Based in Valencia, del Palacio spent three decades at the heart of international powerboat racing. His involvement began in the mid-1990s with safety and rescue operations in Spanish domestic racing, and he remained connected to the sport until his death, running a grassroots academy in Spain.

During his four years as F2000 Promoter, he unified national championships under the Boat GP identity, introduced Match Racing to the class, opened new venues, and played a direct role in the formation of the Qatar Team in circuit racing. He also promoted GP1 Asia, bringing the sport to new markets.

After stepping back from the promoter role in 2006, he remained active — working with Team Azerbaijan in F1H2O and co-organising XCAT racing in South Korea.

A full tribute will follow.

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He had 65 years of experience in ships and boats of all types and wrote over 40 books, and was one of the most experienced seaman and navigators in Britain.

Pike navigated for the Virgin Atlantic II team that successfully crossed the Atlantic and took the Blue Riband in 1986.

75 year old Dag Pike from Bristol (left) celebrates winning the 2008 Round Britain Offshore Powerboat Race with his Greek team-mates, Vassilis Pateras (right), Panos Tsikopoulos (2nd left) and Lefteris Vasilou on their return to Portsmouth. (Photo by Chris Ison – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)

He won the Round Britain Powerboat Race on two occasions, in 1984 with Fabio Buzzi in White Iveco, and in 2008, at the age of 75 with the Greek Blue FPT team.

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His daughter Nena told Powerboat Racing World today, he was my hero, my mentor and my very best friend. we shared a passion for boats and engines, and I was a real daddy’s girl, as I always will be.

Rolf with his daughter Nena

Sunde was a successful powerboat racer, having won races all over the world, including the 24 Heures Motonautiques de Rouen, and winning the 1993 UIM F4 World championship with an unmatched world speed record in the same year while racing for the Italian family, Favari.

His racing career started at the age of 15 when he replied to an advert posted by Olle Terjesen the owner of Winrace propellers who had a 12’ circuit boat for sale.

Sunde racing in UIMF4

After the second visit to the Winrace boat building factory in Arendal he asked Terjesen if there was somebody else who raced boats in his area, and he hooked Sunde tup with Per Taraldsen who became a friend and race partner from that day on.

We asked three of Norway’s top powerboat competitors to share their thoughts with us about the man that had, had a profound influence on their racing careers.

1992 in Norway where Rolf Magne Sunde, Marit Strømøy and Frode Sundsdal set World speed records, Sunde’s time is still unbeaten

UIM F1H2O racer Marit Strømøy said:

Rolf was my idol when I grew up.

No one could set up a raceboat or an engine like him, and with his driving skills, it made an almost unbeatable package.

Rolf has built engines for me since the early 90’s and together with my father he taught me how to drive a catamaran.

With his many theories on how to improve our F1 boat, we’ve had hundreds of hours of discussions on the phone or in our workshop during the last years.

A couple of weeks ago he visited our workshop, and he was planning his next steps with his many projects – We are so sorry for the loss of Rolf Magne.

He was a mechanical genius, a crazy and funny guy and most of all a great friend.

I know he was very happy to spend his last time with his wife Torild that he married a few months ago.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

For Tobias Munthe-Kaas he was a mentor:

I first met Rolf in the 1990’s when I was watching a powerboat race with my family as a small boy.

He gave me tips and advice in the early days of my racing and then engineered my offshore Class 3B boat.

When I went back to circuit racing in F4 he helped me with props and set-up.

Since 2012 we have been in daily contact about my F2 racing career and it was Rolf that helped me to get to the top of the grid in world championship races.

Frode Sundsdal told us:

I grew up watching Rolf Magne and Per test and race at our lake, at Songe.

We were members of the same club and shared the same passion. Rolf was always a crowd favorite; nobody was more risk willing than he was.

I´ve seen him race and blown over even before the start line! Crazy driver, fun guy.

Since I was 8 years younger than Rolf it took some years before I was racing alongside him, but when I finally did, we had some epic battles, because he always shared his knowledge, thought me how to set up a race boat, picked up my firsts new F4 Gardin in Italy for me and he always made my engines till this day.

Even when we raced, I have never for a single moment believed he kept better motors for himself, than what he prepared for me.

That’s what kind of character he was.

He concluded:

Powerboat heaven got a new superstar yesterday,

My thoughts goes to Torild and the family who have to share the mooring of Rolf with all of us.

He had friends all over the world, he was loved and respected.

Rolf Magne Sunde

Married to Torild and father to Nena and Jan Erik.

22 September 1963 – 19 April 2021

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