H1 Unlimited is at the 84th UIM General Assembly in Abu Dhabi. The H1 contingent includes Chairman Sam Cole, who will address the assembly on Sunday as well as Chief Referee Mike Noonan and defending UIM World Champion Dave Villwock.
Ken Muscatel’s 25 Superior Racing and Webster Racing’s 22 Great Scott presents the Oryx Cup are on display at the event. Both boats are sporting special color schemes done for this occasion.
Following the event, the 22 and 25 will make the short trip to Doha, Qatar for the 3rd Annual Oryx Cup UIM World Championship November 17-19
In his opening remarks, UIM President Dr Raffaele Chiulli said the following -
On behalf of the UIM , Union Internationale Motonautique, it is a great pleasure to welcome all of you at the 84th UIM General Assembly in Abu Dhabi during the week of October 17th – 23rd , 2011.
I am delighted to convey my best wishes to all delegates attending this important event with the certainty that their
participation will bring an invaluable contribution to advancing the UIM agenda and the dialogue among sport, cultures
and people and build strong bridges for international and intercultural cooperation. My warmest welcome to all of you from
the hearth of the United Arab Emirates’ capital Abu Dhabi where you will appreciate the thousands years of history deeply
steeped in culture and heritage, well reflected in the country’s architecture and collections and where past and present
blend into an enduring and admirable lesson in the art of living.
The inherently rich UAE culture, together with all the
initiatives and programs Abu Dhabi have launched, constitute the bedrock for the capital ’s attractions. Hospitality is the
main aspect of UAE people traditions and values and it is reflected in the authentic warmth and kindliness that we will
experience in Abu Dhabi.
The UIM General Assembly offers the international motor boating sports community the annual occasion to gather
together in an authoritative networking environment to build relationships, expand horizons and broaden our sport’s
collective endeavors.
The Abu Dhabi government sees our sport as a strategic component in its development agenda and already hosted
world-renowned power boating and entertainment events and its attraction is further enhanced by high-profile venues
such as Yas Island, where the UIM General Assembly will be held.
I am confident that the beautiful treasures you will discover, the rich maritime heritage and the reputation of warm
hospitality of the Abu Dhabi people will be key factors for the success of the 84th UIM General Assembly.
The United Arab Emirates Marine Sports Federation, full member of the UIM, along with the ADIMSC, Abu Dhabi
International Marine Sports Club, made a significant contribution to develop highly skilled pilots and talents and many of
them won UIM Championship titles. This is a commendable result for this Federation and for the Club along with
organizing and hosting the UIM General Assembly. I do appreciate their efforts and I sincerely wish to address my
appreciation to the Abu Dhabi Government for their support and constructive approach.
The overall UIM roadmap fits well with the Abu Dhabi Government’s strategy to valorize renewable technologies, yachting
industry, high quality tourism and to focus on a knowledge based economy.
My special thanks to His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of ADIMSC, for his genuine intention
to support our activities and our sport, especially for the young generations.
Finally I wish every delegate a welcome stay in Abu Dhabi as I am certain that the United Arab Emirates Marine Sports
Federation and the ADIMSC, who had worked constantly for this special occasion, will also be organizing delightful
moments both for the UIM delegates and their guests.
We look forward to welcoming motor boating sporting leaders and decision makers at the UIM General Assembly in Abu
Dhabi.
I wish you all a pleasant staying in Abu Dhabi and a successful General Assembly.
Dr. Raffaele Chiulli
UIM President
Congratulations are in order for Dave Villwock, who secured the 2011 Series Driver High Point Championship with his win in the 2011 Air National Guard Championship at Bayfair in San Diego.
With the driver and team points kept separately, Villwock said he was aware of the milestone but was more focused on the team championship which is not yet finalized.
It is Villwock’s tenth driver’s championship. His last win came in 2007 driving the U-16 Miss Elam Plus.
“There is always more attention paid to the team title, which is the way it should be,” said Villwock. “With a good qualifying run and a good first heat in Doha, we would have it sewed up, so that will be the goal.”
There are 2100 points available to a team running the table at the ORYX Cup, which means the 96 Spirit of Qatar team’s 1703 point lead over second place 17 Miss Red Dot does not secure the team title even though Villwock has a 2136 point lead over second place driver Scott Liddycoat in the 7 Valken.com.
The difference was created by the fact that that the Red Dot team used two drivers, Kip Brown and Cal Phipps during the 2011 season.
Photo - Jim Simpson H1 Unlimited
Driver Dave Villwock won his second consecutive Air National Guard Championship at San Diego Bayfair on Sunday, sweeping through all of his heats and closing in on his first national championship in four years.
Villwock won for a record ninth time on Mission Bay and as a result his Spirit of Qatar boat has more wins than any other hull in the sport’s history. Villwock also became the sport’s all-time winningest driver earlier this season in Detroit.
“I was just hoping to get one more win on this boat and I didn’t know if lady luck would give it to us,” Villwock said. “I can’t say I wasn’t thinking about getting the Ellstrom boat (the team’s owner) into the history books.”
He left little doubt that the Spirit of Qatar boat would make history in the five-lap final on the 2.5-mile Bill Muncey Memorial Racecourse. Villwock got a strong start and led from start to finish averaging 154 mph, despite driver Kip Brown pressing him late in the race.
“I think my boat needed another 10 mph out there to catch Dave,” Brown said. “He had too much speed for me to pass him.”
It appeared the final would be a showdown between Villwock and David. Both drivers swept through three heats each and in Friday’s qualifying they were within 1.5 mph of each other.
But lady luck played her part in the final. Lanes were determined by a random draw and David’s Oh Boy! Oberto got an outside lane, while Brown and Villwock occupied the inside lanes. David started in third place and was never able to make up the ground.
“I said from the beginning that luck was going to have a lot to do with it,” David said. “We didn’t have the luck going our way in the final.”
Villwock and his boat are a rare combination in sports history, both at the top of their sport. The Ellstrom-built boat has 25 wins and was previously tied with two other hulls before the win today. While Villwock said the boat, built in 2001, is showing its age, it still can perform.
“I wanted to get the record for the Ellstroms,” Villwock said. “Because if they ever build a new one or it gets put aside, I wanted them to have that record.”
With the North America leg of the Air National Guard Hydroplane Series complete, the tour concludes its season with the world championships in Doha, Qatar, November 17-19.
Images by Jim Simpson, Jeffrey Dahl & Chris Denslow
Sept. 17, 2011
San Diego, CA
Race Schedule:
Sunday, September 18, 2011
No Engine Starts Prior to 8 am
8-9:30 am Lucas Oil Drag Boats Competition-Crown Point Shores
8-9 am Stock Hydros-Fiesta Island
8-9 am PWC Heat Racing-Ski Beach
9-9:30 am Cracker Box Heat Racing-Ski Beach
9:30-10:30 am Air National Guard H1 Testing-2.5 mi Course
10 am Opening Ceremonies-National Anthem-Air National Guard Flyover (Note: This may change to 10:30 am)
10:30 am-Noon Lucas Oil Drag Boats Competition-Crown Point Shores
10:30-10:45 am Grand Prix West Heat 3A 1.567 mile course
10:45-11 am Grand Prix West Heat 3B 1.567 mile course
11-11:30 am P1 Heat Racing 1.567 mile course
Noon-12:10 pm Air National Guard H1 Heat 2A 2.5-mile course
12:30-12:40 pm Air National Guard H1 Heat 2B 2.5-mile course
12:40-2:10 pm Lucas Oil Drag Boats Competition-Crown Point Shores
12:40-1:40 pm Stock Hydros-Fiesta Island
12:40-1:30 pm PWC Heat Racing-Ski Beach
1:30-2 pm Cracker Box Heat Racing-Ski Beach
2:10-2:20 pm Air National Guard H1 Heat 3A 2.5-mile course
2:40-2:50 pm Air National Guard H1 Heat 3B 2.5-mile course
2:50-3:50 pm Lucas Oil Drag Boats Competition-Crown Point Shores
2:50-3:20 pm PWC Heat Racing-Ski Beach
2:50-3:20 pm Stock Hydros-Fiesta Island
3:20-3:40 pm Cracker Box Heat Racing-Crown Point Shores
3:50-4 pm Air National Guard H1 Provisional-2.5-mile course
4-5 pm Lucas Oil Drag Boats Competition-Crown Point Shores
4-4:20 pm P1 Final-1.567-mile course
4:20-4:50 pm Grand Prix West Final-1.567-mile course (8 boats
5-5:10 pm Air National Guard H1 Final-2.5-mile course
5:10-5:30 pm Lucas Oil Drag Boats Competition (if required)–Cracker Box final–Crown Point Shores
Sunday Images:
Images by Jim Simpson, Jeffrey Dahl & Chris Denslow
Sept. 18, 2011
San Diego, CA
Steve David and Dave Villwock look to be heading for another Sunday afternoon showdown as the duo won their respective heats Saturday at the Air National Guard Championship at San Diego Bayfair.
Villwock and Valken.com driver Scott Liddycoat ran one of the best heat races of the season. Liddycoat had the lead for most of the three-lap race when Villwock ran him down just before the finish line and slipped past him.
“If I could have had a little bigger lead going into that last turn, I probably could have held him off,” Liddycoat said. “He kept me kind of tight and my boat is not real fast coming off the turn in the inside lanes.”
Villwock stayed close for the first two laps on the 2.5-mile racecourse and felt he could catch Liddycoat on the back stretch.
“I just had to take my time,” said Villwock, who has won on San Diego’s Mission Bay eight times. “We were just running as hard as I could. It’s only three laps not five laps so you have to get it done a little quicker.”
David left no doubt who was going to win his heat. The Oh Boy! Oberto driver led from start to finish, easily putting some distance between himself and second-place finisher driver Kip Brown.
“I ran hard for a lap and was able to kind of conserve stuff,” David said. “But I don’t think we’ve seen everything the other teams have to offer this weekend.”
Saturday’s heats were the first time the Air National Guard Hydroplane Series went to a new starting procedure because of the saltwater. Heats were drawn at random but drivers could pick their lanes based on the order they were drawn.
David said luck of the draw will be needed Sunday for the winner of the Air National Guard Championship. It’s the last regular-season race in the United States before the tour goes to Doha, Qatar, for the world championships.
“It’s going to be luck and don’t screw up the start is going a long way in determining the winner,” he said.
For more on the Air National Guard Hydroplane Series, visit www.h1unlimited.com.
Heat Results for the Air National Guard Championships at San Diego Bayfair
Heat 1A
Place, Driver, Boat, Speed
1. Steve David, Oh Boy! Oberto, 150.929 mph
2. Kip Brown, Miss Red Dot, 145.882 mph
3. Greg Hopp, Mirage Boats, 140.327 mph
4. J. Michael Kelly, Degree Men, 131.346 mph
DNF N. Mark Evans, Formulaboats.com, NA
Heat 1B
1. Dave Villwock, Spirit of Qatar, 149.791 mph
2. Scott Liddycoat, Valken.com, 149.455 mph
3. Jeff Bernard, Graham Trucking, 141.096 mph
4. Brian Perkins, TapouT, 134.958 mph
DNF JW Myers, Peters & May, NA
Images by Jim Simpson, Jeffrey Dahl & Chris Denslow
Sept. 16, 2011
San Diego, CA
Testing & Qualifying
Images by Chris Denslow
Sept. 16, 2011
San Diego, CA
Testing & Qualifying
Saturday Images:
Images by Jim Simpson, Chris Denslow & Jeffrey Dahl
Sept. 17, 2011
San Diego, CA
Race Schedule:
Saturday, September 17, 2011
No Engine Starts Prior to 8 am
8–10 am Drag Boats Qualifying – Crown Point Shores
8–9 am Stock Hydros – Fiesta Island
9–9:10 am Grand Prix West Heat 1A – 1.5-67 mi Course (4 boats)
9:30–9:40 am Grand Prix West Heat 1B – 1.5-67 mi Course (4 boats)
9:40–10 am PWC Heat Racing – Ski Beach
10–11 am Air National Guard H1 Testing – 2.5 mi Course
11 am-1 pm Lucas Oil Drag Boats Qualifying – Crown Point Shores
11–11:30 am Cracker Box Heat Racing – Ski Beach
11–11:45 am Stock Hydros – Fiesta Island
11:15–11:45 am PWC Heat Racing – Ski Beach
Noon–12:30 pm P1 Heat Racing – 1.5-67 mi course
12:30 –1 pm PWC Heat Racing – Fiesta Island
1–2 pm Air National Guard H1 Testing – 2.5 mi Course
2-4 pm Lucas Oil Drag Boats Qualifying – Crown Point Shores
2-2:30 pm Cracker Box Heat Racing – Ski Beach
1:30–2:30 pm Air National Guard H1 Driver Autograph Session – Main Stage Ski Beach
2:30-3 pm Air National Guard H1 Driver Meeting
3:30-3:50 pm Grand Prix West Heat 2 – 1.5-67 mi Course (8 boats)
4–4:10 pm Air National Guard H1 Heat 1A – 2.5 mi Course
4:30–4:40 pm Air National Guard H1 Heat 1B – 2.5 mi Course
4:45–5:15 pm P1 Heat Racing – 1.5-67 mi Course
4:45–5:30 pm Lucas Oil Drag Boats Qualifying/Cracker Box Heat–Crown Point Shores
4:45–5:30 pm Stock Hydros Heat Racing–Fiesta Island
4:45– 5:30 pm PWC Heat Racing – Ski Beach
Spirit of Qatar driver Dave Villwock took advantage of a second opportunity and was the fastest qualifier Friday at the Air National Guard San Diego Bayfair.
Villwock posted a head-turning 164.759 mph lap during qualifying, the fastest qualifying speed he’s done on the Mission Bay course under the Air National Guard Series’ current fuel restrictions. It looked as if rival driver Steve David would earn the fastest qualifying speed on the day, but Vilwock and his team opted for a second attempt.
“A lot of us here are doing this for fun and even though it’s only 20 points, we’re still doing it for fun,” Villwock said. “It was probably a stupid thing to do but it was fun, so we did it.”
The Spirit of Qatar team bested David’s 163.312 mph mark by nearly 1.5 mph. The Oh Boy! Oberto was on the crane and ready to go in for a second try to top Villwock’s record.
David said they never had any intent to go back on the water even when Villwock topped their qualifying speed.
“We weren’t going to run anyways,” David said. “We were just spoofing them. I was sitting in here (in the truck). We were just trying to force them to run hard.”
David and Villwock were nearly 10 mph faster than the rest of the 10-boat field on the Bill Muncey Memorial Racecourse. Scott Liddycoat in Valken.com qualified third at 154.961 mph and Brian Perkins in the newly sponsored TapouT boat ran 153.804 mph. Greg Hopp was fifth at 152.907 mph.
Racing action continues today with one round of heats. Sunday has two more rounds of heats with the Air National Guard Championship final slated for later afternoon.
For more on the Air National Guard Hydroplane Series, visit www.h1unlimited.com.
Top 5 Qualifiers at Air National Guard San Diego Bayfair
Place, Driver, Boat, Speed
1. Dave Villwock, Spirit of Qatar, 164.759 mph
2. Steve David, Oh Boy! Oberto, 163.312 mph
3. Scott Liddycoat, Valken.com, 154.961 mph
4. Brian Perkins, TapouT, 153.804 mph
5. Greg Hopp, Mirage Boats, 152.907 mph
Friday Images:
Images by Jim Simpson, Chris Denslow & Jeffrey Dahl
Sept. 15, 2011
San Diego, CA
Race Schedule:
Friday, September 16, 2011
No Engine Starts Prior to 8 am
7:15 am–5:25 pm Working/Perimeter Boat Roll Call
7:30–8:30 am Stock Hydros – Fiesta Island
8 am Air National Guard H1 Driver/Crew Chief Meeting – H1 Office
8:30–9 am Cracker Box Testing – Crown Point Shores
8:30–9 am P1 Testing 1.5-67 mi course
9–9:30 am Grand Prix West Testing 1.5-67 mi course
9:30–10:30 am Air National Guard H1 Testing – 2.5 mi course
10:30 am–12:30 am Lucas Drag Boat Testing – Crown Point Shores
10:30 am– 1130 am PWC Testing – Ski Beach
10:30 am–11:30 am Stock Hydros – Fiesta Island
11:30 am–Noon Cracker Box Testing – Fiesta Island
11:30 am–Noon PWC Racer Exhibition – Ski Beach
Noon–12:30 pm Grand Prix West Qualifying – 1.5-67 mi Course
12:30 –1:30 pm Air National Guard H1 Testing – 2.5 mi Course
1:30–2:30 pm Lucas Drag Boat Testing – Crown Point Shores
1:30–2 pm Cracker Box Testing – Ski Beach
1:30–2 pm PWC Exhibition – Crown Point Shores
2:30–4:30 pm Air National Guard H1 Qualifying – 2.5 mi Course
4:30–5:30 pm Lucas Drag Boat Testing – Crown Point (Cracker Box Testing as available)
4:30–5 pm P1 Testing – 1.5-67 mi Course
5–5:30 pm Stock Hydros Testing – Fiesta Island
5–5:30 pm PWC Exhibition – Ski Beach
H1 Unlimited Air National Guard Series » H1 Unlimited Eyes Expansion into Chinawww.h1unlimited.comHome of ...
Ferrari V12 powered 1953 Arno XI motor racing boat to be auctioned at RM Auctions during 2012 F1 Monwww.rushlane.comArno XI, a motor racing boat powered ...
H1 Unlimited Air National Guard Series » H1 Unlimited Eyes Expansion into Chinawww.h1unlimited.comHome of the Air National Guard Unlimited Hydroplane Series. Unlimited Hydroplanes are the fastest race boats on earth, capable of reaching speeds ...
Miami International Boat Show