U.I.M. CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP 1999
RACE ONE – EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX – SAVONA – ITALY
21ST – 23RD May 1999.
TECHNICAL COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
Twelve boats arrived in Savona for the first round of the Championships.
Boat No.1 "Spirit of Norway".
Last year’s boat No.10, Michael Peters design – Tencara built - Lamborghini
powered – four speed gearboxes – single rudder steering. Full composite cockpit
construction – twin F16 style canopies. The safety cell has been modified this year
so that both pilots can get through to either side, and exit from either hatch, to give
themselves a secondary means of escape. The team was having trouble with engine and
gearbox electronics over the weekend. Missed the first run of Pole Position when they
could not start an engine. On their one and only run recorded a speed of 115042mph
(185.87kph) good enough for third place. Took the lead in the race with an average speed
of up to 114.61mph (184.45kph), until a fuel pressure problem caused an engine to detonate
on the eleventh lap.
Boat No.3 "Caesar Marine".
A new Nicolini Designed composite cat – Seatek powered – four-speed gearboxes
– single rudder – full composite single side by side cockpit with individual top
hatches, single floor escape hatch, (unlike last year with twin hatches).
Suffering all weekend with gear selection problems due to the input and output speed sensors not synchronising. Ran both Pole Positions with a best speed of 114.35mph (184.13kph), but failed to complete one lap in the race, with the reoccurring sensor fault. There are several small tasks for this team to do before the next race, including changing the design of the race numbers, to plain and upright.
Boat No.4 "Victory Team".
Michael Peters design – Victory built – Lamborghini powered – four speed
gearboxes – single rudder – single side by side cockpit – floor escape
hatch. The same boat as last year but with many refinements, a lot of setting up has taken
place over the winter on all the "Victory Team" boats. Running with new type
engine intake boxes and air scoops. Second in Pole Position with a speed of 119.12mph
(191.82kph) and race winners with a race average of 110.20mph (177.36kph). Before the race
the team was trying to trace a gearbox to engine electrical problem, which they actually
never found, for that reason could only use 3rd and 4th gears during
the race.
Boat No.5 "Binautica".
Last year’s Brazil, Aluminium - CUV – Lamborghini powered – single rudder
– two separate F16 type canopies, now fitted with a roll bar. Little changed from
last year, new driver pairing, Dionisio and Biancalana. This boat will have to complete
modifications to the cockpit. Before the next race, they will fit composite roll bars,
composite lid surrounds and recessed hatches. New inner flanges to the poly carbonate
canopy will be fitted to increase the mounting strength.
Boat No.7 "Victory Team".
Hodges design – Victory built – Lamborghini powered – stern drives –
single side by side cockpit – floor escape hatch. Like it’s stable mates many
small changes made over the winter. Sixth place in Pole with a best speed of 113.85mph
(183.33kph), second in the race with an average speed of 108.11mph (177.36).
Boat No.8 "Immersion".
Aluminium – Molinari design – Lamborghini powered – single rudder –
large tandem canopy. Same boat as last year, new driver line up, Esperto and Montavoci.
They have fitted a new canopy and front roll bar, but must now fit another roll bar to the
centre of the canopy and then secure both roll bars to the back canopy mounting. It was
suggested that this may be done by manufacturing an inner and outer flange around the
cockpit opening and welding the flanges and roll bars together to form a complete
structure. Also incorporating a deflector on the outer flange to form a recess for the
hatch. It is difficult if not almost impossible to make these older boats comply with the
rules as written, but we can make them comply with the "spirit of the rule". The
problems will decrease as the older boats phase out.
Boat No.9 "Jolly Motor".
Michael Peters design – Tencara built – Lamborghini powered – four speed
gearboxes – single rudder – single side by side canopy. Same boat as last year,
but a completely new team, and new driver pairing of Leonardo Polli, driver and Jim Dyke,
throttleman. Eighth position in Pole at 111.71mph (179.89kph) and a close third in the
race with a race average of 108.00 mph (173.81kph). Had to change an engine between Sunday
practice and the race. Another boat that will have to change the design of its race
numbers before Germany.
Boat No.22 "Isiklar".
Aluminium – CUV - Lamborghini powered – single large side by side cockpit with a
large screen, (similar to "Nastro Azzurro" No.12 last year). The team has fitted
a new canopy but have been asked to fit an inner and outer flange to the cockpit opening
with an anti-compression strut from the front of the cockpit opening flange diagonally
back to the bottom of the rear bulkhead. The same problem with this boat as with No.8, to
comply with the 508 rule fully is difficult. Ran at 88.11mph (141.89kph) in Pole and were
the last runners in the race three laps down at an average speed of 78.90mph (126.99kph).
Although accidents can still happen at these speeds we have to take this into
consideration when enforcing the work to be carried out, so as to make them as safe as
possible and still allowing them to compete.
Boat No.23 "Isiklar". The ex Macef, Colletti boat – Aluminium – CUV – Baudouin diesel powered – Tandem canopy. The boat was never actually finished so was never inspected. The Turkish competitor was however advised that because of the overall condition of the canopy, which was badly cracked and very crazed, plus it did not comply at all with the 508 rules, I could not let it compete. Further more I will not let it compete until all the work to upgrade it has been done. Unlike Nos’ 8, 22 and 5, no work had been attempted to make it comply.
Boat No.27 "Hyatt".
Last years’ "Bilba", Bruno Acampara designed – Aurantium built –
Seatek powered – Weissman gearboxes – twin F16 type cockpits – twin
rudders. Fourth in Pole with a speed of 114.65mph (184.62kph). Race average speed was
between 107mph and 112mph (170kph and 180kph) but retired with a seized port side drop box
and cracked casing as in Fujairah last year.
Boat No.44 "Victory Team".
Last years No.5, Michael Peters design – Victory built – Lamborghini powered
– four speed gearboxes – single rudder – single side by side cockpit –
floor escape hatch. As with all the Victory Team boats small changes and improved set-up
over the winter period. A comfortable win in Pole Position by over 5mph with a speed of
124.97mph (201.23kph), in the race finished fourth, taking in water from a cracked sea
strainer. Had been averaging up to 110.00mph (177.00kph).
Boat No.90 "Jotun". Last year’s "Fiat
Ugland", Michael Peters design – Tencara built – Seatek powered – new
Weissman designed gearboxes incorporating the drop box in one unit – single rudder
– single side by side cockpit. This boat has undergone substantial changes to the
rear of the hull over the winter months. The new transmission units arrived late and the
boat was not run for the first time until Sunday morning testing. During testing one of
the transmission units lost all its oil and seized. As they were the only two boxes in
existence that was it for the weekend.
We have not seen the true speed potential of these boats this year due to sea conditions. In pole the sea was quite rough in the run up area. In the race the speeds were down because the sea was still rough in some parts of the course and there was only one long straight that also helped to keep the average speeds down.
The gossip in the pits was that "Victory 7" was possibly making its last appearance before it gets replaced by a new Seatek diesel powered boat, the original No.4. This could leave No.7 as a team test bed for the future.
As I have already mentioned the 508 rules on cockpit safety is an extremely important and well thought out set of rules and difficult to retrofit on some existing aluminium boats without incurring great cost. If we were to totally enforce these rules we could end up with only having the top four or five teams competing and a very much reduced fleet. If we are careful in how we ask competitors to modify their craft, we can keep them racing without compromising safety and hope they move on to better purpose built craft in the future.
I am sure this season’s speeds will be higher than last years. It was voted to have no changes in engine restriction or any further increase in boat weights. Therefore we must make absolutely sure we make changes to slow the boats down in the very near future, or else, they will gain five mph per year and before we know it will be running close to 170mph.
M.B.Robert.
UIM Technical Commissioner