Racing season 1929


The Pavia-Venezia motorboat Raid is born. The longest motorboat race in the world was born from an idea by engineer Vincenzo Balsamo, with its 432 km of river-lagoon route.
The first edition, organized by the motorboat section of the Lega Navale of Milan, dates back to June 9 and 10, 1929. Subsequently, and more precisely from 1934, it was the Associazione Motonautica Pavia that organized it. After its interruption, caused by the war events, the race resumed starting from 1952, always thanks to the Associazione Motonautica Pavia that still organizes it today.
This fascinating marathon has always seen different types of boats compete with partial rankings for each category. The overall winner must obviously complete the entire route in the shortest time.
Among the peculiarities of the Raid, between 1930-1939, there was the participation of hydrofoils or boats with air propellers. At the end of the 50s, the presence of boats with only one pilot on board was foreseen.
The Raid route foresees the start in Pavia in Ticino, then at Ponte della Becca (at the confluence of the Ticino with the Po) the competitors begin the actual race, up to the final finish line in Venice.
In its long history, initially the arrival of the race was near Piazza S. Marco, with pontoons equipped with stands facing the shore, in front of the royal gardens. Later, with the increase in water traffic, it was moved first to S. Elena where for some years an important exhibition of Venetian shipbuilding was also held.
These were the years in which numerous local artisans and builders of boats were born in "industrial" quantities. How can we not mention above all Celli, Telaroli, Scarpa, illustrious names who linked their success to the racer boats of the inboard racing boats.
But we must also remember the Della Pietà, with their winning monohulls and the Simionato, Bote, Pericle, Amadi, Giuponi, Moschettiere etc...
In the years to come, Venice, or at least its administrators, did not seem to be very interested in the event, so it was decided to stop the race at Molarocco and then have it finish in Chioggia.
Unlike in the past, the Raid route is divided into three parts: the first goes from Ponte della Becca to Isola Serafini where there is a navigation lock to skip the bridle of the local hydroelectric plant. The second, from Isola Serafini to Boretto where the crews can carry out, in addition to refueling, also any small repairs in neutralized time. Finally, the last stretch from Boretto to Voltagrimana, where there are the locks that lead into the Canale di Valle, formerly the Canale Vittorio Emanuele III. Here, at the end of the timed race, only the last gangway remains, passing through Brontolo and Chioggia, until entering the lagoon along the connecting canal, that of Molarocco and Orfano, and reaching Venice, where to be classified one must still arrive.
In the editions held so far, a greater number of absolute victories have been recorded by boats with inboard engines.

In 1929, an important event was organized in the Venetian lagoon, where the Italian pilots were challenged by Americans and British pilots in category without limitations. One name above all was the American record holder Gar Wood, who arrived from overseas with the same boat, Miss America VII, used to establish the new world record for absolute speed on water with 149.352 km/h.
The Venetian race did not see Gar Wood win, but the British Sir Henry Segrave and his single-hull boat Miss England , built by British Power Boat and powered by a Scripps-Detroit engine. Segrave achieved an excellent average of just under 149 km/h.
On this occasion, an Italian boat was present in the race: the Cabac , which was none other than a 12-litre class racer built by the Ligurian shipyard Baglietto, with a Carraio engine which, however, could not compete with the greater potential exhibited by the boats of the Anglo-American pilots.

On 26 October 1929, Count Theo Rossi di Montelera, on Montelera, a Celli hull with a 12-litre Isotta Fraschini engine bearing the Asso M.12, achieved the national record for absolute speed for inboard boats on the measured base of Villa Olmo-Villa Dozzio, reaching an average speed of 106.165 km/h per nautical mile. The following day, the first Garda motorboat meeting was announced and organised in Gardone Riviera.


Inboard racing seasons
Racing season 1930