"It's the most exciting calendar in the history of P1 with the introduction of five new venues including the inaugural Grand Prix of the Middle East and the first ever French and Spanish Grands Prix of the Sea.
"This will be well balanced with the application of the new rules... clear, open and transparent. These are rules that we revised and amended for the benefit of safety, security and spectacle.
"I believe also that, this year there are some fantastic new teams that will add excitement and render P1 racing more effective and competitive on the water."
These were the first comments of new P1 Managing Director Jim O'Toole during an awards ceremony speech held in London recently as more than 200 top racers, teams and manufacturers gathered for this eagerly-awaited finale to the past season.
The 2008 championship will comprise a minimum of 14 races in seven host cities, starting in Italy next month and concluding in Bahrain in October.
The only venues remaining from last year's calendar are Malta and Portugal.
The new set of "Official Sporting and Technical Rules" which will govern the 2008 Powerboat P1 World Championship, was unanimously approved at the UIM General Assembly in Turkey. Incidentally, I was attending on behalf of the Malta Powerboat Federation.
This year, Super Sport world champion Angelo Tedeschi will team up with Aaron Ciantar in his Maltese-built 41-foot Chaudron, looking to pick up more trophies.
"It certainly will be more challenging this time so I need to have one of the best pilots around to sustain championship form," Tedeschi said.
On his part, Ciantar declared that although he will not be racing with his own boat this year, he reckons that teaming up with Tedeschi will comprise an Italo-Maltese participation.
"I will still be flying the Maltese flag," a proud Ciantar said.
Current Evolution champion James Sheppard did not mince his words when confronted about King of Shaves's future.
"There is no point in coming second for us this year," he said, "so there is only one way for success - to win convincingly."
A record entry of 24 international boats will augur for more excitement and thrills during each weekend of racing as Powerboat P1 continues to establish credentials in its two class fleets which will have added support by brand new teams.
This fits neatly with the P1 marketing strategy as the leading Powerboat Racing Series in the world, the equivalent of Formula One.
Embracing the three continents is another expansion into new territories that will upgrade powerboat racing to universal recognition.
More and more cities and resort destinations are prepared to invest in P1 to secure long-term rights to this dynamic sport.
"As a new P1 Management Team, we soon realised the value of the championship's extensive content and the importance of using it creatively to attract more fans to the sport," Robert Wicks, the new Sales and Marketing P1 Director, said.
UIM approved key points
Evolution Class
Full canopy, prototype boats.
Minimum weight: 4,000kg. Close high speed racing with no speed limit.
Super Sport Class
Open top production boats, strictly controlled specifications.
Maximum speed: 85mph.
Safety and fitness
All pilots will be required to undergo a strict pre-season medical examination and further random medical checks will be carried out at all races.
Engine power
All teams will submit one engine for pre-season dynamometer testing. Once the DPO has been established, each boat will be equipped with a data-logger that will monitor revolutions per minute, fuel pressure/volume and turbo or super charger boost.
2008 race calendar
9-11 May - San Benedetto del Trento, Italy
23-25 May - Marseille, France
6- 8 June - Valletta, Malta
11-13 July - Hammamet, Tunisia
12-14 September - Vigo, Spain
26-28 September - Portimao, Portugal
23-25 October - Bahrain
Teddie Borg is the president of the Malta Powerboat Federation.