Wet and watch

225 kph, over water! Sounds incredible? The F1 Powerboat Championship. In Mumbai this weekend!

Incredible as it sounds, Mumbai is playing host to the very first round of the 2004 UIM (Union Internationale Motonautique) Formula One Powerboat Championship.

Tomorrow, the normally-placid waters off Nariman Point will be churned up by close to 10,000 horsepower, produced by two dozen powerboats, fielded by 12 international teams from all over the world. Whew!

So what is powerboat racing and how come a World Championship event is being held in Mumbai? Well, in a bid to promote Mumbai as an international motorsport destination, the Government of Maharashtra has collaborated with UIM (the Monaco-based governing body for the World Powerboat Championship) to bring the sport to India.

Organiser and Promoter, Nicolo di San Germano, who has been at the helm of things since 1993, says "I am delighted that the season will start in India, especially as this year we have added many more Asian locations to the race calendar. Throughout 2004, we will be bringing the UIM F1 Powerboat Championships to a mixture of spectacular cityscapes as well as stunning tourist hotspots."

Yes, that Mumbai is finally getting some international recognition in the world of motorsport should make us all proud.

The Powerboat Championship series was started in 1981, when the International Powerboating Union in Monte Carlo gave it official recognition.

Before that, races had been held in two categories "� the OZ class (unlimited engine capacity, usually from 3600cc to 4500cc) and the ON class (2000cc engines only).

Now, governed by Monaco-based UIM, powerboat racing is more professionally organised than ever and race action, widely televised the world over, is spectacular.

Engine capacity is restricted to a maximum of 3100cc, though most teams use Mercury 2500cc V6 engines, tuned to anywhere between 360 and 400 horsepower.

Which, given that the Powerboats used in the championship weigh around 390 kilos (minimum permissible weight), makes for awesome power to weight ratios.

Powerboat engines are quite a neat bit of engineering "� within a fraction of a second of the start button being pressed, they are spinning at more than 9000 rpm and unlike most other forms of motorsport (where engines operate at full throttle for only a small fraction of the entire race distance), Powerboat engines operate at max power for almost the entire race.

For 45 minutes, which is how long an F1 Powerboat race runs, the driver is subjected to gut-wrenching G-forces as their boats go around U-turns at speeds of up to 150 kph.

F1 boats, which are 2.5 meters wide and 6 meters long, are capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 kph in 3.5 seconds (most F1 cars are just 0.5 seconds quicker) and do a maximum of 225 kph. Which is a feat of unimaginable proportions, especially in choppy waters.

Think of it in terms of driving a Formula One car at full chat, through a freshly-ploughed field and you'll be close. Boats don't 'stick' to water.

Instead, when power is applied, a Powerboat's hulls lift clear off the water "� a cushion of air is trapped between the two hulls and the boat rides on this air cushion.

Like with any other sport that involves brute power, speed and lots of technology, Powerboat racing has the potential to get dangerous. That said, driver safety is a priority with contemporary powerboat design.

Drivers sit in specially constructed safety cells made of very strong composite materials and fully enclosed canopies protect drivers from taking the full force of water in the event of a nosedive.

There are automotive-style airbags in the cockpit and twin-hulls are designed to break up and absorb impact forces in the event of an accident.

"Safety is one of my key priorities," says San Germano, who also admits that "the number of fatal accidents has decreased, but a risk is always present and so research for improved safety is a never-ending effort."

Who can go racing? Before they can get a 'Super License' to drive an F1 boat, aspiring drivers have to undergo stringent medical and immersion tests.

This involves being strapped into a mock F1 cockpit, which is then tipped over and the newbie driver has to make his escape while being judged by safety officials.

It's tough getting to the top, but if there's one man who has shown consistently how it's done, it is Guido Cappellini. This Italian driver seems to have a special knack for winning F1 Powerboat Championships "� between 1993 and 2003, he has won no less than eight F1 Powerboat world championships.

The man has, indeed, come a long way from his early years, when he was nicknamed 'Crashalini' as he rolled and crashed his boats on a regular basis. We spoke to him (See box: Guido missile) and Guido says he's still hungry for more championships, so Sunday should have some excitement in store.

To witness the first F1 Powerboat event held in India, be there at Nariman Point on Sunday. The race starts at 12 noon...

Guido missile

He was driving a go-kart at three and a motorboat at five. And there's more to Guido Cappellini than just (!!) eight F1 Powerboat World Championships.

He's also two-time Italian go-karting champ. Sponsored by Tamoil, Cappellini, whose stated goal "is to obtain 10 World Titles," seems unstoppable. We caught up with him for a little chat.

Regarding the event, do you think things have been organised well?
Yes, I'm happy to be in India and I'm looking forward to the race. Things are organised well and there are no problems. Your people are working hard to make sure things go smoothly.

Do you feel people in India know about Powerboat racing?
Yes! I think people everywhere are familiar with powerboats. Even though this is your first race, I think it'll be popular. Powerboat racing is spectacular.

Do you anticipate any problems during the race?
The only problem is that the water is very choppy. Closed water is better for Powerboat racing. The race will be at 12 in the afternoon at which time the water here is relatively calm, but after that when the waves come, it could upset things a lot.

What engine does your boat have?
It's a 2.5 liter, 400 horsepower Mercury V6 and we run 100-octane fuel.

What got you started with Powerboat racing?
Ah, all this is on my website. Go to www.guidocappellini.com. It's all there. Thank you!