-
Advertisement
SportHong Kong

Can an ambitious plan to bring the powerboat racing series to Hong Kong succeed?

The city is being lined up to host a leg of the world’s premier one-design powerboat racing series

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Powerboat racing could be coming to Victoria Harbour in October, if events organiser Alex Brazendale can convince the government. Photos: Handout
Mathew Scott

Hong Kong is being lined up to host a leg of the world’s premier one-design powerboat racing series, with promoters eyeing a course in the waters directly off Tamar Park and a date this October.

“We’ve got the best harbour in the world and we’ve never had boats smashing through the water at 70 miles an hour,” said Alex Brazendale, managing director of event management company TCOB Media.

“The P1 [SuperStock] series is a globally televised sport and with this amazing skyline as a backdrop, it’s just waiting to happen.”

Advertisement

Brazendale said his company – behind such events as this week’s Hong Kong Beach 5s – had approached series organisers Powerboat P1 with the proposal and was now awaiting the response from various government departments.

Advertisement

Tentatively labelled “Harbour Rocks’’, the event would be spread over two days – Brazendale has suggested October 7 and 8 – and as well as the main leg of the P1 series, there would be a AquaX jetski series race, as well as ancillary entertainment attractions such as live music and a food and beverage village.

Known as the Grand Prix of the Seas, the P1 SuperStock series features up to six 30-45-minutes races between 8.7 metre P1 Panther boats boasting a 250-plus horse-powered engine. The current series travels to destinations in the United States, Britain and India, and as far afield as Mumbai and Scarborough.
Powerboat racing is coming to Victoria Harbour in October, if event organiser Alex Brazendale can convince the government.
Powerboat racing is coming to Victoria Harbour in October, if event organiser Alex Brazendale can convince the government.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x