Jul 12

Jul 12 - Jul 13

Black Lake Inboard Pirate Summer...

VINTAGE-INB

Black Lake

Olympia, WA

Jul 12 - Jul 13

Rock Falls River Chase

MOD-SO-J CLSES

Rock River

Rock Falls, IL

Jul 12 - Jul 13

Leo Fry Memorial

OB RR

Rogue River

Agness, OR

Jul 12 - Jul 13

Wild Ones Regatta

SO;D-J CLSES

Grass Lake

Grass Lake, MI

Jul 12 - Jul 13

Fulton Championships

MOD-SO-J CLSES

Lake Neatahwanta

Fulton, NY

Jul 12 - Jul 13

Midsummer Race at Salt Spring

INB-PRO-KPH-MOD-SO-OPC-J CLSES

Salt Spring Reservoir

Copperopolis, CA

Jul 17

Jul 17 - Jul 20

Ocean Cup - Pompano Beach, FL ar...

OS

Atlantic Ocean

Pompano Beach, FL

Jul 19

Jul 19 - Jul 20

2025 ALTON MIDWEST NATIONALS

OPC

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Alton, IL

Jul 19 - Jul 20

Thunder on the Choptank

INB

Choptank River

Cambridge, MD

Jul 19 - Jul 20

Northland Mardi Gras Gran Prix

OPC

Flambeau River

Ladysmith, WI

Jul 23

Jul 23 - Jul 27

2025 APBA/ USTS PRO National Cha...

PRO-KPH;N

Lake DePue

DePue, IL, IL

Jul 25

Jul 25 - Jul 27

Leonardtown Bash on the Bay

VINTAGE

Breton Bay

Leonardtown, MD

Jul 25 - Jul 27

APOLLO APBA GOLD CUP

SE-VINTAGE-INB-UNL

McNary Pool, Columbia River

Kennewick, WA

Jul 26

Jul 26 - Jul 27

Rumble in the Hills

VINTAGE-INB

Rocky Fork State Park

Hillsboro, OH

Jul 26 - Jul 27

Franks Race

OB RR

Klamath River

Klamath, CA

Jul 26 - Jul 27

Serpent Lake Powerboat Races

OPC

Serpent Lake

Crosby, MN

mobile menu

New Panther Is Taking Shape Nicely

By: Roy Mantle | APBA Guest Reporter | Apr 8, 2019

The upgrading of the P1 Panther powerboat, which is at the heart of the P1 SuperStock one-design race series, is in full swing and the focus has now moved to carrying out an extensive and rigorous testing programme initially in lake conditions in Florida and then on the challenging waters of the Atlantic.  

Following the P1 fleet being fitted with new carbon hulls a year ago and the announcement last June that the boats were to repower in 2019 with the new Mercury Racing 4.6L V-8 four-stroke 300R outboard, P1 unveiled plans to revolutionise the championship and attract a new set of racers by converting the Panther to a canopy race boat.   

In unofficial testing the Panther was clocked at 80mph, prompting former champion racer Craig Wilson from Wilson Custom Composites, who are building the boat, to say: "It's quick and nimble and going to be an amazing boat that should reach 85mph once we've found the optimum configuration of balance and prop."   

Keen to get reactions to the look of the boat with its new canopy - which has been designed to UIM specifications - P1 put the Panther on display at St. Cloud in central Florida at the end of March and invited members of the powerboat racing community, including multiple world champion Steve Curtis and experienced SuperStock racers Craig and Cynthia Belfatto, to get up close and personal. P1 chief executive Azam Rangoonwala was delighted with the comments and said: "Our aim is quite simply to harness advanced technology and materials to produce a high-speed racing work of art. The 2019 Panther will look sleek and stylish but maintain the character of the original deck design."

The principal objectives of the upgrade programme are to improve the race performance of the boats, enhance safety on the water and attract new racers to the series. Whilst the work progresses, the race crews and safety team will be undergoing specialised training and certification that includes - dunker tests'.

 Two Panthers are now out of the mould and a third is in the mould. "Powerboat P1 is leap frogging the marine industry by having the most technically advanced, full safety canopy system and interior available" added Craig Wilson. Testing will continue throughout April.