12 / 40
ook down the line of
the 20 boats in this
years’
UIM
F1H2O
Championship and one
stands out immediately,
the newest generation
Blaze Performance Hull,
designed and built by
Francesco Cantando at
his facility in Milan, Italy
and unveiled in France.
It is strikingly different and despite a minor
problem with the steering and an enforced
engine change in qualifying and starting with
a load of questions unanswered from 19th, it
was a case of out of the box, onto the water
and a very safe drive by the Italian to a top
ten, point finish, on its debut. “I must say
that the feeling with the new boat is right. I
am very comfortable inside. It has very good
acceleration which is one area we focussed on
because today qualifying is so important. I am
happy with the top speed but now we need
more time on the water to really work on
set-ups, which propeller works better and to
move forward and improve further in a good
way.”
The project has been a long time coming
for Cantando as he balances the tougher
commercial side of running a race team
and competing at the top level. “I am very
happy to have realised and completed this
project to deliver a new model of boat that
has evolved with the latest technology using
complete computer analysis in design and
understanding critical air flow criteria. All
the boat’s moulds were realised by CNC
machining with the latest technologies
available.
“The boat is equipped with a new crash box
setup which is more than 14cm thinner than
theoriginal one’sdevelopedandhomologated,
thanks to the cooperation of the “Politecnico
di Milano” with the support of chief engineer
DR Milanese Andrea.
“The new canopy, even if it is the same sliding
system that Blaze Performance created and
used for the first time in powerboat history,
has a new safety concept with a technical
plastic window of 10mm. The structure is
much safer because we have projected a new
carbon frame that gives far better protection
to the driver. And the sponsons and the cover
of the boat are completely new in shape and in
the building materials.”
Out of this project Cantando has confirmed
that the principles established with his new
F1 Blaze ‘Runner’ will be available to drivers
competing in the UIM F2 Championship
and that he has produced a new F4 Blaze
Performance boat that will be used for first
time in Harbin.
F1H2O
L
12
n° 3August | 2017