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.
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| 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.
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: (MIA Members Login Here)
Motorsport to Marine News:
Recent Motorsport to Marine Initiative Events:
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Southampton Boat Show, 15th September 2009 - Photos
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MIA Members’ Visit to The Cowes Classic 2009, 28-29th August 2009 - Photos
- Motorsport to Marine Workshop at Autosport International, 14th January 2010
Upcoming Motorsport to Marine Initiative Events:
For more information please contact Charlotte Austin on +44 (0)2476 692 600
or email charlotte.austin@the-mia.com
