Cappellini’s Record-Breaking Raid Boat on Display at Motor Bike Expo Verona
The DAC-Mercury powerboat that carried Guido Cappellini to a new Raid Pavia-Venezia record is on display at Motor Bike Expo in Verona this weekend, giving visitors a close look at the machine that broke a 20-year-old benchmark on Italy’s waterways.
The boat sits in Pavilion B on the ground floor at the Mercury Racing stand, complete with the trophy awarded for Cappellini’s June 2 victory in the 72nd edition of the historic raid.
The Record Performance
Cappellini completed the 414-kilometre course from Pavia to Venice in one hour, 41 minutes and 54 seconds, averaging 207.26 km/h. The time surpassed Dino Zantelli’s 2005 record of one hour, 44 minutes and 45 seconds at an average of 203.34 km/h.
The ten-time F1H2O World Champion claimed the Coppa Montelera for the fastest time on the 55-kilometre Revere-Pontelagoscuro section and won the Paolo Masiero Trophy for overall victory.
Record Details: Cappellini’s average speed of 207.26 km/h represented a 3.92 km/h improvement over the previous benchmark, which had stood for two decades.
The Machine
The Team Abu Dhabi boat was powered by a Mercury 360 APX four-stroke engine. The powerplant represented Mercury Racing’s environmental compliance strategy whilst delivering the performance needed for the demanding river course.
Cappellini employed two refuelling stops during the race, a tactical shift from his previous single-stop strategy in earlier attempts at the record.
The Raid Pavia-Venezia follows the Po River through northern Italy, with competitors navigating strong currents, sharp bends and varying water conditions across the 414-kilometre distance.
The Display
Motor Bike Expo runs through January 25 at Veronafiere in Verona. The event draws more than 170,000 visitors and features more than 700 exhibitors across eight halls.
The Riva Classiche partnership with Cappellini dates to 2005, when the driver set the water speed record on Lake Iseo near the company’s Sarnico facility. That mark still stands.
Powerboat News covered Cappellini’s record-breaking performance in its 2025 year-end review.
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.
