DUBAI 4 March 2018: UAE-based Team Victory has unleashed a high-tech F1 Powerboat that embodies the same cutting-edge engineering as the legendary Emirati squad’s multiple-title-winning offshore powerboats.
The Victory Team F1 Powerboat has been designed to conform to all the regulations in the keenly contested F1H20 category, and it could be one of the leading contenders in the 2018 championship. Underpinned by a high-strength hull constructed from carbonfibre, Kevlar, synthetic fibre, Airex and Nomex, the boat is not just extremely rigid, it’s also ultra-light.
Fully designed and manufactured by Team Victory team at its Dubai headquarters, the F1 boat powered by a 2.5-litre two-stroke Mercury engine that pumps out 400hp at 9,500 rpm. It can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just four seconds and is capable of reaching 220km/h flat out.
Given that F1 boats must conform to tight guidelines, the difference between the winning vessel and the rest is the creativity in its design and accuracy/precision of its manufacturing. Chairman at Team Victory, Huraiz Al Mur Mohammad Bin Huraiz, says the fact that the F1 Powerboat is designed and manufactured in-house by the Victory Team means they have the know-how to modify it within the rules and regulations to produce a winning boat.
“As the flagship UAE team we want to be No 1 at all times,” he said. “We are looking forward to competing in the 2018 F1H20 World Championship and the season ahead looks very promising. At the moment there are seven rounds in the championship, but that should grow to 8-9 races in the next two years. This will enable us to showcase Team Victory team in many different venues around the world.”
In past years, F1 powerboat racing was a highly dangerous sport as the early boats were constructed from thin plywood with drivers sitting in an open, exposed cockpit with the risk of injury or even death in the event of an accident. However, the sport has evolved considerably since then, and today’s F1 powerboats are designed not only to go fast, but also to offer their drivers as much collision-protection as possible.
The Team Victory F1 Speedboat is equipped with an airbag, and a cockpit constructed from high-strength carbonfibre, Kevlar and other shockproof materials. There is also HANS head and neck support, a bullet-proof windscreen and plastic foam for tips of the hull to avoid penetration in the event of a collision.