In 1951 the Raid Pavia-Venezia returned with its twelfth edition, but the fascinating river-marine marathon was not held due to the unfavorable weather and watercourse conditions which forced the organizing committee to move the date of the race several times during the year, only to then postpone it to the following year.

In 1951 other important performances stand out: those of Augusto Cometti and Ezio Selva. Cometti, a Veronese pilot who would become the undisputed protagonist of the Raid Pavia-Venezia thanks to the various victories of the 50s and early 60s, established the new world speed record of the 91" inboard class with 137.40 km/h on 12 December in Sarnico. Cometti took his three-pointer "Squinzia" from the Timossi shipyard powered by a BPM to the new record.

Next came Ezio Selva who, at the Idroscalo in Milan, with an Abbate BPM hull, achieved the new world speed record of the 2800 cc on 22 November, shattering with 169.947 km/h the record of Giulio Rusconi Clerici of 129.965 km/h achieved just over six months earlier (on 12 May).
Ezio Selva's interesting complex features a novelty in the driving cockpit which is "hooded" and closed by a peephole. This particular solution is studied and tested specifically with the intent of improving the boat's aeronautics.
The result of Selva's record is of great importance, which is added to the Italian title and the European championship won in French waters and Evian, always in the 2800 cc racers

Added to these titles is also the controversial victory in the Coppa dell'Oltranza where, in this case, the unfortunate trip of the British Donald Campbell (son of Malcolm) is noted. The latter, despite reaching the average of Km/h 156.013 that would have earned him the award of the cup, sees it taken away at the last moment of victory because his performance was carried out outside the regulation time.

The only foreign victories in Italian waters were achieved by the American Paul Sawyer who won the Campari trophy at the Idroscalo in Milan with his Hallet-Ford hull, and then repeated the feat in the now classic international meeting on the Po in Turin.