International marine motorsports platform takes shape as P1 fleet heads East
Powerboat P1's announcement today of its 2013 race calendar sees the London-based marine motorsport promoter of the SuperStock series making big strides towards building a global racing stage. With national championships now established in the UK and USA, P1 will launch a new race series in the UAE in November and end the year with an International SuperStock Cup event in India featuring national champions.
Established markets thrivingA schedule of eight Grand Prix of the Sea events on both sides of the Atlantic gets underway this weekend in Florida, with a 10-race UK championship kicking off in Hull at the end of May. A new development this season, made possible by SuperStock's single-design boat concept and which reflects the growing international flavour of P1 racing, will be racers competing in more than one national championship. P1 has run its AquaX racing alongside SuperStock in the UK for the past two years and will launch the jet ski series in the USA in June at Daytona Beach.
Heading EastP1 racing heads to the UAE in November, where lengthy preparation has delivered a four-month series with events in five of the Emirates, and the move to the East will continue in 2014 with new series in China and Singapore. Plans to open a new P1 office in south east Asia are being finalised to manage the growing interest and huge potential in the region.
Taking controlP1 has developed into a manufacturing company (with its affordable Panther boats being built in Florida), franchise business and marine motorsport platform and is now successfully opening up powerboat racing to more competitors, audiences and host locations. Through taking control of all the commercial properties and moving towards being a global business, P1 is able to deliver real value to sponsors, spectators and television networks.
"We are building a commercially viable and credible motorsport series based on parity - through racing with the same boat, same engine and same performance - coupled with affordability and accessibility" explains P1 chief executive, James Durbin. "As we move towards staging international events our aim is to deliver a great sporting spectacle and also provide the marine industry with a much-needed marketing, research and development platform. "
Sponsorship successSignificant commercial deals have been achieved in the last three years by P1, including a three-year agreement with BRP, Canadian builders of the Evinrude engine. Current sponsorships from leading companies in the marine sector include Garmin, Livorsi and Pier 57, whilst consumer brands such as Typhoo tea and Oval Insurance have also come onboard.
Worldwide TVA key driver in building a true global sports property is extensive television coverage, and P1 is now enjoyed in more than 100 countries around the world. Key networks include Fox Sports Network in the USA, Sky Sports in the UK and ESPN in Asia and Africa.
Going placesP1's belief is that for a sport to be credible and successful it needs to have a structure and a logical progression to identify the best in the world. By devising SuperStock racing, providing a fundamental pathway for international marine motorsport and making a step-change in the way powerboat racing is promoted, P1's aim of staging a biennial world championship by 2015 is now achievable.
P1 SuperStock Race Calendar
USA Schedule
19 -21 Apr - Stuart, Florida
14-16 Jun - Daytona Beach, Florida
19-21 Jul - Pahokee, Florida
16-18 Aug - Cocoa Beach, Florida
13-15 Sep - Marathon, Florida
UK Schedule
31 May -2 Jun - Hull
28-30 Jun - Plymouth
9-11 Aug - Torquay
