Australian F1

Superboats Grand Prix

26-27 April 2008

On the Anzac Day Long Weekend, the Australian F1 Superboats Grand Prix will be held in Geelong. This extreme sport competition is assured to offer a fast and furious display and will be staged on Corio Bay. 

F1 Superboats are the fastest cornering vessels in the world and can accelerate from 0 to 160kph in under 3.5 seconds. Drivers can expect to experience over 5gs in a turn and an F1 engine produces over 380 horse power at 10,000rpm and can reach a top speed of over 220kph in 800 meters.  An F1 Superboat weighs a mere 560kg with the driver included.

What is a Formula One Superboat

A Formula One Superboat is a purpose built racing vessel constructed from advanced composite materials. All boats must measure to strict Formula One guidelines, inclusive of both hull and engine capacity. They are also restricted to bare minimum weight rules that are dictated by engine size.

Formula One Superboats are referred to as "tunnel hulls". This name derives from the Tunnel that is created by two independent sponsons that form the underside of the boat. This tunnel allows a cushion of air to lift the boat out of the water, creating less drag and thus resulting in top speeds in excess of 230kph.

The cockpit or safety cell is designed to give the driver maximum protection in the event of an accident. All cells are built to an international standard using only the latest technology in composite fibres.

Driving a Formula One Superboat is a lot harder than one might perceive. In addition to the fitness levels and meticulous concentration, the time needed to acquire the skill to master a F-1 is quite considerable. For most drivers it takes a good couple of seasons to obtain a race winning level of skill. To drive efficiently and fast, drivers must negotiate the race course with other vessels, constantly monitor gauges, change in water and wind conditions, not to mention adjusting the trim angle of the engine 98% of the time particularly entering and exiting all turns, while encountering anywhere up to 5 gs in lateral body pressure.

These purpose built engines are a cast aluminium V6 cylinder block. Manufactured in 2.ltr and 2.5 ltr configurations, these motors are capable of producing in excess of 360 hp and rev up to 10,000 rpm. These engines run on high octane aviation fuel which is delivered to the engine by a electronic fuel injection system. At the completion of each race place getters must undergo engine and boat scrutineering to ensure compliance.

The gearbox is of cast aluminium construction, thus being very light weight and streamline yet strong and durable. The gearbox is very slimline so as to reduce the amount of drag created at high speeds. The gearbox ratio of 14: 15 and 15:16, meaning that, one revolution of the flywheel equals almost one revolution of the propeller. There are wide range of propellers available. The most common sizes for our courses are 10 1/2 x 17 and vary between 4 and 5 blades. Propeller choice is critical in obtaining an optimum"set up" to suit driver style, course layout and water conditions.

The start is conducted of either start dock or beach. Being a "static" crew members must hold the boats in their positions up until the start flag or lights are activated. By this stage ,fuel pumps have been winding over awaiting the driver to hit the start button. After the flag has been dropped, engines roar into life and each driver battles the field to gain a clean line to the first turn buoy.    

Formula 1 Superboat Racing

The term Formula 1 provides in itself an aura of elite competition, speed and excellence.

F1 Superboats are the ultimate in outboard circuit racing and provide all of the elements a motor sporting enthusiast would desire or expect from this premier form of competition. For those not familiar with the sport the initial sight of an F1 boat can be awe-inspiring.
Just stand back and listen to the comments especially those of the young children it really does bring a smile to your face. "Cool, awesome, sleek, how quick does it go, can you take a passenger, dad I want one of them!"

The sport has evolved over the decades with a strong North American and European influence. In the early years engine development seemed to be a dominating factor and it was realised that this had to be balanced out through advances in boat building technology and safety enhancements.

The sport has come a long way and continues to be innovative as teams strive for that extra edge over their competitors.

Formula 1 has had a presence in Australia dating back as far as the 70's. Racing was through your traditional club-racing format but the potential of these boats beckoned a far more higher profile format.

The Australian Formula 1 Superboat Series Inc was formed with the view of taking a structured approach to the sport through a collective arrangement, which in turn provides benefits to the series, drivers, team owners and sponsors alike whether they are a part of a team or the series itself.

The underpinning factor is its appeal to the television medium. Much the same as their tarmac cousins F1 is ready made for television and with that comes the benefits that help the series to grow, the competition to become stronger, the public awareness to broaden and the introduction of new sponsors to this exciting sport. Stay tuned to this web site for continual updates.

History of F1 Superboats

The story of the most spectacular, longed for technologically sophisticated and demanding class of modern powerboating bearing, the acronym F1 is relatively recent. With this story are, associated the names of some of the most popular drivers of the last 15 years.

Three styles have stood out among others: the Americans, the English and most of all the Italians, or better that of Lake Como. In fact the (Italian) several times champion Renato Molinari has almost become a legend.

The F1 crafts easily exceed the speed of 200 km/h in the straights and keep up 160-180 km/h also in the narrowest turns around the buoy. The acceleration from standstill allows them to reach 100 km/h in 3.5 sees (3 sees F1 cars), thanks to a favourable weight/power ratio equal to about 1 HP per kilogram.

The new catamarans have a minimum weight of 390 kg, are 6 metres long, 2.5 metres wide and are propelled by Mercury 2,500 cc engines, tuned up for the purpose by every single team, which produce some 350 HP on 9,000 9,700 r.p.m.

The official name Formula One goes back to 1981, when the International Powerboating Union in Montecarlo recognised it. Up to that moment, the main categories were the OZ unlimited capacity (usually from 3,600 to 4,500 cc) - and the ON, outboard engined too, whose capacity was 2,000 cc.

This class was later named Formula Grand Prix. From 1981 to 1989 F1 and Grand Prix races were held in parallel. The world champions were three: Renato Molinari in F1, the American Bill Seebold (who now produces racing hulls) and the Englishman Tony Williams in Formula 2, which was later named Grand Prix.

The difference is substantially bureaucratic more than technical: the American and European international powerboating authorities and racing course officials could not agree.

Before the present UIM score classification two races were held, each one lasting four hours. Whoever had covered the greatest number of kilometres would become the champion. The driver who made the best three out of the total of four yearly would be awarded the title.

The Competition

The competition is conducted over a weekend with the first day predominately made up of practice sessions and pre-qualifying. These sessions are of great importance to teams as they can familiarise themselves to the course layout and surrounds while dialling in their equipment.

In the visual sense one could say that all the boats look the same and with an engine cowling on one could assume that everyone has the same engine. This of course is not necessarily the case. There are many different boat configurations even those that may come out of the same factory. Each may have differing characteristics and it all comes down to the preference of the driver.

With engines you will see four different configurations. The top of line 2.5 litre EFI is the brut and probably the one of choice for those teams with the budgets to maintain them. Being the most powerful they provide amazing acceleration and are strong right through the power ban. The 2.5 litre carburetted version being normally aspirated can provide good top end speed but may lack the punch of the EFI. The 2-litre EFI is the screamer of the field. A very high revving engine that can be very competitive due to the power to weight advantage gained through minimum boat weight requirements. The last is the SST120 or 2 litre carburetted version. The series is keen the foster this class as it can provide a very cost effective entry to the sport and once again through weight concessions they are seriously quick.

Race day will start with hot lap qualifying which will dictate your starting position on the start dock. Three heats of 15 laps will be held with a points aggregate providing the finishing positions for the day.

The dead engine start is a real spectacle as all boats are held abreast by their crew. As the starting sequence commences fuel pumps are engaged and fingers are poised on the ignition. At the drop of the flag a cracking roar ignites the air as the boats blast off the dock and head for the first turn buoy.

At present the competition is based down the eastern seaboard of the country with some being very close to high-density central business district areas. Venues are constantly being evaluated for their suitability and the series is always on the lookout for new areas to break into.

Information on this page is reproduced with the kind permission of  http://www.f1boat.com.au/