Grand Prix of Malta next month

When mentioning Malta, one immediately ponders on its strategic location in the Mediterranean and becomes conscious of its tourism orientation. In the past months, Malta hosted the Rolex Middle Sea Race and The European Open, two high calibre events in yachting and snooker. Now, Malta is back in the limelight with another grand maritime experience: the Powerboat P1 - UIM World Championship Endurance Racing.

The Powerboat PI Championship brings together an international field of competitors in highly powered twin-engine racing machines to create an exhilarating opportunity for competitive racing and public enjoyment.

This first Grand Prix of Malta, on May 29 and 30, will also be the entrée presentation to this year's Powerboat P1 World Championship Grand Prix.

And what an exciting and spectacular contest this promises to be, offering six colourful confrontations to determine the best machines and uphold their talented crew.

Besides the Malta appointment, the 2004 programme comprises the GP of Italy in Rome (June 19-20), the British GP in Brighton (July 24-25), the GP of Tunisia in Hammamet (July 4-5), the Mediterranean GP in Naples (September 25-26) and the Spanish GP in Valencia (October 16-17).

Recently, I had the pleasure to make the acquaintance of Nathan Knight, managing director of KBL Powerboat Management Ltd, promoters of the championship.

He enthusiastically believes that the 2004 Championship, the second in the Powerboat P1 series, promises to be a fierce contest with 15 of the world's most exciting powerboats confirming their participation for the six Grands Prix.

"This is most encouraging to our efforts in establishing Powerboat P1 as a marketing platform for the marine industry to demonstrate the performance of its products in a competitive environment," Knight said.

It was in December 2002 that UIM sanctioned KBL Powerboat Manage-ment Ltd as the official organisers of the World Endurance Championships.

UIM (Union Internationale Moto-nautique) is the world governing body for powerboat racing, the equivalent of the FIA for automobiles.

Boats contesting the Powerboat P1 Championship will line-up under two categories - SuperSport for production models and Evolution for prototypes. Both compete together to enhance the racing spectacle.

This edition of the Powerboat P1 Championship has a historical and in a way a sentimental significance.

For it was 100 years ago, in 1904, that powerboat racing was introduced with two historic events, another in Cowes-Torquay, England, and one in Palermo, Sicily, to establish the foundation of open monohull racing.

The boats on those two historical adventures would have had a 5hp pace while in the Powerboat P1, boats produce up to 2000hp - interesting comparison which goes beyond the difference in speed as pushing a boat at such power presents heavy endurance pressure on both hulls and engines when confronting the tough sea environment.

The UIM Powerboat P1 World Championship in its total will enjoy international TV coverage.

RDA Communications, a London-based specialist PR, is co-ordinating the TV distribution with several major broadcasters mainly in the UK, Italy and France.

Undoubtedly, the boats are the main protagonists in this spectacular event. And here one cannot but notice the presence of reputable manufacturers, both with regard to boat construction and also engine, all keen to test and demonstrate their products in the most testing of arenas.

On the construction side one finds CUV, Donzi, Scarab and Cigarette with brands like Lamborghini, Seatek, Mercruiser and Isotta Fraschini when it comes to engines.

There will be Prototype craft having a minimum length of 11 metres and reaching speeds of around 90mph as well as SuperSport boats of nine metres minimum length with standard production model hulls with two engines capable of touching speeds of around 65mph. Each boat can have a maximum of four persons as crew, including a pilot and throttle man.

Powerboat P1, the equivalent of Formula 1 in car-racing, is the world's foremost race series on water. The course on each race making up the championship is thoroughly planned to ensure providing the public with a grand nautical spectacle highly and easily visible from various vantage points along the coastline.

The race course will be finalised, and approved, by the local maritime authorities.

While in Malta the race fleet will be based at the Valletta Waterfront, in Grand Harbour - a matchless backdrop to a potential start-line for such a spectacular representation.

The Grand Prix of Malta is being organised with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, the Malta Tourism Authority, VISET Malta plc and Grimaldi Ferries.