Powerboat P1 Extends Partnership with Icom

KIRKLAND, Wash. (March 2022) – Leading marine motorsport promoter Powerboat P1 has announced the continuation of its partnership agreement with Icom that will see the international, advanced communications company become the official marine radio communications of P1 Offshore powerboat racing and P1 AquaX personal watercraft racing. Icom has a long record as a trusted manufacturer of land mobile radio, amateur radio, marine and aviation radio and communications receivers that are sold in more than 80 countries.

Since its founding almost 60 years ago, Icom has created many industry-first and world-first technologies and products that have kept it at the forefront of wireless communication. “Partnerships are at the heart of our business and reliable, clear communications are vital to our P1 event operations on land and on the water, so we are delighted to join forces with a world-class supplier,” said P1 USA Championship Manager, Michelle Petro. “On a race weekend nothing is more important for a highspeed marine motorsport than safety for everyone involved and we are acutely aware that safety and excellent communications go hand in hand.”

P1 race marshals have a dual role at events, monitoring safety and ensuring there are no rules infringements, and with communication and reaction times being vital elements they rely on the range and quality of their Icom M94D radios. This season Icom will also be providing a fixed mount radio for the RIB used by P1 to lay the race course, for safety support and as back-up for the pace boat. It is the IC-M510, a stylish, new advanced VHF/ DSC marine radio that comes with an integrated AIS receiver to show real-time vessel traffic information whilst also being able to make individual DSC calls to other selected boats.

Icom America Senior Sales Manager, Ray Novak commented: “We always aim to provide products and solutions that meet customers’ needs and expectations, and as a fan of anything fast, I am excited that Icom is again the chosen official partner for the P1 safety and officiating crews. Icom America has won many awards for its marine communications equipment and our radios are highly valued for their legendary durability and ease of use. We were the first manufacturer to produce highly advanced and very compact hand-held VHF marine transceivers that are not only submersible, have built-in GPS and DSC, but also float.”

P1 Global Operations Director, Martin Raby explained: “The P1 team of race marshals are the first people on the water and the last off it, so se we need long battery life on our radios and the M94D certainly delivers in this respect. We sometimes operate race courses up to 4 miles offshore and having a hand-held VHF radio which transmits at a higher wattage is essential. The aim is to place rescue boats with in-built 25-watt VHF Icom radios at the outer reaches of the course. One of P1’s key duties is setting up the race course with GPS pinpoint accuracy and the fact that the M94D has built-in GPS means that all our marshals can check the position of any of our marks and also, in the event of a racing incident, quickly and accurately call for back up precisely to the location without the need for any secondary electronic devices.”

The P1 season gets underway at the end of next month with the opening round of the 5-venue AquaX national championship at Kissimmee/St. Cloud in Central Florida, and the following month P1 Offshore powerboat racing will kick off at the Thunder on Cocoa Beach event on Florida’s Space Coast.

Icom is known worldwide for manufacturing the most innovative land mobile radios. In a world where technology is ever-evolving, Icom continues to stand the test of time with leading-edge forwardthinking. Radio users worldwide choose Icom for its legendary durability, quality, dependability, and ease of use.

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