2024 UIM Class 1 Rule Book

To download the full UIM Rulebooks for Offshore and Class 1 click on the icons below. We have also included a digest of the most important regulations below:

RULES & SPEC SUMMARY

CHAMPIONSHIP:

The title of the Championship will be known as the: “UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship”.

Multi event format.

All races carry points with no discards.

Points Classification: Classification 1st 20, 2nd 15, 3rd 12, 4th 9, 5th 7, 6th 5, 7th 4, 8th 3, 9th 2, 10th 1

Of the planned races, at least 50% must be held in order to award the World Championship title.

The nationality of the entry is determined by the Team as declared at the first race. The nationality of Pilot No. 1 or Pilot No. 2 is as declared at the first race and whose nationality is determined by the Racing License of that pilot.

In order to participate in Class 1, every crew member of the boat must hold a UIM Superlicence.

In order to be eligible for obtaining the UIM Class 1 Licence, it is necessary to pass an immersion and cockpit evacuation training.

The minimum age to qualify to hold a UIM Class 1 Superlicence and to compete in a Class 1 race is 18 years unless otherwise agreed by the UIM.

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:

Hull Dimensions:

Length:	12.00m (min) 14.30m max
Minimum Weight:	5,300 kg (11,7685 lbs) with no tunnel tab (at race end) 5,550 kg(12,236 lbs) for teams with a tunnel tab (at race end)
Engines:	2 x Mercury Racing 1100 Competition QC4v All engine hardware must be non-modified stock, as delivered by Mercury Racing Modification and/or relocation of original engine sensors is prohibited
Fuel:	Unleaded fuel supplied will have a minimum octane rating of 95 RON, or 89 AKI

TRANSMISSION RESTRICTIONS:

The supplied hydraulic transmission is considered part of the engine hardware and must not be modified or removed.

No method of shiftable gear ratio selection is permitted in the driveline between the engine crank shaft and the propeller, other than neutral facility. Class 1 boats are not required to have a stern propulsion ability.

No forms of variable speed transmission or torque biasing devices are permitted.

During the event, all ratio changes (if made on the launch jetty) must only take place under the strict control and agreement of the Technical Commissioner and be achieved by mechanical parts replacement only.

DRIVE SYSTEMS:

The only approved drive systems are as follows:

Mercury MK 6, Mercury MK 8, BPM drop box and torque tube, SCS drop box and torque tube (quick change ratio), Victory drop box and torque tube (quick change ratio), Arneson drop box and torque tube, Buzzi Trimax drive

The following are strictly prohibited:

No Traction controls.

No steerable drives and rudder. (If you have a rudder you cannot steer with the drives as well. It must be one or the other).

No trim-able rudders.

No means of changing gear ratio without mechanical input (i.e. no cable or electric device to change).

Banned metals in the drive train and rudder assemble are as follow: Nickel based materials (eg Hastelloy, Haynes, Inconel, Waspaloy, Monel), Titanium based material (eg Ti-6Al-4V), Tungsten, Beryllium.

PROPELLERS:

Boats with quick change drop boxes ( SCS/Skema) can have a maximum of 3 sets of propellers Boats with fixed ratios ( Mercury/BPM) can have unlimited sets of propellers.

Propellers must be produced by a UIM approved manufacturer, for 2024 Mercury, Herring , Elstrom Propellers and 5 Axis Propellers. Propeller minimum weight 9.6 kg. Hub and Blade thickness measurements will be defined by UIM.

Blade diameter, pitch, rake and material is free.

Propellers will be numbered, stamped and registered at the start of the season and can only be replaced if broken with a similar type and size. In that event it must be reported to the Technical Commissioner. It may then be replaced and the registered number will be cancelled from the eligibility records, and the new number submitted.

DATA LOGGING:

Teams must supply a Mercury Racing approved data logger. The data logger will be used to monitor and demonstrate compliance with the stock engine rules.

Any data logged may be examined by technical officials and scrutineers.

Any logged data will be kept private by technical officials and scrutineers and not be shared with any other team.

Teams must provide full access to the data logger when requested by a technical official or scrutineer.

Teams may not upload or download data whilst the vessel is moving during any race weekend. Dataloggers may be used.

CREW CONTROL AND SYSTEMS:

Technical restrictions for all boats.

Steering must be by either drives or rudders but not both. Steerable drives are to be homologated before acceptance for racing. Double installation of Stern drive System and rudder is allowed, however, when steering with the rudder the Stern drive System must be mechanically fixed, vice versa when steering with the Stern drive System, the rudder must be removed.

Rudders must only be allowed to move on one axis or line (No retractable rudders).

Drives must not steer independently of each other (not in or out underway). Additionally, the tie bar length and attachments are to be fixed mechanical. 4. No Auto gyros. 5. No form of traction or acceleration control.

No pre-sets of any kind including trim and steering.

Potentiometers may be used for monitoring only.

Rule – “All control inputs affecting trimming, throttling and steering of the boat must be directly provided by the crew. It is not permitted to interface the operation of the control surfaces, drives, ballast tanks, fuel tanks or throttles with any devices that provide additional control input, whether electronic, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or any other means. Crew derived control inputs may be amplified, in force and/or displacement, using suitable power assistance systems, but the response of the control device must remain a constant and direct function of the crew input. Any additional sensing devices, such as, but not exclusively, those used in a data acquisition system, must be demonstrably physically independent of any individual control system.”

RACE COURSE:

The UIM must approve all racecourses.

The race must be multi-lap for a duration of a minimum of 40 minutes.

Race laps must be repeated and be at least 4 Nautical Miles in length, unless otherwise agreed by UIM Cominoff.

The total length of any Class1 race, including eventual stops, restarts, etc., shall be a maximum of 1 hour, unless stated in the race instruction or race bulletin. After the expiry of the time established or agreed laps completed for the Race a white flag is raised as the boat leading the Race passes the start / finish boat / line, indicating that the boats must complete their last lap according to the finishing procedure start / finish boat / line, indicating that the boats must complete their last lap according to the finishing procedure.

All Outside Course Marks YELLOW

All Inside Course Marks ORANGE and/or GREEN

Minimum Width - The recommended minimum starting chute width shall be 30 metres per race boat.

Minimum Length - The recommended starting chute length shall be 1.5 nautical miles before the first turn mark. If the starting chute length is less than 1.5 nautical miles, the first turn must not be more than 90° to the second buoy of the turn. Other Requirements.

The chute must be maintained in a straight line so that the boats can maintain their position.

The start run must allow for the pole position boat to have the shortest distance to the first turn mark.

The start chute may be clearly marked, buoys or fixed points on either side of the course. All competing boats must pass through the start chute between the markers.

In the event of a Stopped or Curtailed Race, if the ‘winning boat’ has completed:

• A minimum of 50 % of the actual programmed minutes of race length: full points will be awarded.
• Between 25% but less than 50 % of the actual programmed minutes of race length: half points will be awarded.
• Less than 1 lap: the race may be restarted using the normal procedures.

If the race finishes with no interruption, it is intended that 70% of the race length is considered COMPLETED based on when the leader’s boats complete the lap after:

For example:

• 70 % of 7 laps is 4.9, 5 laps would count.
• 70 % of 5 laps is 3.5, 3 laps would count.

Any boat crossing the finishing line after the ‘winning boat’, will be classified based on the number of laps completed by the winning boats Any boat that fails to cross the finishing line after the winning boat will be classified based on the number of laps completed and its time, provided it has 70% of the laps complete.

In the event of a race boat capsizing racing will be immediately Red Flagged until the incident is under control. Pace boat procedure will then commence as per rule and/or race instruction.

POLE POSITION PROCEDURE:

Ten minutes prior to start of pole position, a white flag will be shown at the wet pit area.

As soon as the green flag is displayed and the course is open, race control will call in championship order, each boat to be given permission to enter the course. After this first call any race boat is entitled to request permission from Race Control on the designated VHF channel to leave the Race wet pit pontoon and enter the race course.

There is no maximum number of race boats on the course. Each boat is entitled to run a minimum of 1 timed lap; there are no laps limits. Completion of 1 timed lap only will qualify for Pole Position. To qualify for any Pole Position prize funding (at the discretion of the class 1 promoter) race boats must have completed a minimum of 2 timed laps.

Race boats are also entitled to use the crane for a maximum of 10 minutes during the pole position round, when available and/or possible and under the direction of the Technical Chief.

The final Pole Position results will determine the starting order for all participating boats in the race.