It's back. It's the sixth edition. It's travelling far and wide. Yes, the Powerboat P1 UIM World Championship this month sets on a daring 14-race season taking speed, excitement and spectacle to seven destinations spread over three continents.
P1 racing during 2008, running from mid-May to late October, will take the power of international motorsport to Spain, Italy, Portugal, Malta, France, Tunisia and Bahrain.
This year the honour of lifting the curtains on the new season goes to San Benedetto del Tronto in the province of Ascoli Piceno, overlooking the Adriatic coast for the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea.
As happens every year, Race One gathers around it a particular feeling of excitement and curiosity as to who will ultimately make the starting line.
Not much longer to wait now for the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea. Day 1 is scheduled for May 9 where a fleet of 19 powerboats divided into two categories are expected to highlight the 2008 Championship launch.
Nine teams are expected to make up the SuperSport category. They are VoomVoom.com, Ocean Dragon Racing, Team Sunseeker, Racing Project, The Spirit of Portomaso, Bullet Racing, Offshore Rana's Team, Al & Al and Baia High Performance OSG.
With regards to the Evolution category this will be made up of ten teams, namely Skater Racing Team, Centaurian Yachts, Metamarine Corse, Searex Racing Team, Project 1022 Team, Rizzardi Team, Nigel Hook Racing Team, Team Fountain Worldwide, OSG Racing Team and CRTE Cigarette Racing Team Europe.
This is a time for speculation about the power, talent and versatility of competing teams and yet, it is only after the first outing that one can start making analysis and predictions. But besides being one of the championship racing venues, what's brewing on the local front?
Malta, for the fifth out of six seasons, will be represented by the Chaudron colours in a particular and striking presentation.
In 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 Maltese boat-builders Chaudron Powerboats featured two editions of their 10-metre Chaudron 33 raced by Aaron and Audrienne Ciantar in SuperSport.
This was a most positive experience not only for the young crew who experienced racing at a high level but also as boat-builders which gave the local firm a new dimension and standing on the boating production side.
Last season brought about a rewarding outcome to the Chaudron brand-name. Following a most daring contest, one of their boats, a 13-metre Chaudron hull powerboat, specifically built for one of the most respected throttlemen on the P1 circuit, Italian Angelo Tedeschi, and raced as team Roscioli Hotels Roma, won the SuperSport Class championship.
But looking back at the past four years, what has the P1 meant to Aaron Ciantar and Chaudron?
"As a racer it was a time that gave us the first experience of international racing and through consistent participation we savoured both the sweet taste of victory and the bitterness of defeat which in a way helps one to mature and appreciate being part of a racing circuit," Aaron Ciantar said.
"As a boat-builder, the P1 gave Chaudron the opportunity to test and improve upon our products' performance. Today we have two of our boats on the circuit raced by foreign buyers which confirms the credibility our product has attained on the market," remarked Aaron.
What has prompted Aaron to give up the brother-sister racing partnership and join the Italian team?
"At the end of last season we decided to replace the 33-footer we had been racing with for the past two years. Meanwhile, following some trials I had with Tedeschi he asked me to consider joining his team as a driver.
New challenge
"This presented me with a new challenge. I helped to build the craft and spent many hours testing it. I have great respect for Tedeschi, the reigning world champion.
"The 2008 championship will definitely be very tough and the pressure will surely be on the Racing Project team as defending champions. However, the Aaron-Audrienne racing team will be back for sure," Aaron said.
And what has happened to Chaudron 33?
"It has been purchased by Benjamin Van Riet, of Belgian nationality. He will be racing the P1 this season under the team's name of Spirit of Portomaso. He will be flying the Malta flag throughout the championship."
Competing in such high-power events definitely entails substantial resources. Has sufficient financial backing been secured?
"We have secured a number of prominent sponsors and we should finalise some pending deals in the coming days. Among the 'big' ones are the Casino at Portomaso, MFCC and Ravenol," Aaron revealed.
But, what has convinced Tedeschi to take up Ciantar?
"Having won the world title we must work even harder to defend it and Aaron will provide us with that extra something. He will be a good investment for the team. Even Austrian Hannes Bohinc, of Wettpunkt.com, rates him highly, so he must be good!" stated Tedeschi.