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How much power for do you need for racing? |
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Power boat racing dates to almost a hundred years ago. The quest for speed and power and the love for competition have in a large degree driven the growth of the boating industry. Boat engines are generating more horsepower to bring unprecedented boat speeds.
As a matter of fact, the history of powerboat racing runs alongside the development of powerboating itself. Consider the recognized pioneers in powerboats: Chris Smith of ChrisCraft, GarWood, and John Hacker of Hacker Craft. They all became famous by building and racing boats.
Just before the end of the nineteenth century, there were already considerable number of boats with internal combustion engines. This critical mass of boat owners naturally brought out the urge to test which among their boats are the most powerful and runs the fastest. Thus, the early days of boat racing began.
In every boat racing competition, having an engine with the right amount of horsepower often spells a big difference. But depending on the type of competition, greater horsepower is not always the best for your boat. In sailing races, for instance, an eight-horsepower outboard can already push a 30-foot, 6,000-pound boat.
Outboards can either come as two-stroke or four-stroke engines. The four-stroke engine is generally preferred is produces less noise and uses less fuel. However, four-stroke engines may mean an additional 10 to 15 pounds on the boat’s weight, causing it to be a little heavier. This is a little disadvantage to racers. But given its power and efficiency, there are more racers that still prefer this engine type. What more, manufacturers are constantly developing lighter but more powerful four- and even sis-stroke engines.
The amount of power for boating activities such as boat racing depends on several factors. One of these is the boat’s weight. Another consideration is the wet surface of the boat since full keel boats weigh more and have greater surface area to push through the water.
A common rule of thumb recommends starting with a two-horsepower engine for small centerboard and keelboats less than 1,000 pounds, and adds one horsepower for every 1,000 pounds of displacement.
Sprint boat racing
For high performance boat racing, stronger horsepower is definitely needed. A steadily growing boat racing category is sprint or jet boat racing. Started in New Zealand in the eighties, spring boat racing has caught fire among Americans in the nineties.
Sprint boat racing started on rivers and then slowly progressed to tracks scraped out of the shallow areas along the rivers. New tracks have been developed in many lakes and rivers for this purpose.
The boats for sprint boat racing are extremely powerful. Some engines are designed to produce 700-975 horsepower while others are said to be running at 1000 horsepower at 6500 RPM.
Sprint boat racing is considered an extreme type of boat racing but it appeals to racers from every walk of life. Even the spectators vary from racing enthusiasts to families and children.
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