Cowes-Torquay-Cowes Powerboat Race Record

Records & Achievements

Red FPT

Fabio Buzzi / Simon Powell / Rafael Del Pino, 2008

2h 18m 5s

▼

Average speed 91.1 mph for entire 190-mile course

Vector Martini Rosso

Peter Dredge / Simon Powell / Mal Crease / David Gandy, 2015

94.55 mph avg

▼

Remarkable consistency in modern powerboat era

2021 Course Record

Modern challenger

~2h 25m

▼

Average speed 94.7 mph — evolution of power and design

BPRC Legacy

British Powerboat Racing Club, since 1961

65+ Years

▼

One of the oldest offshore powerboat races in continuous operation

Red FPT — CESA 1882

Red FPT passing The Needles, Isle of Wight

Red FPT (ex-CESA 1882) · The Needles, Isle of Wight · CTC 2008

CESA 1882 / Red FPT — Fabio Buzzi

13.2m monohull · 4× FPT N67 600 hp · 2,400 hp · Trimax drives · 110+ mph

1985

▼

Hull
13.2m (43 ft) · 2.80m beam · ~7 tonnes

Designer
Fabio Buzzi · FB Design · Annone Brianza

Engines (1985)
4× Aifo Iveco 8061 · 5.9L · ~550 hp ea · 2,200 hp

Engines (1988)
4× Seatek · 8.2L · ~700 hp ea · 2,800 hp

Engines (2008)
4× FPT Industrial N67 · 600 hp ea · 2,400 hp

Transmission
Trimax surface-piercing propellers (Buzzi patent)

As "Gancia dei Gancia" · 1988

CESA 1882 cutaway · 4× engine layout · Trimax drives

                        1986 — CTC outbound heat win (as Rolly Go) · broke propeller on return

                        1988 — 17 podiums / 14 wins · Italian / European / UIM Class 1 World Champion

                        1988 — CTC win · 201 nm · 85.90 mph avg · Buzzi / Villa / Dag Pike

                        1988 — APBA Key West · 3 wins + Miami-Nassau (as Gancia dei Gancia · Casiraghi / Buzzi / Ferraris)

                        1989 — UIM Class 1 Worlds Atlantic City · back-to-back titles · Sam Griffith Trophy

                        1990 — Turbodiesel rule change ends Class 1 career

                        2008 — CTC record · 2h 18' 05" · 91.01 mph avg · Buzzi / Powell / Del Pino

                        2010 — CTC + Cowes 100 double · UIM Marathon World Cup · Buzzi / Riganti / Powell

                        1985 Rolly Go → 87 Luchaire → 88 CESA 1882 / Gancia dei Gancia → 90 Tecno → 90s Super Hawaii (Japan) → 08 Red FPT

                        Buzzi (1943–2019) · FB Design · 40+ world records · killed Sept 2019 Venice lagoon during Monaco-Venice record attempt

Route Progression

Cowes, Isle of Wight

START · Royal Yacht Squadron line · Solent

The Needles

~8 nm · Chalk stacks, western tip of Isle of Wight · Enter open English Channel

Anvil Point

~30 nm · Dorset coast · Purbeck headland

Portland Bill

~42 nm · Tidal race, overfalls · One of the most dangerous headlands in the Channel

Lyme Bay Crossing

~60 nm · Open water crossing · Exposed to SW swells · No shelter

Start Point

~78 nm · Rocky headland, Devon · Strong tidal streams

Berry Head

~88 nm · Limestone headland · Approach to Tor Bay

Torquay

~95 nm · TURN · Tor Bay · Round the mark and return

Return Leg

~95 nm · Same course in reverse · Berry Head → Start Point → Portland Bill → Needles → Cowes

Cowes

FINISH · ~190 nm total · Royal Yacht Squadron