Penzance News

Powerboat P1 World Championship races are coming to Penzance over the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd May 2010. This tremendous coup is thanks to the work of Penzance Town Councillor Mike Lovegrove who initially negotiated with the organisers of the races. Cllr Lovegrove gained the immediate support of Penzance Chamber of Commerce and the Penzance & District Tourism Association as both organisations saw the enormous economic potential for the town. Not only will the event be held this year but it is possible that it will be held in Penzance for a further 4 years at least.

The races form part of the P1 Superstock European Championship and the races will be known as the "Penzance Grand Prix" and will kick off on Friday 21st May with practice races in the Bay, followed by a Civic opening for racers and invited guests in the evening at the Rennaisance Cafe in the Wharfside Shopping Centre.

Over the Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd there will be 3 races each day on a course which will run along the Promenade about 250 metres off-shore at the closest part. Racing along Penzance Promenade will provide a superb vantage point for spectators that will not only enable them to have a very clear view of the boats but they will also benefit from the outstanding backdrop of Mounts Bay, one of the 12 Best Bays in the World.

The Powerboat P1 World Championships will be covered by Sky Sports throughout the weekend and the organisers are also negotiating with Channel 4. This will bring unprecedented advertising for Penzance which could generate a huge amount of additional trade throughout all business sectors.

Chamber of Commerce Chairman, Mike Waters, said that “businesses are extremely excited about the event itself and the spin-offs for Penzance as a whole.” He went on to say “We are indebted to Mike Lovegrove for his foresight in getting involved in the proposition as soon as he heard about it.” Andy Curtis, Chairman of the Tourism Association said ”This is great news for Penzance, I look forward to working with Mike Lovegrove and Mike Waters to make sure that the event is a success and that Penzance gains the maximum amount of publicity and trade out of it.”