Ibiza World Powerboat Championship Grand Prix 2014

Throttle-man Marit Stromoy & Pilot Pal Virik Nilsenn

Top class Powerboat and Aquabike racing is set for Ibiza in September 2014, when the Monaco based Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) brings the Class 1 World Championships to the islands waters. Playa Den Bossa will play host to the powerboats, while the Marina of Ibiza Town will feature the acrobatics of the class pro Aquabikes. The glamorous and stylish water festival will showcase the best drivers in the World as they race speedboats in excess of 160mph. The highly technical, state of the art racing boats are equipped with V12 and V8 engines and require one driver to navigate and steer and one throttle-man to control the speed, altitude and trim, as they hurtle through the waves. It takes considerable skill to pilot the 5 tonne boats which can cost well in excess of €800K. Eight races at four venues make up the World Championship and points are awarded similar to Formula 1 Motor Racing. The races are run over 55 and 75 nautical miles with laps of 5 nautical miles. Each Grand Prix takes place over a three day weekend which will kick off in Ibiza on Friday, 5th of September 2014, with an estimated television audience of 300 million. The Ibiza Grand Prix has secured a four year deal to host the event to 2018.

The successful IWC Team

A press release from the promoters of the event H20 Racing, stated that Ibiza was chosen because of  its “crystal clear waters, long stretches of spectacular beaches…luxurious and glamorous lifestyle… a world class infrastructure of luxury hotels, top class restaurants…. and a fast paced music and nightlife culture that sits comfortably with the youthful exuberance of Aquabikes and the glamour tag of Class 1 powerboat racing”. Speaking to the blog, Nigel Quilter of H20 stated that “We were approached by Ibiza World Championships (IWC) to discuss the possibility of hosting one of our events. Before we can commit to any venue certain requirements need to be met from venue infrastructure, logistics and financial. From the event side we anticipate 10 Class 1 boats and four categories of Aquabikes, with upwards of 50 riders in total”. This is the first time that a leg of the World Championships are being held in Spanish waters, so it is a considerable coup for the IWC team, which has the backing of the local Matutes group. The rich and powerful, plus a long A-list of celebrities are expected to descend on the tented VIP village which is sure to be popping to the sounds of champagne corks. The festival will coincide with the Ibiza closing parties, so now is the time to book your accommodation for what promises to be a spectacular and sparkling affair. The blog hopes to bring a live daily report from the event next year.