From Ocean Village, Southampton, pilots Pete Little and Andy Wilby last week put the Fiat Powertrain-powered Team Sunseeker XS Challenger through its final test paces ahead of this weekend's race in Italy (above).

Fiat Powertrain-powered Team Sunseeker, the Powerboat P1 World Championship contender, has completed its final preparation on The Solent and is now travelling to Italy for this weekend’s opening Grand Prix of the season.

From Ocean Village, Southampton, pilots Pete Little and Andy Wilby last week put the FPT-powered Sunseeker XS Challenger through its final test paces under the watchful eye of personnel from both the Sunseeker Sales Group and Fiat Powertrain Technologies.

The boat itself is half a ton lighter than the one entered as a 'toe in the water' by Sunseeker last year, taking it down to the class minimum weight, and will be capable of top speeds of up to 85mph in calm sea conditions.

"It was a steep learning curve for all of us," Mark Dean, Fiat Powertrain Technologies business development manager, said. "Fiat started a new line of development on the N60 engine, which has powered trucks in the Paris-Dakar Raid, to meet the demands of racing on water. We learned a lot last year, and so did Sunseeker because the production craft was really too heavy, and our engineers have worked together to produce a superior craft for 2008. We do have high hopes for the season."

The team will compete in the 14 round P1 World Championship and August’s Cowes-Torquay-Cowes, one of the most famous and demanding offshore endurance races in powerboating. With a new hull, new driver line-up and new championship rules which now include dyno testing checks on power output, Team Sunseeker head for San Benedetto del Tronto with big ambitions but some trepidation.

"We are naturally nervous and apprehensive," confirmed throttleman Pete Little. "A lot is expected of us this season and, whilst we are mentally prepared and in peak physical condition, there are so many unknowns. How will the new hull perform, what improvements have our rivals made during the off-season and will the new rules ensure a level playing field for all competitors?"

Keeping a close eye on proceedings was Managing Director of Sunseeker Sales Group, Dominic Byrne. "Our Sunseeker XS Challenger is a proven performer and, with the energy and commitment shown by everyone associated with our racing team, 2008 promises much," he explained. "However, in any form of motorsport, especially where the elements play such a pivotal role, there are so many other factors to consider, including good fortune! Our ambition in Italy is quite simple; to complete both races without incident and, in doing so, establish a solid base from which to build our title challenge."

The 2008 P1 World Championship season starts in San Benedetto del Tronto with the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea. A time trial on Friday 9th May is followed by an endurance race of 75 nautical miles on Saturday and a 'sprint' event on Sunday. Team Sunseeker competes in P1's production class – SuperSport – with races scheduled to start at 11:30am on both days.