Defending UIM F1H2O World Champion Shaun Torrente set the fastest combined time of opening day at the Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan, but the Victory Team driver was in no mood to celebrate the number.
Speaking to F1H2O World Championship commentator Steve Michael after Free Practice 2, Torrente was blunt about what racing 1,607 metres above sea level does to a raceboat.
The course is fun. I’m still so damn slow. You’re so high, there’s no power, there’s no air for the boat.
It is the highest-altitude race in the championship’s history, and the effect is straightforward physics. Air density falls as altitude rises, so every intake stroke draws in fewer oxygen molecules, and a naturally aspirated engine has no turbocharger to compress the thinner air back up and compensate. Less oxygen means less fuel can be burned per cycle, and less fuel burned means less horsepower. Both F1H2O powerplants, the Mercury Racing 2.5-litre EFI two-stroke and the 360 APX four-stroke V8, run without forced induction, so neither has anything to fall back on at Issyk-Kul.
Championship leader Stefan Arand had put a number on it before testing began.
Theoretically, I think we’re losing over 100 horsepower at this altitude. You’re gonna feel it for sure.
For Torrente, the practical answer has been to widen the range of trim adjustment he uses to keep the boat settled.
Normally, I’m no more than plus one to minus two. That’s always in that range. Here, there’s no horsepower and no air. I’m plus three, four, five and minus four, five to get it down.
Trim controls the angle of the drive relative to the hull, and with it how much of the boat rides out of the water at speed. With less power available to correct the bow’s attitude the conventional way, the four time F1H2O World Champion has had to lean much harder on trim alone to hold the boat where he wants it.
You just have to drive a little different. It’s a really different condition. Took me a couple of laps to figure that out.
Torrente’s Victory Team boat was rebuilt after he crashed out in the final race at Cagliari on May 31, one of five barrel-rolls that weekend. His 48.946 in Free Practice 2 was the fastest of the day, ahead of Jonas Andersson and Marit Stromoy.
Elevation: 1,607 metres (5,272 feet) above sea level
Sharjah Team estimate: over 100hp lost to the thin air
Both F1H2O engine packages, the 2.5-litre EFI two-stroke and the 360 APX four-stroke, are naturally aspirated with no forced induction
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
