Only the boats that conform to a particular class can participate in off shore power boat racing. These boats are usually the expensive and large models that are specially built for durability and speed and under the pounding ocean waves which can be quite unpredictable.




Taking part in off shore power boat racing involves expending large amounts of money on fuel. It burns fuel up very fast taking into account the speed of the boat and the distance covered. Power boats are expensive and the cost of the competition is high. People who participate in power boat racing are participating in what is called an elite sport. Power racing is a team sport and is usually sponsored. It is supported and funded by both commercial sponsors and private funding. However, it is still considered to be an amateur sport.



Off shore boat racing is actually a regulated sport. Initially, its focus was on endurance racing but now it has moved nearer to circuit type of racing format. This is sport played on an international level with races being held all around world before crowning the season winner. This way, this sport is very similar to formula one racing. The Union International Motonautique, its governing body is in Monaco. In Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the UIM regulated class 1leads the offshore powerboat racing while in the United States the racing is split between the UIM/APBA/SBI and the OSS. The American Power Boat Association (APBA) has the sole authority to hold UIM events and this includes the Divisionals, North American Championship, the worlds and the nationals.



A powerboat championship is more or less like Formula1 car racing. Powerboat racing in its grand prix style has increased its scope since its inauguration in the year 1981. The season held in 2006 had 27 drivers competing in 12 teams. At a time, there were 24 boats competing in a race. As is in Formula1 racing, championship points are supposed to be earned on the way.



The offshore boat racing has a race course with a 350 meter circuit, typically marked out on a river, lake or a sheltered bay and has multiple turns. Speeds can range up to 170kmph depending on the power boat class. In this kind of racing, usually the speeds are around 140kmph. The longest power boat races usually last up to 45 minutes.



It is a little difficult to find out about the occurrences of racing events. On-line magazines and periodicals are now trying to address issues related to offshore boat racing. H2O Full Throttle, one of the latest magazines along with other special publications like World of Powerboats and Extreme Boats and television channels on extreme sports are constantly providing information regarding this sport.



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