It’s back. It’s the sixth edition. It’s travelling far and wide. Yes, the Powerboat P1 UIM World Championship this month sets going on a daring 14-race season taking speed, excitement and spectacle to seven destinations spread over three continents. P1 racing during 2008, running from mid May to late October, will take the power of international motorsport to Spain, Italy, Portugal, Malta, France, Tunisia and Bahrain.

This year the honour of the curtain-raising to the season goes to San Benedetto del Tronto in the province of Ascoli Piceno overlooking the Adriatic coast for the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea.

As happens every year Race 1 of the Championship gathers around it a particular feeling of anxiety and curiosity as to who will ultimately make the starting line and eventually speculate on what improvements have been carried out by past competitors and what new entrants will be presenting for the new campaign.

Established boats, modified boats and new boats with respective teams all keen to make the 2008 season theirs – in enjoyment, experience and achievement.

Not much longer to wait now for the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea, Day 1, is scheduled for next weekend exactly between Friday 9 and Sunday 11 where a fleet of 19 powerboats divided into two categories are expected to highlight the 2008 Championship launch.

Nine teams are expected to make up the SuperSport category: The names of subscribed teams are VoomVoom.com, Ocean Dragon Racing, Team Sunseeker, Racing Project, The Spirit of Portomaso, Bullet Racing, Offshore Rana’s Team, Al & Al, and Baia High Performance OSG

With regards to the Evolution category this will be made up of ten teams, namely, Skater Racing Team, Centaurian Yachts, Metamarine Corse, Searex Racing Team, Project 1022 Team, Rizzardi Team, Nigel Hook Racing Team, Team Fountain Worldwide, OSG Racing Team, and C.R.T.E. Cigarette Racing Team Europe.

This is a time for speculations as to the power, talent and versatility of competing teams and yet it is only after the first outing that one can start making analysis and predictions.

But besides being one of the Championship racing venues what’s brewing on the local front? – Malta, for the fifth out of six seasons, will be represented by the Chaudron colours in a particular and striking presentation.

In seasons 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 Maltese boat-builders Chaudron Powerboats featured two editions of their 10-metre Chaudron 33 raced by the brother-and-sister team of Aaron and Audrienne Ciantar in the SuperSport category.

This was a most positive experience not only for the young crew who tasted racing at a high level of international competition but also as boat-builders which gave the local firm a new dimension and standing on the boating production side.

Last season brought about a rewarding outcome to the Chaudron brand-name. Following a most daring contest, one of their boats, a 13-metre Chaudron hull powerboat, specifically built for one of the most respected throttleman on the P1 circuit, Italian Angelo Tedeschi, and raced as team ‘Roscioli Hotels Roma’ won the SuperSport Class World Championship.

But looking back at the past four years what has the P1 meant to Aaron Ciantar and to Chaudron?

“As a racer it was a time which gave us the first experience of international racing and through consistent participation we savoured both the sweet taste of victory and the bitterness of defeat which in a way helps one to mature and appreciate being part of a racing circuit. We integrated gracefully with the racing community where today we enjoy both respect and friendship.

“On the other hand as a boat-builder the P1 gave Chaudron the opportunity to test and improve upon our products’ performance.

“Undoubtedly it was a remarkable experience too even as boat-builders. Today we have two of our boats on the circuit raced by two foreign buyers which confirms the credibility our product has attained on the market”, remarked Aaron.

What made you give up the brother-sister racing partnership to join the Italian team?

“At the end of last season we decided to replace the 33-footer we had been racing with for the past two years. Meanwhile, following some sea trials I had with Angelo Tedeschi he asked me to consider joining his team as a driver. This presented me with a new challenge. I helped to build the craft and have spent many hours testing it so as to understand its balance and performance. I have great respect for Tedeschi, who after all is the reigning world champion. The 2008 championship will definitely be very tough and the pressure will surely be on the Racing Project team as defending Champions. However the Aaron-Audrienne racing team would be back for sure,” explained Aaron.

And what has happened to Chaudron 33?

“It has been purchased by Benjamin Van Riet of Belgian nationality who will be racing the P1 this season under the team’s name of ‘Spirit of Portomaso’ while he would be flying the Malta flag throughout the Championship.

Competing in such high power events definitely entail substantial resources. Have you secured sufficient financial backing?

“We have secured a number of prominent sponsors and we should finalise some pending deals in the coming days. Amongst the ‘big’ ones there are The Casino at Portomaso, MFCC (Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre) and Ravenol”, revealed Aaron.

But, what has convinced Angelo Tedeschi, Owner/Throttleman of Racing Projectb team to take up Aaron Ciantar?

“Having won the world title we must work even harder to defend it and Aaron will provide us with that extra something. He sleeps and breathes powerboating, has spent his whole life on the sea and is a highly accomplished seaman. He will be a good investment for the team. Even Austrian Hannes Bohinc of Wettpunkt.com rates him highly, so he must be good!” stated Tedeschi.

So good luck to all – organisers, host countries, competing teams, back-up crews, sponsors and power-boating enthusiasts too – for a magic P1 festival of speed, excitement and spectacle.