“Part of the F1 team met in Doha to finalise some pre-season testing on various new technical components,” said Khalid Bin Arhama Al-Kuwari, Head of Formula Racing at the Qatar Marine Sports Federation, which is run under the presidency of His Excellency Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani.

“The testing and preparation allowed us to refine a lot of the systems we would not normally have time to work on during a race weekend. Whilst the component testing was not a complete success, we learned a lot and we will all take that knowledge and experience with us to Portugal so that we can get the campaign to win back the world title off to a perfect start.

“The day also allowed Jay to spend some time in the boat and allowed part of the team to ensure that we had all the necessary equipment on hand ready for Portugal. It was a shame that the test took place in windy conditions and we couldn’t do much on the water. We wanted to make sure that there was no damage on the boat.”

Price will team up with British racer Andy Elliott in Team Qatar this season, in what looks on paper to be one of the strongest team line-ups in the entire championship. Team Qatar will also be hoping to win the UIM F1 Teams’ Championship and the UIM F1 Pole Position Championship, when competitive action gets underway in Portugal on May 8-9^th.

Welmax Offshore Racing has confirmed that the team will run a two-boat entry in their bid for title honours in 2010, with Strømøy joining her fellow Norwegians Jorn Tandberg and Kolbjorn Selmer and the second newcomer to the team, Italian, Giorgio Manuzzi.

Born in Sandefjord, Norway and now living in Oslo, thirty-three-year-old Strømøy made her racing debut in 1989 at the age of twelve.  In 1993 she started racing in S-550, winning the European Championship three times (1996, 1998, 1999) and the Nordic Championship twice (1996, 1999).  In 2000 she moved up to race in F-2000, and was voted ‘rookie of the year’, finishing second in the UAE Presidents Cup in 2002, second in the Nordic Championship in 2005 and third in the European Championship in 2007. She became the first woman to compete in the F1 World Powerboat Championship in 2007, taking third overall in the Team Cup in 2009.  She has also competed in the legendary Rouen 24-hour race, finishing on the podium three times (second in 2009 and third in 2006/7).

London-based rights holder, Powerboat P1 Management Ltd, has been forced to make a late change to the schedule after local promoter, AM Info Media, failed to meet a deadline to deliver the required level of funding to stage the event. AM Info Media had been awarded a three-year agreement last year by Powerboat P1 to stage the Croatia Grand Prix of the Sea in Split.

Powerboat P1 Chief Operating Officer, Robert Wicks, said, “AM Info Media had good intentions but unfortunately has missed the deadline. A great deal of effort had gone into the planning for this event, but in the end we were left with no alternative but to remove Croatia from the calendar.

“We are very much looking forward to the opportunity to open the season in the Ukraine in May, given the country’s impressive powerboating heritage and passion for Powerboat P1,” Wicks added, “Starting a couple of weeks later buys the teams a little more time to prepare for the season and fortunately we have a number of alternative venues eager to secure the rights to stage a replacement round. We will be making an announcement shortly about a further event to be added to the calendar.”

The president of Ukraine’s Powerboat Federation, Viktor Shemchuk, reported, “We are very happy to open the 2010 season for Powerboat P1 — it will be an honor and a privilege to do so.”

With more than 20 teams confirmed, the 2010 P1 World Championship promises to be one of the most exciting in Powerboat P1’s eight-year history.

The Powerboat P1 World Championship is a contracted promoter of the Union Internationial Motonautica (UIM), producing world class powerboat racing events world-wide. The Championship features mono-hull powerboats, including the prototype Evolution Class and factory production SuperSport Class; Powerboat P1 also recently established the SuperStock Class, formerly known as the Honda 4-Stroke Series.

Powerboat P1 World Championship: Powerboat P1 is the world’s premium marine motorsport, with teams from around the globe racing at speeds exceeding 200 kph in powerful twin-engine monohull powerboats.

In 2010, teams in both the Evolution and SuperSport classes will compete for the World Championship title at Grand Prix of the Sea events across Europe, in the series’ eighth season. Powerboat P1’s exclusive tourism destinations and VIP entertainment village provide a glamorous and adrenaline-fuelled experience, attracting thousands of spectators, celebrities, and a world-wide media and an base. International television coverage provides world-wide exposure for this highly competitive and exciting sport.

2010 Powerboat P1 Provisional Calendar

April 16-18: Split, Croatia

May 7-9: Yalta, Ukraine

June 11-13: Istanbul, Turkey

July 9-11: Cascais, Portugal

August 6-8: Gothenburg, Sweden

September 17-19: Sicily, Italy

Silfverberg’s success in other businesses in his native Sweden provided a strong basis for his entrée to racing. A chance meeting with well-recognized British-American powerboat racing champion, Nigel Hook in the airport after the 2009 Sicily Powerboat P1 Italian Grand Prix was the beginning. Hook brings a 17-year history of speed records and National and World Championships-as well as an APBA Hall of Fame award to the table, so as co-pilot and coach to Silfverberg, the team was on to the next step-building a winning boat. The Swede was naturally drawn to the newest boat created by Swedish designer Ocke Mannerfelt, the Vector 40. They decided to bring it to Key West, Florida to do some testing and some awareness-raising during the 2009 SBI World Championships where the duo was making their own racing debut in Hook’s former World Champion Skater, sponsored by Lucas Oil. Hook has raced for the past 3 years in Powerboat P1 with Outerlimits and his Skater, under the Lucas Oil banner, but an unfortunate accident, coincidentally in the Scandinavia Grand Prix in August, 2009, prohibited the Outerlimits boat from competing the rest of the season. Hook, always ready with plan B-or C-had his former race boat rigged and ready to go so that the new team could carry the sponsor’s name forward and provide an opportunity for some “seat time” for him and Silfverberg. 

Though unsuccessful in their bid for the US World Championship, Silfverberg and Hook struck up an effective racing and personal relationship and the Key West event created the opportunity to strike an agreement with Ilmor High Performance as another step to build a top-notch team. Vector and Ilmor consider this arrangement a winning combination. 

Vector Powerboats is a British Columbia, Canada-based boat builder that has for years built a wide variety of high-quality boats, including those by Mannerfelt Design Team. The Vector 40 had been in process for some time as both Mannerfelt and Vector had discussed a bigger boat than the 22′ and 28′ winged “Bat Boats” that drew much acclaim for the design company and won 8 UIM World Championships. “The Vector is an evolution of those hulls,” says Ocke. 

When Ted Mannerfelt, Ocke’s son, re-joined his father in the boat design business after several years designing concept cars for the prestigious Lotus and Jaguar brands, he brought the advances of the auto industry to the forward-thinking family business. The sleek body of the Vector 40 is Ted’s design which earned much appreciation from his accomplished father and the duo is looking to do more boat design work together. 

“I think I can bring something different to the marine industry,” says Ted. “There is more attention to the surface — a more organic and fluid look in the automotive industry. Car designers look at things differently than naval architects. Today’s 3-D environment is more sophisticated and there is a lot to do in the marine industry.” 

Ocke Mannerfelt agrees with his son and is proud of his achievements both in and out of boating. Ted earned his first Swedish Championship at age 18 in a 22′ Ocke Mannerfelt design boat and then won the UIM World Championship title at 20-years old, earning recognition as the youngest World Champ in the UIM. “It’s good to see young designers interested in boats,” says Ocke, “We will see the influence of their design.”

 That artistic influence is visible in the patented Vector hull which was modified slightly to fit Powerboat P1 rules which prohibit “aerodynamic devices.” The boat was tested with the stabilizing “wings” extended and retracted and there is no difference in the speed. However, both Mannerfelts note some difference in handling. “We believe that the stabilizers make it a safer boat, with more roll stability. But given this restriction, we have to rely on the skills of the crew,” Ocke states. He calls the boat a “normal boat for normal people,” a stock pleasure boat built for rough water that is very forgiving and will take on racing with confidence. “It is like driving a race car–the boat will do what you ask,” he adds. 

The 40′ boat is lightweight, though extremely strong with Kevlar and Carbon Fiber reinforcing the hull; a technologically-designed canopy was added that conforms to the highest safety standards of the UIM. Unlike the pleasure version, the boat has no cabin and the aluminum Ilmor engines took approximately 1,000 pounds off the hull weight, Rex Jardine, President of Vector Powerboats reports, “We have a great relationship with Ilmor-they are such a pleasure to work with!” 

And speaking of winning traditions, Ilmor brings championships from Indy Car, F1, NASCAR and P1 to the table. In its marine debut, Ilmor backed Hook’s entry in the 1,200 mile endurance race across the Amazon plains, through South America in 2004. Since then, Ilmor won the 2007 and 2008 Powerboat P1 Evolution World Championships with Fountain WorldWide’s Craig Wilson and James Sheppard, and then took the title in the SuperSport Class in 2009 with the Seagull Chaudron team. Ilmor is pleased to work with the Scandinavian Challenge team according to Paul Ray, CEO, “Their new boat, design line, PR strategies and way of working with their partner is what made us choose to enter this cooperative venture with the Swedish team.” 

The Lucas Oil sponsorship further strengthens the winning bond as the company has built its reputation on all types of motorsports racing. Lucas Oil has backed Hook for 14 years due to his professionalism and winning spirit. The company even hung one of Hook’s former race boats from the rafters of its football stadium in its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, making Hook literally a “fixture” in its race marketing plans.

The team will test the new Vector Powerboat in Sarasota, Florida in early February, working to dial the boat in before it sets across the ocean for the first race in Split, Croatia, April 16-18. Famous Australian racer Craig Archer joined as crew chief and he and Team Manager, Janet Wilson will be onboard as Ilmor, Vector, and Mannerfelt Design all join for the launch. “This is an amazing team!” says Hook who together with Silfverberg, feels a P1 Championship is within grasp. “We’ll see how the boat does and if all goes well, we’ll make a stop-off at the Miami Boat Show before we leave,” says Hook. Ocke Mannerfelt is confident in the boat and says, “You can push the boat very hard. It can handle more than the crew! The boat will say,’Come on! We’ll do it once more!’ even after the team is done!” 

The Lucas Oil Scandinavian Offshore Challenge will compete in its first season in Powerboat P1 in 2010, following Hooks past three seasons with the racing organization. “Powerboat P1 professional platform is the impetus for us to continue to fight for the title,” says Hook. “Having partners like Ilmor, Vector, Lucas Oil and Mannerfelt Design shows what we are doing and how we are doing it is right,” adds Silfverberg, “The competition is tough, but we are up for the ‘Offshore Challenge!’” 

After the season opener in Split, Croatia, Powerboat P1 travels to Yalta in the Ukraine, then on to Turkey and Portugal before it reaches the team’s “home” base in Sweden, then moves on to Malta and Italy.

Follow the races live on www.P1Radio.com

and at www.powerboatp1.com

and follow the team at www.nigelhook.com

Delivering the world’s premier marine motorsport to two million homes, SuperSport will broadcast highlights of each Powerboat P1 event, commencing with the Croatian Grand Prix of the Sea in Split, on April 16-18 2010. Powerboat P1 Chief Operating Officer, Robert Wicks said: “We are very happy to continue our relationship with SuperSport, the leading sports provider in South Africa. SuperSport is a valued partner of the Powerboat P1 World Championship and its willingness to support the series is representative of our growing worldwide audience figures and number of dedicated broadcasts.” Imtiaz Patel, CEO of SuperSport International said: “SuperSport is delighted to have renewed its broadcast agreement with Powerboat P1. It’s a thrilling series that has clearly caught the market’s attention. Fast-growing and exciting to watch, Powerboat P1 fits with SuperSport’s efforts to secure the best pay television sporting rights.”

To comply with Hering Performance Propellers’ conditions, teams must use its propellers in competition, display the approved Hering decal on its powerboat, as well as finishing in first or second place overall in its class. Powerboat P1 USA Director, Martin Sanborn, enthusiastically supports this unique partnership and believes its flexibility should provide a big attraction for manufacturers. “The flexibility of the program is the key to making this an effective marketing and promotional platform. Allowing manufacturers to determine the criteria for using its products and the amount of prize-money each team receives, ensures clear rewards for the customer, purely based on its performance.”

Providing a direct measurable return for the sponsor whilst incentivizing teams to utilize the manufacturer’s products and services, Hering Performance Propellers has agreed that it will determine the reward based on the required product usage, the eligible classes, decal usage, and eligible finish positions. The Hering program will be in effect for the entire 2010 Powerboat P1 World Championship series, beginning in Split, Croatia on April 16-18, and is available to all competitors in both of the Powerboat P1 World Championship classes, Evolution and SuperSport.

Full details of their line-up is still a bit scetchey as the go-ahead was only given in early January but we understand Randy Scism, former team manager of Dubai’s Victory team will throttle the craft in the early part of the season and Abu Dhabi’s star F1 pilot Ahmed Al Hameli will drive. Whether Al Hameli will continue as part of the F1 team remains to be seen but we know they had planned to introduce a third drive so perhaps he will take over Al Hameli’s seat. The craft will be powered by twin Mercury V8 engines. Al Hameli has considerable offshore experience after racing in the X class series and he also took the wheel of Sea Dubai in the last two Class 1 races of 2009.

“The championship is there for the taking, as a team we need to remain focused and prepared for the task ahead and hopefully with a bit of luck we can achieve our goal and take the title.” To find out how Team Jelf Racing get on at the final rounds of the World Championship visit www.F2WC.com or www.jelfracing.com

 Team Jelf Racing

Name : Colin Jelf

Race # : 1

Date Of Birth : 04.03.1970

Place Of Living : Kent – UK

Marital Status : Married

Colin started his racing career around 1980 in what is now known as JT250 (Juniors) class on the UK National Circuit. He progressed to Formula 4 in 1987 and in 1988 he set the World Speed Record for the class.

In 1992 he joined the Formula 2 class and in the same year won his first National title setting the course of his successful racing career. Colin is the current F2 World Champion and made history in 2008 for being the first driver to ever achieve the triple F2 World Championship. He has also achieved two British Sprint Championship in a row in 2007 and 2008. Won the 2008 Continental Championship, where he won 3 out of the 4 races.

Colin is married to Jenny Jelf and they currently reside in Kent with their Son, Ben. Both Colin and Jenny, together with Ted run the family business – Hazel Motors also situated in Kent.

 Racing Achievements 

F4 World Speed Record Holder 1989

F2 World Speed Record Holder 1992

F2 British Champion 1992

F2 European Champion 2005

F2 World Champion 2006

F2 World Champion 2007

F2 British Sprint Champion 2007

F2 World Champion 2008

F2 Continental Champion 2008

F2 British Sprint Champion 2008

Numerous National & International Wins

The International Racing Circuit Visits US Mecca for Offshore Racing.

Though the Powerboat P1 World Championship has concluded its 2009 season, its racers, administrators and fans are still hungry for more racing action. A trip to the US for the29th Key West SBI World Championship races November 10-15 became a group effort as the P1 SuperSport SW1 Capital team led the way across The Pond in its quest for another win in 2009.

Driver, Daniel Cramphorn and thottleman, Kim Collins are bringing their Sterling-powered Donzi to compete against the US’ best. The highly competitive team just missed a shot at the P1 World Championship when mechanical difficulties short-circuited them mid-season, thwarting its momentum but not its spirit. The SW1Capital team however, came on strong at the end, with help from their Arneson drive liaison, Rik Wimp; they plan to race in the speed-bracketed P-class with a 95 mph limit.

“We took the decision to go to Key West simply to gain further experience and test ourselves against some of the best teams in the world,” says Cramphorn, “As was the situation at the start of the Powerboat P1 season, we have no pre-conceptions of how competitive we will be at Key West which is very exciting for all of us.”

Though other P1 teams like the Supersport World Championship, Chaudron Seagull Ukrainian Spirit, aspired to race in Key West, the logistics of bringing boats to the US after the final race in Sicily presented challenges. Siegfrield “Sigi” Greve and Mark Nelson of the Evolution Class SeaRex team will make the trip as “research” and vacation to the sunny Keys–a pleasant break from Germany in November.

Also visiting from Powerboat P1 management will be Commercial Director, Robert Wicks and Race Director, Jean Marie Van Lancker. Both were in Key West last year and look forward to visiting again. They will be joined by former P1 racers and fans Martin Lai, who owns the SuperSport Phoenix 8 Dragon team, and Miles Jennings, a British racer who has competed in various circuits over the years and could be eyeing another opportunity in P1.

Martin Sanborn, the US voice of Powerboat P1 who shares the P1 Radio commentary with British colleague Steve Ancsell, will also be in Key West, this time, not behind a microphone, but behind the throttles of a 42 Fountain Lightning, like the Furnibo and former Fountain Worldwide model, with Mercury Racing 525’s. He and the boat owner, driver and former motorcycle racer, Dan Davies will enjoy this race in Key West after teaming up in Clearwater at the last SBI race. “It’s great to be back in a race boat again!” says Sanborn who won several Championships in his years of US APBA Offshore racing competition. “I love commentating on racing for P1 Radio and on our US show, Talk Offshore.com,” says Sanborn, “But being in the seat is so much more exciting!” The team will compete in the Super Vee class.

The 2009 Powerboat P1 Evolution Class Lucas Oil Outerlimits team will divide into two teams for Key West. Nigel Hook will pair up with his new 2010 P1 partner, Swede Michael Silfverberg in Hook’s Lucas Oil Skater with Mercury power. The team will compete in the Performance class since the Skater and engines do not “fit” either the SuperVee or Extreme Vee classes. The duo looks forward to extra seat time as they prepare to race in 2010 in a new Vector race boat.

Outerlimits has been busy in its Bristol, Rhode Island factory as Joe Sgro decided just over a month ago to compete in the Key West Championship. Outerlimits used the opportunity to build a brand new Pearl white and red SV 43′ to compete in the Super Vee Unlimited class using its own new proprietary engine package. “We wanted to have a real racing engine that we could rely on,” says Sgro, “Everything in racing is clearance and oiling–if you have that right, the motors should last forever! We just haven’t had that in our prior engine packages.”

According to Paul Fiore, Outerlimits Vice President and the Powerboat P1 team manager for the 2009 Evolution Class World Champion SNAV OSG team who ran a similar Outerlimits SV 43, Outerlimits bought an engine builder and brought the shop in-house so it could control its own power packages. “It was a natural progression for us,” said Fiore, who reported the first engine was still one the dyno, “We don’t have a lot of time to test or get it dialed in, but we’ll learn a lot when we’re down in Key West!”

Other international competitors in Key West will include two Class I race teams who will compete in the Superboat 750 and 850 classes. Abdullah Al-Sulaiti will join Italian throttleman Matteo Nicolini in Qatar 95, who also throttled for the P1 Smash Poker team; Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani will team with veteran throttleman Steve Curtis of England in Qatar 96. The eight-time World Champion Curtis has competed and consulted in Powerboat P1 and is also involved in the Formula F4SA series just acquired by Powerboat P1.

The Powerboat P1World Championship will be highly visible at the US event. “Key West is an amazing place!” says Wicks, “We’re keen to see the international action where so much offshore history has been made!”

The race schedule follows:

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

10am Start of 1st Race: Off Truman Annex

11:30am-12:30pm Harbor Opens for Commercial Traffic

12:30pm Start of 2nd Race: Off Truman Annex

2pm Start of 3rd Race: Off Truman Annex

Friday, November 13, 2009

10am Start of 1st Race: Off Truman Annex

11:30am-12:30pm Harbor Opens for Commercial Traffic

12:30pm Start of 2nd Race: Off Truman Annex

2pm Start of 3rd Race: Off Truman Annex

Sunday November 15, 2009

10am Start of 1st Race: Off Truman Annex

11:30am-12:30pm Harbor Opens for Commercial Traffic

12:30pm Start of 2nd Race: Off Truman Annex

2pm Start of 3rd Race: Off Truman Annex

For additional information on the Powerboat P1 World Championship visit  www.powerboatp1.com.