Motorsport to Marine Initiative

The MIA Motorsport to Marine Initiative 

The parallels between the motorsport and marine industries are numerous, not least because both sectors are involved in sporting activities which serve as a proving ground for technologies which will eventually filter down into the mass market.

Offshore powerboating is one of the more obvious examples of motorsport technologies being utilised in waterborne vessels: As in a sportscar or single seater racing car, the boats which compete in the Powerboat P1 World Championship use carbonfibre hulls as their main structural part. Similarly, a boat's aerodynamic and hydrodynamic performance can be optimised using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) skills developed in the Motorsport Industry. 

Wirth Research is a world-leader in CFD analysis		Ilmor Engineering is a double Powerboat P1 World Champion

Ilmor Marine Engines LLC (a subsidiary of Ilmor Engineering - an MIA Member) is one of the leading engine manufacturers in offshore powerboating - powering the #99 Fountain Worldwide team to back-to-back Powerboat P1 Evolution class World Championship victories in 2007 and 2008. When it is considered that Ilmor Engineering has 44 Grand Prix wins to its name and has triumphed in the Indianapolis 500 14 times, it is clear to see that on-track experience has translated into success on the water.

Caudwell Marine's revolutionary Axis Drive™ marine propulsion system was developed in partnership with MIA members Xtrac, Cosworth and Ilmor Engineering

MIA Members Xtrac, Cosworth and Ilmor Engineering have recently worked together to design the revolutionary Axis Drive™ marine propulsion system for Caudwell Marine. This radical new design boasts zero power-loss from engine to propeller and serves as a prime example of how the Motorsport Industry's competitive and innovative engineers can achieve fantastic results when plying their skills in other industry sectors.

Cosworth Electronics supply TransMed Record-holders Groupama 3 with their LLB data acqusition system

Not only do motorised boats benefit from the application of motorsport technology - numerous America's Cup, Fastnet and record-attempt challengers use Cosworth Electronics' (formerly Pi Research) data acquisition, logging and image capture components and software. Cosworth's LLB system measures various structural hull loads along with logging winch, rig and rudder loads - enabling sailing teams to monitor their data in real time and, by viewing video alongside stored data, look back on past events to indentify areas where a performance advantage could have been gained.

Motorsport to Marine Documents:

• British Marine Fedaration - Key Performance Indicators for the Marine Industry - 2009 to 2010

•  Watersports and Leisure Participation Survey 2010

• British Marine Federation - Key Performance Indicators for the Marine Industry - 2008 to 2009

• British Marine Federation - Key Performance Indicators for the Marine Industry - 2007 to 2008

Motorsport to Marine News:

• Power Train Projects launch range of Inland Marine Engines
• An invitation to visit the 2012 British Marine Electronics Association Conference
• New BMF Member Holds Seminar for the RIB and High Speed Craft Sector
• Desktop Engineering to Focus on Marine Sector
• Inaugural BMF Marine Supply Chain Conference Offers Routes to New Customers and Markets
• The 2013 Cowes to Monte-Carlo Powerboat Grand Prix
• Powerboats offer spectacular offshore racing in several classes. PMW magazine looks at the technology of the boats, and how best to make them go quickly - July 2010 

• British Marine Federation (BMF) Newsletters - click here
• National Boat Shows - click here
• Round Britian 2012 - click here 

Upcoming Motorsport to Marine Events:

• 3 April 2012                             Members' Business Development Visit to Sunseeker & RNLI

Past Motorsport to Marine Events:

• 14-23 September 2012          PSP Southampton Boat Show
• 11-20 January 2013               Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show
• 22 September 2011               Members' Business Visit to the Southampton Boat Show - Photos
• 16 September 2010               Members' Business Visit to the Southampton Boat Show - Photos
• 26-27 August 2010                Members' Business Visit to The British Power Boat Festival - Info
• 15 July 2010                         UIM Safety Workshop, Arendal, Norway - Info
• 14-15 January 2010               Motorsport to Marine Exchange at Autosport International
• 15 September 2009               Southampton Boat Show - Photos
• 28-29 August 2009                MIA Members’ Visit to The Cowes Classic - Photos
• 22 April 2009                        Member Visit to Sunseeker International and RNLI, Poole, Dorset

For more information please contact Carrim Bundhun on +44 (0)2476 692 600
or email carrim.bundhun@the-mia.com