Motor-boat racing is the basic term for competitions
among drivers in engine-powered vessels used on the
water. The sport is also referred to as power-boat racing
or speed-boat racing. It combines elements of sailing
and other traditional forms of boating with characteristics of modern motor sports such as automobile racing.
History
During the 19th and 20th centuries, motorized vessels
replaced sailboats as the dominant means of water
transportation, shipping, and military movement. The
first generation of motorized boats were operated by
steam engines, introduced in the late 18th century and
becoming prominent in the 19th century. Steam-powered engines were also built into private yachts, whose
(usually wealthy) owners occasionally raced one another in competitions.
The era of modern power boating is generally
placed from the invention of the internal-combustion
engine. One of the first motor boats of this type was
built in France around 1865 by Jean Lenoir. In the
1880s, Gottlieb Daimler developed a gas-powered engine in Europe that became very influential. His engines were later installed on boats as well as on landbased vehicles.
Recreational and competitive motor boating grew
quickly after 1900. As new power boats were developed, enthusiasts raced them informally or in organized competitions to test their capabilities against
other boats. The sport of power-boat racing has continually served as a proving ground for new engines,
hulls, and other technical advances that were later incorporated into products for the larger consumer and
commercial boating markets.
The first power boats were rowboats or other traditional vessels with a basic motor and propeller attached. The first step toward specifically designed
power boats came in 1907, when Ole Evinrude invented
the outboard motor, which was portable and easy to attach to boats. Around the same time, the first hydroplanes appeared. These racing boats had bodies designed specifically for use with engines and high-speed
operation. Their design included a shallow stepped hull
that rose above the water as the boat moved faster. Another type of power-boat body, called the “V” hull because of its shape, was developed around 1910 and
combined speed with stability. While later generations
of power boats and engines became increasingly diverse and sophisticated, they continued to be based on
the principles established by these early prototypes.
The earliest motor-boat races and events were often
held under the auspices of existing motoring organizations or sponsored by yacht clubs. Soon, new organizations dedicated to power boating were established and
sponsored an increasing number of organized powerboating meets. In the United States, representatives of
yacht clubs in the northeast formed the American
Power Boat Association (APBA) in 1903. Similar movements established an organized framework for power
boating in other nations and on an international level.
In 1922, the Union of International Motor Boating
(UIM) was formed to foster and oversee the sport on a
worldwide basis. The UIM, based in Europe, sanctions
events and the international standings of racers, including world records. National and regional organizations, such as the APBA and its members, are affiliated
with the UIM.
As the designs of motorized boats became more varied it was increasingly difficult to compare their
performance in races. This prompted efforts to define
different categories of power boats, used in racing.
Rules and guidelines also set the criteria for sanctioned events. These classifications became more numerous and specialized as new styles and technologies
were introduced.
Speeds increased as the quality of boats and the
skills of drivers improved. The top speed in the first
Gold Cup race of 1904 was just under 39 kilometers (24
miles) per hour. The introduction of hydroplanes
boosted speeds considerably to 160 kilometers (100
miles) per hour or more. In 1978, Kenneth Peter Warby
achieved a world’s water-speed record of 552.8 kilometers per hour (345.48 miles per hour or 300 knots) in
New South Wales, Australia, in his hydroplane, the
Spirit of Australia.
Rules and Play
Power boats are complex machines, and infinite variations are possible for body styles, engines, and other
features. These features and their interaction determine the handling and performance of a particular
boat. To bring consistency to the sport, power boats
and racing events are divided into categories that are
based on the specifications of the participating boats.
A racing event may be entirely focused on one particular class of boat, or it may contain separate races for
boats in several categories.
Major categories in the APBA, which are defined
both by the type of boat and/or the form of race, include Inboard; Modified Outboard; Offshore; Outboard
Performance Craft; Outboard Drag; Professional Racing Outboard; Stock Outboard; Unlimited Hydroplanes; RC (radio controlled) Model, Vintage, and
Historic; American Performance Racing; and Personal
Watercraft. Races may be individual; there are also regional tours and other series.
Races may be organized as heats or laps among
groups of boats or in timed solo runs, overseen by officials of sanctioning organizations. The winners are frequently determined by average speed or top speed during a race. In endurance races, boaters try to cover as
much distance as possible in a designated amount of
time. Power boat races are often held on circular or oval
courses of varying lengths. Races may also be based on
laps.
Inland and offshore racing also differ. Inland races,
held on lakes, rivers, and similar bodies of water, have
long been a mainstay of power-boat racing. Offshore
races take place in oceans and bays and other large
bodies of water connected to them; they cover various
distances.
Cruising races, based on speed, for larger boats was
an early form of competition. However, these boats
could not compete for speed. Cruising was revived as a
competition called the “predicted log,” which relies on
navigation and accuracy.
Drag racing, which emerged in the late 1950s, takes
place on straight courses. It started in southern California, which remains its focal point.
In events for Stock (or Production in some instances) boats, the engine and body must remain true
to the specifications they were manufactured with and
may not be significantly altered. In Modified or Unlimited competitions, the owners and driver are allowed
greater flexibility to customize the boat and engine
more extensively to improve its performance.
The sport encompasses a wide range of boats, from
large craft with ultra-high-performance jet engines of
1,000 horsepower or more to smaller vessels with outboard motors of 25 horsepower or less. The racing calendar includes thousands of regional, national, and international events held throughout the world.
Power-boat racing is also a popular spectator sport,
often spectacular to watch, as when unlimited hydroplanes, or “thunderboats,” race along the water at
160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour or more, shooting
off large “roostertails” of water behind them.
Types of Boats
Body design is one basic method of classifying power
boats; shape and construction affect how the craft handles in the water. Motor boat design involves trade-offs
between speed and stability. The characteristics that allow a boat to move fast or turn quickly often make it less
stable in the water; the features that increase its stability may also slow it down and make it less responsive to
rapid turns. Boat designers and builders also consider
many other factors, including whether the bow goes
smoothly through waves on the uneven surface of the
water or slaps the surface in an up-and-down motion.
The design of the hull, or lower portion of the boat,
is especially important.At low speeds, the hull of a boat
goes forward through the water, displacing it (pushing
it aside) as the vessel moves ahead. However, as the
speed and power increase, other forces also push the
hull upward toward the water’s surface and into the air,
a principle known as planing. Boat designers and
builders emphasize one or the other of these forces, depending on the priorities and use of the craft.
The “V” is a basic style of hull that combines the stability of displacement and the speed of planing.
These hulls become narrow at their bases. When traveling at low speeds they stay primarily in the water, but
when they are moving faster they rise in the bow. Vboats are often used in offshore ocean racing because
they are fast but also able to handle rough water. They
are also known by specific styles, generic nicknames,
or brand-names, such as Cigarette Boats, Open Vee’s,
Superboats, Fountains, and Scarabs.
The configuration and size of the passenger compartments and placement of the engine vary widely
among different types of boats. Some racing boats have
open spaces for drivers; others have enclosed cockpits.
Some have an open deck and an enclosed compartment below.
Motor boats are commonly powered by internal
combustion engines, similar to automobile engines.
Boats are classified by the type and power of engines as
determined by their piston displacement and other
factors.
Another basic distinction is between inboard and
outboard motors. Many modern outboards are so large
that they are not removed, but still use basic outboard
designs. Boat engines that combine features of these
basic types are known as inboard/outboards. These are
often mounted inside the boat like an inboard, but the
drives that connect the engine to the propellers are
similar to outboard designs so the propellers can be
swiveled to turn the boat.
The style of propeller also affects performance. The
propellers, which have several blades, are located either
behind the stern or below or within the hull somewhat
further forward. Boats may have one or more propellers and engines.
Turbine, or jet, engines are also used in power
boats. These may be used to turn propellers or propel
the boat directly by creating very strong currents of air
or water through the hull. This type of motor ranges
from very powerful aircraft or jet engines for high-performance racing craft to smaller versions used on
recreational boats.
Some enthusiasts enjoy restoring and racing older
power boats, a category known as vintage or historic
racing. In addition to full-sized boats, power-boating
organizations have also added special classes for other
types of vessels, including miniature radio-controlled
power boats.
Power Boating Issues
Motor-boat racing has attracted participants on many
levels, including amateurs who build, maintain, and/or
race their own boats. However, it also is an expensive
sport, especially with the more advanced racing boats.
While prize money became available for many events,
drivers often had to rely on subsidies to cover the costs
associated with racing. In the early 1950s, commercial
sponsorships were allowed, which brought power boat
racing to a new level.
Safety is a perennial concern in power boating—
the same characteristics that make power boating exciting add danger. This is especially true for the fastest
categories such as hydroplanes, which combine the
dangers inherent with speeds of 100 miles per hour or
more with volatile engines that occasionally explode or
catch fire. Hydroplanes may sometimes lift too high
and flip backward, an accident called a blowover. Another risk with many power boats is the possibility of
injury or death when a driver or passenger accidentally
comes into contact with the propeller.
Various safeguards have been instituted to reduce
these risks; racers must wear helmets, lifejackets, and
other protective gear. Other safety measures are the addition of closed cockpits on certain types of very fast
racing boats, covers around propellers, and killswitches that automatically cut the engine if the driver
is dislodged from the boat.
Power boating has also raised environmental concerns, including its effect on the quality of life in areas
where the boats are used and on marine animals and
plants. Concerns include noise levels, the waves that
these vessels can generate, and pollution, including fuel
leaking into the water and the exhaust fumes that escape into the air and water. In response, manufacturers
sought to develop cleaner, more efficient engines. In the
1990s in the United States the mandate of the Federal
Clean Air Act was expanded to include control of boats
and other recreational vehicles.
—JOHN TOWNES
Bibliography: Barrett, J. Lee. (1986) Speed Boat Kings. Ann
Arbor: Historical Society of Michigan. Fostle, D. W.
(1988) Speedboat. Mystic, CT: Mystic Seaport Museum
Stores. “The Year in Review.” (1994) Propellor: Official
Publication of the American Power Boat Association
(November).