Hydroplane racing is a sport

Sport

A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...

 involving racing hydroplanes on lakes and rivers. It is a popular spectator sport

Spectator sport

A spectator sport is a sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches. For instance, Tennis, Rugby, F-1, baseball, basketball, cricket, football , and ice hockey are spectator sports, while hunting or underwater hockey typically are not...

 in several countries.

International Professional Outboard Hydroplane Racing

The Union Internationale Motonautique (or "UIM", headquartered in Europe) sanctions many different hydroplane categories of hydroplane powerboat racing. International UIM F-125, F-250, F-350 and F-500 Circuit powerboat races are very popular in Europe, Asia, and the United States. UIM's O-series hydroplane Formula Circuit racing events are some of the most prestigious Professional Racing Outboard (PRO) hydroplane events in the world. National powerboat racing teams compete for national and international titles in these hydroplane racing circuits. The American Power Boat Association (APBA) and the US Title Series sanction similar PRO class national title events in the United States. Professional F-series World Cup Title powerboat races are held at Europe, United States, and western Asia race site locations every year. Equivalent APBA PRO classes are 125ccH (UIM O-125), 175ccH (UIM O-175), 250ccH (UIM O-250), 350ccH (UIM O-350), 500ccH (UIM O-500), 750ccH (APBA only), and 1000ccH classes. PRO classes using 500cc and larger displacement racing motors must be equipped with an enclosed re-enforced capsule, a certified racing harness restraint system, and a self-contained oxygen system for the driver. The faster classes of PRO hydroplanes (with straightaway speeds from around 75 to 120 miles per hour) utilize 2-cycle outboard motors running highly-filtered methanol race fuel mixed with a pure castor or synthetic castor-based lubricating oil. All methanol-fueled and gas-fueled PRO racing outboard motors are direct drive and equipped with high performance, motorcycle racing style magneto ignition and carburetor systems. 125cc through 1000cc PRO series hydroplanes are not entry level classes in outboard powerboat racing. Investment costs are moderately high compared to similar APBA stock and modified outboard racing classes. K-PRO (an APBA entry class) is the only PRO hydroplane class running modified, recreational outboard motors; all other PRO hydroplane classes utilize 2-cycle outboard motors designed and manufactured specifically for PRO circuit racing purposes. Entry level classes for the PRO series classes are gasoline-fueled K-PRO (APBA sanctions only) and OSY-400 (sanctioned by both UIM and APBA.) International UIM teams have a formal crew that usually consists of family members, motor mechanic, hull builder sponsor, and owner/driver team in order to be successful at racing international F-125 through F-500 Circuit hydroplanes. Some hydroplane hull builders sponsor more than one team in a formula series circuit. PRO outboard hydroplane hulls are constructed with lightweight wood, composite, and hybrid (wood/composite/aluminum) materials. Outboard Performance Craft hydroplanes (sometimes called "tunnel boats") are a different racing series of UIM and APBA outboard powerboat classes. Limited hydroplane racing classes are inboard-powered boats that use high performance gasoline fuel.

Page Update Description Sources: UIM and APBA Internet websites (shown in current page citations); 2011 UIM and APBA O-Series and PRO outboard hydroplane racing rule books; US Title Series website; www.excaliburmotorsports.org website's "Racing" page.

Limited Inboard & Unlimited Light Hydroplanes

While named "Unlimited Lights", this Hydroplane class is still a limited hydroplane class. According to ULHRA rules, the hull length can range between 20' 0" and 26' 0", can have a maximum width of 12' 6", and a minimum weight in racing trim, without driver, of 2,000 pounds, superchargers are allowed but must be 80% or twenty under. That means the supercharger will be turning 20% slower than the engine crankshaft. They are limited to U.S. Manufacturer engines with a total of 468 or 511 cubic inches depending on Hull weight. Multiple speed gearboxes (transmissions) are not permitted.

Grand Prix Hydroplane Racing

Grand Prix (GP) is a class of boats featuring supercharged big-
block engines superchargered to 120 percent over the crankshaft speed producing as much as 1500 horsepower. The 24–26 foot craft are fast routinely attain
speeds in excess of 160 miles-per-hour(257.5 km/h)in the straights. This class of boat races in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

You can visit http://grandprixhydroplane.com/ to follow all the news for ACHA/CBF and APBA GP

Unlimited Hydroplane Racing

Although bit of a misnomer as the boats aren't without limits, unlimited hydroplanes have much fewer restrictions than with limited hydroplane racing. These 30 foot, 6,800 lbs boats run primarily with a T-55 L7 turbine engine (used during the Vietnam era in the Chinook helicopter) capable of up to 3000 horsepower with current restrictions. The T-55 L7 powerplant creates high speed rotation which is transferred through a gearbox at around 50% reduction of turbine to propeller RPM. Unlimited hydroplanes are capable of speeds of 200+ MPH on the straight-a-ways and qualifying average lap speeds range from 130-165 MPH. Modern hulls are constructed of composite materials such as honeycomb aluminum, fiberglass, laminated resin and carbon fiber. Ed Cooper (U-3) of Evansville, Indiana is currently the only active racing hull to use piston power. Cooper uses the turbo-charged V-12 Allison, which was used in World War II fighter planes and may produce up to 3500 horsepower. Many of the restored, fully operable unlimited hydroplanes at the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum in Kent, Washington (such as the Miss Wahoo and Miss Thriftway vintage restorations) still utilize piston power aircraft engines. The primary racing circuit for unlimited racing is the H1 Unlimited, whose season typically runs from late June through September, consisting of six races. H1 Unlimited races occur throughout the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, and the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

.

Stock & Modified Outboard Racing

Stock Outboard Racing utilizes both hydroplane and runabout or monoplane hulls with racing engines that utilize a service outboard powerhead and a racing lower unit with a direct drive (i.e. start in gear). Racing in this form ranges from classes designated as follows: A Class, B Class, C Class and D Class. There is also a Junior or "J" Class for kids between the ages of 9 and 16 years of age. The engine sizes range from 9.9 hp to 50 hp with speeds from 30 mi/h to 90 mi/h. In the C Stock Class, the Yamato Motor Company engines used in kyōtei

Kyotei

The , literally "boat racing" and referred to as BOAT RACE, is a hydroplane racing event primary held in Japan. It is one of Japan's four , which are sports events where parimutuel betting is legal.Kyōtei was introduced in Japan in 1952...

, parimutuel betting

Parimutuel betting

Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...

 in Japan, are reconditioned, shipped to the United States and used for racing in these classes.

Modified Outboard Hydroplane Racing classes are powered by modified stock outboard class motors. Motor modifications are limited to strict motor specifications and equipment alterations defined and published in APBA category rule books for these outboard hydroplane racing classes. Both stock and modified outboard classes run on a circular or triangular race course using a 3-minute "milling warm-up" period before a "flying" clock start. Heats usually consist of three laps around a closed race course. Drivers are disqualified if they cross the starting line before the official heat's clock start time (called "jumping the gun".) Just like the Stock & PRO hydroplane racing categories of APBA, the Modified hydroplane racing category membership has its own governing powerboat racing committee and rules book.

Hydroplane Racing Safety Improvements

In the early days of hydroplane racing, accidents, and even the deaths of drivers, were considered somewhat routine. As top speeds increased, more attention was paid to driver safety, much like with NASCAR auto racing and GP Circuit motorcycle racing driver safety programs today. Governing UIM and APBA powerboat racing organizations have promoted and specified many modern technology safety measures and rules for international hydroplane racing. Modern safety technology applications like composite fiber re-enforced Kevlar

Kevlar

Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...

 cockpits, capsule-enclosed driver modules with improved safety harness systems (in PRO, OPC, and limited/unlimited inboard hydroplanes), flip-over incident escape hatches & engine shut-off features, oxygen system & aircraft-quality windscreen canopies for capsule hulls, and advanced ballistic impact-resistant suits with improved helmet/neck brace wear -- all of these improvements making the boats and specialized personal protection gear safer for the present-day driver. New head restraint technology systems from NASCAR developers and other auto racing sources are being designed and tested for advanced head and spine protection applications (driver upper body control & stabilization during high G-force events) in future hydroplane capsule designs.

Current Unlimited Hydroplane drivers

• Jeff Bernard
• Kip Brown
• Steve David
• J Michael Kelly
• JW Myers
• Brian Perkins
• Dave Villwock
• Mike Webster

Famous Unlimited Hydroplanes - Present & Past

PRESENT:

• Oh Boy! Oberto
• Spirit of Qatar
• Degree Men
• Great Scott!
• Miss Red Dot
• Spirit of Detroit
• Miss Visit TRI-CITIES
• Valken
• Peters & May
• Graham Trucking
• Formulaboats.com
• Beacon Plumbing
• Miss TapouT
• Miss HAPO

PAST:

• Miss Madison
  Miss Madison
  Miss Madison is an H1 Unlimited hydroplane. It is the only community-owned unlimited hydroplane in the world. It is based out of Madison, Indiana, a small town of 12,000 residents on the Ohio River which annually hosts the Madison Regatta...
  
  
• Miss Budweiser
  Miss Budweiser
  The Miss Budweiser were 22 Hydroplanes sponsored by Budweiser beer. They were owned by Bernie Little and , his youngest son, Joe...
  
  
• Miss Elam Plus
• Miss Bardahl
• Atlas Van Lines
• Hawaii Kai III
• Miss Thriftway
• Miss Wahoo
• Smokin' Joes
• Close Call
• Maverick
• Slo-mo-shun IV
• Slo-mo-shun V
• Gale V
• Miss Eagle Electric
• Miss Burien
• Miss Spokane
• Pay 'N Pack

Famous Former Unlimited Hydroplane Owners & Drivers

• Bernie Little
  Bernie Little
  Bernie Little was the most successful owner in Unlimited Hydroplane racing history. His Miss Budweiser team won 134 of the 354 hydroplane races they entered. They won the high points championship 22 years in 40 years of competition, and the Gold Cup 14 times...
  
  
• [Lee E.] Chip Hanhauer
• Mark Evans
• Nate Brown
• Olie Bardahl
• Bill Muncey
  Bill Muncey
  William Edward "Bill" Muncey was an American hydroplane racing legend from La Mesa, California. He won 62 races, the most races in the history of the sport...
  
  
• Bill Brow
• Mira Slovak

Past & Current Unlimited Hydroplane Team Sponsors

• Budweiser
  Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)
  Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
  
  
• Ellstrom Manufacturing Inc.
• Degree Mens Products
• Atlas Van Lines
• Madison, Indiana
  Madison, Indiana
  As of the census of 2000, there were 12,004 people, 5,092 households, and 3,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile . There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 654.1 per square mile...
  
  
• Oberto Sausage Company
  Oberto Sausage Company
  Oberto Sausage Company is a family-owned business that makes beef jerky, Italian style salami, pepperoni and other snack sausages. It is headquartered in Kent, Washington. It is generally known as Oh Boy! Oberto...
  
  
• Country of Qatar
• Thriftway Grocery Stores
• Pay N Pack Hardware Stores
• Bardahl automotive products
• William Boeing Jr. & partners (Miss Wahoo)
• Carson Family
• Burien, Washington
• Graham Trucking
• KJR Radio Station, Seattle WA

Engine manufacturers

UNLIMITED HYDROPLANES:

• Allison
  Allison Engine Company
  The Allison Engine Company was a U.S. aircraft engine manufacturer. In 1929, shortly after the death of James Allison, the company was purchased by the Fisher brothers. Fisher sold the company to General Motors, who owned it for most of its history...
  
  
• Lycoming
• Rolls-Royce Merlin

UNLIMITED LIGHTS & GP/LIMITED INBOARD HYDROPLANES:

• General Motors Corp.
• Ford Motors Corp.
• Chrysler Motors Corp.
• Yamaha Personal Watercraft Div.
• Kawasaki Personal Watercraft Div.

PROFESSIONAL, OPC, STOCK, & MODIFIED OUTBOARD HYDROPLANES:

• Konig PRO Outboard Motors, Germany
• Konny PRO Outboard Motors, CZ
• Rossi-GRM PRO Outboard Motors, Italy
• VRP PRO Outboard Motors, Italy
• Yamato Outboard Motors Ltd., Japan
• OMC/Johnson Marine, USA
• OMC/Evinrude Marine, USA
• Tohatsu Marine, Japan
• Sidewinder Racing Motors, USA
• Mercury Marine, USA

See also

• Motorboat racing
  Motorboat racing
  Motorboat racing takes several forms:*Drag boat racing*Hydroplane racing*Jet sprint boat racing*Offshore powerboat racing*F1 Powerboat World Championship...
  
  
• Kyōtei
  Kyotei
  The , literally "boat racing" and referred to as BOAT RACE, is a hydroplane racing event primary held in Japan. It is one of Japan's four , which are sports events where parimutuel betting is legal.Kyōtei was introduced in Japan in 1952...
  
   - parimutuel hydroplane boat races in Japan
  Japan
  Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
  
   and South Korea
  South Korea
  The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
  
  

External links

• APBA-Racing.com - United States UIM National Authority for all power boat racing
• H1 Unlimited - major unlimited hydroplane racing league.
• Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum - Located in Kent, Washington it contains many hydros from the 1950s - 1980s
• CBFNC.ca - The Canadian authority for UIM powerboat racing
• US Title Series - APBA - PRO Outboard Racing
• HydroRacing.com - Tri-City Herald's online coverage of the Columbia Cup since 1996.
• HydroInsider.com
• Grand Prix West HydroPlane Association(GPW) Grand Prix hydropane class and club in the American Power Boat Association.
• Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association- Unlimited Light hydroplanes,Lighter than light hydroplanes
• Formula Series UIM Championships - Formula Series OSY400, F-125, F-250, F-350 & F-500 UIM Championships.
• HydroplaneQuebec.com
• QuincyLooperRacing.US - History of Quincy Welding, Quincy Looper outboard racing engines and hydroplane / runabout racing
• TORCRacing.ca - The Toronto Outboard Racing Club Inc. - Canada's largest and oldest sanctioned outboard racing club
• Badger State Outboard Association - A Region 7 club of APBA, located in Wisconsin, USA
• Hydroracer Is one of the largest powerboat forums in the USA.
• Stars of Powerboating - database of powerboating champions.