Shock news has just arrived in our inbox that Cowes will not be hosting the Powerboat P1 Grand Prix this year.
It’s a great shame for Cowes and the Island as a whole, because events like this attract worldwide attention to the Island but it appears that there were many better alternative offers on the table and the management team had no choice but to take the Grand Prix of the Seas elsewhere.
You might remember that we (and the organisers) were appalled by the lack of promotion that The County Press gave to the Grand Prix last year. Luckily they made up for it, by giving great post-coverage of the event in the following week.
Jim O’Toole, Managing Director, Powerboat P1 Management Ltd had this to say:
“In formulating our 2008 P1 World Championship calendar we decided for financial and operational reasons not to stage a Powerboat P1 British Grand Prix of the Sea in Cowes, which clearly will be disappointing for our UK based P1 community.”
All the team are up at the London Boat Show today, so we won’t be able to bring any more news until next week. However, we do have a statement which was issued by Sales and Marketing Director, Robert Wicks when calendar options were discussed last year which may explain the reasons behind the decision.
“Powerboat P1 Management is now receiving an increasing number of lucrative and highly interesting offers from potential host cities across Europe . For example, last year a three-year multi-million-euro deal was signed with Portimao, Portugal, an ideal venue based at a magnificently refurbished marina and heavily backed by the local authorities and government.”
“Cowes and the Isle of Wight have strong powerboating traditions and our Bank Holiday Grand Prix of the Sea weekend is one of the most eagerly awaited events on the P1 calendar. However, it is also our most costly, something that – as our World Championship grows in stature – must be addressed.”
