Powerboat P1 plans to launch a North American version of its successful offshore racing tour by producing races as early as 2011.

“The United States market is critical to any multi-national company involved in motorsports marketing,” said Asif Rangoonwala, chairman of Powerboat P1, in a press release. “We view participation in the USA as an essential element in our growth as a World Championship and as a business.”

Powerboat P1 USA has reportedly received sanctioning from the American Power Boat Association (APBA). It already has the backing of the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the worldwide sanctioning body for the sport.

The Powerboat P1 tour has spent the last two years raising its profile in the U.S. market and looking at possible venues that could be added to the Powerboat P1 World Championship. Initial plans for the Powerboat P1 USA series include three V-bottom classes using the tour's power-to-weight ratio.

Powerboat P1 USA would then represent a subset of other existing classes such as catamarans offered within the APBA offshore category, focusing on a limited number of classes for a Powerboat P1 USA Continental Championship.

According to Powerboat P1, the plan calls for working with existing organizations in 2010 to develop regional races, followed by joint production of key races in 2011.

“With strong regional organizations running their local series and hosting specific P1 USA series events, there's an opportunity for a genuine unification of sport here that the vast majority of racers support,” said Martin Sanborn, who was named Powerboat P1 USA's director of North American operations. “APBA has been the backbone of powerboating in the U.S. for more than 100 years, and it represents the credibility and consistency that offshore powerboat racing needs to finally bring the sport together.”

Last year APBA took its license back from Super Boat International (SBI) and held a meeting in December with various race bodies to discuss the future of offshore racing. In addition to SBI, Offshore Super Series (OSS) and regional tours put on offshore races.

Powerboat P1, which is based in London, produces races throughout Europe. The tour's two classes are Evolution (closed canopy) and SuperSport (open cockpit).

If you like what you're reading, get more by subscribing to Powerboat magazine here.