What is Offshore Powerboat Racing

by Australian Offshore Powerboat Club on 7 Oct 2008
Bill Barry-Cotter's Maritimo Offshore Race Team is away to a dream start in the Australian Offshore Powerboat Club's new season with a convincing first and second Class I placing in the Redcliffe 100.

The team's #1 boat, 'Maritimo' (Pal Virik Nilsen and Tom Barry-Cotter), thundered over the Moreton Bay course covering the maximum 14 laps in just 60 minutes and 39 seconds.

'Simrad', the team's #2 boat (Peter McGrath and Luke Durman), also navigated the maximum 14-lap distance crossing the line just 57 seconds (about one third of a lap) behind.

'Global Racing', Mark Gilbert's new boat, claimed third place after covering 11 laps.

The next race in the series is scheduled for the Gold Coast on Friday 31st October 2008.
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What is Offshore Powerboat Racing?

The sport of Offshore Powerboat Racing used to be from a spectators point of view, wave the boats good by as they race out to sea and wait until they came back some hours later.

Today’s Offshore Powerboat Races are spectator friendly with close to shore racing on tight circuits.

Most of the Australian races are held on the open ocean where the competitors have to battle the the open water swells and Mother Nature. Offshore Powerboats have a crew of two in a enclosed cockpit, one person controls the steering the other controls the throttles, it can take years of practice to trust each other.

Australian Offshore Powerboat Classes

Class 1
Boat length: 40ft- 50ft (12m- 15m) catamarans
Engines: Twin 930hp of approx 8.2 ltr each
Weight: Minimum 4850kg
Top speed: Approx 240kph

Supercat lite
Boat length: 32ft- 40ft (9.7m-12.20m) catamarans
Engines: Inboards max 12,200 cubic centimetres
Outboards max 9,600 cubic centimetres
Weight: Inboard minimum 3,600kg
Outboard minimum 2,500kg
Top speed: Approx 190kph

Supercat Outboard
Boat length: 27ft-39ft (8.3m-12m) catamarans
Engines: 600hp max 7,000 cubic centimetres
Weight: minimum 1,800kg
Top speed: Approx 170kph

Supercat Outboard Lite
Boat length: 24ft-27ft (7.25m-8.4m) catamarans
Engines: 400hp max 5,200 cubic centimetres
Weight: (EPA) Engines minimum 1,600kg
(non EPA)Engines (carburetted) 1,300kg
Top speed: Approx 155kph

Super Vee lite
Boat length: minimum 17ft (5.3m) monohull
Engines: max 3,700 cubic centimetres
Weight: minimum 625kg
Haines/Suzuki 150hp
This is a one make class all boats are the same hull and engine
Boat length: Haines Signature 1900s 19ft (5.7m)
Engine: Suzuki DF 150hp 4-stroke outboard
Weight: minimum 850kg

For more information on the Australian Offshore Powerboat Club - http://www.aopc.com.au/
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