Motor Boat Racing.

This is an exciting, competitive sport that tests the performance of motorboats and drivers.

Racing boats have to basic hull designs, displacement and planing. Motorboats with displacement hulls ride in the water, and planing skim along the surface on a cushion of air. Most motorboats with displacement hulls are known as flatbottoms, they can have inboard or outboard motors.

Racing motorboats are powered by petrol, diesel, jet or turbine engines. Most boats operate with only one engine, but some have up to four. Large inboard hydroplanes may be powered by aircraft engines. The propeller is one of the most important pieces of equipment on any boat. Propellers are designed to increase the boat's speed and to provide efficient handling. They may have two, three or four blades.

All drivers must wear approved helmets and life jackets. Some life jackets are fitted with special collars to prevent neck injuries. Most boats have a kill switch that is designed to protect drivers who get thrown from the boats. The switch attaches to the driver's life jacket. The engine automatically shuts off if the switch becomes detached from the jacket while the motor is running. Some hydroplanes carry an oxygen supply for the driver as an added safety precaution, while most oceangoing boats carry fire extinguishers.