F1H2O

Has become an institution in the sport while serving over 40 years as one of Outboard Marine Corporation’s (OMC) top engineers on virtually all of their outboard motor product development projects over the past five decades.

“Ziggy, has devoted his time over the years to powerboat racing community whether it be local, national or international in scope. He began his service in the UIM F1 community back in 1996 as their technical commissioner as a representative of the UIM regarding legalities of all racers throughout a weekend when it came to their racing equipment including race engines.

The native of Gurnee, Illinois in North America has served many years with the UIM international governing body and is currently the head of the “Safety Cockpit Committee” and the Formula One Committee. He also has been a longtime APBA (American Power Boat Association) Club Chairman for Region 7 and head of the Great Lake Boat Club outside Chicago.

Ziggy continues to give his precious time to this sport that he had dedicated three generations of his life too.

One of the most dynamic drivers in the 1970’s and 1980’s this driver from the Netherlands began racing late in life but proved right away he was something special. In his first season Arthur won the N1 Dutch Championship followed the next year with N2 World Championship. Back to back ON Dutch titles in 1979 and 1980 saw Arthur head to the John Player World Series in 1981 where he finished 8th overall.

In 1982 he improved that to fourth overall before being part of the 1983 F1 V8 sponsored “Benson & Hedges” team in Europe and the same team sponsored by “Kool” when racing in America. Arthur continued on in F1 until the V8 era came to an end after 1987 with many podium performances and a key victory in Chattanooga, Tennessee being one of his favorite moments in racing.

Arthur over the years has served as Vice and Race Chairman at many F1 and F2 races representing the UIM. He now makes his home in Monaco.

A legend in the sport as well as one of the “pillars” of outboard powerboat racing, Charlie Strang who fell in love with boat racing after attending the New York boat show got his first race boat at 14 and entered his first race in 1937. Charlie served in the Army Air Corp in World War II.

After the war Charlie after college was involved in the early development of the early jet aircraft engines and later taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) but his love of racing steered him over to the business side boating going to work for Mercury head Carl Kiekhaefer.

Charlie went on to serve as the President of APBA, then with the UIM which he currently is the Senior Vice President of the USA for the Executive Committee. Charlie has received the UIM “Medal of Honor” and the “American Success Award” from President Bush.

The man who began the concept and later started the UIM F1 World Championship for OMC back in 1981, Charlie now makes his home in Chicago, Illinois in the USA.

The greatest driver to ever come out of Germany and a seven time UIM World Champion, Michael started racing in the 1960’s down on the Mossel River near his home in Kerpen. He earned the 1981 and 1983 in the ON O/2000 class for 2 liter engines and would later win the 1995 S/3000 World Championship as well being the only driver ever to take the title in the class.

Michael was a big hit in not only Europe where he raced in the FONDA 2 liter class, but also in North America winning the 1986 International Outboard Grand Prix (IOGP) title and again coming close the next season in 1987. His last win racing against North American competition came oddly enough in Rotterdam in 1989 when both the American and European drivers got together for a V6 & V8 “shootout” that he dominated.

Michael had 7 UIM F1 World Championship victories including three straight at the start of the 1995 season and was a 3 time runner-up in the championship in 1991, 1993 and 1995 before retiring after the 1997 campaign.

A marine high performance engineer he still represents drivers with is tuning skills on all Formula class levels from his workshop in Kerpen, Germany.