Powerboat P1

The newest trio of Brits to join the Powerboat P1 World Championship SuperSport class as a wildcard addition is doing so with a decidedly American flavor. Team Konrad brings a ‘boat load’ of new U.S. manufacturers to test the waters in what is rapidly gaining the reputation as the most challenging, dramatic and exciting boat racing experience on the planet. (www.powerboatp1.com)
‘Team Konrad Propulsion Systems’ will make its P1 debut in Vigo, Spain, the weekend of September 12-14, as a wildcard team, competing for checkered flags, but not for the season Championship title. While the team does not expect to take many checkered flags it is still racking up “firsts” by its selection of equipment, decisions team owner/pilot Daniel Cramphorn says were easy to make. “Performance boating and offshore racing are certainly most established in the U.S.,” explains Cramphorn, “we knew we wanted the most competitive, durable and reliable equipment, and we found all that in the States.”

As the team name suggests, Cramphorn struck a deal with Wisconsin-based Konrad Marine and will be the first P1 team running Konrad Ace Drives with X-Factor lower units, a complete offshore propulsion system that features a BAM transmission contained in the integrated extension box, along with dual ram external hydraulic steering. The Ace Drives will be tied to twin Mercury Racing 525s and pushing another new P1 entry, a 2008 Velocity 390, designed and constructed using Carbon/Kevlar by Steve Stepp’s Initial Marine in Sanford, Florida. The boat’s helm is from Racing Communications, the dash from Livorsi Marine and the trailer from AmeraTrail.

“American companies seem much keener on promoting their products through Powerboat P1,” Cramphorn says. “I was surprised how well known P1 is in the States. As soon as we mentioned Powerboat P1, people were listening.”
Cramphorn, 29, owns Broadoak Performance Cars, a specialist car company in Canterbury, England and is teamed with 37 year-old throttleman, Kim Collins, who heads an automotive tuning operation in Brighton and Navigator Barry Keen, 28, owner of a freight industry company in Exeter.
A competitive water ski racer, who with his brother and father served on the Men’s British Water Ski Team and competed in three World Championships, Cramphorn admits the team doesn’t have a great deal of boat racing experience but has been racking up seat time by attending powerboat rallies like the “Blade Run” wherever they can and attending poker runs in the U.S. The trio knew they wanted to compete in boat racing, and selected P1 after attending several races in 2007. Cramphorn admits that ‘Team Konrad Propulsion Systems’ entry into P1 is a bit like starting in the major leagues, but was impressed by the professionalism and calibre of racing offered by P1, describing it as “seriously exciting stuff.”
The team’s plans and expectations for the balance of 2008 are modest, Cramphorn says. “We plan to dip our toes in the water, stay out of trouble, and stay out of the way of those competing for the Championship.”