Organisers re-introduce ‘flying kilometre’ for Norwegian Grand Prix

Class 1 World Powerboat Championship Norwegian Grand Prix 2008. Photo © Simon Palfrader.

The Organisers of the BMW Norwegian Grand Prix will be hoping to see record speeds in Arendal in July when they re-introduce the ‘flying kilometre’ to the fjords with the Class 1 Edox Speed Record. 

“The flying kilometre time trial was always a big favorite with the spectators in Arendal, so we have decided to run it again and make it a unique event for our race weekend,” said event manager Per Carsten Michelsen. 

Previously the format for qualifying for the Grand Prix before the introduction of the multiple lap, one hour session, the flying kilometre is a breathtaking spectacle as driver and throttleman look for the perfect set-up to push their boats to the limits – and there is no more dramatic a setting for this event than the narrow fjords of Arendal. 

The speed that teams will be looking to try beat is 161.26mph / 259.86kph – covering the 1km in around 15 seconds – recorded in Arendal in 1999 by triple World Champions, Saeed Al Tayer and Felix Serralles, in Victory 44. 

The course will be run on Tromøysund (Fjord) with teams getting two runs each to try to break the ‘Arendal’ record; the first run will see the raceboats thundering down the fjord from the Tromøy Bridge towards the Pollen and the Clarion Hotel Tyholmen in Arendal’s town centre, with the second, run in reverse heading back out to Tromøy Bridge. 

The Class 1 Edox Speed Run will take place on Friday, 17 July at 5 pm.

For more information see: www.n-g-p.no