Unlimited Hydroplane Racing 101

by: Fred Farley

Submitted by the famous racer Skip from Seattle
printed with permission

All Unlimited hydroplane racing in the United States is sanctioned and administered by HYDRO-PROP, Inc., a private company, which is affiliated with the American Power Boat Association (APBA). The APBA is the national authority for the Union of International Motorboating (UIM).

HYDRO-PROP, Inc., has offices in Lake Hamilton, Florida; the APBA is based in Eastpointe, Michigan; while the UIM is headquartered in Monaco.

All owners and drivers of Unlimited hydroplanes must be current members of both APBA and HYDRO-PROP, Inc.

HYDRO-PROP, Inc., was formerly known as the Unlimited Racing Commission (URC) and the Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Association (UHRA).

The APBA and HYDRO-PROP do not sponsor races. That is the privilege of local communities that want to put on a boat race.

The six cities on the 2002 Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane Series tour are Evansville, Indiana; Madison, Indiana; Detroit, Michigan; Tri-Cities, Washington; Seattle, Washington, and San Diego, California. Points scored in all six races are used to determine the National High Point Champion team and driver.

An Unlimited hydroplane must measure between 28 and 32 feet in length. There are no limitations on piston engines in the Unlimited Class. Turbine engines are maintained in a stock configuration with a maximum of 2650 horsepower.

A boat must qualify in order to compete in a race. It must pass a safety inspection and complete at least one lap of a 2-mile or 2.5-mile course at "racing speed" as determined by the Director of Competition.

Unlimited hydroplanes utilize what is called a "flying start." A warning gun is fired at five minutes before the start and another at one minute before the start. The official start occurs at the exact instant that the starting clock indicates that the final minute has elapsed, at which time the starting gun is fired. If a boat "jumps the gun" by crossing the starting line before the official start, it must run an extra lap to be scored.

A maximum of six boats is allowed to start in a heat of Unlimited racing. That number may be reduced at the discretion of the Director of Competition in the interest of safety. When more than six qualified boats are available to race, the field is divided into "A" and "B" sections. If for example, 10 boats have qualified, five will be assigned to Heat 1-A and five to Heat 1-B. The boats will then be grouped into Heats 2-A, 2-B, 3-A, and 3-B.

First-place in a heat is worth 40 points; second-place, 30 points; third-place, 23; fourth, 17; and fifth, 13.

All preliminary heats are three laps each; the Final Heat is five laps.

After three sets of preliminary heats, the five boats with the most points advance to the Final Heat. The remaining boats race in the Provisional Heat. The winner of the Provisional Heat advances to the Final Heat as a "trailer boat" and must start at the back of the pack.

Points determine who gets into the Final Heat, but the boats do not take those points into the Final Heat with them. The winner of the Final Heat is automatically the winner of the race, regardless of point total. Points earned in all heats are used to determine the National High Point Champion at the end of the year but have no bearing on the outcome of the Budweiser Madison Regatta.

The race will be stopped immediately if there is an accident or if an occurrence or situation on the race course makes competition hazardous to the participants beyond the usual hazards of competition.

The decisions of the Director of Competition in all matters shall be final and not subject to protest or appeal by any owner, driver, or official, thus insuring the awarding of trophies and prizes without undue delay.

Summarized by Fred Farley - APBA/HYDRO-PROP Unlimited Historian