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Class 1, referred to officially as the ''UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship'', is widely regarded as the pinnacle of international offshore powerboat racing, and is officially sanctioned by the Monaco-based Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the world governing body of powerboating. Class 1 races run under a set of rules which are agreed by the Offshore Professional Committee (OPC), which are ratified and issued by the UIM, and by which all teams, participants and raceboats must comply. A Class 1 season consists of a series Grands Prix, made up of three official practice sessions, one official qualifying session which is also known as Pole Position and two races. The results of each race are combined to determine the winner of the World Championship, the European Championship and the Middle East Championship are defined by specific events in those geographic regions. The results in official qualifying determine the winner of the Pole Position Championship. Eight races at four Grand Prix make up the 2012 calendar with races in Qatar, Gabon, Italy and Dubai. Class 1 race circuits are run on a variety of different waters from offshore open water to Fjords and lakes. Twenty drivers from Italy, Monaco, Norway, Qatar, Turkey, UAE, UK and the USA, nine teams and 10 boats will contest the 2011 Championships. Class 1 is considered one of the most spectacular motorsports in the world. A Class 1 raceboat is twin-engined and can reach speeds in excess of 257 km/h (160 mph), with V12 engines limited in performance to 850 hp at 7600 rpm and V8 engines limited in performance to 850 hp at 6100 rpm. All boats are limited by a minimum weight of 4950 kg. While a Class 1 raceboat is highly technical and state-of-the-art, and its overall performance is dependent on design, aero and hydro dynamics, choice of propeller and gear ratio selection, the relationship between driver and throttleman, who navigate and control the power, must provide direct input to adjust trim and drive settings during a race or official qualifying, is ultimately the defining factor and crucial to performance. The sport of powerboat racing has undergone unprecedented change since early records of a race in 1887 in Nice, France, organized by the Paris Sailing Club. The French also claimed the next two recorded races in 1903, a 62-mile race in Meulan on the River Seine organized by the Poissy Sailing Club and a 230-mile race from Paris to Trouville. But the first officially recognized international offshore powerboat race was a 22-mile event from Calais, France to Dover, England. But the modern-era of offshore powerboat racing was kick-started on 6 May 1956 with the first running of the famous Miami-Nassau race, which would ultimately lead to the introduction of the Sam Griffith Memorial Trophy and a UIM sanctioned World Championship in 1964. From 1964 to 1976 the winner of the World Championship was decided by points gained from multiple races held at venues around the world. From 1977 to 1991 the winner was decided by series of races at a single event at the end of the year. The World Championship reverted to a multi-event format in 1992. ==Promoter== H2O Racing is the officially sanctioned promoter and worldwide television and commercial rights holder of the ''UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship''. H2O Racing is a sports management company set up by Nicolò di San Germano to promote and organise World Championship events in powerboating. The company was launched in January 2011 and brings together a group of professionals with over 30 years of experience in sports and event management to collectively manage all commercial and marketing activities across four Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) sanctioned properties; the F1H2O and Class 1 World Powerboat Championships, the Aquabike and Rally Jet World Championships and the inaugural F1H2O Nations Cup. President: Nicolò di San Germano 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Class 1 World Powerboat Championship」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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