Virgilio Molinari, a whimsical and friendly driver from Pavia, reconquers, after three years, the Italian Championship of the 2000 cc restricted Inboard Race (since 1985 no longer classified as R3N but R2000N). From this season the R2000N also remains the only one among the national inboard categories competing for the tricolor title and for the last time success smiles on a racer.
Ten years have now passed since the Roman driver Massimo Funaro debuted a catamaran in this class, amidst concern and skepticism; since then "a lot of water has passed under the bridge" and despite everything the racer has remained, at least in the R3N, still a winner.

On the contrary, in the R3 (international free class) the catamaran has emerged more frequently, see the various titles won by Renato Molinari, Nicola Mora and Francesco Manfredini. These pilots had initially used engines derived from cars (Lancia Stratos, Alfa Romeo, BMW), but later Renato Molinari, Stefano Signoretti and Ettore Cagnani used engine blocks derived from outboard motors (Evinrude and Mercury).
In the first seasonal outing of the Italian R2000N Championship at the Idroscalo in Milan, the racer-catamaran comparison sees the latter pay, in terms of competitiveness, still a certain gap compared to the three points of Remigio Telasio and Virgilio Molinari.
The championship, except for some good performances provided by the catamarans of Mauro Danini and Adriano Muggiati (the latter, at his debut on these hulls, manages to win a few tests), lives on the exciting duel provided by the aforementioned racers. Among the new boats seen in the R2000N, in addition to the catamarans built by Renato Molinari for Pecci and Muggiati, we find a classic three-point raced by Franco Michelini and an interesting four-point forward-drive conducted by Rinaldo Marcandalli. Both of these hulls are signed by the Lucini shipyard.


Cross-country races
The final outcome of the 45th Raid Pavia-Venezia is practically a foregone conclusion, with Antonio Pelrobelli as the overall winner with his Celli-BPM at an average speed of 187.730 km/h and a time of 1h 59' 32", (he also won the Coppa Theo Rossi di Montelera for having covered the Pontelagoscuro-Voltagrimana stretch at an average speed of 172.486 km/h). Behind the winner are Carlo Bodega, driving a Renato Molinari-Kiekhaefer catamaran and the surprising Luigi Zarantonello (back after a few seasons of absence from competition) with a small racer entered in the Entrobordo Corsa R2 1500 cc

After the Raid, Petrobelli repeated his feat by winning the Due Ponti Trophy in Boretto, demonstrating to the increasingly fierce competition how difficult it is to snatch the leadership from him in cross-country races.

Also worthy of mention is the performance achieved by Carlo Bodega at the 36th edition of the Centomiglia del Lario. The Bergamo driver, at the helm of a catamaran built by Renato Molinari powered by a 7000 cc twin-turbo Chevrolet, imposed himself by obtaining a fabulous average record (154.068 km/h) that shattered the previous one by Giuseppe Todeschini.


The second diesel class record by Carlo Bonomi
In 1985 other new world speed records were established in the inboard field.
It is unthinkable to believe that AIFO, the most important national engine manufacturer in the diesel sector (and in the FIAT orbit), would resign itself to seeing other competing companies achieve new speed records undisturbed. In fact, the management broke the "wall of silence" that had reigned until then and decided that the time had come to reclaim the prestigious milestone.
The various records established in chronological order by Buzzi as a pilot-builder with VM engines and lastly the one established by Bonomi with the Isotta Fraschini (always on a Buzzi hull), induce the AIFO leaders to propose an agreement to the "enemy", both for the Off-Shore sector, where the 5900 cc is expected to be used, and for In-Shore, with the clear aim of regaining the aforementioned record.
So Fabio Buzzi ties himself to AIFO: in a short time he prepares a new three-pointer and, as always, entrusts the engine preparation to Romeo Ferraris who develops the AIFO-8061 SRM twin-turbo (5861 cc) obtaining a 620 HP "beast". Since Buzzi for various reasons is forced to personally give up the attempt, he once again calls Carlo Bonomi into question and convinces him also by making use of the persuasive work carried out by AIFO itself.
Bonomi, with the new hull christened "Iveco World Leader" begins to attack (in 1984) his record, but a series of mechanical problems block any serious attempt and force the team to return to the workshop.
The driver is very nervous because, in his heart, he would like to have already beaten the previous record with Isotta Fraschini, but the new attempt is postponed to the following year. After a winter spent improving the engine and the hull, we arrive at April 5, 1985, or the day in which, on the measured base of Moregallo (on Lake Lecco), Bonomi beats himself and takes the new limit of the diesel category to 218 km/h.
Naturally, the joy of the legendary trio (Buzzi, Ferraris, Bonomi) is strongly shared by the IVECO entourage, once again in possession of the longed-for record.


The R°° class record by Annibale Beltrami
At the end of the year (November 14 and 15), the driver from Pavia Annibale Beltrami also made headlines. The standard-bearer of the Team Total-Personal Car, took to the water at the Sarnico base with his four-pointer from the Eugenio Molinari shipyard, a complex that was a few years old and powered by a BPM Vulcano (7982.78 cc) that delivered 730 HP at a speed of approximately 5500 rpm and set a new world speed record for the Entrobordo Corsa Illimitata (R°°). Beltrami, who ten years earlier and with the same hull, set the record for this same class with 207.260 km/h, thanks to excellent passages both in the ascending and descending sections, raised it, recording an average of averages of 217.393 km/h.

Unfortunately in 1985 some deaths hit the world of motorboating. On the waters of Lake Garda in Peschiera, during a race reserved for inboard boats of the Turismo Veloce Nazionale class, the pilot Carlo Casiroli capsized with his hull suffering lethal consequences. Casiroli, gritty and professional, had recently arrived at motorboating specializing in long distance races where he participated mainly with single hull boats of the TVN classes and occasionally also with a 2000 cc racer.

After a short and serious illness, one of the greatest Italian inboard sailors has passed away: Leopoldo Casanova.
The loss of the "Ace of the Po", as he was called by his supporters, leaves an unfillable void, especially in those who appreciated his innate class and passion for speed. These qualities had allowed him to set world records and to achieve national and international titles and prestigious victories in the most important cross-country races.

To conclude this dark year, it is worth remembering that the chronicles of the time reported the sudden and shocking suicide of Giuseppe Todeschini.