Racing season 1996


The 56th edition of the Raid Pavia-Venezia
Temporarily without the Italian Racer 2000 cc Championship, the 1996 season is only remembered for three important events.
The first concerns the success achieved, once again, by the racer boats in the 56th edition of the Pavia-Venezia. A Raid characterized by the lack of water in both the Ticino and Po rivers and the consequent difficulty of navigation for the competitors. The route is shortened and the arrival set in Chioggia for a total of 355 km compared to the original 408 (with the arrival at the Lido of Venice).
The winner is the driver of the Classic Silver Boat from Campione d'Italia Secondo Spacio who drives a three-point Lucini-Alfa Romeo 2000 cc and takes a total time of 2h 19' 50" (average 152.324 Km/h). Completing the success of the Racer 2000 class is Giuseppe Casanova from Parma (Clerici-Alfa Romeo) in second place in the overall standings, with a gap of just 23". Giuseppe therefore comes close to a victory that in the past (1964-1965) his famous father Leopoldo had instead achieved. Also notable is the good performance of the other Parma native Dino Zantelli, also on a 2000 cc racer who, despite finishing fourth overall, wins the Theo Rossi Trophy of Montelcra for having covered the Revere-Pontelagoscuro stretch at an average speed of 146.862 Km/h.

Guido Cappellini's Maserati record
The second event sees the constructor driver Tullio Abbate return to victory in the Centomiglia del Lario where he reconfirms his undisputed supremacy. Abbate debuts a new and beautiful carbon fiber catamaran designed by him and equipped with a DAC safety capsule; an authentic racing car powered by a 12-cylinder Lamborghini that will also be used in the years to come (by Tullio Abbate himself in 2002 and by his son Tullio Maria later). This vessel boasts the greatest number of victories in the history of the Larian race with six victories (1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2002).

Finally, we deal with the multiple world champion of Formula 1 In-Shore Guido Cappellini who sets the new world speed record for the Entrobordo Corsa class 5000 cc on Lake Lugano, in Campione d'Italia. A historic feat since the one who powered the DAC Formula 1 catamaran, in carbon and composite fibres, 5.70 m long and 2.30 m wide, was Maserati, a car manufacturer with a glorious past also in the field of motorboat racing.
The director of this initiative, in addition to Maserati itself and a pool of sponsors, was the former Como driver and builder of the wonderful "Primatist" touring boats Bruno Abbate, who found in Guido Cappellini the right man to make the feat a success.
The interesting catamaran, wider and heavier than a Formula 1, was designed and built in a very short time also thanks to the support of the ingenious preparer Romeo Ferraris who took care of the development and assembly of the engine. The basic 2000 cc engine (the same one mounted on the Ghibli cars), thanks to the two turbo compressors, is increased to 2800 cc and could therefore fall into the 3000 class. Since this is not foreseen by the UIM regulation, the hull is calibrated as a 5000 class which however requires a rather high minimum imposed weight (600 kg) and, despite the powerful Maserati representing a guarantee, it raises fears that it could be excessive for such a small displacement.
The boat has new aerodynamic lines: at the stern, on the fairing and a pronounced fixed directional fin, while on the deck, at the end of the two boots, there are small ailerons, one more advanced with positive lift, the other higher and more rearward with a downforce effect. On November 4th Cappellini, also favored by the excellent weather conditions (sun, calm waters and a total lack of wind) launches himself on the timed base and in the two regulation courses records a record average of 216.703 Km/h. with peak speeds of 223 Km/h. Two days later, in an attempt to improve, he also reaches 230 Km/h although he does not set a new record.
Thanks to this twin-turbo engine, defined without a shadow of a doubt as "the most powerful two-liter in the world", Maserati, not yet entered the Fiat-Ferrari orbit, obtains an exceptional result that restores its prestige also in the motorboat field.


Inboard racing seasons
Racing season 1997-1998