Two-time UIM F1H20 world champion, Shaun Torrente, has announced that he is working towards driving the world’s fastest electric boat.

The American racer has partnered with Vision Marine Technologies and will pilot their Hellkat 32’ Super-Sport Widebody Catamaran, which will be fitted with an E-Motion powertrain system.

Torrente’s STR company will be designing the challenger’s lower units and assisting with the rigging, fabrication, and set-up of the boat.

He commented on the partnership with Vision & Hellkat:

I’m pleased to be working with Vision Marine Technologies and Hellkat Powerboats on this advanced new project.

Technology and innovation are at the core of my racing team and manufacturing business.
I’m excited to partner with a company that share those attributes.

He continued:

I’m extremely competitive, so I relish the opportunity to set a record in the world’s fastest electric boat.

With the team we’ve assembled, and the commitment of our partners, I am confident of success.

The current fastest electric speed recorded over a measured 2 way kilo run was by Mike Bontoft at 159 KPH back in 2008 in a 144v hydro – (UIM record number 3681).

In 2018, Peter Dredge took the UIM ‘Circuit Outright Electric’ record at a speed of 142.60 KPH on Coniston Water.

He was driving a DAC and the power unit was supplied by Williams Advanced Engineering, the technology arm of the Williams (F1) Group.

Italian company, DeepSpeed, are developing an electric hydrojet motor and the project has been put together by entrepreneur William Gobbo with a team headed-up by fluid dynamics expert Professor Ernesto Benini of the University of Padua with another F1H20 racer, Francesco Cantando as their test pilot.

It’s early days for these projects but it’s clear that the electric powered revolution is coming, and if its green credentials help powerboat racing to attract much needed brands, sponsors and partners, that can only be a good thing.