What is F1 Powerboat
Picture the scene: 24 sleek lightweight catamarans with awesome engines mounted on their backs line up on the start pontoon.
Inside each cockpit, a lone individual peers forward out of his tiny windscreen. One hand grasps the steering wheel while a finger on the other hand is poised over the start button. The tension inside the capsule can be cut with a knife as a white board with 30 seconds appears directly in his vision 100 metres ahead. An eerie silence descends over the arena, you can hear a pin drop, a spectator’s cough is met with glares from the crowd.
A red line of lights appear followed by another, then another until four rows are lit. The lights are switched off and almost 10,000 hp’s worth of highly tuned engines burst into life and the fleet of 24 storm away from the grid amidst a fountain of white spray. The pole-setter reaches turn one first followed by three or four rivals only inches behind. The second and third placed boats are almost invisible through the spray yet the drivers keep on full power. This is what F1 racing is all about, men with little fear and an abundance of skill, pitting their wits against each other. Two boats mid-field touch and head skywards and the crowd gasps in horror. Crash, both rigs land in a gigantic splash and the rescue boats head towards a scene of carnage. The yellow flags are waved and the fleet slow to a crawl but within minutes both accident victims are heading for shore aboard the rescue boats and both manage a wave for the crowds. The field continues to circle while tow boats remove the stricken outfits. The green flag appears and once again we witness the spectacle of F1 racing at its best. Drivers enduring brain numbing G forces as their rigs take turns at 90mph and the brilliance of the leaders as they dice deck to deck often in zero visibility. If an F1 motor racer was asked to drive his car over a ploughed field at 140mph he would suggest you visit a ‘funny farm’ yet week in week out during the F1 season, these gladiators of the sea put their lives on the line every time they step into the cockpits in search of that most elusive award.....a World Title.
Over the last four decades, Formula One powerboats have attracted a worldwide audience of millions, as they defy the laws of gravity in their pursuit of glory. Few would argue that these lightweight catamarans powered by awesome motors skimming across the water at speeds up to 140 mph is a spectacle that can’t help but capture the imagination but how many of us know what makes Formula One powerboat racing such a breathtaking spectacle.
For starters, anyone prepared to drive a 500 kilo boat powered by a 400hp engine over a surface that is as unpredictable as next week’s weather is either incredibly brave or downright stupid. However almost every weekend fleets of up to 24 ‘pocket rockets’ take to the water around the world and their drivers perform feats that would send Formula One motor race drivers scurrying for cover.
The difference between f1 cars and boats is staggering.
Apart from the obvious difference in appearance, the car has brakes, gearboxes, traction control, choice of tires, the latest high tech telemetry and they compete on a smooth surface that remains constant through a race - while the powerboat driver has no brakes, no gearbox, only a ship to shore radio to talk to his pit crew and they compete on a surface that changes on every lap. Yet the f1 boat tops speeds of 140mph and rounds hairpin bends at 90mph. The driver has to apply 100% concentration for every inch of a 60 lap race as disaster is only a fraction of a second away if his mind wonders. However before revealing what makes a formula one boat tick and what skills are involved in making it to the top in this, the most demanding of all watersports lets take a look a the sports history and how safety measures have been introduced over the years.
In the late 1970’s early 80’s Formula One catamarans bore a striking resemblance to today’s outfits however in terms of driver protection, they offered very little. The craft, powered by V8 outboards were constructed of thin plywood. Their speeds were phenomenal but in the event of an accident, the driver in his exposed cockpit was facing death every time the outfit barrel rolled or piled into a rival.
During one particularly tragic season which resulted in several fatalities and serious injuries, British F1 designer/boatbuilder/racer Chris Hodges concluded that unless more time was devoted to safety measures he would have very few friend left. Chris constructed a safety cell that was produced in an immensely strong composite material. Instead of the cockpit being part of the main structure, Chris’s capsule was separate and was fitted to the hulls and centre section and for the first time drivers were strapped into the seats. The idea was that if a craft was involved in a accident, the timber hulls etc. could break up while the driver was protected inside his cell.
Ironically, several pilots were opposed to this new device but after it successfully proved itself in several major crashes, the UIM called for it to be compulsory. British builder Dave Burgess introduced canopies in the early 1990’s that made cockpits fully enclosed. Although not built to withstand a major impact, the canopy did protect the driver from the full force of water if his craft nose dived.
In the late 1990’s, the Italian builder DAC tested out an airbag system fitted in an enclosure above the drivers head. It automatically inflated if the cat turned over resulting in the cockpit remaining above water until rescue arrived. Over the years, F1 boat construction has been developed and today few craft are built of timber instead modern composites are used throughout.
While F1 racing is still a dangerous sport by any standards, drivers welfare has been improved to such a degree that while craft are still involved in spectacular and horrifying accidents, the unlucky victim invariably swims away unscathed. For those watching an F1 powerboat Grand Prix for the first time, the usual question is how an earth do these boats stick to the water as such high speeds?
The simple answer is they don’t stick to the water, in fact just the opposite. Working on the same principle as an aircraft wing, the twin hulls lift out of the water when power is applied and a cushion of air is trapped between the two hulls and the craft rides on this cushion. A correctly trimmed F1 boat has only the propeller and the last few centimetres on each sponson (hull) in the water at full speed. When a craft approaches a corner, the driver backs of the power a little, trims in the underwater section of the engine with a button on the steering wheel, turns the wheel hard and once around the turn mark, applies full power while trimming the propeller out. The procedure is so quick that it takes longer to explain than it does to perform. The propeller and trim devise is the F1 drivers gearbox....too much trim out and the front of the boat lifts and can flip over, too far trimmed in and speed is reduced dramatically. Inside the capsule of today’s F1 outfit, the pilot has little to keep him company as he peers out of the narrow screen. A quick detachable steering wheel with the trim buttons attached, a rev counter, a foot throttle, yellow and red lights which are switched on by the crew chief ashore, yellow for ‘go slow’ and ‘red’ for race stopped, a fuel pump switch and the all important yellow start button. Although most drivers rely on a quick exit from their cell in the event of an accident, some use a portable air supply that comes into operation when in contact with water. This allows a victim extra time to extradite himself from an upturned boat, a valuable lifeline if he is unconscious. Before obtaining a ‘Super License’ to drive an F1 boat, drivers undergo a stringent medical and also an immersion test. This involves being strapped into a mock F1 cockpit complete with detachable steering wheel. The cell is flipped over and the driver has to make a hasty escape witnessed by safety officials.
Once awarded a license to race F1, a novice then starts the long haul to stardom and there is ample evidence to show there is no easy route to the top. It is quite possible to win a World offshore title in one season providing a team member has a substantial bank balance and they recruit experienced crew to their team but an F1 driver is on his own. Too much enthusiasm spells disaster as the lightweight outfits leave little room for errors...too much caution and you are permanent backmarker.
Although the reigning World F1 champion Guido Cappellini can now boast a record of 8 world titles, his rise to the top has been a long and often painful process and it took him five years before he won his first F1 race. Indeed in his early years he was nicknamed ‘Crashalini’ as he barrel-rolled his boats on a regular basis. However that learning curve proved invaluable as his experience has led to him becoming one of the world’s leading builders of F1 boats and DAC hulls have an enviable record on the global F1 stage.
What of the future of F1 racing?. In terms of safety, there is always room for improvement but there does not appear to be any radical changes on the horizon. In 1999, rule changes allowed outboard engines up to 3 litre to participate as until then the limit had been 2 litre. However only OMC took up the challenge and although their 3 litre engine packs the power it has been unreliable and is no match for the less powerful Mercury 2.5 litre unit. Talks are currently underway with motor racing engine makers with a view to introduce 4 stroke inboard engines into F1 but many problems have to be overcome before we see a Porsche or BMW engine on the start line.
The current powerplant in F1 is a remarkable piece of engineering when you consider what is has to endure throughout a Grand Prix. It sits silently on the start grid until the red lights are switched off. The start button is pressed and within a fraction of a second it’s spinning at 9600rpm and pumping out 400hp. Over 50 laps its throttle remains on full power for much of the time even when turning up to 5 or 6 corners on each lap. If conditions are rough, the propeller often leaves the water which put added strains on the mechanicals, and there is not a clutch or gear lever in sight.
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