Superboat FIM TEC: a long-gestating project

In 2017, from an idea by Guido Romani, FIM manager of the historic boats sector until his death in 2020 and in synergy with Vincenzo Iaconianni, federal president until 2024, a new project was made official regarding the construction of an inboard racing boat for the circuit: the Superboat .

It is a 4-point boat of American concept entirely built by the Blaze shipyard: an all-Italian project born from a "blank sheet" and intended for a group of pilots from 16 to 70 years old. The boat measures 5.50 m in length, is equipped, according to UIM regulations, with a safety capsule with relative belts and is built with technically cutting-edge material such as carbon Kevlar.
As for the engine, the federal programs include the installation of an engine with a power of around 180 HP, an estimated speed of 180 km/h and a maximum rotation speed of 7500 rpm.

The Superboat is in all respects a "stock" boat, since all the boats must be perfectly similar in size and weight. This boat is strongly desired by the Italian Motorboat Federation with the intent of promoting, for circuit races, a vehicle that is not excessively demanding to drive and accessible in terms of initial and management costs.

Another new feature of the Superboat is the provision of 2 control units: one kept in the federation, the other used by the pilot during the tests. On the day of the race the pilot replaces hishul control unit with the FIM one which is drawn by lot. At the end of the race each pilot returns the control unit to the Federation.
Participation in all the championship races is mandatory and the purchase of the Superboat is facilitated by the possibility of deferring the payment over 3 years and from the fourth year the boat can be owned by the pilot.

The first Superboat model is equipped with a Rotax engine of Austrian-Canadian production, a 300 HP turbo engine that, normally used on jet skis, after the first tests in the water turns out to be -apparently- unsuitable for this type of boat. After two years of experiments, the FIM is forced to change the engine. It's a shame because the Rotax represented a fascinating innovation never seen before for a project of this kind.
The choice, thanks to the collaboration of the FIAT group, falls on a traditional series engine of automotive origin: the 2000 cc twin cam also used in rally cars at the end of the 70s, deeply revised and reworked by the FIM technicians, which is thus called FIM TEC 2000 cc.
The Superboat and its engine were presented in 2019 in Milan during the FIM awards ceremony by President Iaconianni who, proud of this first model, hoped for the creation of a real national championship as early as 2020.

(in the photo, the boat announced in 2019)

After a long series of reasons, including the Covid pandemic, only in 2024 is the final version of the Superboat finally ready. FIM President Iaconianni announced it in April 2024 during an episode of SportOutdoor (a magazine that deals with nautical sports hosted by Floriano Omoboni).
During the interview Iaconianni specifies that in addition to the engine, a new boat had to be chosen. In fact, a boat already seen in Italy in the Italian Championship races in the late 1990s was purchased, an American boat from the Ron Jones shipyard from 1984. The molds for the final production should be obtained from this boat. So much so that during the Italian Championship races in Boretto in October 2022, this boat, still in its original configuration and engine from the 1990s (powered by an Alfa Romeo 2000 cc) was shown, put back into the water and run for a few minutes by Stefano Battaglini.
The intent, Iaconianni will declare on social media, is to bring the Superboat to the most important 2024 races (Boretto, Brindisi and San Nazzaro d'Ongina) for demonstration activities and to organize a test day in San Nazzaro d'Ongina open to all pilots who want to try the boat to then collect possible reservations for the construction of new units. According to Iaconianni, from the 2025 season it will be possible to carry out the Superboat championship with 8/10 boats adopting a very restrictive regulation as in use in the United States for the same categories.
Sadly we can say, today, that in none of these 4 locations has the boat ever been seen running in 2024.

(in the photo, the boat ready in 2024)