New figures just released confirm that powerboat racing is perhaps more affordable than many think. P1 SuperStock, the high-profile UK championship, has revealed that a full season's running costs come in at under £15,000 for a driver and navigator racing the  P1 Panther 28SS boat.

P1 SuperStock an affordable start



Prime time coverage
P1 SuperStock enjoyed prime time television coverage on Sky Sports in 2011, was hosted at major cities such as Plymouth, Liverpool and Hull - the organisation claims it delivered more bang for its buck than comparable one make car racing championships such as Mini Challenge and Clio Cup. uk.boats.com

Compares well
Newly-crowned 2011 SuperStock UK National Champion John Wilson (Coleshill, Birmingham) says his title-winning powerboat racing season compares very closely with his single-seater motor racing campaign last year. “There is very little difference in the cost of competing in SuperStock compared to car racing, except the cost can be divided between the driver and navigator making it fantastic value for money”, John said.

Racing a one-design powerboat also compares favourably with racing car preparation and consumable costs according to SuperStock driver and former saloon car racer Rupert Pugh (Matlock Bath).“Circuit racing came first for me as I’d always wanted to race cars, but the cost of tyres and consumables began to make it too expensive. Contrary to popular opinion, powerboat racing is a lot more affordable and accessible. People seem to think boats are very expensive because of their eye-catching, sleek looks, but in reality I am racing at the highest national level in SuperStock for much less outlay than being on the TOCA package racing with British Touring Cars.”

Driver recruitment
Discovering the true running costs has encouraged P1 SuperStock UK Championship Manager Paolo Callea to adopt a new strategy for driver recruitment in 2012. “These new figures are a fantastic boost to the championship as they prove we can deliver a huge amount of value to our drivers and show that SuperStock is highly affordable. We can now put together some very attractive ‘arrive and drive’ deals for 2012.”

Comparative Running Budget Cost Summary
Details                          P1 Powerboat Championship         FF2000 Championship
Entry Fees                             £1,300                                                 £3,000
Race Licences                         £750                                                    £150
Boat Inspection/Tagging          £600                                                      n/a
Race Suits/Helmets               £1,000                                                   £500
Hotel Accommodation           £5,000                                                £2,000
Evening Meals/Drinks            £2,500                                                £1,800
Travel                                     £1,800                                                £2,500
Race Fuel/Oil etc                      £800                                                £1,000
Tyres (three sets/season)           n/a                                                 £2,000
Total Running Costs                £6,875 each (driver & navigator)   £12,950 for driver alone