F1 H2O Nations Cup

Nations Cup, referred to officially as the UIM Nations Cup, was launched in 2011 and is officially sanctioned by the Monaco-based Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the world governing body of powerboating.

Nations Cup races run under a set of rules which are ratified and issued by the UIM, and by which all teams, participants and raceboats must comply.

The Nations Cup introduces a new approach to the spectacular sport of inshore circuit racing and is aimed at National Teams, made up of two boats and two to four drivers per Nation.

Each team competes with identical boats, engines and propellers, placing the emphasis of performance on the ability and skill of each driver, with the winner no longer being the strongest individual driver but the Nation with the best combination of drivers.

The 2012 event took place in Khor Fakkan, Sharjah, UAE.

The 2013 events took place in Doha, Qatar and Abu dhabi, UAE.

Each event is made up of three official practice sessions, one official qualifying session, a match race and two sprint races.

The results of official qualifying determine the start positions of race 1 and the results of race 1 determine the starting line-up for race 2.

The points amassed by teams in the match race and sprint races determine the overall winner of each event and the combined total of both events determine the winner of the Nations Cup.

The Promoter

H2O Racing is the officially sanctioned promoter and worldwide television and commercial rights holder of the UIM Nations Cup

H2O Racing is a sport’s management company set up by Nicolò di San Germano to promote and organise World Championship events in powerboating. The company was launched in January 2011 and brings together a group of professionals with over 30 years of experience in sport’s and event management to collectively manage all commercial and marketing activities across four Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) sanctioned properties; the F1H2O and Class 1 World Powerboat Championship, the Aquabike World Championships and the Nations Cup.

Nations Cup

Nations Cup is the brainchild of powerboat promoter Nicolò di San Germano, and introduces a new approach to the spectacular sport of inshore circuit racing, placing the emphasis on team participation and country success, rather than that of individual driver ability and success.

Each National Team is backed by its UIM sanctioned National Authority and runs two boats, with two to four drivers sharing practice, qualifying and racing responsibilities over a Grand Prix weekend.

Drivers compete in identical stock boats using identical engines and propellers which will be drawn for at the start of each race weekend, the winner no longer being the strongest individual driver but the Nation whose driver-combination amasses the most points.

Nations Cup is seen as an affordable way for new teams and drivers to compete internationally, giving Nations the opportunity to introduce and develop up-and-coming, talented young drivers.

The boats are owned and managed by H2O Racing at their headquarters in Abu Dhabi in the UAE and leased-out to teams, event-by-event.

The Teams

A maximum of ten Nations can compete at each event.

Each National Team consists of a minimum two maximum four drivers, one or two radiomen, a team manager and two technicians, support crew per boat.

The Championship

Nations Cup was launched in November 2011 in the spectacular setting of Marina bay, Singapore, with Team UAE’s Ahmed Al Hameli fastest in qualifying, winning the match race and Singapore Grand Prix, Team UAE winning the overall Nations Cup Trophy.

Ten Nations, 19 drivers - Brunei, Brazil, Finland, Hungary, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, UAE.

The 2012 season started in Khor Fakkan, Sharjah in the UAE. Team Qatar’s Khalid Al Shamlan went quickest in qualifying, with Team UAE’s Majed Al Mansoori winning the match race and both sprint races. Team UAE winning the Nations Cup Khor Fakkan.

Eight Nations, 16 drivers - Brunei, Brazil, Finland, Hungary, Malaysia, Qatar, South Africa, UAE

The Event

A Nations Cup Grand Prix weekend is run over four days with a drivers briefing, the draw for boats, engines and propellers and scrutineering taking place on day one.

Two official practice sessions, in the morning and afternoon take place on day 2, with official qualifying and the match race held on day 3.

Day four sees one final official practice session with both sprint races taking place in the afternoon.

The official race circuit is a four-pin, 1640 metre anti-clockwise course.

All practice sessions are run on the official race circuit.

Qualifying is run on the official race circuit over one hour with all boats allowed unlimited laps to try to post the fastest time, the top 16 going through to the match race.

The match race with two boats racing off against each other is run on an alternate course consisting of a four-pin long lap of approximately 700 metres and a five-pin short lap of approximately 400 metres.

The first round and quarter final is a straightforward one-run elimination with the semi-finals, 3rd and 4th place race off and the final the best of three runs.

The races are two, twenty lap or maximum 20 minute sprints from a standing start of the pontoon, with the pole-sitter – the fastest boat in qualifying – lining up on the inside with the advantage of the shortest distance to the first turn buoy.

In the event of an incident out on the course a yellow flag will be raised. The boats continue around the course at a reduced pace until the incident is cleared and the green flag is raised.

Whilst the match race and sprint races are counted as individual driver events - ALL - points achieved by drivers from the match race and sprint races count towards the overall Nations Cup Team result – (the points achieved in sprint race 2 determines the overall result in the event of a tie)

Points - 1st 25pts ; 2nd 22pts ; 3rd 20pts ; 4th 18pts ; 5th 16pts ; 6th 15pts ; 7th 14pts ; 8th 13pts ; 9th 12pts ; 10th 11pts ; 11th 10pts ; 12th 9pts ; 13th 8pts ; 14th 7pts ; 15th 6pts : 16th 5pts ; 17th 4pts ; 18th 3pts ; 19th 2pts ; 20th 1pt

The Boats

The single-seater tunnel-hull catamarans are capable of breathtaking acceleration, high speeds and exceptional manoeuvrability.

Teams run identical stock boats, engines and a choice of two sets of propellers: Overall Length: 5302mm (with engine 5945mm) Beam: 2185mm Minimum Weight: 455 kg Engines: Mercury Optimax 200XS SST Capacity: 2.5litre Fuel: Unleaded - minimum 95 octane HP: 225 RPM: 8000 Propeller: Dewald Design/Build: H2O Racing Boat Construction: Carbon / Kevlar – Epoxy

Boats, engines, propellers are drawn for by lottery at the beginning of a Grand Prix weekend