Historical powerboat racing coverage from Powerboat News. Archive stories, heritage features, vintage racing profiles, and water speed record history from the sport’s past.
Coverage includes classic championships, legendary drivers, forgotten venues, and the evolution of powerboat racing from circuit classes to offshore and unlimited hydroplanes.
The Popeyes founder spent millions transforming American offshore powerboat racing into a corporate spectacle, won six national championships, and died chasing one final speed record.
The Morning After in California Al Copeland woke up in California in 1980 with the worst hangover of his life.
The powerboat racer who lost his right arm in a 1989 accident went on to become Vice President of Argentina and remains in public service today.
In early September 1986, a 29-year-old Argentine businessman arrived in Guernsey for the Peter Stuyvesant International Powerboat Week.
Adriano Panatta defeated Björn Borg at Roland Garros when no one else could, won the 1976 French Open, and led Italy to its only Davis Cup title.
Then he walked away from tennis and spent the next 25 years racing offshore powerboats.
On May 5, 1982, an unlikely duel unfolded at Holme Pierrepont in Nottinghamshire.
Nigel Mansell, behind the wheel of a black and gold John Player Special Lotus 87, went head-to-head with Formula One powerboats piloted by Bob Spalding and Tom Percival.
Rocky Aoki: The Restaurant Tycoon Who Survived Offshore Racing’s Deadliest Crash Historical Feature | 1974-1982 Hiroaki ‘Rocky’ Aoki built a restaurant empire then risked it all racing powerboats.
In 1979, a crash under the Golden Gate Bridge gave him a 10 percent chance of survival.
Fabio Buzzi: The Italian Engineering Genius Who Ruled Offshore Racing Historical Feature | 1943-2019 The restaurant was packed that evening after an offshore race when Fabio Buzzi spotted Stefano Casiraghi dining with his wife, Princess Caroline of Monaco, across the room.
Never one to miss an opportunity, Buzzi shouted over to their table: “If you … Read more
Offshore Champion to CIA Witness: The George Morales Story Historical Investigation | 1983-1991 In December 1983, Colombian-born powerboat sensation George Morales basked in glory as offshore racing’s undisputed king, clinching the American National Championship, Harmsworth Trophy, US1 title, and a blistering world speed record of 116.64 mph, all in his debut open-class season. “I guess … Read more
Trump’s Atlantic City Powerboat Disaster UIM Class 1 | World Championship History Donald Trump currently serves as the 47th President of the United States, having previously served as the 45th President from 2017 to 2021.
Before entering politics, he spent decades building a business empire centred on real estate development and brand licensing.
Chuck Norris: World Powerboat Racing Champion at 51 Offshore Racing | Celebrity Champions Long before the internet decided that Chuck Norris doesn’t do push-ups but rather pushes the Earth down, the martial arts legend was doing something far more impressive: winning a world powerboat racing championship at 140 mph.
The year was 1991.
Billy Seebold’s Impossible Victory: Bristol 1982 Circuit Racing | Historic Races The three-minute starter board was raised.
Not a sound could be heard in Bristol Docks.
How Four Deaths in Four Months Changed Circuit Racing Forever Circuit Racing | Safety Evolution Watch any UIM F1H2O or F2 race today and the sight of drivers racing behind enclosed canopies seems entirely normal.
Modern drivers benefit from composite safety cells, HANS devices, airbags, and life support systems, technology that keeps them strapped securely … Read more
