But there's no Plymouth Grand Prix!
The International Offshore Team Association (IOTA) has confirmed seven races, two new venues, a 12-boat entry for the 2007 Class 1 World Offshore Championship series.
But the popular Plymouth event has been left out of the series for the first time in six years.
Saeed Hareb, President of the newly formed World Professional Powerboating Association (WPPA) and IOTA General Secretary, Marco Sala, revealed Athens and Constanta, Romania, as the new venues, with Portorose-Piran and Oslo to be confirmed. Arendal, Doha and Dubai complete the line-up with the first race of the season taking place in Athens on June 10. IOTA also confirmed it was holding on-going negotiations with three additional venues, with the strong possibility of increasing the calendar to ten races.
In addition to an extended calendar for 2007 IOTA also confirmed a 12-boat line-up including the participation of all of last year’s teams with Qatar, Victory and Veneta Marina-Duemme Offshore running two boats. Chris Parsonage Racing, Giorgioffshore, Ugland Offshore Racing and Spirit of Norway will each be running one plus the confirmation of two new entries from the USA and Italy.
See MBY’s April issue, published 8 March, for more on why Plymouth was left off the calendar.
2007 Class I world Offshore Championship calendar
8-10 June GREECE – Athens
20-22 July NORWAY – Arendal
31 August – 2 September ROMANIA – Constanta
28-30 September Reserve date
8-10 November QATAR – Doha
15-17 November QATAR – Doha
29 November- 2 December U.A.E. – Dubai
6-8 December U.A.E. – Dubai
The following venues to be finalised:
29 June-1 July SLOVENIA – Portorose-Piran (tbc)
10-12 August NORWAY – Oslo (tbc)
(28-30 September Reserve date
France, Villefranche or Italy, Syracuse or Spain, (Gijon)
