould the team around me.’

As part of that process, it has meant that she now travels to the UK on a regular basis and her time there is spent focusing on just racing. It’s not uncommon for a driver to leave their country to pursue a racing career but at what sacrifice?

‘Well for a start I have moved away from part of my family, my mother now lives in Denmark and of course I miss my friends some of whom I’ve known for over ten years now which is tough. These days with ‘social media’ it has helped me stay connected in this ‘slightly smaller world.’

Fortunately, the Grand Prix of Norway has meant that she is once again able to meet up with friends and family giving her added motivation to do well.

‘It’s really strange being back here as I forgot just how tranquil Norway is compared to some of the race venues I have been too.’
Most recently that has included a trip to Monte Carlo as part of E1 Team Brady.
‘In that series they have a main control centre which acts as the eyes and ears for the pilots, so I suggested that perhaps the team needed another vantage point for someone with powerboat circuit racing experience to view the course from.’

This now means that having come away from the South of France as part of the winning team Bjerknes will be clocking up even more air miles especially as there are still five more rounds of the UIM F2 World Championship to contend with.

01/08/2024

Set up day is underway here in Tonsberg, Norway for a weekend of high speed on water action.

31/07/2024

Welcome :)

Following a break from racing another British Driver making a come back into the F2 World Championship is Scott Curtis. Recent outings in Britain have proved the boats pace and the formidable driver will be looking to get straight back into the action and fight for Championship Points.

Let us take a look at Scott's profile;

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗨𝗜𝗠 𝗙𝟮 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀
𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗶 - Did Not Race

Race Number - #11
Name – Scott Curtis
Nationality -British
Age - 40

Team Name – Bimba Racing
Hull Manufacturer - Molgaard
Engine – Mercury Optimax

Social Media - FB

Career Highlights/ Information

First race 1993
2023 F2 CPA British Sprint Champion🥇
2019 F2 European Championship 7th
2011 F4 World Champion🥇
2011 F4 British Champion🥇
2009 F4 World Champion🥇

Competed in J250 - 1993-99
Competed in T850 - 2000-2005
Competed in F4 - 2005-2012
Competed in F2 since 2012

27/07/2024

The first drivers has arrived Tønsberg :)

27/07/2024

savvy navvy partners with 2023 Class 1 World Champions 222 Offshore
Australian based powerboat racing team 222 Offshore, current UIM Class 1 World Champions, is partnering with award-winning marine navigation app savvy navvy.
Driver Darren Nicholson and his 222 Offshore crew are using savvy navvy for offshore championship racing preparation, as they are currently getting ready for the Key West World Championships in the USA in November while also continuing their campaign in the XCAT World Championships in Europe and the Middle East.
Darren, from New South Wales, Australia, is a former three time World and National Sailing Champion, with brother Chris and were Australian Yachtsmen of the year. The switch to powerboat racing was made in 2013. He has since won multiple National Championships and two World Championships – one in the XCAT’s and one in Class 1.
“Coming from a sailing background, I’m acutely aware of the importance of the weather and tidal conditions when it comes to racing. At each race location I do my homework so to speak, especially locations I’ve never raced before. I look at the wind direction, wind speed, tidal flow, the tide times and change of tide, the topography of the ocean floor as all these elements play a part in how we set up the boat. The savvy navvy app is brilliant, it gives me all this information in one place. I can plot the GPS coordinates of the race course and know exactly what will be happening at that particular time of the day at that exact location. The technology and detail provided within the app is second to none, usually there are multiple places you need to go for this level of detail, but savvy navvy gives it to me in one very user friendly app on my phone”, says Darren Nicholson, Driver and 222 Offshore Team Owner.
Offering clutter-free charts and smart routing, savvy navvy – often referred to as ‘Google maps for boats’ – offers a revolutionary, easy-to-use app supporting users on route planning, weather and tides when going out on the water. It provides users the best route based on the departure time, chart, weather, tide, boat data and local regulations.
“We are thrilled to partner with 222 Offshore. Whether for leisure or winning World Championships, savvy navvy puts all the data you need in one place. Tide, weather and depth are all vital for powerboaters, with environmental factors playing a key part in ride comfort and speed. With Darren’s great track-record, we are excited to follow team 222 Offshores races and are pleased that savvy navvy’s functionalities can support them to hopefully achieve more World Championships,” says David Cusworth, Head of Partnership and Innovation at savvy navvy.
To find out more about 222 Offshore visit www.222marine.com.au .
To download the savvy navvy app, visit www.savvy-navvy.com.
ENDS
To find out more contact savvy navvy’s PR Manager Isabel Johnston at [email protected] or by telephone +44 (0)7818345936.
Alternatively contact 222 Offshore’s Manager Skye Gregory at [email protected] or by telephone+61 0448850098.
About savvy navvy
Simplifying boating technology has always been the aim of savvy navvy, founded by lifelong sailor and ex-Googler Jelte Liebrand. He was baffled at the amount of data sources you needed to get a clear picture of where you were, what the tide was doing, what weather to expect, how to plot your course to steer and how to find a good anchorage or marina and then how to share your plans with your buddies and family. He focused on tech that is already in the hands of most boaters. So, turning a phone or tablet into your boating buddy seemed like an obvious next step. Since then, savvy navvy has attracted global users from all over the world all using the app to help their experience on the water. As part of savvy navvy’s continuous growth, they have expanded to support kayakers, jet-skiers and paddleboarders with simplified navigation. Today savvy navvy is available on Android, IOS, PC and Mac and can be used on five separate devices. Find out more on www.savvy-navvy.com
About 222 Offshore Australia
222 Offshore is an Australian based Powerboat racing team and is the only team to compete globally in 3 Championships – the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships, the XCAT World Championships and the UIM Class 1 World Championships. The team is the current Class 1 World Champions and Australian Champions. With 3 powerboats in 3 countries, the team consists of 8 crew members, which includes the throttleman and driver. While the team may be small, collectively the crew has over 90 years experience in Offshore Powerboat racing, making it one of the most seasoned and successful teams currently competing. To find out more about 222 Offshore visit www.222marine.com.au .

27/07/2024

WIll Matt Palfreyman go one step beyond from last time he raced Tønsberg Båtrace

Read the artical from Chris Davies here :

Powerboat Racing World covers International Jet Ski, Offshore and Circuit Powerboat Racing.

27/07/2024

3B -is it due time for B32?

Powerboat Racing World covers International Jet Ski, Offshore and Circuit Powerboat Racing.

26/07/2024

A cool on from F1 Powerboat Racing 🏆🚀⚡️🚀

23/07/2024

Would you like buy a very special F1/F2 boat ?

Its a Molgaard, but not really, because it has DAC inspired pontoons on it. . Jonas Andersson can explain you all about it, seriouse buyers only. Bare boat or race ready in F1/F2 - Short, wide and fast. Pole in Abu Dhabi +++ U remember the famous flip in Sharjah ? This is the one.. It’s fresh, and ready to go !

23/07/2024

DAC for sale ! Dont miss out on this opportunity. Jonas Andersson is selling his most winning DAC - Short, wide and super fast. This boat has won him 2 WC titles in UIMF1h2o

This boat can be sold empty boat or completely rigged for F1 or F2 !

For details, contact Jonas direct - or via PRW.

21/07/2024

Congrats to Filip Roms F1 Powerboat team Securing the Nordic Championship // GT15